Flatties V Clipless

DB100

Hi all,
I am finding my knees are giving me a bit of stick, in my 4th decade so no great surprise.
However, I am thinking of switching to flatties on one of my bikes. I just wondered if they were a little less demanding on the knees and what people thought of riding with them. I have been laid off for quite a while so have lost touch a bit with opinion.
I have had bike fits/ physio etc but I would value opinion on the knee saving aspect and general suitability.
Thanks in advance all.

nicklouse

not really as they do not have any float.

njee20

I am finding my knees are giving me a bit of stick, in my 4th decade so no great surprise.

You're in your 30s and not surprised your knees are giving you grief?! You're gonna enjoy old age!

I'd echo Nick's comment, a loosely set up clipless pedal allows more free movement for your knees.

lostboysaint

Crank Brothers pedals. Plenty of float, easy engagement and disengagement without compromising security in use, 5 year guarantee (which proves that they've learned how to make them properly now.

I use Mallets as I like the big platform and the ability to ride them in flat shoes for beach trips etc. But I've used Eggbeaters and they were just as good.

The Rookie

Quite happy with the standard amount of float offered to this 46yo's dodgy knees (car crash at the age of 8 ) by good old M520's, although I have some (now superceeded) Ritcheys that I like even more, more float, lower release loads and just as 'locked in' (using the same Shimano cleats).

Simon

nicklouse

TBH I would forget the "PRO" fit etc and adjust the cleats till you are comfortable. Might take a few adjustment rides.

One of the first things that I notice when I went back to Flats on the DH bike was I could not move my feet. I had to lift free to adjust.

still clipped in on the XC bike. and another '60s baby like the above.

DB100

njee20 wrote:

I am finding my knees are giving me a bit of stick, in my 4th decade so no great surprise.

You're in your 30s and not surprised your knees are giving you grief?! You're gonna enjoy old age!

I'd echo Nick's comment, a loosely set up clipless pedal allows more free movement for your knees.

Apologies, my mistake, 5th decade. I wish I was in my 4th decade

al2098

I went to flats a couple of years ago due to going bigger on the jumps and not wanting to crash whilst clipped in. I have noticed that I do not have any more knee issues with flats. I concur with the comment that flats have no float, I run V12's with 5/10's and they are well planted but you can always make minor changes to the position of your feet on the go. I also believe that when I used to 'pull up' on the pedals this caused me knee problems, of course this is not possible with flats. I notice more people running flats nowadays. I for one would not go back to clipless.

omegas

al2098 wrote:

I notice more people running flats nowadays.

Northwind

Depends on the nature of your knee complaint really. I'm not supposed to use SPDs as my leg's already falling apart, one good twist and it'll drop off. The amount of float isn't relevant but the amount of torquing the leg that you can do in a crash is.

Flats give you more freedom of movement, which can be good (ie, you can easily change your foot position, whereas with SPDs you can't do that without getting off and getting the tools out). But, that has a downside as well, it gives you more ability to ride with your feet in stupid places or pointing in stupid directions.

flappy8

+1 for Crank Brothers pedals. Some people complain that they are too loose, but I'm more than happy with them as your feet feel connected but not restrained.

IBISMojoHDamon

Don't think I could ever go back to flat's.... I need all the help I can get going uphill... But knees are okay at the moment, although my back is shot...

Pufftmw

Just bought an AM bike and put some flats on it and the first thing I did was rake the back of my leg with the damnably sharp pins :roll: Going to take some getting used to

I've been clipless for ages, cycle 100 miles a week but the only time I have grief is when I spend a long time on my XC bike, such as in a race, when I get knee pain. That may be to do with extra stresses of going up/down/sideways but I had a bike fit and although its better, still happens a bit.

Bigmitch

I've just gone to clip less crank bro egg beaters and find them better for hills and control but harder to put the foot when things get a bit dodgy.

Mental Mickey

Been using flats for 3 years, never noticed knee problems of any kind.

neil_sheehan2000

I found that flat pedals gave me knee ache over 50-odd miles, on my road bike (I was doing some light-weight touring, only wanted to take one pair of shoes, and don't own SPDs; you can't really walk in road-bike shoes). I suspect that this was because, as mentioned above, there's no float, and I wasn't stopping very often so my foot was fixed for too long at an angle that my knees didn't like.

I've not had a problem with them when mountain biking though- probably because of the shorter distances involved, and the fact that I move around (or just get off the bike) a lot more.

twonks

I don't profess to be any sort of expert, but in my view I'd expect a well set up SPD type pedal and cleat would offer greater protection to the knees than flats.

Most of the trouble from being clipped in comes from people not setting them up right.

The amount of muscle action needed to unclip is not exactly great, so if people don't use clippy pedals because of it they have either got the set up wrong or have other more serious leg issues that would probably mean they shouldn't be cycling at all.

Duki

I don't know what your knee problem is but what I can say is that when I was referred to a physio with knee problems due to playing rugby in my youth, she advised me to convert to clipless, which I did, on both my road and mountain bikes and I've never looked back.

