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I've just ordered a set of Mallet E's and have a second hand pair of 5:10 Kestrels to try (can always invest in shoes later). I've been flats for most of my life, but find I get bucked off the pedals at times on rough DH (for example, sections of DYFI last week) despite heels down / 5:10s / decent pedals, which is mostly a pain when I need to set up for a section (jumps for example) where I am very sensitive to feet being in the right place on the pedal. I'm keen to try clips to see how this will help with this, and still keep flats for other less aggressive riding.
Previous clipless experiments on the mtb were OK, tended to have more issues unclipping on technical uphill sections. I've been on clipless on the road / gravel bike for years since then som hoping i'll pick it up OK.
I’ve just ordered a set of Mallet E’s and have a second hand pair of 5:10 Kestrels to try (can always invest in shoes later).
Just a headsup ...
I haven't personally tried but when I was reading up prior to buying I did see some posts suggesting 5 ten don't play that well with CB (or I'd have got some Kestrels myself).. from memory it was more clipping in than releasing and you can probably play with the spacers...
Just a headsup …
I haven’t personally tried but when I was reading up prior to buying I did see some posts suggesting 5 ten don’t play that well with CB (or I’d have got some Kestrels myself).. from memory it was more clipping in than releasing and you can probably play with the spacers…
Good to know, I'm only into them for less than £30 so can always punt on if they're no good and look for some alternatives. Pedals are new so should come with spacers.
So so wrong, you need to try a more flexible sole with Mallet's or similar, they really are the best of both worlds between flats and clips. I like SPD's and stiff soled shoes on my gravel or XC bike but riding DH and gnarly stuff is horrible in really stiff shoes with no proper cage
Good to know, I’m only into them for less than £30 so can always punt on if they’re no good and look for some alternatives. Pedals are new so should come with spacers.
Yeah I punted the other way ... the pedals and shoes were XMAS present last year... but before that I punted on some used Enduro pedals for about £30 and used with some ancient (Shimano 1990's) shoes till XMAS.
I also splashed out a bit and got some of the copper coloured (easy release) cleats and probably a good investment until I was a bit more practiced.
TBH still not 100%... I did a race last Saturday on my HT and ended up sticking on the flats though it was really dusty and blown out... and the whole reason I got them originally was so I could pedal over rooty gnar on the HT..
Specialized 2Fo shoes, Mallet E.s Running these for 5 years, no interface issues and works really well. Before than flats/5-10's for 10 years, before that clipped in again. Current set up - platform is big enough for serious hammering. Shoe is grippy enough to hold on if clipped out (which is rare.) Go for it. It's made me a faster rider overall, love being clipped in in the steep,tight, nadgery stuff. Once you get your brain over the fact that you are going to stay in it's amazing how much you can get away with. Never got on with shimano pedals for serious DH/Enduro, just not enough contact patch.
Alps, Golfy trips, local steep cheeky stuff have all been clipped in this summer and I’ve not missed flats at all. I’ll still probably go flats when it gets properly miserable out i winter though.
riding clips in teh dry is a easy and a no brainer really. riding them on wet roots is an exercise in faith. you have to persevere and train your brain the wet root is grippy!. or get really good at clipping in first go.
i always used to go clipped in for BPW/Revo/antur trips as it was one less thing to think about when riding. Most of the time i ride flats as its easy. and one less thing to faff with. i did spend a couple of years on clips.
now i just ride flats and go slower. it nearly got dry enough this summer for me to think about riding clips again though i`ll admit. i do like to do it occasionally as i really thinks it helps my riding.
I`m a CB mallets man as the platform is there if i miss a clip. also my knees like the float and i do move my feet alot on flats too (my shoes testify to that) . Pins wound all the way in. I tried the pins wound out a bit and couldnt unclip! I suppose you could use a sole saver/spacer to rise the shoe up and wind the pins out but i hate the cleat scraping on the floor when walking on the flat.
Crank Brothers DH pedals with Crank Brothers shoes.
Getting a foot back clipped is way easier than any other shoe pedal combination I've tried. I just need to get my foot close and it seems to sort itself out. As others have said the pins are almost fully wound in, if not the shoe is a bit too difficult to release.
I still have to service the pedals too often for my liking though.
Comes to thread for a perusal…leaves £123 poorer with ME7 ordered
Standard stuff 👌
Same, but found some on FB for £60, should arrive today. I have noticed my AM9's flexing recently so keen for something stiffer.
I'd been riding SPDs since the '90's but as the terrain got gnarlier with the eeb even with Nukeproof SPD pedals and 5-10s I never felt comfortable when not clipped in so I went to flats. First NP Horizons and more recently Specialized Bennies. I had to relearn a load of techniques but it's made me a less rubbish rider than I was.
Cheers all, going to keep an eye out for a deal on some mallet DH pedals (or maybe the new ones due to be released in silver...) and then I'll try a few shoes with free returns to check the fit and the cleat recess depth (without fitting the cleats, obviously).
following
I’m in a similar position of switching back to clipless.
I’ve gone for the Nukeproof Horizon DH pedal and Endura MT500 shoes – with a cleat spacer as reviews of the shoes said they have a quite deep groove where the cleat sits.
@dirkpitt74 how's the sizing on the mt500 shoes? These are looking like a likely candidate, some reviews say they come up small, some say they're roomy!
