Going clipless

Mark_Cookie

Hi,

I'm sure every clipless user has been here before, but I've only ever ridden with flats since I started riding a few years ago but I'm thinking of going clipless for a number of reasons:

I'm a spin instructor - and I use SPD's on the spin bikes, the power delivery is smoother and I'm getting less injuries as I can 'pull' and push

I'm mainly a XC rider I don't do any hardcore DH or all mountain style riding (in fact I'm pretty crap at anything too scary), so I'm never hitting massive drops and I want to exploit my good level of fitness

Finally - I'm shallow, and I look at my hardtail Boardman Comp and think it looks daft (please leave out the Halfords jokes) with flat V10 copys on it, despite the fact they're a nice grippy pedal

I really want to give them a go but I'm terrified of not being able to put a foot out to steady myself or falling off with a bike attached to my feet.

Anyone got any tips, hints, suggestions etc?

Thanks,
Mark

styxd

Go for it. Cheap shimanos are good. Set the cleats loose, your feet will probably fall out when you fall off.

I agree, flat pedals look a bit naff on xc bikes.

elredso

i got a pair of the ones from the thread below - spd one side, flat on the other - perfect for me 80% off the time im clipped in, when it gets a bit techy / downhilly, i just ride on the flat side - takes a bit of getting used to (locating the correct side) but really is teh best of both worlds !

viewtopic.php?f=10002&t=12876392

tugger

advice: man up

WindyG

I found clipless really easy to get used to, as above just set them loose and tighten them up if you feel you need to when you get used to cliping in and out. I actually feel much more confident with them as I don't need to think about my feet slipping off flats and there is a lot less chance of hitting something with pedals due to the small profile.
Shimano M520 are dirt cheap at under £20.

Chunkers1980

elredso wrote:

i got a pair of the ones from the thread below - spd one side, flat on the other - perfect for me 80% off the time im clipped in, when it gets a bit techy / downhilly, i just ride on the flat side - takes a bit of getting used to (locating the correct side) but really is teh best of both worlds !

viewtopic.php?f=10002&t=12876392

It is just so not. One or the other.

I laughed out loud last night at a silly roadie who fumbled his clip-in about 4 times. He gave me an odd look, but knew I was laughing directly at him

Rushmore

SPD's - there is nothing to it..

You'll find that when you want to put your foot down you'll twist and unclip anyway as that is the natural movent you make...

It's all a mind game.. just ride hard with them, pretend your just on flats.. you'll be much faster over the rough stuff aswell as you won't bounce off the pedals!

win - win!

prawny

I've always been nervy off road with SPD's despite using them on and off for 15 years or more. My confidence to a massive boost at the tail end of the summer when I lost the front end on two consecutive rides and both times my foot was on the ground before I even thought about it, just as rushmore said. As others have said, whack the tension as low as it will go and you should have no problems. If you do happen to crash you're feet will pop straight out.

I don't recommend them for learning to wheelie though.

Rushmore

prawny wrote:

I don't recommend them for learning to wheelie though.

True Dat :oops:

waverider

I found just spending some time over somewhere with a soft landing (field or whatever) to practise clipping in and out - both sides in case you lean the wrong way, then go for it!

Apart from leaning the wrong way, I found for rushed un clipping ('where he hell did that come from!' moments), if your foot is at the top of the pedal stroke it's more difficult, so try that out too.

If your not already then practising some track stands will help boost confidence too.

It definately improves your riding xc in the long term, focus more on the increased control you ll get, rather than the opportunities to end up on your ass!

Sleipnir's Master

I dunno, Alot of my rides i walk atleast a 3rd of it either due to wet slippy mud terrain or my butt hurts (granted it need to be a longgggg run for that to happen). So i tend to like walking boots when im out.
XC to me is long country dirt lanes and single track like the 9km run round glentress maybe im wrong in that but i'd want good boot rather than trainer style shoes that clipless bring. As i said maybe my views are dated but it is not very often i slip a pedal and 99% of the time its because im not paying attention away! :-| Clip shoes for racing and back road hybrid styles but XC / Cross Country & DH i prefer flat pedals (they don't need to be hewmungus either).

waverider

I hear what your saying, round me it's a lot of rolling dorset hills. If I do go to the forests and look for some gnarly trails generally I ll consider putting the flats back on - it only takes a few mins.

Not sure I agree with you on the shoes front, I run crank bros mallets, which were developed for DH, along with 5ten minnars, which give me a fair amount of support,feels a bit on the heavy side but you don't notice once your riding. also pretty easy to bail with if I need to.

I prefer the platform feel of this setup to the smaller clipless options out there, but that's just me

:roll:

Mark_Cookie

It looks like the overwhelming majority are just saying try it! Ok then, to save me getting another pair of shoes I was just going to use my Northwave Touring ones that I used for spin with SH51 (something or other cleats) they're not multi directional so will that make unclipping harder?

Chunkers1980

No. But Shimano pedals come with cleats - the SH51s

The Rookie

Try it, you'll have probably 2 or 3 comedy falls but you'll be fine, and riding clipped in is so much easier (is that wrong in itself?)

70\ʹspenguin

Rushmore wrote:

prawny wrote:

I don't recommend them for learning to wheelie though.

True Dat :oops:

+1

Chunkers1980

Just make sure you have the back brake covered.

J_asonR

I put a pair of cheap Shimano clips straight on my XC bike as I got it up and running and just got back from my debut ride on it! The power of the clips (coming from road bikes) is so much better than flats so I'm definitely going to stick with them!

