Author Topic: Why do road bikes have clip ons? (Read 4668 times)

noggythenog · « **on:** 24 January 2015, 05:53:58 pm »

that is all

Im a man of few words

youngsterbiker · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 January 2015, 05:55:25 pm »

by clip ons do you mean the pedals?
If so you can get clip in pedals for all bikes. for road bikes the clip helps on the up stroke of each rotation. Not sure if that makes sense?
Basicly makes it easier to pedal. They can also be used on mountain bikes, I find when riding trails having my feet attached makes moving the bike around much easier than not.
But then each to their own.

mtread · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:04:11 pm »

Because otherwise they'd have strap ons .......

noggythenog · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:05:06 pm »

Quote from: youngsterbiker on 24 January 2015, 05:55:25 pm

by clip ons do you mean the pedals?
If so you can get clip in pedals for all bikes. for road bikes the clip helps on the up stroke of each rotation. Not sure if that makes sense?
Basicly makes it easier to pedal. They can also be used on mountain bikes, I find when riding trails having my feet attached makes moving the bike around much easier than not.
But then each to their own.

Sorry pal im on about clip on handlebars on road going motorbikes

Good answer though

You're spoiling my venture of few words now

noggythenog · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:06:28 pm »

Quote from: mtread on 24 January 2015, 06:04:11 pm

Because otherwise they'd have strap ons .......

That was a simillar thread i had saved up, are strap ons comfy while riding then are they Mtread???

youngsterbiker · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:07:54 pm »

Quote from: noggythenog on 24 January 2015, 06:05:06 pm

Quote from: youngsterbiker on 24 January 2015, 05:55:25 pm
by clip ons do you mean the pedals?
If so you can get clip in pedals for all bikes. for road bikes the clip helps on the up stroke of each rotation. Not sure if that makes sense?
Basicly makes it easier to pedal. They can also be used on mountain bikes, I find when riding trails having my feet attached makes moving the bike around much easier than not.
But then each to their own.

Sorry pal im on about clip on handlebars on road going motorbikes

Good answer though

You're spoiling my venture of few words now

Well now i feel embarrassed.

never heard of clip on handlebars though?

Hedgetrimmer · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:09:23 pm »

Man of few words!? Who are you?! What have you done with the real Noggy?! Imposter!

Exupnut · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:21:49 pm »

Quote from: noggythenog on 24 January 2015, 06:06:28 pm

Quote from: mtread on 24 January 2015, 06:04:11 pm
Because otherwise they'd have strap ons .......

That was a simillar thread i had saved up, are strap ons comfy while riding then are they Mtread???

Thought u would know about strapon's Nogster...

Even Red98 is laffin at u :-))

mtread · « **Reply #8 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:39:30 pm »

Quote

ecause otherwise they'd have strap ons .......

If it works, who am I to judge

noggythenog · « **Reply #9 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:43:39 pm »

Quote from: nick crisp on 24 January 2015, 06:09:23 pm

Man of few words!? Who are you?! What have you done with the real Noggy?! Imposter!

No

noggythenog · « **Reply #10 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:44:26 pm »

Quote from: Exupnut on 24 January 2015, 06:21:49 pm

Quote from: noggythenog on 24 January 2015, 06:06:28 pm
Quote from: mtread on 24 January 2015, 06:04:11 pm
Because otherwise they'd have strap ons .......

That was a simillar thread i had saved up, are strap ons comfy while riding then are they Mtread???

Thought u would know about strapon's Nogster...

Even Red98 is laffin at u :-))

Hi Betty

noggythenog · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 January 2015, 06:58:41 pm »

Quote from: youngsterbiker on 24 January 2015, 06:07:54 pm

Quote from: noggythenog on 24 January 2015, 06:05:06 pm
Quote from: youngsterbiker on 24 January 2015, 05:55:25 pm
by clip ons do you mean the pedals?
If so you can get clip in pedals for all bikes. for road bikes the clip helps on the up stroke of each rotation. Not sure if that makes sense?
Basicly makes it easier to pedal. They can also be used on mountain bikes, I find when riding trails having my feet attached makes moving the bike around much easier than not.
But then each to their own.

Sorry pal im on about clip on handlebars on road going motorbikes

Good answer though

You're spoiling my venture of few words now
Well now i feel embarrassed.
never heard of clip on handlebars though?

Ha ha no worries, im green too, thats why i ask the bike maestros

noggythenog · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 January 2015, 07:02:08 pm »

It is a serious question though

noggythenog · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 January 2015, 07:03:39 pm »

Talking to someone that sat on a gsxr1000 K5 with it's strap ons removed it was actually really comfy

So why fit them

Are they just for track

Hedgetrimmer · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 January 2015, 07:37:22 pm »

The idea is to get you tucked in with your weight forward over the front wheel. Mostly for track and sports applications.

red98 · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 January 2015, 07:45:23 pm »

Clip ons, ace bars, do the same thing really, as nick has said.......you know that mr nog.......

red98 · « **Reply #16 on:** 24 January 2015, 07:49:19 pm »

Red98 laugh at the nogster....never........well not much ...

