Abandoning clipless pedals - anyone done it?

lenclume

This is going to horrify the weight weenies and racers out there, but bear with me: has anyone ever gone back from clipless pedals to flats?

I've had ligament damage in my knees for a long time and usually just shrugged and got on with it, but lately they've been so bad (giving way when I climb stairs, and so on) that I've only been out on the bike a handful of times this summer.

I'm determined to continue cycling, and know it will help if I stop pushing big gears and spin more, but I've been reading that it may also be beneficial to switch back to flat pedals - the argument being that, however much float you have in a clipless pedal, your foot is still locked in one position, which can accentuate the possibility of repetitive stress injuries (basically, you can't shift your foot about as much during a long ride).

So... I was toying with the idea of dumping my Look pedals and getting some lightweight (and ideally stylish, obviously) flat pedals. Has anyone with similar knee problems taken this drastic step themselves? Have you noticed any benefits?

freehub

I don't see how correctly set up cleats would cause so much damage tbh.

Bikerbaboon

freehub wrote:

I don't see how correctly set up cleats would cause so much damage tbh.

damage has been done already hes asking if flats will help protect his knees.

I would say get your bike set up for you to get the correct position, talk to a phisio about your needs and rideing a bike. ( make sure its a bike friendly one as i could well see them saying to stop rideing.)

ut_och_cykla

Flats might help but under tension your feet are still pretty well fixed regardless of system. Better to get a good fit , pedals with lots of float etc. Could be that MTB clips would be kinder on your knees - road pedals tend to be more 'fixed'

Kiwi Kranker

I have damage done from a skiing accident years ago and I have had similar issues to you.

My sister is a Sports Physio and she set me up with a extensive list of stretches and muscle work but more interestingly enough we swapped out my Mavic pedals for some Crank Brothers Quattros (they can still be found new through eBay).

Has worked a treat, I still get some pain on and off but it is definitely improving through the stretching and the use of the new pedals. I run CB's on all my mountain bikes too and I can always get comfy no matter what I ride....urrrghhh... :shock:

Anyway I can recommend seeing a good physio and getting some help but the hardest part is being patient. It has taken me 6 months to get to the point where riding is comfortable 95% of the time. I woudl imagine that riding flats is only a short term solution whereby you are not solving the actual problem or at the very least minimising its impact (and futrure impact) on your sport.


Good luck!

borisface

Try speedplay pedals. They're great - completely free float clipless pedals. No pressure on the knee at all.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=speedplay+pedals

JonEdwards

I use a mixture of road pedals, spds and flat pedals across my various bikes.

The flats are the ones worse for my knees.

Reason - the combination of spiky pedals and sticky rubber shoes give absolutely no "float" at all. Short of taking your foot off the pedal and repositioning it, there's no movement. If you manage to dump your foot down in the wrong position (easily done), then you won't notice it until your knees start aching.

SPDs have the easiest float of my pedals (its more like slop!), but the SPD-SLs I also use on my roadie have plenty of movement, but its much stiffer.

In your position, I'd spend some cash on a bike fit and get your cleat position properly set up, insoles etc as necessary and carry on using the clips. Flats are great for DH and jumping, but not great for anything else.

bilirubin

Man up and when the knees go replace the knees

bunker22

bilirubin wrote:

Man up and when the knees go replace the knees

You will then have some titanium kit to show off

lenclume

damage has been done already hes asking if flats will help protect his knees

Yep; in fact the knee problems are (very) old football injuries. I wrecked my right knee, had it treated over several months and then during my first game back, almost a year later, did the same ligament on other knee. (My friends call me Lucky.)


Kiwi Kranker: I wish my sisters were as useful as yours is! (Mind you, they say the same about their brother). You're probably right, seeing a physio will help more in the long term. I've done so in the past (twice... once for each knee). I'm glad you're getting your knees sorted out, anyway. At the moment I'm using a Concept2 rower to try to strengthen them (and burn off the belly I've accumulated in the months of not riding).

Both the Crank Brothers pedals you suggest and the Speedplays suggested by borisface might be worth a look. My mate's got some Speedplays and he swears by them... I'll have to sneak round his house with a pedal wrench.

Thanks for everyone's input; I'm off to look into getting titanium knees fitted.

pianoman

You haven't told us enough of the variables - are you sure your saddle is far enough up? Also consider putting it further back so as not to "squash" the knees over the bottom bracket.

