Clipless non-sense
Dannyboy95
Posts: 245
Evening all,
I've been doing some research lately about clipless vs flats it seems as though it is a taboo to have flats on a road bike but ok to have them on any other bike. What is the issue with having flats on a road bike? At the end of the day its all about personal preference I have seen so many riders who are using clipless pedals and they say they have been using them for ages but they look terrified when they are using them. Its a shame really that you can get so sucked into a sport that you submit to having to follow the sheep and do as everyone else does. Yes we all know that using clipless has its benefits but why should people put themselves through the mental torture and anxiety of learning to use clipless pedals if they don't want to use the buggering things. I'll admit I don't use them on my Bianchi I use a touring pedal (SHOCK HORROR....SACRILEGE!!) and the amount of funny looks i get of other riders is ridiculous especially when i come flying past them. At the end of the day its all about what you are comfortable with if you use clipless straps flats whatever it shouldn't be frowned upon. Just think what did they uses before straps come in? FLATS!
I've been doing some research lately about clipless vs flats it seems as though it is a taboo to have flats on a road bike but ok to have them on any other bike. What is the issue with having flats on a road bike? At the end of the day its all about personal preference I have seen so many riders who are using clipless pedals and they say they have been using them for ages but they look terrified when they are using them. Its a shame really that you can get so sucked into a sport that you submit to having to follow the sheep and do as everyone else does. Yes we all know that using clipless has its benefits but why should people put themselves through the mental torture and anxiety of learning to use clipless pedals if they don't want to use the buggering things. I'll admit I don't use them on my Bianchi I use a touring pedal (SHOCK HORROR....SACRILEGE!!) and the amount of funny looks i get of other riders is ridiculous especially when i come flying past them. At the end of the day its all about what you are comfortable with if you use clipless straps flats whatever it shouldn't be frowned upon. Just think what did they uses before straps come in? FLATS!
cosna kick a bo agen a wo and ed it back till it bos-UP HANLEY ME DUCK
NO STAIRWAY....DENIED!
D.Leyland
Current Bike-TREK 4500
Previous Bikes
:Giant Roam 3
:Bianchi Nirone 7
NO STAIRWAY....DENIED!
D.Leyland
Current Bike-TREK 4500
Previous Bikes
:Giant Roam 3
:Bianchi Nirone 7
0
Comments
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I am glad that you are very fast. You might find this of interest:Evening all,
I've been doing some research lately about clipless vs flats it seems as though it is a taboo to have flats on a road bike but ok to have them on any other bike. What is the issue with having flats on a road bike? At the end of the day its all about personal preference I have seen so many riders who are using clipless pedals and they say they have been using them for ages but they look terrified when they are using them. Its a shame really that you can get so sucked into a sport that you submit to having to follow the sheep and do as everyone else does. Yes we all know that using clipless has its benefits but why should people put themselves through the mental torture and anxiety of learning to use clipless pedals if they don't want to use the buggering things. I'll admit I don't use them on my Bianchi I use a touring pedal (SHOCK HORROR....SACRILEGE!!) and the amount of funny looks i get of other riders is ridiculous especially when i come flying past them. At the end of the day its all about what you are comfortable with if you use clipless straps flats whatever it shouldn't be frowned upon. Just think what did they uses before straps come in? FLATS!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNedIJBZpgM0 -
I am glad that you are very fast. You might find this of interest:Evening all,
I've been doing some research lately about clipless vs flats it seems as though it is a taboo to have flats on a road bike but ok to have them on any other bike. What is the issue with having flats on a road bike? At the end of the day its all about personal preference I have seen so many riders who are using clipless pedals and they say they have been using them for ages but they look terrified when they are using them. Its a shame really that you can get so sucked into a sport that you submit to having to follow the sheep and do as everyone else does. Yes we all know that using clipless has its benefits but why should people put themselves through the mental torture and anxiety of learning to use clipless pedals if they don't want to use the buggering things. I'll admit I don't use them on my Bianchi I use a touring pedal (SHOCK HORROR....SACRILEGE!!) and the amount of funny looks i get of other riders is ridiculous especially when i come flying past them. At the end of the day its all about what you are comfortable with if you use clipless straps flats whatever it shouldn't be frowned upon. Just think what did they uses before straps come in? FLATS!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNedIJBZpgM
I watched that a couple of weeks ago quite interesting.cosna kick a bo agen a wo and ed it back till it bos-UP HANLEY ME DUCK
NO STAIRWAY....DENIED!
