Cycle-Clips

No, I don’t mean the one-eyed giant from Greek mythology; that’s Cyclops.


I mean cycle-clips; made out of spring steel, usually coated in plastic, and they hold your pant leg at the bottom so they don’t get caught in your chain.

Very important if you ride a fixed gear bike as Fritz found out recently when his entire right pant leg was ripped from his leg.

Growing up in England, cycle-clips were standard equipment; as common in any household as a can-opener. If you owned any kind of bike you owned cycle-clips.

I don't understand why they never caught on the US.


Footnote: Cycle-Clips also can be used in the sport of Ferret Legging.

Comments

[Fritz]

Clips are readily available in California bike shops and -- honest! -- I own a set along with a couple of straps. In this instance I just felt like rolling my pants up, but I didn't roll them tight enough and *rip*.

Thanks for the link love.

[Ed W]

I was surprised to find some steel trouser clips in our local shop. I hadn't seen them for years. These are heavily chromes and I added some reflective tape. Very useful.

[Doug]

I used to have a pair of steel cycle clips back when I used to ride my bike to high school and used them while riding around campus in college. That was back in the late 70's-early 80's. I wonder if I still have them? I'd forgotten all about them until I saw this post. The clips worked great when riding around in street clothes.

[Anonymous]

... the same reason fenders, chain guards, fat tires, bells, and wheel locks haven't caught on. In America cycling is not transportation or practicality; it's hyped up recreation.

-Swami

[VintageSpin]

I couldn't see buying clips, so I used rubber bands around my pant legs; easy enough to store in my pockets also.
But then I had a paper route, so plenty of rubber bands were around.

[HRlaughed]

Yes, I too used them in the mid-70s... in Wyoming of all places!

[Anonymous]

In my box of old bike parts, I found my trusty blue spring steel pant clip with yellow reflective tape. I rode with it 30 years ago. I will settle for the plain steel ones and put my own tape on it, I guess! Although I can't read the company name on it fully (SEE-BA?, the place of manufacture was N.B. Connecticut, which stands for New Britain, an old factory town there.

[Anonymous]

I always use pants clips to protect my clothes. I have been using them since the early 1970's with those unprotected chainguardless "10 speeds" now called road bikes. I never used proper "cycling wear" that is so trendy and popular nowadays. I just whip up a velcro secured pants clip and I am ready to go anywhere-even business meetings!