[Closed] Is it worth learning clipless?

It's more of perseverance, but stick with it, sell your flat pedals and shoes then there is no going back, I'm 4 years now and would never go back to flats, ps I also find time mtb pedals the best, although the majority users are Shimano

Worth giving it a try if you're up for a change but really there's no 'best' solution, just whatever suits you.

Having been on clips all my life hard to compare, but they just work, skills and foot work are not exclusive to flats it's possible to have the technique and clip in.
Unclipping becomes second nature, for anything aggressive or tech I'm running Mallet DH's with a flat soled clip shoe (Spec 2FO at the moment) so if the re clip doesn't happen I'm happy.
I can run nice stiff shoes regardless of the size of the pedal.
Many other reasons why in reality they are not as bad as those on flats tell you.

Personally no......I would gain little in SPD possibly some improved efficiency and power transfer allowing me to potentially be quicker ,...... So for me it is not a big issue plus I have a dodgy old knee so flats work better

I've just found an old pair of five tens and an even older pair of shimano pedals and cleats. I'm surprised I still had it all. Time for an interesting ride then.

No. It's worth learning to ride a bike properly though. That'd probably be easiest to do on flat pedals if that's what you're used to.

I fell over sideways into a freezing bog yesterday. My clipless training is not going as well as I hoped. 😀

My main problem is not descending, but technical or slippy climbing. Feet feel in the wrong place and obviously any sudden stops are anxious moments, to say the least.

I've never understood the argument that flat shoes are better for hike-a-bike. Most I've seen, the soles are quite flat so that the pins engage properly. That makes them next to useless on wet grass and muddy slopes - exactly where you might need the grip. Yes, clipless shoes have a metal plate on the bottom, but there are many styles with proper treaded soles (Vibram, Contagrip etc) around that. Of course, there's always the option of wearing proper walking boots and flat pedals (which I sometimes do) but then you get less pin/sole engagement.

Give it a go, I like them many hate them..... one thing I would say is give them sometime, don't go out on a handful of rides then dismiss them, give it 3,4,5,6 months plus to get properly used the them.

I'm a fan of Time as I like a bit of extra float, I found SPD's too restrictive and hurt my knees, speedplay frogs were a fav but when I stopped cycling for a while I was too tight to buy another set.... so went with cheaper Time...

Cheers, Steve

I think so. I can do both but I've stuck with flats, I reckon both make you think about different things in your riding and encourage different things (and show up different faults!) But more importantly- you might prefer it. That's all that really counts in the end.

yeah, always worth a go. You might prefer it. There's no other real reason TBH.

I wish that I could get on with them for the exact reason that scotroutes points out re: hikeabike..
But after 35+ years on flats I really struggle to get the best from being clipped in

try it, you might like it.. it might lead you to try something else for the 1st time too 😉

this is jut one of those things that you have to decide for yourself in real life via trial and error, the internet will give you lots of opinions but it won't give your your answer...

As others say it worth trying, you might love it.

The positives for me didn't outweigh the negatives, so after an extended period of trying I went back to, and have subsequently stuck with flats 🙂

I was on flats for few years but switched to clipless and wouldn't go back to flats ..

Trying them at the moment on my road bike. I'm working hard to make unclipping my left foot at every stop as natural as possible (including clipping and unclipping as I'm riding along). Yesterday I had to do an unexpected stop, I unclipped my left foot and fell over to my right with shoe still engaged! Very embarrassing and lucky the road was quiet.

Always ridden clips on the road, never mtb but am starting to give clips a go on mtb, not so much for any efficiency reasons (never was convinced by that anyway), but for perfecting foot placement for my big rides later this year (torq and relentless) so I don't spanner myself through having my feet wrong.

Out of interest is there a specific thing that you want clipless to do for you that your current setup does not?

No not really. I'm just intrigued as to if I will be more efficient or maybe a little faster .

I'm not sure there's anything to really 'learn' tbh. You just ride, it's not at all as difficult as going the opposite way is.

Scotroutes- on steep muddy or grassy stuff I'd wholly agree, but on rocky hike a bikes, which is what I tend to do tbh, flats are far better.

I'm just intrigued as to if I will be more efficient or maybe a little faster .

only one way to find out then. Time to turn this into a stealth wanted add 😉

I use SPDs for the majority of my riding, on the road, and light off road stuff. But on the mountain bike I still like flats. I like to be able to dab my foot!

There are advantages I think. But I'm not sure pedalling efficiency is that great on proper off road stuff. Some may disagree. Main advantage is no slips....always locked in.