D.Leyland
Current Bike-TREK 4500
Previous Bikes
:Giant Roam 3
:Bianchi Nirone 70 -
op, i'm amazed at your psychic powers, when did you first discover the ability to know the thoughts of others? presumably you have been able to use this ability to amass vast wealth, leaving you free to post your findings here
or, perhaps, your post says more about you than the people that you insult by attributing these thoughts to themmy bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
I gather your upset and i'm sure your not the only one I am sure that this is a sensitive subject for people to talk about.op, i'm amazed at your psychic powers, when did you first discover the ability to know the thoughts of others? presumably you have been able to use this ability to amass vast wealth, leaving you free to post your findings here
or, perhaps, your post says more about you than the people that you insult by attributing these thoughts to themcosna kick a bo agen a wo and ed it back till it bos-UP HANLEY ME DUCK
NO STAIRWAY....DENIED!
D.Leyland
Current Bike-TREK 4500
Previous Bikes
:Giant Roam 3
:Bianchi Nirone 70 -
Dannyboy95 wrote:
At the end of the day its all about personal preferenceIts a shame really that you can get so sucked into a sport that you submit to having to follow the sheep and do as everyone else doesthe amount of funny looks i get of other riders is ridiculous especially when i come flying past them
Congratulations on being fast.
So tell me, when you are cruising past other riders (congratulations again on being so fast), are you wearing baggy shorts, perhaps an every day jacket/t-shirt?? or are you wearing specific cycling clothing? If the latter then you have been 'sucked into a sport that you submit to having to follow the sheep and do as everyone else does'
Nobody is forcing you to buy clipless pedals!
Just ride your bike and enjoy it.0 -
I gather your upset and i'm sure your not the only one I am sure that this is a sensitive subject for people to talk about.
er, no, i'm not even slightly upset, i'm amused, seems your psychic powers have failed, or perhaps you are just trolling
here's a thought to mull over, perhaps your claim to know the thoughts of others is untrue and in fact these people don't care what you are riding
i know which is more likelymy bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
Who said there was an issue?The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Guessing your next posts are going to bring in team kit, helmets and macho descending speeds? Troll; do not feed.0
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19716715#p19716715]Simon Masterson[/url] wrote:Guessing your next posts are going to bring in team kit, helmets and macho descending speeds? Troll; do not feed.
I don't think this chap is a troll, just young.0 -
In fairness, he might have a point (see the cycle snobbery thread).
I don't think this chap is a troll, just young.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19716715#p19716715]Simon Masterson[/url] wrote:Guessing your next posts are going to bring in team kit, helmets and macho descending speeds? Troll; do not feed.
Its fair to say that unless you are accelerating hard, or climbing hard out of the saddle, there's not a lot of gain in using clipless pedals. Arguably, they aren't that practical for commuting, if you are a courier, etc. What I would say though is that footwear does have a real difference. Not only are cycling shoes more efficient than, for example, trainers, but they are way more comfortable for cycling any distance as well.0 -
In fairness, he might have a point (see the cycle snobbery thread).
I don't think this chap is a troll, just young.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19716715#p19716715]Simon Masterson[/url] wrote:Guessing your next posts are going to bring in team kit, helmets and macho descending speeds? Troll; do not feed.
