Toe Spikes - Leave them in or take them out?

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Permalink Reply by brianhancock on August 9, 2008 at 10:36am

I put them in the day I got my shoes and haven't touched them since. Seems like there could be a very slight difference in clipping in with cleats versus without, so I leave them in.

Also, I lost the stupid tool to remove them, so I can't take them off anyway : )

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Permalink Reply by andrew on August 9, 2008 at 11:38pm

out here it's not muddy very often, so I usually leave them out. Not sure what material yours are made from, but I don't like them in when dismounting on hard surfaces like hard pack and pavement (which shouldn't happen IMHO anyway). it actually is more slippery with them when dry and hard, from my experience. they just tend to be made from such hard material there is so little grip on anything hard. so, I only use them for soft, slippery races that I care about, and nowadays, that's pretty rare. but in new england I'd use them when it starts to get cold and muddy. and i actually hate them on ice and frozen ground, but good on snow. so picky, I know.

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Permalink Reply by John Osgood on August 10, 2008 at 7:39am

That is great feedback. The ones I have (I think) are made from steel or alloy. They are very hard and I have already noticed that they are slippery on hard surfaces. I guess the best thing I can do is try them out in practice over the next month and a half.... Anyone else got some feedback?

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Permalink Reply by vanwacx on August 11, 2008 at 11:41am

Did you get the Sidi toe spikes? Too many people think soccer spikes are good for cyclocross. Wrong. Get the metal Sidi spikes. They dig in and provide awesome traction during races.

I use the spikes for all races and most cross skills training but take them off for other types of riding.

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Permalink Reply by John Osgood on August 11, 2008 at 2:45pm

Yes I got the Sidi spikes. And I think I am only going to use them for cross. And leave them out for MTB racing and road riding. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by bsegal on August 11, 2008 at 7:18pm

os,
leave them in for the road so you can kick so butt with them!!
They are great in the mud in cx, don't think any other application makes sense though....unless you're wearing a 1x9 shirt, and then all bets are off.

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Permalink Reply by John Osgood on August 12, 2008 at 10:05pm

Now were talking. Maybe I should sharpen them to a point!?

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Permalink Reply by bsegal on August 13, 2008 at 4:27am

That's how we get up the green monster at the derby cup USGP race, and it helps you run over people who fall in the sand!! Unless they're wearing a t-shirt by 1x9 designs of course

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Permalink Reply by pitboss on August 13, 2008 at 7:07am

I have the SIDI metal mudfangs - and they do help quite a bit on softer ground. Shorter spikes are better for hardpack.

There is an interesting post on LAASTE RONDE regarding this. check it out:
http://hoyerfamily.com/cyclocross/?p=369

.

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Permalink Reply by Josh on August 14, 2008 at 6:21am

I've run spikes for muddy 'cross races, but around these parts mud races are few and far between, so I usually leave them out. I do not like spikes for MTB rides/ racing -- I find them very slippery on rocks and roots.

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Permalink Reply by GeWilli on August 14, 2008 at 9:10am

I've always just run crappy soccer cleats

they make em in a couple sizes and I go with the tallest ones, next year if the ground is as frozen as it was at Wrenthem again I'll put in some low profile ones.

Being a Clydesdale those little toothpick things that Sidi makes ain't do much of anything except in the tightest turf. I gotta have the bigger meat that the tall sports cleats provide.

And yes. Always have cleats. Always. Well almost anyway. Too much work to take em out and then try and find the little screws that go back in.

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Permalink Reply by vanwacx on August 21, 2008 at 8:23pm

Dunno. I'm 185, a little shy of a clyde, and I can't deal with anything but the Sidi spikes. I find the metal spikes find there way to the firmer ground under the mud. With the soccer like cleat, I don't find they dig in the way I like them to.

Another option is to use threaded rods from the hardware store. Then put keeper nuts snug up to the shoe sole. If you want them beefier, thread on more nuts. Yo ucan usually find a couple of gauges of nuts to fine tune the size and shape. You can make them as long as you want also.

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