Risking bringing up an old Question, but SPD pedals or flat?

SirDidymus

I know this may be something that's been discussed on countless forums countless times, but I've only just started thinking about it.

I have SPD's on my road bike, and wouldn't dream of not having them, and I've always been aware of spd's for mountain bikes, how they can feel far more secure than flat pedals, but when i think of not being able to dab my foot on the ground during a slow and technical bit of trail, it feels far less secure.

I ride mainly red a some black routes at Dalby forest, although nothing too crazy. Always feel i would benefit from having them.

So, are SPD's really worth the rather scary and inevitable "coming to stop, and suddenly forgetting your stuck into you pedals, and tumble over rather pathetically" moments,(done this many times on my road bike) and the general getting used to it?

supersonic

SImple answer is to try them - many people prefer one or the other, or one becomes more natural. Some use both!

I hate the damn things and will never use them.

omegas

Not again (wonder if Yeemah???? will make a comeback to explain all)

Maybe the mods will lock this thread for trolling and before the fights start

SirDidymus

omegas wrote:

Maybe the mods will lock this thread for trolling and before the fights start

:shock:

Never knew i was getting into such matters...

supersonic wrote:

SImple answer is to try them

Is there any where i can do that? I know you can rent bikes for a day and stuff at Dalby but do they give you shoes aswell? Sorry if it's a dumb question!

supersonic

Put the road pedals on your MTB for a day!

Nick Cod

Flats on the mtb, clips on the road bike

SirDidymus

supersonic wrote:

Put the road pedals on your MTB for a day!

Wow... i do feel stupid now. Of course i can do that. Think i'll give it a go.

Rushmore

Flats with 5.10's

Just like being clipped in.... but not.....

rockmonkeysc

I used to use spd's for xc & flats for downhill but tried the spd's for downhill recently & really liked it, allowed me to pedal through sections I could never pedal on flats.
It's a personal thing some prefer flats some prefer spd's. There is no right or wrong, just personal preferance.
The only riding I would never use spd's for is freeride, not being able to bail on a jump could be scary.

More importantly, Hardtail or Full sus? SRAM or Shimano? Fox, Marzocchi or Rockshox? Coil or Air?

ilovedirt

I ride SPDs for XC and flats for downhill. Like you say, it's nice to know I can take my foot off and dab if I need to whilst running flats, however there are very few XC trails where you might ever need to do that particularly often. Besides which, it's easy enough to do with SPDs anyway, it's just getting my foot back in whilst on a techy section that I have problems with.

Northwind

Best option is to be able to ride on both- ie not just "try" both but spend enough time on both to be competent on them (most people who're used to one sort "try" the other for just long enough to suffer all the teething problems but not for long enough to learn how to use them)

Both have advantages and advantages, both have lessons to teach you. And they're different enough that personal preference is more important than any performance difference (real or imagined)

peter413

Rushmore wrote:

Flats with 5.10's

Just like being clipped in.... but not.....

Sorry but I really hate when people say this, it isn't anything like being clipped in.

I personally use both, clips for most XC type stuff and flats for general ragging around and downhill. I'll also use flats for XC as well depending on what mood I am in and will usually try new trails out on flats.

Rankles

I tried SPDs for two years and came off so often because of not getting out of them quick enough.

I do admit that this is probably due to me not setting them up correctly or being patient enough with them, but I went and got some good flats and Shimano AM45s and I'm not looking back.

I'm starting racing this year and if I have a good time and want to improve I will look back into sticking the SPDs back on for next season, but for now I'm more confident with the flats.

Northwind

Ah, the story I like to tell... Ages back, me and a couple of mates were riding at glentress, on one of the secret trails. Friend number one- let's call him "Chris"- failed a wee rooty step section, and stabbed out a foot and saved himself. Friend number two- let's call him "Pete" said "Wow, bet you're glad you're on flats, you'd have been right over the edge there if you were clipped in.

Course, he actually wasn't on flats at all, he's just an experienced SPDs user and wasn't hindered by his hardware. Whereas Friend 2 wasn't an experienced SPDs user but knew from what he'd learned on teh internetz that there was no WAY you could get away with that on SPDs.

peter413

I still don't remember ever saying that But if I said it, I said it, just goes to show how monumentally stupid the internets is.

SirDidymus

Northwind wrote:

Course, he actually wasn't on flats at all, he's just an experienced SPDs user and wasn't hindered by his hardware. Whereas Friend 2 wasn't an experienced SPDs user but knew from what he'd learned on teh internetz that there was no WAY you could get away with that on SPDs.

