Fork footrests..?

[andyoxon]

Yesterday I passed somone riding a fixie with what appeared to be footrests protruding from the forks...  Is this right, or was it something else..?  

[clarion]

It would be uber-retro if it were!

[ibrahim]

Wouldn't at all be surprised if it were. It would enable the rider to lift the feet off the pedals and roll down hills completely unhindered by any kind of braking system...

Else it could be used for taking slim girlfriend on a ride sitting on the bars?
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/P_5l6rIUu4A&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/P_5l6rIUu4A&rel=1</a>

[border-rider]

I've toyed with the idea, I must say. Very useful for going through fords.

[clarion]

Getting the feet back on must be a challenge, and you lose your leg braking, but it used to be widely done.

[andyoxon]

My guess is that they were screwed into the fork rack braze-ons.  Can't find anything on google.

[border-rider]

Getting the feet back on must be a challenge,

It's fine.  I do it for fords etc - unclip, whizz through and clip back in on-the-fly

[border-rider]

My guess is that they were screwed into the fork rack braze-ons.  Can't find anything on google.

That was my idea as to how to do it.  Some people have suggested brazed-on stubs a bit nearer the fork crown, which might make steering easier.

[Greenbank]

Getting the feet back on must be a challenge,

It's fine.  I do it for fords etc - unclip, whizz through and clip back in on-the-fly

Indeed, the trick is to try it at faster and faster speeds. I happy to clip out and clip back in at anything up to about 100rpm (just over 20mph). First get your feet back on the pedals, then shuffle them around to clip back in, most of the time I can clip back in straight away without thinking about it.

I'd never want to do a long downhill like that though, especially at speeds over what I'd do still clipped in, it does affect the handling of the bike somewhat...

[border-rider]

I'd never want to do a long downhill like that though, especially at speeds over what I'd do still clipped in, it does affect the handling of the bike somewhat...

It does.  The bike feels quite unbalanced.

[Regulator]

He probably had a freewheel, making it easier to clip back in...  

[clarion]

Traditionally, of course, they were nearer the crown.  But head angles were more relaxed then.  An experienced rider new to safeties would likely have previously been coasting down hills with their legs slung over the bars of their Ordinary...

I can see how clipping back in after a ford would be feasible, but I had in mind my first encounter with a fixed and hills.  I borrowed a Pennine I'd picked up for someone, and was entranced by the way it flew up the steep hills.

But coming down again.  Oho, coming down again was something else entirely.  It got faster and faster.  At severaltoomany rpm, I unclipped, and was unable to get back in until I'd reached the short flat bit leading up to the junction with the A646.  All the rejuvenation of the ascent had transformed into extra ageing before I stopped.