I used the one with the hard plastic in the end. After filing off the plastic knobbles I Stretched 3 pieces of inner tube over it and re-routed the outer cable to minimise any kinks and make sure any curves were as large as possible.

This seems to have helped with the amount of resistance when changing down. A lot more comfortable to grip as well.

Applied some rubber adhesive between the layers of inner tube as well to keep it all in place.

[ATTACH type="full" alt="20250819_202029[1].jpg"]64078[/ATTACH]

In case you don't know, you're supposed to ride your bike.

 

As it's been a while for you, here's how do do it: Get your leg over; push off with one leg while you push down on a pedal that's facing forward with the other leg; once the bike is moving, put the other leg on a pedal and start pedalling with both legs; when you want to slow down or stop, use the brakes. Keep practicing until you can ride to the end of the road and back, then you should be good enough to try all the way to one of your ganja customers. Don't help him to smoke it otherwise you'll be back to where you started.

i can do 5 to 10 miles a day atm

i can do 5 to 10 miles a day atm

I can do 100 miles a day, but, I never do.

I can do 100 miles a day, but, I never do.

 

You must have a better seat than I do, or a tougher backside.

 

I can remember hitting 125 miles in a day on a trip from Cheltenham to Newcastle along old Roman roads like the Fosseway and Ermine Street, but I was a bit saddle sore. That was on a Dawes Galaxy tourer.

 

In present times, on my crank drive, my rear end didn't feel very comfortable after 45 miles.

 

Twenty is plenty these days. I could do much more, but why make riding a pain?

I only manage about 6 miles a day which is untilI can’t feel my feet due to my periferal neuropathy and my feet start slipping of the pedals. Have to ride bolt upright as well to keep the weight of my hands so they don’t go numb as well.

i’m currently making some guides to keep my feet in the right place so I can go a bit further.

6 miles ain’t much but not ready for a mobility scooter yet. Use it or lose it

i’m currently making some guides to keep my feet in the right place so I can go a bit further.

I don't know the details of your foot issues, but half toe clips might work. They don't have the constraints of full strapped toe clips or cleats, but still really help keep feet in the right place, and also allow one to lift the pedals easily to get a good starting position. We've been using them for decades.

Basically limited feeling in my feet and hands. Will look into half toe clips though. I currently have cut down clips but they don’t stop my feet move side ways

I'm afraid half toe clips probably won't help much with sideways movement, though they do help a bit as they keep the front of the foot fairly steady.

 

Studded pedals might also help. However, you could find it difficult to get a good foot position to start with with them. You can't slide your foot on the pedal to get the right position without removing the pressure on them. Even with feeling in my feet I sometimes find that a little awkward, and not being able to feel the pressure would make it harder.

Studded platform pedals grip well and the axle means I can feel fore/aft location, but I have to look to centralise each foot sideways. Other than soft soles is there a fix for that, maybe bolt-on pedal sidewalls or something?

What about using velcro straps, below is one version of many

 

https://www.santafixie.co.uk/wellgo-w12-fixedgear-straps-red.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19939145982&gbraid=0AAAAADlNKwmHnZm5WPj9sEkG8S-KYHZQJ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh5vFBhCyARIsAHBx2wxKIX3RYUthrF6HCuz6w3kPiTbLfwY8CqYXEQZJS1GKAl-uq7wi9pAaAoCDEALw_wcB

Yes or Power Grips for quick release, they'd do the job but then you'd still have to look down to flip the pedal the right way up. They'd need a lightly sprung cam to catch the pedal perpendicular to the crank. Suddenly I see the lure of 3D printers...

I've never used them, but I know you can get magnetic cleats/pedals. You'd need the correct shoes to match (2 bolt spd), but it might solve your problem.

I've never used them, but I know you can get magnetic cleats/pedals. You'd need the correct shoes to match (2 bolt spd), but it might solve your problem.

The biggest problem with that is that you need to wear specific shoes so removes the possibility of an impulse trip. I have the same problem because I use SPD's on both of my bikes so often end up just using the car for short trips to the next village etc. If I had space a 3rd bike with toe clips would be the best solution

Magnetic pedals, www.magped.com/en/

Adapter for SPD-compatible pedals that lets you wear street shoes

https://www.forgecycles.co.uk/bbb-feetrest-spd-pedal-adapters

Adapter for SPD-compatible pedals that lets you wear street shoes

https://www.forgecycles.co.uk/bbb-feetrest-spd-pedal-adapters

Tried those before, they don't work well as the free pedal always ends up upside down when you pull away due to the weight of the adaptor. Que much kicking of the pedal trying to get it the right way up when you should just be accelerating.

Too true. Heel slings would hang right and you might not feel the SPD clip under stiff soled shoes. (edit: or would the straps trap you in the SPDs when using them?)

 

They'd help with centering sideways too but I was thinking more along these lines

Edited August 22, 2025Aug 22 by AntonyC

I use a Shimano pedal that is SPD one side and large flat studded surface the other.

During fitter days when I rode my bike around London wearing safety boots that gripped studded pedal quite well.

Ive made a plywood plate with an aluminium up stand around the front perimeter that screwed to each pedal. It’s crude and It only fits the front half of my foot but seems to work.

I need to find some aluminium plate I can cut to shape and turn the edges up on to replicate the same shape.

Need to wear the same trainers each time though

Edited August 23, 2025Aug 23 by Bobbo1260

Bolt sawn off large Dutch wooden clogs onto the pedals? Aero.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116354845172

Edited August 23, 2025Aug 23 by guerney

The Dutch don't and that's good enough for me

 

aluminium up stand around the front perimeter

That reminds me my road bike had toe stops half the height of these 'quarter clips', they worked a treat, you could centre up by feel alone. I must have been defter at pedal flipping back then, or had more patience / less traffic.

I had toe stops prior to my Heath Robinson foot plate idea. They were better than nothing.

The Dutch don't and that's good enough for me

What about using velcro straps, below is one version of many

 

https://www.santafixie.co.uk/wellgo-w12-fixedgear-straps-red.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19939145982&gbraid=0AAAAADlNKwmHnZm5WPj9sEkG8S-KYHZQJ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh5vFBhCyARIsAHBx2wxKIX3RYUthrF6HCuz6w3kPiTbLfwY8CqYXEQZJS1GKAl-uq7wi9pAaAoCDEALw_wcB

Two lengths of this Velcro format hold waterproof rucksack covers on my rackmounted downtube battery. Hook one side, the other side is loop. They're held onto the rack by small zipties either side:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392949237871

 

A length(s) of velcro could be held onto a pedal using small zipties, securing velcro over and around the foot, with hook or loop sewn onto the top of trainers, or held using some velcro (hook or loop uppermost, depending) under (or by the laces, weaving through) the laces, to keep the foot on the pedal? You wouldn't want the trainers or shoes held in so strongly they couldn't escape in an emergency.

 

Or you could make a velcro foot cocoon weaving through the pedal using one long length (up to 20m lengths are available on ebay), but for just the front part of the foot. Guerney's Half Front Foot Velcro Pedal Caccoon™ is invented It could hold small tools and snacks.

Edited August 23, 2025Aug 23 by guerney