That's a pretty interesting point about "teh internetz" haha. I'm probably the biggest sucker for reading things on the net, and deciding that's that.

Northwind

peter413 wrote:

I still don't remember ever saying that

You were young and stupid. Did you like the way I protected the identities? Pretty pro.

peter413

Using reverse physiology or whatever it's called? Use the real names and no one will ever guess thats who it really is... :roll:

delcol

spds are poo and gay there you go the internet told you.. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

like you i use them on my road bike and would not use anything else on road..

i did have spds on both my mtbs but felt like they were holding me back it was a confidence issue i decided to opt for flats and 5/10s my confidence grew and my riding improved..
i am still on flats now some 3 years later.. but keep toying with the idea of going back to spds..

when i had my spds on i did have some silly topple overs when stopping.. the worst one i had was falling down the near vertical grass/rock verge off the black trail at lee quarry totally my fault i kept looking at it as i was riding and thinking i dont want to fall down there,, sure enough cause i was thinking about it and concentrating on it i did fall down it..
i never had a bad accident on my spds i always managed to get off the bike (bail) in time...

your best bet would be try them out swap the road pedals and shoes out to your mtb and go for a spin to see how you get on.. dont be put off by your first topple over...


now were did i put my spd shoes and pedals again...

Rushmore

peter413 wrote:

Rushmore wrote:

Flats with 5.10's

Just like being clipped in.... but not.....

Sorry but I really hate when people say this, it isn't anything like being clipped in.

.

No of course it isn't... But it's the closest thin to not getting your feet bounced off the pedals without going the SPD route...

Stop taking things so literally and don't get angry. Jeez....

Post on forums less.... Get out more....

twonks

I'm having this debate with myself at the moment, but for slightly different reasons.

Having had spds' on my mtb's for 15 yrs+, I'd like to think I'm used to them now, and can feel the benefit they bring.
Riding 90% of trail centres in the UK is easy enough with spds' as long as you are confident in your ability and know how to use the pedals.

Where people fall over 8) is mainly due to their uncertainty or surpassing the level of skill they hold. This leads to a wobble or at worst a crash through brain fade. What is put down to 'not being able to get the feet out' is normally more due to being over confident in the first place.

Personally I love the feel that spds' give over all terrain, but having had an unavoidable stack in August last year that resulted in a snapped achilles tendon because my foot couldn't slide off the pedal, is now giving me thoughts of flats once I get back on the bikes.... doh....

prawny

I'd been on SPD's for a few years on my very irregular MTB outings always felt a bit nervous using them and didn't really enjoy myself. Stuck some V8s on when I started to use it for riding to the train station and went over the chase for the first time in ages a few weeks ago, totally hooked again. Performance wise I'm probably worse but the entra confidence is worth it. I used to make it round the dog without putting my foot down, now I think I do just because I can.

I've been using SPDs for so long now getting out of the pedals when falling sideways isn't a problem, it's the over the bars vault that I don't have to fear now, or a complete leap off bail.

stubs

Try both put one spud and one flat on the bike what could possibly go wrong

angry_bird

Both. Sorted. The only concrete rule I go with is no SPDs on the BMX

Do sometimes find flats a nuisance when I'm pelting down something and I can't reposition/rotate my foot slighty because it's got itself stuck in one position and I don't want to pick it up, at that point I like SPDs and their float.

craigw99

ive used spd for years before i had time off my bike (10+ years) so im out of practice hitting the clip in point of my spuds which has lead to some intresting moments! as the old spd are done and ive has a few hairy moments ive just got a set of crank bros mallet1 (2012) to try. so far they are a bit more stable when not clipped in so are gettting a thumbs up from me - will just need to see how the reliablity goes!

peter413

Rushmore wrote:

peter413 wrote:

Rushmore wrote:

Flats with 5.10's

Just like being clipped in.... but not.....

Sorry but I really hate when people say this, it isn't anything like being clipped in.

.

No of course it isn't... But it's the closest thin to not getting your feet bounced off the pedals without going the SPD route...

So why say it's like being clipped in...

SPDs aren't made for stopping your feet bouncing off the pedals anyway. And good technique with decent pedals is the better option for not getting your feet bounced off, not Five Ten's.

dirty face

The only easy answer to this age old question is:

Its not about the pedals, it's about the rider / experience / skills.......Thats all there is to it. You can be good on either depending on how you approach learning (physically and mentally).

Incidently, about a month after getting into MTB'ing, and starting on flats cus that all i knew, i had no problems. Then after a month i gave SPDs a try and never looked back since (even for DH / jumping / drops etc). Now i just can't ride on flats, but the point is I COULD if I tried and learned.

Simple.