Clipless pedals are....

swampi101

AWESOME.

got my crank bros mallets and 661 filter spds today, and went for my first ride clipless. got used to them pretty quick, and soon found i dont like pulling wheelies clipped in my hip still hurts.

i can say for sure im not going back to flats. anyone who hasnt tried them, do it now! you wont regret it.

on the other hand, is there anyone here who has tried them and doesnt like them?

supersonic

Many people on here have tried them and don't like them! Loads of past discussions.

Is purely personal preference, one isn't better overall than the other.

RealMan

Except clipless gives you more efficient pedalling, more power transfer, better control, lighter pedals, and less scared shins..

supersonic

The effieiency and power difference with good technique on flats for most riders is negligable, and tests have proved this. Some tests have shown actively pulling up on the stroke reduces efficiency, but power output can be greater for stuff like sprinting.

What SPDs can do is promote good technique.

Yiou can get very light flat pedals.

Better control is down to the rider - some DHers use flats for more control!

swampi101

yeah the most noticeable thing when riding is the pedalling. its so much easier than flats! I can get up to speed much faster now, and less wasted energy

Anonymous

Ah, but APDs can also promote bad technuque. Take the case of a rider who is struggling to keep his feet on the pedals during rocky sections, and decides to just opt for spds. Not exactly promoting good technique.

supersonic

Yep, and have seen it! And seen SPDers mashing too.

Falts for me all the way, all disciplines.

snotty badger

I tried SPDs once- really didn't get on with them.

Have thought about it again but I like to get a leg out sometimes

Anonymous

I prefer getting my leg over.

snotty badger

:roll:

fourcrossjohn

flats

when i crash which i will i wanna be able to get my body outa there

Sarnian

As It's been brought up again, I went from flats to riding on spd's for a couple of years and this year I have gone back to riding on flats on all my bikes. I will not be going back to being clipped In except on a road bike.

Anonymous

Haha! My non-clipless army is expanding! I knew a revolution was on the way!

fourcrossjohn

viva le flatces

snotty badger

All hail the flats! :twisted:

kangaroo

i have been riding spd's for the last few months, (encouraged to do so by the local bike club), but i keep haveing longer thoughts for flats. whenever i see another rider using flats i am envious. so over the last few days i have been experimenting, i rode the same route two days in a row on differnt pedals

day 1
i rode flats, oooooh nice and comfy, i found going up the hills easier and confidence on rough descents was better, i also found i was using the same pedaling technique i use on spds on the flats with no hassle, only down side was i fetl slighty less confident on small jumps

day2
eggbeaters, i was expecting going back on the spds to be a sigh of relief, er no. i actully found pedaling harder in some cercumstances and going up the hills was harder espceilly on tight switchbacks. i thought that some of this might be down to my cleat postion so i moved my cleats back, things improved a bit but, it still wasnt as easy on the switchbacks, only reall benifit i found was on the small jumps, and thats just the confidence of knowing your feet arnt going to come off the pedals. control wasnt as good as on flats, as my feet tend to pivot slighlty on the pedals

so i think i might go back to flats, just have to face the local club

Anonymous

Your feet coming off on small jumps is a technique issue, that ideally you should try to resolve, rather than ignore it by using SPDs.

cat_with_no_tail

Just gone back to flats myself, Started doing Downhill and dont fancy the thought of being clipped in while I am learning the ropes.

Sarnian

Kangaroo, that sound like a similar experience to me. I find that with good flats and shoes that I do the same pedal technique, some of my times on my regular routes are a little faster (I think this might be the pedals as I have not changed anything else) and funny enough even though I was riding clipped In for a few years (and about ten not clipped In) It just feels better.

The jumping thing I did not really notice, but I came from a BMX back ground so have always been used to jumping on flats, what I did find was my bunny hopping technique had got a little lazy as I have been used to pulling up the bike being clipped in, I started getting It back how It used to be after about a week of riding

Northwind

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Your feet coming off on small jumps is a technique issue, that ideally you should try to resolve, rather than ignore it by using SPDs.

Completely true. Most SPD people who try flats don't stick it out long enough to get over this, in the same way as most flats people who try SPDs don't ever get comfortable with unclipping...

Me, I used to se SPDs, had to stop when I knackered my knee. Learned to ride well on flats and the difference is really pretty negligible. So everyone just go with what you like. Just don't ever blame your pedals for a lack of skill on your part- if you can't jump on flats, that's your fault, and if you can't unclip from SPDs, that's your fault too.

Sarnian

Well said Northwind

julesmay

bit nervous, i get my back tomorrow, got eggbeaters on it, never used SPD's, and my bike shop is 4 miles away- so if i dont get on with them, i have a long walk home :shock:

going to find a park with some grass before i embark on my journey home, as vast majority is a NSL route

wish me luck

Biggus86

Flats, just the idea of being clipped in when riding some of the stuff i've ridden so far... wheel grabbers, pedal grabbers all these things which get you planting your foot down imo would be dangerous with SPDs. I was in the peaks yest and going up a rocky up hill with off putting rocks and a big drop on the side, not something i'd want to be clipped in for.

My local ride, nothing to make you come off, nice and easy and i wouldn't mind SPDs for just getting the power down. All depends on what you ride really.

kangaroo

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Your feet coming off on small jumps is a technique issue, that ideally you should try to resolve, rather than ignore it by using SPDs.

i agree with you there, i wasnt saying, that i will use spds to solve that issue

i just need to learn the correct technique. i can bunnyhop and such fine on flats

er... what is the correct techique for stopping you feet coming off whilst jumping

the article don

Lighter Pedals? i don't think so - my Wellgo MG1s save fully 7 GRAMS against my previous M520 SPDs. That's 1/4 of a bag of quavers

RealMan

On average, flats are heavier.

scale20

Personally for me SPD's are the way ahead. When I fisrt started riding about 17 years ago it was flats with toe clips, soon after I went onto SPD's and havn't looked back. I think that the shimano's are good to get going on until you have mastered it and then go to egg beaters. I love em and can probably get my foot off the pedal just as quick as any flat.

While I was out in Cyprus in 2007 for 6 months my SPD's gave up on me and I had to go back to flats for a couple of weeks until wiggle got some new ones to me, I was all over the place and had a right nightmare. There is no way I can go near flats now.

My other half has ridden SPD's for years and recently decided to go for flats. She ended up with a right bad back, the sports physio she saw said it was the switch to flats that could have caused it.

stev68

hate them!
my mountain bikes always trying to kill me,just want to bail quick when needed,the old v12 `s give that peace of mind.

ride_whenever

I use both, for xc I'm on clips, if i'm trail riding which involves plenty of air for me then it's flats all the way.

Anonymous

kangaroo wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Your feet coming off on small jumps is a technique issue, that ideally you should try to resolve, rather than ignore it by using SPDs.

i agree with you there, i wasnt saying, that i will use spds to solve that issue

i just need to learn the correct technique. i can bunnyhop and such fine on flats

er... what is the correct techique for stopping you feet coming off whilst jumping

Basically, you have to sort of "flow" with the bike, not fight against it. I see a lot of people trying to "jump" with their bikes, meaning they pull themselves off the pedals, or push the bike downwards, away from them. If you do balls it up, you can use the same technique as a bunnyhop to hang on to the rear end until you touch terra firma again.

x-isle

Go for Shimano DX, that way you can choose SPD or Flats.....