[Closed] 'Platform' SPD pedals - why?

I only use them on my bouncy bike as I tend to find myself flying down rockier descents faster than on my other bikes, and when I was hurtling down a rocky bridleway in the Lakes recently and my foot unclipped from the pedal, I was very glad to have M545 platforms as I could just stamp down onto the pedal and keep going with my foot feeling relatively secure...

It's gotta be said I agree, I can't see the point (FOR) myself, but I think I see why, in general: Chunkier, more support, easier to ride if you can't quite clip in.
But I also think part of it is so people who can't ride with proper flats can 'get the look' if you like. (Ohh, contentious!)

I've not tried the platform SPDs, but I've been tempted to give them a go. I like the climbing ability of SPDs, but much prefer flats for going downhill. I feel more planted on the bike and better able to shift my weight around on the bike through the pedals than with SPDs.

You’re probably using a nice stiff soled XC shoe, in which case stick to cage-less SPDs. If you have a more flexible/grippy shoe, need a bit of broader support and are expecting to maybe unclip, dab a foot and then pedal on perhaps without managing to re-engage the cleat, then they make sense.

I find my M424s lovely off road compared to the M520, but I’m riding with a more flexible shoe and probably have more of a DH bias…

Put mine on after returning from a week abroad using traditonal SPD's with no platform. On continuous decents I was getting cramp in the botton of my foot.

Obviously the descents aren't as long over here so less of a problem but i definitely find them more confidence inspiring on technical stuff, and they're also a lot easier to clip into as not only id there more to aim at but the cage is rotated 45 degrees in the outer and guides the cleat in.

My first spds were m545s (or their mid 90s equivalent). Easiest way to make the transition

The cage is there so you can unclip and put your instep on the cage to ride like flatties.
Useful for people who feel more confident riding technical bits unclipped.

I'd imagine some of these with a platform SPD could be pretty sweet.
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I rode normal SPDs for eighteen months but found myself using my heel to bash down without clipping in on one pedal over sections where I needed one free foot frequently, I swapped to platform SPDs and I get a better area to ballance on without clipping in likewise if I can't get clipped in properly and I haven't got time to faff around like on a rocky downhill I've still got a stable platform to pedal and ballence on whilst sliding about for second or two to get secure.

As for getting the look?- WTF! pedal are pedals , if I want platforms I'll get some, it just happens that this suits me best as a perfect halfway house. I'd happily use white plastic oval pedals off a halfords kids bike if I found it was best for me. Surely people aren't that fashion concious are they?

I use them as Coleman suggests, usually ride clipped in, but if there's an ascent that I think I might not make I'll ride unclipped, ditto for a particularly technical (for me) descent. If I'm going out on a route with lots of stuff where I wouldn't want to be clipped in I can wear non spd shoes without changing the pedals. Similarly if I want to use the bike to go to the station and not carry extra shoes I can just wear normal shoes with the pedals.

if you get a pair of 'spd-trainers' you can remove the cleat cover, seal the bolt holes with tape, and use the bike for rides when you may not want to be wearing cleats off the bike.......

agree with the "sprung" position advantage - much easier to locate - I was riding regualr spds for 15 years before trying caged...

only on the all mountain bike mind, but they are great - if you're not weight weenying then I'd thoroughly reccomend

Grumm, what shoes are they?

ive found them absolutely pointless.

harder to clip in with certain shoes. Ive been given two sets by a mate who prefers flatties. One of them the cage half fell off on the first ride.

more expensive, more weighty, more bulk to catch on stuff, no pros as far as i am concerned.

What Coleman said.

Although they've been in the spares box and I've just been riding flats for six months or so now.

Same as perks, I rode(and raced) with regular spuds for years but changed over when I started doing the odd cross race. If you are getting on and off a lot, I would recommend them .Oh ,and I have a lot less shin scrape damage now :~).

I quite like my time freeride zs they give me a warm fluffy feeling in techy bits 😀

I think you want to put your foot in one position to climb and another position to go downhill. Surely what flatty riders do?
Platforms enable you to do this.
Downside is you have less control of the bike when unclipped than clipped IMHO so a bit of a compromise but better than changing pedals for every downhill!

Second the "what shoes are they" they look ace

Mackem - new five ten Greg Minaar prototype SPD shoes with sticky soles.

My feet get sore with 520's. I prefer them as there's less to hit on rocks etc, but if my feet are sore because I've ridden lots then DX's are much comfier.

I always thought the cages on SPDs were there to enable use of such pedals with non-SPD shoes (i.e. you can ride down to the pub/shops in your Vans/Nikes and not look silly wearing SPD shoes with jeans).

Plenty of downhillers use platform spd's on occassion, do you think they just ride them unclipped?

Some people prefer being attached to the bike is all, there's no "better" or "worse" method.

I always thought the cages on SPDs were there to enable use of such pedals with non-SPD shoes

that is a handy use for them too.

I started using them last year after 15years of std SPD's, the new Goretex MT90 boots were not as stiff as previous disco slipper shoes etc. plus, i can go to the pub on me bike no problem with normal trainers on.

Previously when i wore trainers on my XTR SPDS, I got accused of nicking the bike by some McCarthy crew....