Its fair to say that unless you are accelerating hard, or climbing hard out of the saddle, there's not a lot of gain in using clipless pedals. Arguably, they aren't that practical for commuting, if you are a courier, etc. What I would say though is that footwear does have a real difference. Not only are cycling shoes more efficient than, for example, trainers, but they are way more comfortable for cycling any distance as well.
I agree with you there is valid point in there, we do tend to advocate quite expensive kit on this site for marginal gain at times.0 -
Good cycling shoes look better and that's all that matters 8)0
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I feel like I've cheated, I didn't go through 'mental torture' when I first starting using clipless pedals
If people don't want to use clipless pedals, they don't have to, it's their choice. If they feel they have to because most other cyclists do, and not because they want to, then it's not our fault that they are weak-willed and succumb to a few weeks of 'anxiety' whilst they learn to use clipless pedals.
Have you considered the possibility that perhaps some people are nervous about using clipless pedals at first, but actually want to learn to use them because of the benefits of using them over flats?0 -
Mostly meh, or perhaps srsly?!, but I have to point out that touring pedals are clipless. Some have flats on one side and an SPD on the other; good ones like the A600 are designed to be ridden exclusively when clipped in. So WTF exactly are you one about? Did you have a clipless moment and decide to extend your resulting embarrassment by transference of your fear to everyone else? Have you confused touring pedals with old school flats with toe-clips? Or are you still using the test pedals that came with your bike?0
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Just imagine how fast you would be if you could learn to use proper pedals !Trek,,,, too cool for school ,, apparently0
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I feel much safer riding with clipless pedals, and in the last year I've seen bikes in shops with stickers on the cranks warning that the bike must be used with foot retention.
With clipless pedals if I hit bumps in the road I don't get thrown off the bike and feel I have more control. Before clipless I used toe clips which were a nightmare to get into, although not tight enough to have problems getting out.
On my heavy hybrid its less of an issue, although my feet can slip on the pedals if its wet, as the bike is heavier with big tyres so doesn't get jolted so much by the road- but I still prefer being clipped in when descending.
I don't care what anyone else wants to use on their bikes- I've spent long enough in baggy shorts and t-shirts as a youngster finding their way with the local CTC group. But over time I've also learned that the things you call 'fashionable' make things far more comfortable for me and prevent sores etc when I'm riding at least 100 miles each week (usually 150+).
I agree there is some snobbery out there- having moved into the Kent North Downs you see a lot of people in their Cervelo/ Rapha kit on overblown bikes who don't want to give you the time of day, but most people out there are friendly enough, especially the ones in clubs.
Use whatever you like that makes you feel comfortable, but I wouldn't dismiss others out of hand just because you don't like using it yourself.
(Also, it's no biggie overtaking others with clipless pedals- I regularly pass people who are suited and booted whilst on my hybrid/ mtb with flapping t-shirt, shorts/ jeans and a large pannier on the back. Every now and then I have someone come screaming past me when I'm out on the road bike as well- there's always someone out there faster than you
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" I have seen so many riders who are using clipless pedals and they say they have been using them for ages but they look terrified when they are using them"
The only time I see cyclists looking terrified is when some kind of motor vehicle is trying to kill them. Never seen anyone frightened of a pedal...
You ride whatever you like, doesn't bother me.0 -
My road shoes make me look and feel faster, for some of us that's as close as we'll ever get.0
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Because my commute into work takes just over 2 minutes I don't bother using road shoes for this.(same goes for quick commutes to the shops). First of all it is harder going up hills and secondly when dropping off curbs (my house has a cycle path that leads to a road) sometimes my feet will slip off the pedals which has led to either catching my shins or worse catching other parts on the crossbar. This has never happened when clipped in, so my experience is that they are safer.0
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" I have seen so many riders who are using clipless pedals and they say they have been using them for ages but they look terrified when they are using them"
The only time I see cyclists looking terrified is when some kind of motor vehicle is trying to kill them. Never seen anyone frightened of a pedal...
You ride whatever you like, doesn't bother me.
