Forum menu
I rode SPD's for years, but when I started riding more DH type stuff I switched to flats because I could throw the bike away easier. after a few years of flats I've recently gone back to SPD's and I'm loving it.
I still have flats and would still use them if I thought the riding I was doing warranted them. Or I just wanted the confidence.
I think people think to much about the differences between them. But that's generally the case with most things in here.
Just ride and stop thinking!!
I used to use SPDs, swapped to flats a few moths before a trip to scotland for added dabability. As soon as I tried to ride flats I realised my technique was shocking, I haven't swapped back, not sure I will either.
I'm sure I'm faster overall on SPDs but I have a lot more fun on flats, and my technique is getting much better. I used to just pedal through everything on my FS bike with SPDs
[quote=dt]Learn to ride on a BMX
I returned to BMX after a 10 year break - and had to re-learn a surprising amount...
A twitchy tiny 20" rigid bike handles [b]very[/b] differently from an 8" slack full-sus DH bike.
I returned to BMX after a 10 year break - and had to re-learn a surprising amount...A twitchy tiny 20" rigid bike handles very differently from an 8" slack full-sus DH bike.
Yup. Most of the bmxers I know never really have a problem riding an mtb (fitness issues aside!)
Riding something with 26" wheels seems like a walk in the park after riding something with 20" wheels and a 75 degree head angle
having flat pedals fitted to all my bikes mean I use them a lot more.
Nothing puts me off nipping to the shop on my bike than having to put special shoes on...
Yeah, that's why my road bike has flats 😳
i dont understand this SPD`s make you have bad technique thing.
SPD`s teach commitment which is half the battle with riding i find.
I think i've improved as a rider since switching to clips - less foot out, less dabbing, much more commitment, more understanding of what my tyres are capable of, better feel.
I think that's a much higher level of riding skill than most switching to flats are trying to attain. Flats help sort out your smoothness and balance and weighting and how you work with the bike. I think naturally great riders ride clips the same way but most riders aren't that effortless when they start out.
If I was chasing podium places I'd race/ride in clips much of the time. As I'm not I like how riding flats has often saved me from hitting the deck!
i heard an interesting idea that Dh racers can be better off clipped-in as Dh bikes can be very long, and the riders need to shift their weight forward more than they would on a 'trail' bike to give the front wheel enough grip.
it's hard to ride with your heels 'dropped' enough to make flat pedals work, and at the same time, lean/shift your weight forwards.
at least, that's how i heard it...
Northwind, piccy's piccy's piccy's 🙂 pretty please, although unsure if forum elements can withstand seeing MTB flats on a roadbike 🙂
From a racing viewpoint, riders choice or what sponsor makes them use.
Back in the day when SUNN pretty much won everything with Nico and Anne Caro, back when SUNN used to datalog practice runs and see what lines worked, or would an aero tuck be better or would pedals make a difference.
They worked out that on some tracks running flats would give a time gain over running SPD's and vice versa, so whatever pedal platform had the best gain's on time would be used in the race run.
Don't think anyone has ever gone as technical F1 style as the old SUNN team did, ahead of there time perhaps.
🙂
Ride what you like best. It does seem like flats are the in thing at the moment and that's coming from a flat pedal user.
I started out with toe clips before going to SPD's but then as I started to move away from XC based riding to jumping, riding DH type stuff and generally mucking about I switched to flats. I reckon it was around '98 and I've never gone back. I tried once or twice but never rally felt confident so stuck with flats. For me personally I'm more confident knowing that I can ditch the bike than I ever was with clips.
Clips on my road bike though. There is definitely an advantage of more power with clips when sprinting.
[quote=Northwind ]Yeah, that's why my road bike has flats
Mine is just because I basically haven't got round to buying spd's...
[img] 
[/img]
I think that's a much higher level of riding skill than most switching to flats are trying to attain.
😆 no ones ever said i'm highly skilled on a bike before.
anyway - now its raining we need to build that pump track. i rode the one rowan sorrel in monmouth a few weeks back and now i feel the need for something bigger then my backyard minipump. they did have the benefit of a minidigger and about 100 tonnes of earth though...
so i've only got a hard tail and ive switched between both flats (v8's) with am45's and spd's
Descending i'd say i'm equally confident on either but i guess it's easier to stay with the bike clipped in.
Where i notice a bigger difference is climbing.
Most of our local stuff is fairly xc and on the more technical climbs, being able to pull up to keep your legs spinning and maintain momentum does help (well me anyway) especially when there are nasty rocks and roots throwing you off balance and there's no rear travel to soak it up.
I don't really see why it has to be a "One or the Other" choice tbh. Good riders should be able to ride their bike fitted with either pedal, and choose when to install clipless or flats as they see fit. It only takes 2min to change pedals, so why not try both?
-run Shimano 105 SPD-SL road pedals / Specialized BG Sport road shoes on the road bike
-run Shimano 520-SPD mountain pedals / Shimano mountain SPD shoes on the commuter (700c sports hybrid)
-run Specialized Bennies flat pedals / 5-10 sam hill shoes on the mountain bike
different pedals for different jobs!
quality shoes and pedals for each of these different job:
-road bike I want a "fitted bike" (cleats, footbed, shims and bike all setup by BG Fit bike fitter), efficiency, power, high cadence
-commuting bike I want easy clip in / out at traffic lights, comfort and ability to walk in my shoes past road works, or across red traffic lights when late to work
-mountain bike I want feel of trail, ability to corner aggressively on edge of tire traction using 'body english'