Its come to this. After years of riding flat pedals off road I though I’d never change. But just bought a 29er hardtail and just feels like the next logical steps. Any thoughs?

Yes

sometimes you wanna be clipped in, sometimes you dont

Sorry ,that was too hasty.
Stick with flats,that way ,when your wheels explode ,you can dismount quicker 😆

How about platform SPD’s? Best of both worlds then.

haha my rear wheel has started ticking only a matter of time before to explosion… may stick with the flats 🙂

I use XTR Trails, good pedals and have the cage for times when you dont want to be clipped in.

I still run mine quite loose but occasionally i can get caught out. Its a price worth paying IMO.

Bare in mind i have ridden on the road using clipless pedals for 25 years.

i think i`ve finally cracked the art of clipless pedals.

its taken me 1.5years of trying though.

an i still want to ride flats for doing anything properly fun/dangerous.

What they’ve all said, try with cheaper entry level first, xc shoes can be well pricey. And use t’s more often.

if you fancy a change, try it 🙂

Yes… for me it depends on the day, the ride, the mood, the weather… I’m fickle really as they both have their benefits… 😕

I have several sets of both. I like both. I sometimes hate both. I’d say use both. Or either. Or run the 29er as a balance bike.

I think that covers the options.

Just to preempt the next question. Use specific shoes, use any old shoe, nail cleats to your bare feet and go au naturel.

Yes… for me it depends on the day, the ride, the mood, the weather… I’m fickle really as they both have their benefits… /quote]
+1

Clips on the Rigid 29er SS, flats on the Pitch, although I’m tempted to stick some SPD’s on the Pitch and just MTFU when it comes to committing to sections. I’m significantly cleaner riding in SPD’s, less skidding/dabbing as you have to comit to a line/speed and know you’ll make it (or not) whereas in clips I’ll often put in a comfort dab.

stevewhyte – Member

I use XTR Trails, good pedals and have the cage for times when you dont want to be clipped in.

I rode a borrowed 29er the other day with those on it, but in my flat pedal shoes. The cage is all but useless.

After years of riding flat pedals off road I though I’d never change

After 20 years of SPD’s and toe clips for 5 years before that off road I thought I would never change but I have and I like it. I may use SPD’s again at some point but it won’t be exclusively. So give it a go as just like me you’ll never know what your missing till you try it.
As others have said over the years this is the right approach to all things in life with the exception of incest and country dancing.

Something with a decent platform is a good starting point. As much as people on here have had negative experiences with them, I found that my Crank Bros Mallets were brilliant as they’re supportive for my size 11s and easy to unclip in a hurry from.

And yes, I have a set approaching their seventh birthday that haven’t died yet in spite of numerous warnings of imminent loss of anti-matter containment and subsequent warp-core breach.

I had Mallets too, one set did die on me, Crank Bros rebuilt them under warranty, and sent me a stern letter about how I had done “little or no maintenance” (which was true). The platform on them, particularly the newer ones with pins, is pretty usable.

I keep being told that I should try flats to ‘make me a better rider’ but I’ve ridden SPDs since the very first PDM-737s back in the day and have never once not been able to get out of them, so don’t see what I’d gain goig to flats. My foot position is fine with heels down etc and although I do sometimes cheat and pull the bike up with them, I don’t see what the problem with this is?

If they’re good enough for Danny Hart…..

Cool thanks for all the advice guys, esp about incest and country dancing, like most I dont find my cousin attractive! Gonna head out after work and pick up a cheapish set of shoes and pedals.

Only one way to find out which is best for you and not everyone else and that is to try them out. I used to ride SPDs all the time, tried flats and been with them since 2006. Use SPD for getting to work, but much prefer flats for all the off road biking I do. Know plenty who hate them and plenty who love them. Like I said, only one way to find out which you like best. And my opinion of Mallets etc, is try a proper flat. The cage SPDs aren’t anywhere near as good in my experience.

Just look after you shins and calves if your foot slips…

Just be careful when you go back to flats, I clipped my flats on a kerb on the way to work yesterday, currently nursing two slices at the back of my ankles from dmr studs, ouchos.

I have only ever ridden off road in flats, previously I just rode DH, so never really had an issue, but i’ve been riding more & more trail now.

My last attempt at going clipped in was fairly disasterous, but since then I have done a good 18 months on a road bike now, clipped in so feel a lot more confident in being able to make the switch.

I’ve still got my SPD shoes, I think part of the mistake last time was silly little SPD pedals so i’m hovering over a set of Mallets this time round.

Not to say i’ll be a convert, but I would like to chop and change, depending on the type of riding i’m doing – it makes sense really.

i ride both. only takes a minute or two to change a set of pedals.

only problem is remembering the right shoes.

Just to restore balance to the universe…
Tonight will be my first venture into flats, having spent the last four years on M520 SPDs.
I’ve been worried by the prospect of potentially parting company with the bike in mid air, hence the reluctance to try flats.
BUT, based on a quick spin around the block last night, I actually think Vaults & AM41s may be MORE secure.
First real test will be tonight’s ride.

If I don’t post a report tomorrow, it’s ‘cos I’m in hospital.

….yawn…

….yawn…

tired?

😆 excellent

@ velomanic. Do you have them in orange? 😉

Velomanic, shouldnt that read, SPDs for cyclists and Flats for BMXers.

Last time I checked, riding a BMX was cycling, although they all used SPD’s too.

Well, I’m still alive!

It was definately a whole new experience, riding with flats. Pedalling up required a bit more concentration but that’s probably just because of my poor technique.
I only suffered the one pedal-patterned set of scratches on the back of my calf and that was not whilst actually riding anyway!
On the downhills they felt just as secure as SPDs so I’m slowly overcoming that irrational fear of parting company in flight.

The biggest difference overall was the absence of the lateral float that you get from pivoting around the cleat. Don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad TBH.

So far so good.

Flats and a pair of five-tens, shoes are just as important as the peddles

at the risk of of flogging the proverbial dead pony…

switched to flats (and the shimano am41’s) on my paradox 29er a coupla weeks ago after riding spd’s since the mid 1990’s. trying to ride a wet and muddy ‘prospaker’ at inners was the epiphanic moment.

clipping out was never an issue (except maybe on northshore-y stuff), but clipping in again after coming loose, esp. on rocky, steep techy ground (or at high speed) is definitely unnverving and not so straightforward.

i find general riding and jumping (t.tops and doubles) much more fun now as i don’t have to worry about unclipping in the air. i realised long ago that i don’t possess the skills of the pros, whatever pedals/bikes they’re rocking.

the one area that i’ve had to revisit totally is doing drops. i’d been totally dependant on my pedals (m647’s. a great pedal, by the by…) to keep me attached. so i’m back to the wee drop, for example, at GT freeride until i get back to the level of confidence i had pre-flatties.

but it’s getting better each time. 😀

i shan’t be riding spd’s for mtb in the foreseeable future.

hope that’s of some quantifiable value to ‘da OP.

stan.

For riding a 29er there really is only one option…

I’ve been using clipless pedals for the last 17 years and have never felt the need to use anything else on any of my bikes. About 6 or 7 years ago I was talked into buying a shiny new pair of DMR V12s, after one ride I decided that I didn’t see the point and refitted my SPDs. The V12s then sat in my shed until late last year, when I sold them to a colleague for £25. He fitted them, went for one ride, decided that he didn’t see the point, refitted his SPDs and sold the V12s…