if only all concerns were so minor

kangaroo

im trying to decide between staying with eggbeaters or going back to flats
i did post this in another topic so here is a quick recap

i have been riding spd's for the last few months, (encouraged to do so by the local bike club), but i keep having 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 different 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 pedalling technique i use on spds on the flats with no hassle, only down side was i felt slightly less confident on small jumps

day2
eggbeaters, i was expecting going back on the spds to be a sigh of relief, er no. i actually found pedalling harder in some circumstances and going up the hills was harder especially on tight switchbacks. i thought that some of this might be down to my cleat position so i moved my cleats back, things improved a bit but, it still wasn’t as easy on the switchbacks, only real benefit i found was on the small jumps, and that’s just the confidence of knowing your feet aren’t going to come off the pedals. Control wasn’t as good as on flats, as my feet tend to pivot slightly on the pedals

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

Now it’s taken my a while to get used to the eggbeaters and having moved the cleats as far back in the shoe as possible, i find it a lot easier, more like what i was used to with the flats.
I remember with the flats i used to enjoy popping of every small root and bump that i could find, and at the moment this seems to have disappeared with the clippless pedals. Maybe adjusting the cleats will help, i need to do more test riding to see, but i also had more nearly falling off whilst standing still spd moments with the cleats in this postion
Another thing that has crossed my mind, is that all this testing was done on solo rides where i was just going along at a easy pace. But when i ride with the club, i am one of the slowest riders there so im usually going full pelt just to try and keep up
My flats are kona wah wah, which i ride with 5-10 shoes, and my eggebeaters are the sl model with some cheap shimano shoes.
I’m also thinking about winter here, cause if i stick with the eggebeaters i will need new winter shoes. Else if i move to flats the 5-10s with some sealskin socks would do quite nicely (they did last winter)
Also i have it in my head that to be a ‘proper’ mtber i need to be using clippless pedals, and to use flats would be a step back
So im torn between wanting to go back to flats, and persevering with the clippless system cause ive put in a lot of hard work getting used to them and they might be better in the long run
arrrrggggh

jpstar

Why do you say that to be a proper MTB'er you need to use clipless?
If flats give you more fun, then stick with flats, because mountain biking is about fun more than anything else.

Anonymous

kangaroo wrote:

Also i have it in my head that to be a ‘proper’ mtber i need to be using clippless pedals, and to use flats would be a step back

bollocks to that. You're not another damned SPD nazi already are you?

fourcrossjohn

leave the nazi stuff to bnp

kangaroo

yeehaamcgee wrote:

kangaroo wrote:

Also i have it in my head that to be a ‘proper’ mtber i need to be using clippless pedals, and to use flats would be a step back

bollocks to that. You're not another damned SPD nazi already are you?

the fuhrer says im not

Anonymous

I'm just so sick of this snooty bollocks from SPD evangelists, who insist that everyone should be riding SPDs. Give it a frickin rest.

Andy

Does this really need a new topic?

fourcrossjohn

flats all the way unless road riding

SPIRO

This whole topic is just 1 person's preference vs another and as such they're will never be a definitive answer to your post

I have been been riding SPD's for last few years but have recently decided to try flats. It has improved my riding no end but not because their flat - because their different. For example, until i switched i didn't realise that my spd's were covering the fact that my body movement and bunny-hop skills were not brilliant to say the least. I found on flats that my feet were leaving the pedals when hopping and on drops, which shows my technique could do with improving. Having sorted my technique on flats i now find my riding on spd's vastly improved.

As with all skills, the body adapts to one thing if you give it long enough - the trick is to keep it guessing in my opinion. As such i think to give you the best of both worlds you need to ride SPD's and Flats - ultimately this will make you better all round.

As far as the whole "to be a proper mtb'er you have to ride SPD"
A. What a load of Cr@p
B. Who gives a fat rats ass what others think - just get out, ride and have fun!

For me, Flats and SPD's are both great!

colt

Went to Cannock last week to find that I'd left my SPD shoes at home, so I went into Swinno's bike shop to see if I could borrow some flats from them so I could carry on riding.
They didn't have any spare so I brought the cheapest flats they had for £20, fitted them and went riding.
I'm now considering leaving them on permanently because they were so much more confidence inspiring, rather than them holding me back I found myself attempting things I wouldn't normally try.
I got talked into SPD's very quickly after starting mtb'ing because they were "proper" mtb pedals but now I'm thinking I changed too soon and while spd's definately do have their advantages, I suspect I'm going to go back to flats.
One things for sure though, those pins dont half come sharp on your shins, found that out within a mile!

Northwind

I've never had a SPD nazi comment, quite often I've had people ask how I can ride techy or steep stuff on flats, which always seems odd to me as it's not hard at all if you know what you're doing. But at the same time, at kirroughtree I think a few spddies were a bit jealous

scale20

The debate over SPD's and flats will go on forever. I've ridden SPDs for the past 15 years but I had to go back to flats for a while when I was SPD-less and really struggled. I know mates that have riddden SPD's for years and then all of a sudden swapped to flats and not looked back. I've never really ridden flats for any length of time so I'm not really in the position to comment on them.