I'm a size 45 in pretty much all my shoes apart from my Lake wide fit roadie shoes which are a 46.
Shoes (5.10 Kestel) and pedals (Mallet E) arrived and I’ve had a chance to have a play. Set up with cleats all the way back, a spacer under the cleat and the foot position feels fine. Wound the pins half way in, after first go at trying to unclip realised that the pins were holding the shoe fast, ended up winding them all the way in! Didn’t brave a full ride first time out as ended up going to ride a new gap jump so switched back to flats, but since have ridden twice with my daughter at Swinley which has given me a chance to get to grips. Still have to think before unclipping which is more an issue coming to an unexpected halt uphill and sometimes take a while to locate the clip which is a bummer if going straight into a section. Will switch between pedals depending on the type of ride but so far so good.
Watching a couple of videos it's recommended to wear in the shoes so the pins can wear a grove to allow you to unclip, so might be worth trying the pins up a little so they start to wear into the shoe and getting through that initial hard unclipping period.
That's what I'll be doing anyway, otherwise there's no point in having the pins!
There is no point to the pins? That's what the cleat interface is for!
This all said, as a lifelong SPD rider I've started riding flats on my big bike and I've never had more fun. Suddenly I can manual a bit and bunnyhop properly; take jumps with confidence; I'm faster down descents than I was before and having fun doing cutty's and little whips on every little bump. The only place I'm not enjoying them is proper steep chunky technical riding where getting my foot bounced off centre can make something dangerous now above my comfort zone; whereas on cleats I could just trust that part of the interface and focus on direction weight and braking.
Quick update, got a pair of mallet e LS pedals and just today had a pair of Endura MT500 Burner shoes, after ordering a size too small and having to return them.
No cleat shims needed, and with the pins wound half way in there's no issues unclipping - well there wouldn't be if my legs weren't proper duck footed - I'm going to order the easy release (10 degree) cleats which have 6 degrees of float, the standard 15 degree release angle + the 6 degrees of float is a bit too much. Tempted by the 0 degree float but don't think that would be very comfortable.
I'll have a play with the pins and traction pads but there's plenty or room for raising the pins a bit.
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^^ you know you can rotate the cleats to suit a littl right?
i have to point my cleats towards my big toe a fair bit IIRC
^^ you know you can rotate the cleats to suit a littl right?
i have to point my cleats towards my big toe a fair bit IIRC
Oh I've rotated them as far as physically possible 😁🤣 basically my setup is cleat as far inboard as possible to put my feet wider, and angled heel in as much as possible. I'd love for shoes to have a bit more adjustment in that area tbh.
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I've got those shoes - well comfy!
Having issues with my Nukeproof pedals though - so hard to unclip from!
Anyone else have this issue? New cleats - extremely difficult, worn cleats very difficult! - and that's with having the springs backed off as far as they can without the screw falling out!
Thinking of going back to Shimano pedals!
as a complete clip newbie i found the release of crank brothers a bit wierd to start with too. but a couple of rides and you adapt/work out the degree of movement. also once the cleats bed in a bit (couple of rides) it doesnt seem as hard/far to unclip. go for a ride. you'll probably find you'll ride less duck footed after a bit of time on the clips.
The Nukeproof mechanism with proper Nukeproof cleats is really easy to get in and out of usually. Using Shimano cleats work but it’s harder to click back in.
Might be worth playing with the pins - removing a few or spacing them down so they aren’t rubbing on the shoe so much.
Cheers, haven't been able to go for a ride yet - also looking to do some exercises to help reduce my duck footedness which in turn will help with clipping out.
@joebristol - thanks, don't think it's a pin issue - the mechanism is just really really tight.
I have the Nukeproof cleats and they're fine on a set of Shimano pedals.
If I just clip the shoe to the pedal it requires massive force to twist to release by hand.
Could it be the shape of the shoe underneath that’s fouling the pedal and making it hard to release? I’ve had shoes that have needed some rubber trimming away in order to get working properly
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You ought to try out the brass easy release 6⁰ cleats. I think you'll be good with them, although they wear pretty quickly.
You ought to try out the brass easy release 6⁰ cleats. I think you’ll be good with them, although they wear pretty quickly.
Is that aimed at me? If, so already ordered and fitted! 👍
I wonder if we should have a thread about how buggered up people's knees/feet/legs are, as it really affects being able to clip out - which is the main reason people don't use clipless pedals. There's bound to be some wisdom here around that area, I've done a Google this morning and as my duck foot is caused by tibia rotation, not hip rotation, it's seems the main culprit is the lateral hamstring being tight so I'm going to try daily exercises to release and stretch that area.
Warning!: horrible knees/legs below!
This is my 'normal' foot angle with knees straight
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And with my feet straight, this is how much my knees point in.
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I can get my kneecaps to touch quite easily with my feet closer together.
Think I'll start a thread actually.
Is that aimed at me? If, so already ordered and fitted! 👍
Ah right then. It doesn't get easier than that! Now then, where's the unsee button gone? 😆
Saw the cleat picture and was about to post ‘how are you kees not ruined?’ Then I saw your knees… 🙈
Haha yep!
I'm just about to start a thread on the subject actually, I'm sure I can't be the only one with buggered up knees/legs!
Shimano AM 9 and Deore trail pedal job done !