The only fault for me on them is I seem to lose the blood in the toes on my right foot, I don't know if anyone else has experiences this? (Not trying to steal the thread)..

Other than that! Definitely clipped is better IMO.

Sleipnir's Master

waverider wrote:

I hear what your saying, round me it's a lot of rolling dorset hills. If I do go to the forests and look for some gnarly trails generally I ll consider putting the flats back on - it only takes a few mins.

Not sure I agree with you on the shoes front, I run crank bros mallets, which were developed for DH, along with 5ten minnars, which give me a fair amount of support,feels a bit on the heavy side but you don't notice once your riding. also pretty easy to bail with if I need to.

I prefer the platform feel of this setup to the smaller clipless options out there, but that's just me

:roll:

Each to there own, they world would be a boaring place if we all love the same thing I can see the advantage of clip ons. I am bad for not planning ride but cycling where i feel, Quite often get to a juntion and toss a coin for which way i got next :-P clip on would really help for cycling work though!

bluechair84

Try choosing SPDs with a platform around them - they're not as scary. I started using my SPDs a lot more this year and moved from just the clips to a platformed designed and they're so much nicer to stand on.
And to whomever said V10s - if you mean V8s/V12s, they're a Godawful relic of the '90s! They were fine back then but I have some as spares now and they've got nothing compared to a modern flat. Upgrade to the present!

bennett_346

Clips are great for helping keep your feet on the pedals on rough and also pulling up for bunny hops etc.

Some people will disagree but there's absolutely nothing wrong with using a mechanical advantage

nicklouse

cyd190468 wrote:

The best part about clipless pedals is you can ride up stuff that is impossible on flats. You get extra power in the stroke as you can pull up and this enables you to pedal more smoothly so you don't spin your rear tyre on slippery climbs. Flats are only good if you're riding the shuttle to the top.

and a lot of people with totally disagree with the above point of view.

Chunkers1980

Yes but this is MTB, so 0%, not many % and 0%.

peter413

If you can get up something clipped in, you can get up it on flats. Yes you get more power being clipped in but that extra power can just make the wheel spin. You can pedal just as smoothly on flats as you can being clipped in, it's just about technique.

And not "every roadie and xc and bmx racer" agrees, I know a few roadies and none of them have the same view and I also know some XC guys, some of them were even pretty successful, that don't have the same view, some of them even use flats themselves.

njee20

Indeed, the notion you can't get up stuff on flats is utter tosh! 'Bunny hopping' with clips by just pulling up is wrong too, it's not using a mechanical advantage, it's a totally different action. May well get you out of trouble, but not the same thing.

And not "every roadie and xc and bmx racer" agrees, I know a few roadies and none of them have the same view and I also know some XC guys, some of them were even pretty successful, that don't have the same view, some of them even use flats themselves.

I must say I don't know a single reasonable XC or road racer using flats (dunno about BMX, don't do it), in fact I've never seen flat pedals at a road race full stop, so it's a half valid comment.

XC to me is long country dirt lanes and single track like the 9km run round glentress maybe im wrong in that but i'd want good boot rather than trainer style shoes that clipless bring

I'd ride any trail centre trail clipped in, shouldn't be any walking involved! If you're doing proper 'hike-a-bike' type stuff then fair enough, although personally I'd still use SPDs!

If you don't want to use SPDs that's fine, but don't not try them because you think they're not appropriate for certain usage.

mikewoods

Clips are awesome, simples!

njee20

There's an article on Pink Bike currently talking about top level DH racing and the proliferation of clipless pedals, that is pretty much the conclusion they reach frankly!

peter413

njee20 wrote:

And not "every roadie and xc and bmx racer" agrees, I know a few roadies and none of them have the same view and I also know some XC guys, some of them were even pretty successful, that don't have the same view, some of them even use flats themselves.

I must say I don't know a single reasonable XC or road racer using flats (dunno about BMX, don't do it), in fact I've never seen flat pedals at a road race full stop, so it's a half valid comment.

Oops, worded that a bit wrong, they don't use flats while racing but they don't exclusively use clips while just riding normally, they certainly don't struggle to climb anything with flats, if they do they don't climb it with clips either.

Clips can be good, but not because it's easier to jump or because your feet don't get bounced off the pedals, if you're using them for that reason, especially for jumping, maybe you should be looking at a skills course instead of those shiny new shoes but make sure they are well respected in what they are teaching, I've seen some coaches out riding with some incredibly dodgy skills, unfortunately can't remember the name of the company now, which would probably make your skills worse by the end of the day if you can already ride a bike fairly well.

stubs

That pinkbike article is very interesting The end of flats at World Cup DH but it doesnt really follow that a guy who goes to ride a trail centre at the weekend should do the same. Be like me copying Sebastien Vettels driving technique.

By the way clipless on my bouncer and flats on my hardtail.

nicklouse

stubs wrote:

That pinkbike article is very interesting The end of flats Pinkbike but it doesnt really follow that a guy who goes to ride a trail centre at the weekend should do the same. Be like me copying Sebastien Vettels driving technique.

By the way clipless on my bouncer and flats on my hardtail.

would be better giving the artical its full heading.

"The End of Flat Pedals at World Cup Downhills?"

stubs

nicklouse wrote:

stubs wrote:

That pinkbike article is very interesting The end of flats Pinkbike but it doesnt really follow that a guy who goes to ride a trail centre at the weekend should do the same. Be like me copying Sebastien Vettels driving technique.

By the way clipless on my bouncer and flats on my hardtail.

would be better giving the artical its full heading.

"The End of Flat Pedals at World Cup Downhills?"

Your right I have just edited the title.