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Hi,
Due to a busted ACL I have had to remove the Shimano SPD's from my bike (hopefully temporarily) and have replaced them with some flat pedals, SDG Comps. These are good, very grippy and I was getting on ok with them during the winter. However now I am back wearing shorts the pins are ripping my calf's at least once or twice every ride. I am going to remove the pins, but wanted to know if others had this problem and are there any other solutions?
Is this when walking with the bike? Cos otherwise I'd say the pedals are not that grippy!!
Is your foot in the same place on the flat pedals as the SPD pedals? If so, your feet should be further forward and whatever you do, make sure you drop your heels.
Its a right of passage, you eventually start to remember they are there!
Wrap around shin pads are your friends.
I am going to remove the pins
If you want to simultaneously condition your shins for martial arts while riding your bike, sounds like a great idea 🫣
It's what the pins are there for.
You’re obviously doing it all wrong- it’s your shins you should be ripping!
Just keep your feet on the pedals - simples!!
You stop noticing after a while 🤣
Ripping your calf's what? His sad little face? You bastard!
Yeah, maybe I should have mentioned that its happening when stopping/walking. e.g. stopping for a gate and walking thru without getting off the bike, when pedaling they are good and grip well.
Push your bike by the saddle.
It looks pro, you get to stand upright, the bike doesn't get in the way, it need one hand so you can easily deal with gates and stuff.
I don't know when it stopped being a thing but its a way more sensible may to push.
Edit: misread you post "walking whilst straddling" stop doing that?
I am going to remove the pins
Do not do this unless you like smashing your shins when you feet slip off the pedals. Just learn to push the bike without banging the pedals against your legs.
It will stop happening over time , you become aware of it without thinking about. I have ridden flats since I could ride, I don't think I've rapped my shins or calves for 30 years. Also the pins will dull with use and become less sharp but still grippy.
Some of those new pendulum pedals that tom Howard is trying might help. Only have pins on one side and keep themselves horizontal.
walking thru without getting off the bike
You need to get used to dismounting and as @joshvegas said, push via the saddle, or use the stem/bars. You can get 840mm bars these days (Tumbleweed Persuader), so you can hold your bike by your bars and be in a different county to your pedals.
Some of those new pendulum pedals that tom Howard is trying might help. Only have pins on one side and keep themselves horizontal.
Potentially, but the pins on those are pretty savage 
OP, it’s one of those thing you just get used to. The pins are there to keep your feet on the pedals in the rough stuff. You’ll have much bigger scars, in more painful places, if you remove them
Contrary to what most people seem to think (not on here obviously), the answer to not getting your shins and calves butchered is sharper pins not blunter pins. Combine them with a grippy shoe like 5Tens and then get used to riding with the pedal further back towards your arch rather than on the ball of your feet.
Sharp grippy pins for the win.
The pins (m3 bolts) are noticeably long on these pedals.
I bought a pair for a bargain £19 off tredz a while back, as the bearings are shot on my old wellgo magnesium pedals.
I'm going to swap the bolts/pins for bolts 2mm shorter, as they make my 90's odyssey shark-bites look tame.
I am going to remove the pins, but wanted to know if others had this problem and are there any other solutions?
Definitely dont remove the pins. That will end in tears.
I think most people with flats just learn to be more careful. I occasionally forget and then avoid making the same mistake for a few months.
Perhaps try long socks since should give enough cushioning for low speed impact.
Cheap football socks with built in foam (or D30) shin pads from Amazon. Ion also make some expensive ones.
It's true you will learn not to do it over time, but some lower leg protection may help in the interim.
When I first switched to flats with pins, I used some 661 wraparound velcro thingies which they probably don't make any more - but why not try the soccer ones you can get these days first anyway?
Contrary to what most people seem to think (not on here obviously), the answer to not getting your shins and calves butchered is sharper pins not blunter pins. Combine them with a grippy shoe like 5Tens and then get used to riding with the pedal further back towards your arch rather than on the ball of your feet.
Sharp grippy pins for the win
.
Not sure you read the brief.
Ion also make some expensive ones.
Although dont think they protect the calf which seems to be the problem.
I've ridden flats almost exclusively for 30 years and can't recall ever really ripping into my calf with the pedal pins. I didn't even know there was a SPD vs flat pedal way of getting off a bike 😀
Yeah, maybe I should have mentioned that its happening when stopping/walking. e.g. stopping for a gate and walking thru without getting off the bike, when pedaling they are good and grip well.
Why on earth would you do that, it's slower and more cumbersome than getting off, opening, walking through, closing and then getting back on.
"walking whilst straddling" stop doing that?
+1
Learn to dismount/mount the bike CX style if you want to speed things up rather than shuffle through like a penguin on picolax.
Or just ride on the pedals, part of the advantage to flats is being able to ride through slow stuff like gates without having to worry about unclipping if you lose your balance.
I sneered at this thread when I first read it, thinking how could anyone be so clumsy? Smacked a pedal into my calf putting my bike away this morning. Karma's a b!tch.
Trying Freddy Krueger pedals once was enough... I'd rather go down with the bike and call it a day.