An excellent alternative to traditional toe clips or clipless systems.

Kirby Beck, PCI #002T/EMSCI #017
Coon Rapids Police Dept., MN

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Eko Sports, Inc., makers of PowerGrips™, has officially recognized its place in the police cycling world. Eko Sports is now making PowerGrips™ in black, stenciled with the word "POLICE". I have used PowerGrips™ on my work bike and my personal mountain bike since 1992, after seeing Allan Howard use them. He seemed like a good person to copy. I have found them a great alternative to using toe clips, the required piece of safety equipment most of us love to hate. I am sure most of you remember how hard it is to get used to toe clips!

I formerly used toe clips, but found them too awkward and noisy for police work. I learned the hard way - and have the scars to prove it - that a half dismount (crossover dismount) will cause even a loose toe clip to tighten on the foot. It can hold onto your foot and will not let go. Ouch. If you choose to flip out and stand on the bottom of the pedal, the toe clip scrapes noisily on the ground, giving up your stealth advantage.

PowerGrips™ are basically a piece of stiff canvas-like poly laminate that attach to the pedal diagonally. To use PowerGrips™, the rider puts his/her foot into the grip "pigeon-toed" and pivots the heel to tighten the hold on the foot. The strap reminds me of an old fashioned ski binding. The stiff poly laminate holds the loop open for easy, hands-free operation. The current version has a quick-adjust feature that allows the rider to use different shoes or boots, or accommodates different riders, which is helpful for departments that have shared bikes. As a long time PowerGrips™ user, I think the quick-adjust feature is GREAT for comfort and convenience.

PowerGrips™ work as well as toe clips with tightened straps to enable a rider to power through the entire pedal stroke. Toe clips, which were designed for road cyclists to use with cleated shoes, require the rider reach down to loosen the straps when coming to a stop. Because of the need to dismount quickly, it is dangerous for police cyclists to ride with toe clip straps tight enough to take advantage of the entire pedal stroke. PowerGrips™ provide the advantages of tight toe clips, but offer the safety of quick release clipless pedals. When standing on one side of the bike for a half dismount the PowerGrips™ is in its loosest and safest position. I still believe in flipping out of the pedal and standing on the bottom when preparing for a tactical dismount, but while toe clips scrape noisily on the ground when inverted, PowerGrips™ are hardly audible.

PowerGrips™ can be attached to virtually any quality pedal, though the provided screws may not work for every pedal. If you can't use existing screws, the proper ones can be found at any bike shop. PowerGrips™ also sell pedals with the PowerGrips™ already attached.

PowerGrips™ are a great choice for police officers because they are quick, quiet, comfortable and simple. If necessary, a rider can simply stand on top of the loop and use it like a regular pedal. They provide nearly the same power advantage of a clipless pedal, but are easier in and out than any clipless system, which also makes them popular with some mountain bike racers. Finally, and importantly for officers who ride in extreme weather and temperatures, they work as effectively with cycling shoes as with insulated, waterproof boots. This review originally appeared in the Fall 2000 issue of IPMBA News.