I do still have the odd moment on my mountain bike though. Tuesday, riding on a path I'd never been on before, turned a corner hit a sticky patch that stopped me dead and before I'd managed to unclip I toppled sideways into a barbed wire fence. Ouch! Took the fence out, looked like Steve McQueen in the Great Escape but not as cool!

bennett_346

Duki wrote:

Tuesday, riding on a path I'd never been on before, turned a corner hit a sticky patch that stopped me dead and before I'd managed to unclip I toppled sideways into a barbed wire fence. Ouch! Took the fence out, looked like Steve McQueen in the Great Escape but not as cool!

It isn't clipless that gives people knee and leg problems, and it isn't flats. It's just cycling. It does different things to different people.

stubs

Never understood why people go on about not wanting to ride clipless because they dont want to be attached to the bike when they crash. If you crash and your still clipped in when you stop rolling there is something badly wrong with your pedals/shoes. I crash a lot and I can never remember being stuck to the bike. You wouldnt go skiing without being clipped to your skis and when I used to go skiing I was always falling over then having to chase a ski that was merrily heading off back to the bottom of the slope.

By the way I have 2 bikes one has SPDs on it and the other has flats.

Mental Mickey

stubs wrote:

Never understood why people go on about not wanting to ride clipless because they dont want to be attached to the bike when they crash. If you crash and your still clipped in when you stop rolling there is something badly wrong with your pedals/shoes. I crash a lot and I can never remember being stuck to the bike. You wouldnt go skiing without being clipped to your skis and when I used to go skiing I was always falling over then having to chase a ski that was merrily heading off back to the bottom of the slope.

By the way I have 2 bikes one has SPDs on it and the other has flats.

I disagree, Spd's are a no brainer for road ride and XC races, but I think in terms of various aspects of technical terrain riding, I wouldn't do it unless I was a really skilled rider with many years experience, and a lot depends on what sort of riding you do, you wouldn't see Jedi riding that northshore clipped in, and you won't see my riding skinny logs and similar stuff that I like to do clipped in either.

I also have first hand experience of my m520's failing to unclip me (in spite of being set to the lowest tension possible) and also have first hand experience of how not being clipped in has saved me many times, foot dabs etc..., including one time where I stacked badly and was able to jump off mid air and land on my feet, almost wanting to burst into a 'MC Hammer' dance in celebration, I was that elated at how I managed it.

You have to remember that not everyone cares about lap times, therefore don't care about that 'alleged' 17% extra pedal efficiency. I also like the fact that flats force me to learn proper technique on picking lines through the rough stuff and on jumps, drop offs etc..

Flats all the way for me thank you, and nothing the 'pro spd' people say is going to change my mind.

Rushmore

I use flats... And despite what people say, you can still spin if you have some grippy soles.. You shouldn't be pulling up on spds anyway... You should just "unweight". Which you can do on flats..

I'm faster then most who have spds and have the Xc race results to prove it.. ( although no where near the front runners, but not near the back either...

al2098

Skiing is a poor comparison as no-one ski's on flat pedals from my knowledge.
Ever come off a jump wrong clipped in and taken the bike with you? Tried unclipping in mid-air did you?
If your wheels never leave the ground and your slow and methodical downhill then maybe clipless will be ok.
Otherwise you will fall most likely at low speed but you never know.
A & E is generally busy.. See you there (I don't mind because I get paid when I'm there.)

twowheelthrill

Been using the flat 'bear traps' (cheap Planet X) for years, no problems.

IBISMojoHDamon

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here... personally I prefer clips, but that's just me.... I rode the last two years at the Alpes DH with M647's and AM45's and managed Northshore sections, jumps, drops and flat out 45mph downhills clipped in just fine... I have a mate that did the same but on flats, I can't say that I noticed a difference on corners or any section come to think of it where one was better than the other.

I hate sitting on the fence but as mentioned, horses for courses... This year in the Alpes, I'll be clipped in and my mate will be on flats, he doesn't try and convince me and I don't try and convince him that our very different methods are better than the others.

I do disagree with Al2098 in that I don't like jumping, so my wheels hardly leave the ground but I'm far from slow and methodical when it comes to DH's.... Normally I'm pedaling, as fast as I can (clipped in) and holding on for dear life... :0)

toasty

+1 IBISMojoHDamon

al2098 wrote:

If your wheels never leave the ground and your slow and methodical downhill then maybe clipless will be ok.

Such a silly statement, the majority of professional downhillers are slow and methodical?

Do you find when you're bombing down DH tracks, you honestly feel secure from the fact that you can jump off the back at 30mph? Such a weird argument. Yet you never lose your footing due to not being attached?

Each to their own.

hells

I used to use spds then after a long spell of no mtbing and then restarting I have now gone back to flats, at the moment I feel more confident using flat pedals but may in the future return to spds.

2wheelsonit

Not to patronise you (don't know your background) but the further forward your seat the more you work you knees and quads the further back your seat you work your glutes and hips

Have you assessed you riding position ?

YeehaaMcgee

2wheelsonit wrote:

Not to patronise you (don't know your background)

Seems SPD/Flats threads always end up with people feeling patronised, whether intentional or not, so don't worry about it!

I rode SPDs for years, then switched back to flats, and never went back. Had some knee issues a few years ago, and my physio warned me that I shouldn't use SPDs from now on, because of my knee alignment issue.
What does that say about the issue? Not sure, just thought I'd share my experiences. Very few things in life are ever black and white.