When I first started biking a few years back I started off with SPD’s which for the majority of the riding I like. However there are occassions when I have tried flats for things like north shore and steep DH tracks, and for these situations I prefer flats. There seems to be situations which favour either pedal and i’m struggling to pick which to use. Who uses both and is it easy to adapt quickly?

Spds on the road and flats on the MTB

I use spd on my ss mudbike as they’re better for dragging my arse up tiny hillocks

otherwise, flats

I never feel fully comfy on spds if it’s slippy, rocky or fast, even though they presumably help me physically to retain control by holding my feet in place

Just put SPDs back on my XC MTB and loving it.

Easier to adapt as I have SPDs on my roadie too, before I had a road bike it used to be a problem for me though TBH.

rob jackson +1

spd’s on the hardtail, flats on the full suss… Just because that is the way it has turned out.

Alternating between the two at the moment and I’m very happy with either. Anything I can do on one I can do on-tother.

flats on my full sus and spd’s on my hardtail. no problems going between the 2.

I started off with flats they were OK. Thought I would give SPD’s a go and loved them, I used them for everything.

Something broke on the pedal so while waiting for the warranty replacement I put the flats back on. Hated every moment of it; I found it hard to get used to the feeling of not being attached to the bike.

SPDs went back on as soon as they were replaced (2 weeks-ish)and I can’t imagine ever going back to flats out of choice.

Flats for fun stuff (always on the DH bike) and SPDs when there’s mileage (which includes enduro events and the like) involved to help my knees

I normally use Spds, but occasionally fit flats for a change. I was glad I’d previously practised on flats when I had a day on a rental Demo 8 on flats on the Todtnau DH course.

Flats hinder me a bit on the uphills, otherwise I’d probably use them more often.

I change between flats and spds on my mountain bike depending on the type of ride. Techy or fun and I use flats, races or long fast rides I use SPDs. No problems changing. The first few times switching to flats I got bounced about a bit but now I feel happy abs stuck to the bike with either.

spd on everything except my commuting bike.
i prefer spd, and ive ridden them for so long now that i would find it difficult to bunnyhop a kerb on flats. (yes, i know this is due to poor technique)
however flats are a lot more convenient for nipping to the shops/park etc.

For general trail riding (XC, trail centres, training rides etc) I love SPD’s, this is 80% of my riding. However dont know whether to get a spare set of flats for the other 20% or stick with the SPD’s.

Flats for fun stuff (always on the DH bike) and SPDs when there’s mileage (which includes enduro events and the like) involved to help my knees

This.

But I’ll be going back to SPDs for winter, as my SPD shoes dry quicker than my AM41s

i use both. i’m 90% spds kind of riding. love XC particularly long distance stuff. but when i’m going for a mess about or maybe a trail centre i’ll ride flats.

Gonna have a pedal sale here, I have got boxes and boxes of minimalist clip ins, big framed clip ins, ultra thin flats, pinned flats, toe clips, etc etc. Just been out to shed and theres a few bikes there ( not all mine) and the majority have PD-M324’s ‘cos they are bloody convenient, clips plus grippy flats, you can jump on any bike in any footwear and ride, I ride in wellies ,work boots ,trainers, good shoes, mtb clip shoes road shoes with mtb clips, clipped in when you want clipped out when you dont simples. Oh the shame , but I feel clean now that I’ve confessed, I’ll get me coat and eff off now.

I genuinely alternate onf the mtb, as I can’t work out which I prefer… tend to do 3 months on say flats and then wonder whether SPDs would be better and so on. I think that means that for some things flats are better and vice versa. When I swap I am happy with SPDs immediately, and flats it takes me a couple of rides to remember how to ride properly

Bit of both… depends on the mood, weather, which shoes I feel like wearing 😉 etc..

if the bike is going to be leaving the ground then I put flats on.

Started on flats now 50/50

brakes – Member

if the bike is going to be leaving the ground then I put flats on

Wot you stop get out the spanners and the spare pedals before a jump then go back and get the clippies and spanner them back on after to ride up the next hill, no offence mate just having a minute with my imagination.
I know those 324’s aint trendy but I dont give a ****, they are convenient ,I cannot be arsed to keep switching pedals when I could be riding.

At the mo, flats on MTB, cleats on road and BMX (just started). Going to spend the entire winter clipped in to see if I can get the hang of it for MTB, that’ll be on XC, DH and jumping/blasting around. I reckon to learn properly you need to commit 100% for a while.

It might work, or I might spend the entire winter on my arse nursing bruises and fractures. “He who dares Rodders, He who dares”

SPDs on the mountain bike. I love the way my foot feels mechanically connected to the bike – can ‘feel’ where the back end is much better than with flats. I honestly don’t understand people who ride XC in flats – it just doesn’t make sense.

Flats on the DH bike, but only because I like foot-out cornering and (in my mind) flip-whips. I’m quicker on SPDs but I don’t race.

SPDs on road bike and CX bike and XC bike most of the time.

Flats for the annual trip to slightly rougher terrain, and also during the snowy season.

Who uses both and is it easy to adapt quickly?

Hi,

That was also my main concern. Actually I love cleats except when it comes to rocky steep sections where there is a good chance to fall. I feel all but confident to be locked to the bike there.

I tried to find the best compromise and I ended up using those pedals:


One side with cleats and one flat side!
They are good as they can do both on the track. The only bothering thing is that you have to check you’re on the right side of the pedal when not using the cleats.
I tried to find something better but I think that’s just impossible.
Also when on flat, the steel cleats tend to file the profile of the pedal (it’s made of aluminium) and after some time they do not hold the feet so well.
So in the end I came back to flats for my future bike with more fork travel but I hope at some point my skills will be good enough to use the cleats everywhere. Hope this helped

At the moment,

XC HT – SPD
long travel HT – Flats (changed just recently as swapped cranks and couldn’t be arsed removing the pedals quite like it, may for back for winter though)]
Bouncer – flats as of about 18 months ago, but no reason I wouldn’t return to spds on it for longer rides if I could be bothered changing the pedals

I find after finally getting more used to climbing on flats, I’m pretty freely interchangeable. Will find out if that’s right when one of the burlier bikes gets it spds back…

SPD for everything, even DH. Prefer the properly connected feel, even when it’s steep, rocky, and there’s a good chance of crashing.

I am guilty of this too. Flats: Just feel happier especially when there is a chance I may need to dab, fall off etc.
I can see the benefits of SPD when putting in miles and being more pedaling based but I am never 100% happy with more tricky stuff.

If I was forced to choose one it would be flats for sure.