I think part of it is a confidence issue, that there is some meat around your foot should you unclip.
It also enables you to unclip on sections where you think you might need to bail in a hurry.

I use the cheap Shimano non-platform pedals - M520s?? But, have considered trying platform SPDs a few times. I think I would be happier on certain downhill bits in Spain with them on. In fact, might put them on my Xmas list.

I use them and they are great. A tiny bit heavier, but mine is an off-road XC/commuting bike which I use for everything.

From time to time without SPD's, I use it to nip out to shops, or go on family road trips in the summer wearing only sandals. The platforms are great, and I can ride it with any shoes provided they have a soft-ish sole to bend round the small lump in the middle, which on those occasions does not really make much difference.

I think you want to put your foot in one position to climb and another position to go downhill. Surely what flatty riders do?
Platforms enable you to do this.
Downside is you have less control of the bike when unclipped than clipped IMHO so a bit of a compromise but better than changing pedals for every downhill!

Eh? I ride both Flats and SPDs and I only use one foot position with both: ball of your foot over the axle, Downhillers may mostly be thick but they don't all pedal like goons.
I generally use flats for DH as it's far more likely you'll need to dab a foot to save a corner and with a sensible choice of pedal and shoe you get lots of grip and plenty of tolerance on foot position, plus they feel far more stable under foot than any spd seems to, probably due to the large platform and fuller contact you get...

Descending on SPDs, even caged ones I find a bit more of a challenge, trust me you do not unclip for a descent unless your a prize plum, the levels of un-clipped grip are way below what you get with flats but the stiffer sole and direct feel through the cleat improves pedaling and gives good trail feel.

One thing I often find is if you slip a cleat mid run (say as you exit a Gee'd out corner and your foot twists a bit too much) platforms SPDs tend to just aboout retain your foot where a cageless SPD would probably mean you loose your pedal all together, it still throws me far more if I slip an SPD than if I slip a flat pedal, it's plusses and minuses for both really, I feel far more in control of a bike at speed on flats, but if there's uphill work to be done I'd much rather be on SPDs these days...

"but if my feet are sore because I've ridden lots then DX's are much comfier"

I see, I do find my (back) foot/calf hurts quite a lot if I don't put quite a few pedalstrokes in on longer/rougher descents

I seem to remember DXs being harder to clip into when I used them (over M520s)

Surely if you feel the 'need' to stay unclipped to ascend/descend something you [i]still[/i] haven't leanrt to use SPDs yet? My brother has said he has only just stopped doing this, and now finds it much easier staying clipped in for everything. I think I did it a bit on a few vaguely tricky bits where I thought I might want to put a foot down on the first few rides with SPDs, but made myself stay clipped in once I was semiconfident I could unclip when I wanted. Clipped in seems way more secure than not

"Plenty of downhillers use platform spd's on occassion, do you think they just ride them unclipped?"
No, I think they'll stay clipped in, but if pro DHers use platform/cage type SPD pedals, there must be some good reason to use them, its not like pro DHers aren't weight weenies

"A tiny bit heavier"
Not really
XTR ~ 320g
XT/M540 ~ 350g
M520 ~ 380g
(crank brothers/ritchey are lighter)
M424 ~ 440g
M545 ~ 550g
DX ~ 650g

DXs seem to be quite common, thats another 1/2 pound that is arguably not needed(and costs more to buy - though I can see some benefit)

I ride flats (nukeproof), spds (Eggbeaters) and platform spds (Mallets).
To be honest I have virtually given up on the mallets, I can't ride them without being clipped in because the eggbeater clip sticks up far too high. Plus as they are two sided they are a pain to get clipped in to at high speed. they do however provide lots of grip and mean that you feet stay on the pedals at high speed over the gnarlly stuff.

So for DH I know ride flats and fivetens and frankly the grip is awesome. Just a comment amount foot placment I do indeed change my foot position for DH, 4x and trails. Instead of having the ball of my foot directly above the axle as I would for climbing and normal XC riding, I move my foot forward a little. The reason for that is because it enables you to pick teh rear wheel up much easier, it also has teh benefit of reducing the risk of falling off the back of the pedal on a big landing plus it helps you to get the weight over the rear end as it provides a more stable platform to stand on.

I only use spds on the road to be honest, platforms were used for racing but now I use them for XC riding, although i'm thinking of ditching them altogether.
Must WC DH riders us platform spd's but as many will know some use flats, Sam Hill is one that uses flats.

Like I said before it’s the additional support and feel you get from a platform SPD especially with the more flexible sole DH/BMX type SPD shoes that DH riders benefit from.
For trail riding it is basically the same thing, as with anything SPDs only really work if you’re not constantly worrying about them, clipping in/out needs to be 2nd nature and you ride as calmly as you would on flats…

Personally I’m amazed when people tell me they can’t ride flats, being clipped in can still feel very un-natural to me if I’ve been off my XC/road bike for a while, but flats are a stunningly simple concept, far less “muscle memory” involved…

The major advantage of SPDs for DH is once confident with them I can corner faster I reckon, not wanting to un-clip and Dab a foot means you ride with a touch more commitment, the downside being if you do slide and fall it’s that bit harsher, feet on the pedals and fully committed is always the fastest way to corner….