If you are SPD curious give them a go but it will hurt getting used to them, there will be times when you cant unclip and fall on your ass. Even now I have the odd moment where I flap and can't unclip. Not long ago my other half stopped dead infront of me on a north shore section, I stopped, couldnt unclip in a flap and fell down a 3 ft drop off the planks into a bog still stuck to the bike :oops:

gonga

I tried spud's(custom Candy's,shi'm520's) and got used to clipping in and out for most parts of riding.The only things that still had me falling over were steep uphill(low grip) climbs and tight uphill switchbacks.
Basically slow riding where I'd want to dab a foot down if grip is lost or its above my technical level had me panicking and unclipping too early and riding unclipped(not good)

I bought some wellgo m1's to nip back to whinlatter and couldn't believe how much more fun i had on flats!
I have experienced a little spd snobbery with riders thinking going back to flats was a big step backwards. Bah!

Flats all the way for me now on!

el loco pollo

It's no coincidence that the people who shout loudest about SPDs being "proper" are very often the same people who claim that no-one needs anything more than a 4" XC bike, no-one needs a FF helmet, no-one needs armour. Just wankers, ignore them and do what you feel like.

RealMan

It's no coincidence that the people who shout loudest about flats being "better" are very often the same people who make everyone else wait for them at the top of a hill while they walk up, pushing their ridiculously over the top amount of travel bike, with full face helmet on the handlebars, pouring with sweat through their armor. But of course, they're riding flats, so clearly their rad enough to be completely overbiked for every ride. And mountain biking is all about going down right? Where's that chair lift...


Oh no he didn't.



How about I use SPDs, and you use whatever the hell you want, and stop moaning about people making fun of you for your choices.

andy46

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I'm just so sick of this snooty bollocks from SPD evangelists, who insist that everyone should be riding SPDs. Give it a frickin rest.

HERE HERE!!! +1 for that

LoUiS1985

SPD's all th way. if you don't ride SPD's then you're not a proper MTB rider. fact. full stop :? :shock:

jools182

I'm sticking with flats

The only time I'll use spd's is if I get a road bike

I'd have had some serious injuries by now if I had been riding spd's, I am quite good at bailing these days

scale20

RealMan wrote:

It's no coincidence that the people who shout loudest about flats being "better" are very often the same people who make everyone else wait for them at the top of a hill while they walk up, pushing their ridiculously over the top amount of travel bike, with full face helmet on the handlebars, pouring with sweat through their armor. But of course, they're riding flats, so clearly their rad enough to be completely overbiked for every ride. And mountain biking is all about going down right? Where's that chair lift...


Oh no he didn't.



How about I use SPDs, and you use whatever the hell you want, and stop moaning about people making fun of you for your choices.

Class, right on the ball. How many times have I been out riding with people like that.

Anonymous

It's just as annoying to ride with a SPD equipped rider who can't ride up rooty or techy climbs, and then can't ride down anything remotely twisty or techincal either, and who always stop to get off the bike at drops - all whilst looking down their nose at you for not wearing SPDs.

fourcrossjohn

yeehaamcgee wrote:

It's just as annoying to ride with a SPD equipped rider who can't ride up rooty or techy climbs, and then can't ride down anything remotely twisty or techincal either, and who always stop to get off the bike at drops - all whilst looking down their nose at you for not wearing SPDs.

+1

Northwind

RealMan wrote:

How about I use SPDs, and you use whatever the hell you want, and stop moaning about people making fun of you for your choices.

How about you use SPDs, and I use whatever the hell I want, and you stop making fun of people for their choices for no reason? Doesn't that sound a bit better?

Flat riders don't have an exclusive on being the last to the top of the hill, or on riding with too much travel, or on wearing too much body armour, as you know fine well.

Johnny Napalm

Flats for me! I'd not be here now if I used SPD's!

lesz42

was thinking of getting spds, but i am a rubbish mtber, (being honest)


could manage the blue with spds, but red/black? ( degla) no way, i know on some sections it would help



but my riding can be a bit random, anyway its flats for me

SPIRO

Northwind wrote:

RealMan wrote:

How about I use SPDs, and you use whatever the hell you want, and stop moaning about people making fun of you for your choices.

How about you use SPDs, and I use whatever the hell I want, and you stop making fun of people for their choices for no reason? Doesn't that sound a bit better?

Flat riders don't have an exclusive on being the last to the top of the hill, or on riding with too much travel, or on wearing too much body armour, as you know fine well.

oohh..Right got the popcorn and beer, comfy on sofa....gentlemen in your own time go on!

_Ferret_

Oh god, not this one again!

ride SPDs, ride Flats, ride without any damn pedals if you want!
It doesn't matter what you choose, someone will try to convince you that you should try the alternative - and then someone else will get annoyed at that someone making such a crazy suggestion and then the first someone will get equally annoyed that the second someone is incinuating that their chosen pedel is inferior to that someones and the toys get thrown from the prams and we get the normal nazi slurrs until a final someone explains that personal preference is what counts and dutifuly locks the thread.

Sorry if I ruined your popcorn Spiro...

RealMan

Northwind I think in your rage you misunderstood me

bails87

Back to the OP, I know what I'd recommend you do Kangaroo, after at Cannock you said you couldn't ride over that ditchy-lumpy bit on SPDs, but you could on flats. If SPDs are holding back your riding and making it less enjoyable then go to flats. If you want the (possible) efficiency gains then go with SPDs.

Anonymous

^^what he said.
It is all down to personal preference, but I still can;t stand the damned evangelists.

bike husband

SPD/FLATS ride on which ever feels best for you,who cares what someone else is using,not me!

Northwind

RealMan wrote:

Northwind I think in your rage you misunderstood me

I don't do rage But I don't think I misunderstood you- the problem isn't people getting annoyed at having fun made of them, the problem is people making fun of people. IMO