Always used clipped since the first SPD's came out and never seen a need to change. Certainly, my Mavic boots have got an awesome sole for deep-mud and scrambling that I wouldn't want to attempt in a flexy, flat-soled shoe particularly scrambling up and down Cornish cliffs with my bike slung over my shoulder and a 100ft drop to the sea. Will take some flat pedals to the arctic in February - just in case mild conditions means snow-balling under the cleat.

Well just did my first pootle around woburn clipped in. Didn't have any scary dab moments so can't comment on that but really enjoyed the feeling of being connected to the bike . in the flowy bits I felt more in sync with the bike if that's the way to put it. I definitely will keep trying them.

in the flowy bits I felt more in sync with the bike if that's the way to put it.

Yep, if your one of [i]those[/i] people.

In order of skillfullnessness and hence Radnessnessness:

4) Riding clips like clips
3) Riding flats like clips
2) Riding flats like flats
1) Riding clips like flats

Crap MTBers do 4. Rad-as-anything MTBers do 1!

😆

Do it, I learned on flats but prefer clips for pretty much everything now, only may cargo bike is on flats now.

Clipless is just another added option (which is surely positive?).

Swapping between flats and clipless pedals takes a minute so no big deal. I swap between flats and clips depending on the ride i'm doing but generally ride flats in winter.

Why do "switching pedal" threads pop up so often on here?

Pedal fashion is an odd quirk of MTBing. When I first got into MTBs in the 80/90s clips were supposed to be the 'pro's/expert's' choice, I resisted (didn't have the money for an extra pair of shoes just to ride a bike).

Then as the 90's progressed, better flats (borrowed from BMX) became more fashionable on MTBs, and I merrily adopted them and happily rode all sorts of MTBs like that for a good long time...

About 25 odd years after first getting into MTBs I bought a road bike, and not wanting to seem like a plum bought some basic spds to use with it. That was about six or seven years ago and now all my bikes have clips, and I have no desire to go back to flats, there nothing wrong with them, I know I can ride flats, I am just happier clipped in now.

There is an awful lot of bolleux written about either option, the simple fact is that both work and it's simply a personal choice, I have ridden both and neither is a particularly dark art to use, one relies more on friction the other on a simple mechanism. But people do like to validate their choices by rubbishing the alternative.

Ride whatever feels right OP, anyone with an "opinion" on pedals, is wrong by default...

Ride whatever feels right OP, anyone with an "opinion" on pedals, is wrong by default...

Not really, I ride flats due to a knee injury (SPD's at the puffer flared it up big style - that was the last time I used them) and also my feet are a lot warmer in flat shoes.

That's not an opinion, both of those reasons are pretty much facts.

I actually prefer SPD's, but the two reasons above sort of influence me away from them.

Just swapped from having ridden clips from riding SPD for what seems like forever to flats.

The world didn't end, I ride my bike just like I always have.

I find very occasionally my foot slips off the pedal with flats, whereas is it wouldn't have with SPD.

I am a tad more confident over unfamiliar technical terrain with flats, maybe trying things I wouldn't if I was clipped in.

But to be honest there aint a lot in it for me.

It's small but I find I tense up when riding in the slippy slidey slop and at other points when I really shouldn't be whilst wearing clips. I wish I didn't as I prefer them but despite giving them a decent run they just don't work for me. That said your post has me considering digging them out of the cupboard again.... 🙄

Nobeerinthefridge - Member
Not really, I ride flats due to a knee injury (SPD's at the puffer flared it up big style - that was the last time I used them) and also my feet are a lot warmer in flat shoes.

That's not an opinion, both of those reasons are pretty much facts.

I actually prefer SPD's, but the two reasons above sort of influence me away from them.

Should try something with more float than SPD's, CrankBrothers, Time, Speedplay frogs etc. Most people seem to default to SPDs but I found them bloody awful and after trying them know why so many people dismiss clipless pedals.
If I didn't have 3 bikes with Time pedals I would get Speedplay frogs again, loads of free float to keep the knees happy.

Cheers, Steve

No. It's worth learning to ride a bike properly though

Love it... I'll just have a word with the current leading dh riders and tell them to ride their bikes properly...

Op, can you borrow some stuff and give it a go first? It's different, has some advantages and some drawbacks...

But it's worth giving it a shot then making your mind up, hence, borrow stuff

Yes in my opinion. Just remember to unclip early. If you think you may need to unclip do it.

Don't wait until the very last second.

I'm happy on both. I rode flats for years but I'm glad I learned to ride clipped and I think it's improved my riding.

I don't like them in the local winter rooty swamps so generally do flats for winter. For a trail centre or uplift I'd use clips.