Exupnut · « **Reply #17 on:** 24 January 2015, 07:53:52 pm »

Lol..... U can either ride the bike or not....no amount of addons will compensate for your inability .....bling is one thing....riding is another.....

noggythenog · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 January 2015, 08:00:26 pm »

Ah cool that explains it, it's just something ive never actually known for sure. Only ridden one bike with clip ons, my mates gsxr600 & it was weird, i was crouched up like a sleeping hedgehog on that thing it was painful.I had guessed a small part was aerodynamics.I thought that the narrow bars would be quicker to turn, like a sports car with a tiny lock to lock, so more precise.But im sure ive heard that this smaller lever mixed with the correct frequency of road speed and tarmac can cause tank slappers......& once clip ons start tank thrashing you cant stop them.I hadnt realised that weight over the front would come into it, makes sense now.I jus wonder why most road riders have them considering the perceived pitfalls & as the Tuono & Mt09 show you can have a sports bike with wide bars on the roads & go quick & i see that lots of guys install the top yoke with wide bars conversion to their sports bikes.But if weight on the front wheel comes into it so much then surely installing the wide bars and risers would stop you putting down the weight & make the bike set up totally useless.

limax2 · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 January 2015, 08:05:24 pm »

Clip-ons were first used on race bikes in the early 50's when telescopic forks became the thing to have. Naturally they soon became fashionable with the cafe racer set. I fitted some to my 650c.c. B.S.A. Gold Flash in the early 60's before I progressed to a 500c.c. Gold Star which came with them as a standard option and was sold as a clubman racer. Both great bikes at the time.

History lesson over.

Hedgetrimmer · « **Reply #20 on:** 24 January 2015, 08:10:52 pm »

It's the only thing I don't like about Fazers and similar. You can't get your weight over the front for fast cornering, to get the front wheel properly "planted". Well, a focced arm means I can't use those sorts of bars anyway, but when I get a hustle on, it's the one thing that annoys me about an upright riding position.

The clip-on style goes back a long way Noggy. On the original 50s cafe racers it was the way to go. In the 70s and early 80s, folk used to fit Ace bars, clip-ons, and Jota bars were popular for their adjustability (from the Laverda Jota).

The manufacturers built little other than sports bikes after the first GSXRs hit the streets - they were designed using things learned from race bikes, and thank God that period is over; there was just race replica after race replica all through the 90s

Don't get me wrong, these were the flagship models where technology was developed, but at least nowadays we have some variety.

Beaten to it by Mr. limax, so there's a bit more detail for you.

red98 · « **Reply #21 on:** 24 January 2015, 08:18:47 pm »

Evening nick.....you've got an R6 shock on your thou, this must help to put a bit more weight on the front, stiffer spring and all that, have you ever had the standard shock on it to compare ?

noggythenog · « **Reply #22 on:** 24 January 2015, 08:29:09 pm »

This is good shit cheers chaps.

I dont like the poxy flat bar things on my FZ1 and id rather have proper renthals with a bit of an upwards rise.....not risers, i mean the bars themslves.

These flat bars are neither one or the other as they dont seem to give proper leverage as wide bars should because of the position of them yet neither do they allow for the crouch.

I have to force myself into a crouch with them & although i didnt quite click the reason why (i thought it just made a favourable bend in my elbow for cornering) when i do force the crouch i notice i can corner really well so it all makes sense now.......it just is t natural enough to sustain on my bike yet i can see that some bikes are designed so that you are always in the crouch whether you like it or not....although why the foc they have to have these mahoosive fuel tanks that hold nothing yet stop the crouch???

Hedgetrimmer · « **Reply #23 on:** 24 January 2015, 08:30:33 pm »

Paul, Luke dropped the bike on the forks by 10mm at the same time he fitted the shock, so not sure which made more difference, but still find myself trying to pull myself over the front to no avail. An upright riding position just isn't the same thing as a full-on sports riding position, but that's what I'm stuck with. S'okay though, I can live with it - comfort is more important to me these days, as I'm sure many on here understand

Just illustrating to Noggy what that riding position is about.

red98 · « **Reply #24 on:** 24 January 2015, 08:38:19 pm »

Yeh, understand that nick, iam not getting any younger, pushing 40, and comfort is no1 ...but every now and again I want to push things along a bit, little bit of a twisty road ahead , bit more throttle and haul the heavy thou about a bit.ive got an R6 shock waiting to go on and I will try dropping the forks, its got to make these bike better at everything, be interesting to see what difference it makes...........anyway back to topic , clipons dont clipon.......they bolt on ..........