Thursday, June 19, 2008

Quick and Dirty Cleat Covers

Often I will need to stop at the grocery store for a few items on my way home from work. Since I prefer the power and efficiency of cleated shoes on the long commute, that leaves me clacking and skidding around the hard floor like a deer on a frozen pond.The other day I devised this quickie cleat cover. I cut pieces of a discarded foldable road tire. I punched holes in it and laced pieces of shoelace through them. The covers lie flat in the rack pack on the bike so they don't take up too much space.
When I need to cover the cleats I just tie the strips of tire around my shoe.
It seems to work. And the pieces are long enough that I may try rotating them and modifying the lacing to cover the cleat and the heel of the shoe.

2 comments:

Lazy Bike Commuter said...

I think I prefer my method--mountain pedals and shoes.

cafiend said...

When SPD first came out I considered it. Finances were very tight, so I did not invest. A few years went by and I had a chance to see how the system performed under many circumstances. Regular tourists and commuters noted that the cleats still protrude enough to be dangerous on a hard surface, especially as shoes wear down. The shoes are not comfortable for all day work wear, requiring alternate footwear for the workplace. Any versions that offer a flat pedal option only offer a flat pedal option: all or nothing for grip. So despite the compromises, and no high-performance support from the industry, toe clips still make more sense for versatility.