I ride all year on flats but I’ve built a SS for winter.

Spd’s would no doubt give am advantage. Who uses flats?

Flats for me on the ss

me too, particularly good in winter when you’re slip sliding all over the trail.

Me too, flats for everything. Just get a decent grippy set.

2 x singlespeeds and 1 x geared hardtail. Flats for everything.

Always flats. Even on the fixie.

I use flats on all my bikes now, including the single speed. Never had a problem being clipped in but just prefer flats.

I did hesitate initially changing the single speed to flats as could not pull up in the same way, but kept with it and now don’t notice any difference (took about 1 – 2 months).

SPD on everything. I actually tried riding flats a few months ago and couldn’t get used to the lack of being able to pull the pedal up. Strange feeling.
No right or wrong really, just whatever feels right.

I used flat pedals on the SS, clippy ones are definitely better for SSing though.

Well I’m flats for everything else so flats it is!

Cheers 🙂

Both… Shimano M324’s. You can file the edges if you want pins. Surprised more people don’t use them to be honest.

Flats for me because the spd pedals I have seem to have way too much float so they feel awful.

I like to use a gear that gives me a bit of pace on the flat – 38:15 round Sherwood Pines today. Would have had some trouble on the short climby bits had I been on flats.

Flats on my latest 1:1 ratio fixed gear.

Tbh, them dual sided shimano pedals are bobbins. I never seemed to be able to get the side I wanted and they made setting off incredibly difficult at times. I was glad when one of them fell apart after 6 months so I could swap them.

Now i’m using spd’s on the single speed but only because my 5.10’s take an age to dry and I have some good spd winter boots. Prefer flats.

Yay, I’m not a freak! Well not for riding flats on my SS anyways. Thought I was the only one.

I never seemed to be able to get the side I wanted

Never had an issue, they do balance, so no one side is always up. I find that I clip in for power for climbing and most general stuff, and unclip if it looks a bit technical. This with a vintage pair of Shimano shoes.

What did you do to kill them? Mine have refused to die in 18 months off road and five years on road!

Toe Clips 😀 … or flats

I do. However, sometimes I stick on my Eggbeaters or Mallets for whimsy.

djaustin, I got the impression they were intended more for touring bikes, where I’m sure they’d be ideal.

Maybe I just got a bad pair, but I didn’t treat them any differently to pedals that have lasted 2+ years. My biggest issue was setting off where there was a climb or imminent technical section. I’d get the first foot in, but then ended up faffing for the second. I think mud/ice must have been a factor in the pedals being unpredictable.

Anyway I’d maintain that I wouldn’t like to recommend them for mtb. Flats are best as they can give a large platform on to which your foot is easily and quickly located and once on with the right shoe/pedal combo feel more secure than spd’s. There are also none of the accidental unclip issues.

I’ve got dual sided pedals. I find them a good compromise for road use but I don’t like them for off road.

The winter boot thing is a good point. My Shimano winter boots are clipless.

No Mugboo – get clipped in. I’ve ridden flats exclusively for the last 2.5 years and never had a problem. First ride on my new SS yesterday and I decided to go clipped in with this build and glad I did. The gearing/climbs I was doing yesterday would have been stupidly tough on flats. Made a LOT easier being able to pull up on the pedals.

Very, very glad I went down the clipped in route and was surprised at how quickly I got back into remembering to unclip when I stopped etc.

What you built DBW?

Oh and riding Clips after flats is a doddle. But it’s amazing how fast you forget your not clipped in when you next ride your flats…

Like all things though, it won’t take too long.