After a couple of spills lately, the last of which was quite a big one, I’ve been considering giving flats a go. Always used SPDs and know for a fact that I make good use of them on the climbs. It’s just that I can’t help but think that being clipped in is preventing me from avoiding the accident altogether or at least minimising the impact as I can bail sooner. Just never got around to trying them because a) I’m a creature of habit (severe OCD of you ask my wife) and b) I’m a big fearty (scared for all the non Scots!).

Just wondered if anyone else out there has been in the same boat i.e. never used flats (not since I saw a kid anyway) and moved to flats and what their experiences were? Obviously only way to know for real is to try but interested nonetheless.

It’ll be rubbish, you’ll adjust (few weeks) and then it’ll be fine. Nano or saint pedals with 5:10 shoes ftw.

I switched back to flats, having not ridden them for 15 years…. was very strange – I kept jumping off the bike!

Took me a couple of weeks to get used to it, and a fair bit longer than that to feel fully planted on downhill stuff without clips.

I now ride comfortably on spuds and flats, and run different pedal types on different bikes (broadly xc spds, AM/DH flats). Glad I did it, but make sure you plan ahead and don’t do it in the middle of a big trip you’re looking forward to – it’ll ruin it.

I’ve found flats a great help. With clipless pedals anything a bit trick i’d unclip before hand and compromise my ability to pedal through.
With good shoes and pedals the grip is so good you don’t loose much over clip-ins.

Dabbled with both and much prefer spds for everything. Set the tension right and you’ll unclip in an emergency.. Spds are much better for pedalling rough downhill sections. Flats can lead you to drag your feet round corners, much better grip when feet stay on the pedals if your body positioning is good. Practice balance work and the benefits of clips far outweigh flats.. That’s what I recon

my recent post

and this one

When I went back to mtb after a layoff, I switched to flats on doctor’s orders. It’s weird at first, you’ll probably need to relearn some things (or rather, learn some things that your spds have let you not bother to learn). Good news is, this is worth doing whether or not you stick on SPDs, you can carry technique from either pedal back to the other.

I think on balance I preferred spds but there’s really not much difference, and what there is is mostly out at the extremes (frinstance, really strong riders can use them to pedal harder- for most people, that just empties the tank faster. And yes you can pedal more easily in rough stuff but that doesn’t come into play til most people will have stopped pedalling.

So yeah, give it a go, you might hate it or you might love it but if you give it a good try and figure it out properly, you’ll likely benefit. But the first wee bit might be shaky, don’t be put off!

I have a pair of 5:10’s and superstar nano flats and almost struggle sometimes to get my feet off the pedals. I like the grip although have never used spd’s so nothing to compare with.

I have a pair of 5:10’s and superstar nano flats and almost struggle sometimes to get my feet off the pedals.

Yep. I have Nanos on my commuter and wear a particularly worn pair of Impacts – when i come to a stop at a junction I can actually pull the pedal back up to setting off position!

I switched to flats since I ride on my own these days. I found I wasn’t trying some stuff due to fear of a big stack (and not being found bleeding on the floor for some time) and figured that flats may give me that confidence boost I needed.

They did.

Been riding on DMR Vaults/Nukeproofs with Teva Links/Pinners now for a couple of years and wouldn’t go back.

I’ve been on SPD’s for nearly 20 years now like others, and the fear of moving away from them as i’m just so used to them is one of the big issues, and i dare say it’s the same for a lot of people.

I did move one bike to flats a couple of years ago, and learning to not use the pedals via the balls of my feet was the hardest part, as you’re trying to go against what you’ve been doing for a long time. I also found that not tweaking the bike for the slight change in dimensions also worked against me, but by dropping the seat a little it feels a lot better.

I’m reading this one with interest, as i’m about to move the same bike back to flats for commuting and local stuff, but the one thing that i wonder is what shoes are best, i notice a lot of 5 10 shoes being mentioned, but how do they fair going up a muddy hill that you’re pushing up, as i tend to find shoes without grip are a bit problematic on anything more than concrete?!

I thought I was the fearty by going from SPDs to flats. I agree that SPDs in general feel better but I like being able to get a foot down really fast.