I maybe an idiot but I honestly can't tell the difference in the expressions of a cyclist who is terrified of their clipless pedals and one terrified for another reason.Faster than a tent.......0 -
I use mountain bike SPDs on everything, its not that hard to ride a bike with SPDs without SPD shoes even.
Its one less thing to think about, knowing that your foot is always in a consistent place. I've only ever had problems unclicking when a screw sheered in the cleat, causing my foot to rotate freely from the cleat and me to tumble down a rather flinty MTB trail. Occasionally they come lose when jumping, but that is really poor technique from fatigue on longer rides.
If you are worried about uncleating, just track stand.
Its only when you've been going a few hours do you really feel the benefit of clips.0 -
I use clipless pedals on the road bike because I prefer them.
I use flats on the mtb because I prefer them
I'm toying with the idea of cx racing in my 5-10s but the combination of lycra and "special" shoes could leave me looking a bit of a twat. (well more than normal)0 -
Honestly nobody gives a damn about you or what sort of pedals you use.0
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Is this the same as the people who getting sucked in and submit like sheep by:
Riding a racing bike when they will never do a race in their life.
Buying a bike with a double chainset and having to walk up hill because the gear is too big (I passed at least 6 people pushing their 'race' bikes up Winchcombe Hill near Cheltenham yesterday).
Buy a bike without mudguards and riding with a wet ass.
Wearing a helmet because it makes them safe.
Personally I ride what I want and couldn't care less what everyone else does.0 -
Because my commute into work takes just over 2 minutes I don't bother using road shoes for this.(same goes for quick commutes to the shops). First of all it is harder going up hills and secondly when dropping off curbs (my house has a cycle path that leads to a road) sometimes my feet will slip off the pedals which has led to either catching my shins or worse catching other parts on the crossbar. This has never happened when clipped in, so my experience is that they are safer.
This is a major benefit of being clipped in which is often overlooked. If you're descending fast on one of our poorly maintained roads, having your feet bounce off the pedals is very unnerving and can lead to wobbly moments. If you're clipped in, you can concentrate on picking the right line and watching for other dangers.0 -
They are better in an accident as you don't have stagger around looking for your bike.0
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That is simply not true. Trust me.They are better in an accident as you don't have stagger around looking for your bike.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Is this the same as the people who getting sucked in and submit like sheep by:
Riding a racing bike when they will never do a race in their life.
Buying a bike with a double chainset and having to walk up hill because the gear is too big (I passed at least 6 people pushing their 'race' bikes up Winchcombe Hill near Cheltenham yesterday).
Buy a bike without mudguards and riding with a wet ass.
Wearing a helmet because it makes them safe.
Personally I ride what I want and couldn't care less what everyone else does.
What a load of twaddle!
Sounds like you care very much (and are hideously bothered by) what other people do lol
Maybe you and the OP could get 2 for 1 on some therapy, or a chip removal operation.0 -
Riding flats for long distances is pretty uncomfortable I find; although if I had actual cycling shoes and not just trainers it would probably be better. Riding in a soft sole for ages just makes my feet hurt.
I just wear clips, you fall over once then it's fine surely. Unless you're some sort of idiot.0 -
This is a fun thread, but there's no way you'll find me posting on it and risking abuse from others.
I rode for many years on 'flats', then went to rat cages and finally to clipless. I don't think I have a preference, but all the bicycles I use have Eggbeater or Candy pedals, both of which work well with or without cleated shoes.
The trick (whatever the pedal type) is to have rigid soles. That seems to bring the greatest benefit. The clippy-in thing does feel good when climbing or when pedalling fast - and I wouldn't descend at spped on a fixed bike without clipping in. On mine, 32mph is about 165rpm and my feet would just fly off the pedals at those speeds.
As to mudguards, I abhor them. I am right. Dissent is pointless. If you disagree you are wrong.
I have given my views. Please close the thread and switch the lights out before leaving.0