Think about this whenever you're sitting down anywhere in fact; if you're crouched far forward on any seat you'll be squashing such tender joints. Heck, I've even used the "knee alignment" rule when teaching my piano students how to sit, some of them had their knees so far forward from their feet they looked like they were about to fall onto the keyboard through losing balance!

lenclume

pianoman, you just made me sit up straight. I didn't even think about it before, but I often sit hunched forward with my legs tucked underneath my chair (when I'm writing - when I'm illustrating I raise my desk to almost "standing upright" height and have a tall chair).

I know the bike fit is fine, though. Or was. I've just got back from trying the bike with some flat pedals and it felt very weird - and it never occurred to me that I'd need to lower the saddle slightly to allow for the difference in distance to the pedal surface... I'm definitely going to try those Speedplays when my mate comes to visit next weekend.

Thanks again to everyone who's offered advice.

cougie

Have you stopped pushing the big gears already then ? Cos it sounds like you KNOW you should, but you havent got round to it ?

Do that immediately and then get a floaty light pedal.

hells

I use lots of different pedal systems on my bike. My commuting bike currently has my flat dmr v8 mtb pedals because I cant be arsed with clip ins for start stop london or having to wear cyclign shoes to go to the shops. They are very grippy and once your foot is placed down you have no float until you lift your foot to reposition I have experienced more knee pain with them than the other systems.

I use shimano spd pedals on both my mtbs and my commuter when it is decommuterised into cx mode. These are the most comfiest and trouble free of all the pedals. I am tempted tp get egg beaters for cx though.

I used to have look keo sprints on my road bike which are great when you finally get the cleat position right but I find it hard to reclip sometimes especially going uphill. Currently using time i clicks but havent quite got the cleat position of the left foot right yet right foot and knee is feeling good and it has plenty of float and easy to clip in and out.

russmcp

I've gone back to flats as I find commuting easier with them, simples.

lenclume

Have you stopped pushing the big gears already then ? Cos it sounds like you KNOW you should, but you havent got round to it ?

You're abolutely right, I have to; I know I have to... and I haven't - yet.

I've got (...what I optimistically like to think of as...) a classic steel bike with a 52/42 and 12-25 setup - and given some of the hills around here, I know that's a bit dumb now.

Basically I think it might be easier - well, not easier, but certainly more fun - to buy a new bike. (I have a big birthday coming up and Mrs Lenclume has said she might buy me one if I'm good...)

gbs

Thanks for everyone's input; I'm off to look into getting titanium knees fitted.

I hope that you are being facetitious. You have not exhausted the bike fitting and MTB style pedal options. I too have collateral ligament damage in one knee and have cartilage ops on both knees). I have to wear a brace for skiing or any activity that might involve knee twisting.

Within 3 months of a pedal and general fittting session I have almost eliminated painful symptoms. The contributions are from 1) Shimano SPDs that offer more than enough float 2) insoles 3) spinning on all but the shortest of hills.

My daughter, a hospital doctor, made enquiries and found the best rated knee surgeon in London for my wife. Two tweaking ops were necessary - 3 ops in all - for a result that has a forecast working life of 20 years only.

I know two cases do not prove a point but I feel v happy with my decision and quite angry over my wife's history.

lenclume

So, the knee update: I've switched to a compact chainset. In fact, I thought what the hell, I've got a big birthday coming up, who can be bothered with all that chainset and cassette swapping malarkey... and I bought a new bike. And Mrs Lenclume insisted on paying half, which was a bit of a result.

It's been too wet, too often, to take my new baby out, so I've only been out three times so far (although that did include a three-hour ride yesterday in 3 degree weather... which was only supposed to have been a one-hour ride, but I got carried away).

Anyway, not pushing those big old gears has made an enormous difference. What's more, I'm still using the old pedals. Admittedly, I've ordered some XTR SPDs and some Sidis, (told you it was a big birthday) which I intend to use for winter riding on the road. But so far, so good: spinning those low gears is obviously the way forward.

I hope that you are being facetitious.

Yes, gbs, I was joking - replying in similar spirit to jokes made earlier in the thread by others. Hope your knees are still alright...

gbs

@LENCLUME:
knees in great shape, thanks, but recent multibike pile-up and consequent broken ulna and thumb mean that they will be well rested for the rest of this year. Tant pis.

lenclume

Blimey O'Reilly.... get well soon!

bexley5200

what you going to do walk and push the bike or take the bus ,i hate buses they are dirty and they smell