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Anybody got suggestions for good clipless pedals and cleats for a fixie? I’m thinking of going clipless but I the thought of accidentally unclipping when you skid too hard throws me off. And I trackstand a lot while waiting for the traffic lights to go green and undo my straps and step on my pedals flat. I imagine that clipless pedal trackstands are a lot harder and easier to fall off. Buying clipless pedals and cleats would also be useful for a road bike or TT bike that I’m thinking of buying.
Also, has anybody converted normal sneakers? I’ve seen pictures online and seen a pair of Old Skools converted to clipless. And no, I wouldn’t consider DZR. They look like cheap $5 sweatshop shoes
I always rode SPD's on my track bikes. I never had issues unclipping while track standing even with them cranked to as tight as they go. Most everyone I know now rides Time Atac stuff though. I love my Sidi Dominators for shoes. Don't go road/TT shoes because they are a pain to walk around in and you look like a gomer.
I've seen converted shoes and the ones I have seen are pretty bootleg. Clipless shoes aren't that much money, and with companies like 5.10 and Chrome you can get something that looks like a skate shoe but has clipless cleats built in.
Clipless on track bike is a game changer. I am so used to being clipless that I'll probably end up going that route with the MASH build, set it up clips and straps with the thought of using it get places and not have to carry a bag with other shoes and gear. As far as coming unclipped while pedaling or skidding it hasn't happened to me, you can adjust the tension on the release function of the pedals. I have them cranked down on the track bike and on the looser side on my gravel bike. I don't really track stand as I usually do the fake right turn go down that street a bit cross over and get back on the road I was on bit, but the times I have it wasn't any more or less difficult than standard pedals, it's pretty easy to get your feet off once your used to it.
I'm running SPD pedals on my cinelli track bike. The Shimano M324, fairly cheap and look great I think. I also like that if I wanted to I can easily toss straps and toe clips on the reverse side of the pedal to ride regular shoes. Downside is it's not something you could keep set up with out them dragging the ground if riding the clipless side
As far as shoes I am running Fizik Terra Powerstrap X4, which I got to ride on my gravel rig. Its a gravel shoe but its probably the most road looking gravel shoe out. Offers a good bit of rubber around the cleat so your aren't clomping around. Heel strike area is a little slim and I definitely got close to rolling an ankle when I first started wearing them, no issues now that I am used to them. They are around $150 but can almost always be grabbed for $90-100 on Amazon, that's where I got them. It was the beginning of Covid and shops weren't open for me to go and try on, seemed like the easiest route in case I needed to return.
@garthblader I could be incorrect but I don't think Chrome does the clipless models any longer. I went looking for some not long ago and was only able to find some used pairs on second hand sites like ebay and poshmark which I was still willing to buy and clean up but couldn't find my size.
EDIT: Went on a bit of a rabbit hole looking for SPD sneakers and came across these that don't look terrible. Remind me of DC/Etnies in a way. Looks like they are phasing them out as they are all on sale.
https://aftonshoes.com/collections/vectal