So, I’ve been SPD-only all MTB life, and mostly I’m perfectly happy with that, especially on local stuff. But on quite techy climbs and descents, I do think / wonder whether they are maybe holding me back a little. I feel that for, eg, natural rocky sections on Lakes trails, I end up bailing and walking bits because subconsciously I think I’m going to fall or not be able to unclip in time and dab if I need to. Similarly, on tech climb features, I sometimes find I unclip as I think I’m not going to manage to ride eg a step-up.

So, those of you who use flats, or use both, or have tried one but settled on the other … what & why?

Secondary question … what’s a cheap way into flats (pedals & shoes) so I can try out with minimal outlay?

For techy trails riding flats does help, however some say spds make you commit!

You can get cheap wellgo pedals that offer ok grip but you really need a grippy and stiff soled shoe, like a 5.10 to make the most of it.

I was many years a flats rider on BMX, but pretty much adopted SPDs on MTB when they were introduced (circa 1992?).

I do do maybe one ride in 10 on flats just to keep my arm in.

Personally I prefer clipless for techy stuff, especially slower speed stuff, as the float means you can shift your weight more subtly.
I find that on flats, due to the pins I suppose, it’s much more difficult to move your feet on the pedals as you go along. You risk lifting off and then misplacing your foot.

Cheap way in? Some Welgo DMR copies and skate shoes. Find the ones with the stiffest sole.
Some ‘approach’ style shoes are quite good, tend to be a bit stiffer in the sole than skate shoes. Have a look in somewhere like Millets or Mountain warehouse.

It took me a couple of months to get used to flats, after a life on SPDs. Felt precarious at first, but I wouldn’t go back now.

I did 20 years on SPD but went to flats when I was trying to inject a bit of change/fun back into my riding a couple of years ago. I wouldn’t go back now – biggest difference for me is that I move about a lot more on the bike and get more out of it as a consequence. All a very personal choice but definitely worth a try. It probably took 5 rides for it to really click with me though – first ride was littered with foot being in the wrong place (probably the right place in hindsight).

A cheap way in is the Nukeproof Neutron EVO – £25 at Wiggle at the moment.

I’m on Vaults but have used the Neutron too and it was a good alternative.

Shoes are trickier to get cheap. I did forget my 5:10’s recently having driven to a ride, (I’m getting old) and rather than miss out on the ride, bought the cheapest, flattest soled shoes I could find in a local Mountain Warehouse for £20! I didn’t die and it was surprisingly ‘OK’ to ride.

I reckon borrow some flats, most fans have spares from upgrading. You in Brighton? I do. Abd shoes
Try buy some 510’s or again borrow. Gumtree? On here naybe?
Cheap shoes abd pedals isnt going to be a faur test. DMR Vaults are generally ratedc top for grip.
I think youll like flats
Ryan Leach has a good video on adopting them.
I ride them in Winter. Need to dab a lot in mud.
Alternatively if yiu ride Mallet DH clips and flat soled clip shoes like Shimano AM7(i think) then hiu can ride withiut being clipped when you feel unsafe.
Plus they clip in backwards which is SO sensible on tough terrain.
Neil
Pm me if yiure in Brighton

I changed from clips to flats for a couple of reasons. One was a footballing accident which meant my knee was weak and unclipping was difficult and painful. And I was riding more technical descents where you might want a wee dab but getting clipped back in can be tricky, with flats you have more room for error. Borrowing pedals is a good idea, I was gifted some V8’s to try out. Start on easy trails and build up, drops and rough stuff can be unnerving until your technique is right and you are used to the freedom of flats. I rode a lot on pumptracks in the years before I made the shift so I was already familiar with flats and having your feet further forward on the pedals.

Shoes are trickier to get cheap. I did forget my 5:10’s recently having driven to a ride, (I’m getting old) and rather than miss out on the ride, bought the cheapest, flattest soled shoes I could find in a local Mountain Warehouse for £20! I didn’t die and it was surprisingly ‘OK’ to ride.

I regularly ride on the FS with running shoes on burgtecs, only using five tens on bigger days or if it’s right shitty weather, they’re fine.

My running shoes only get 3 months use, so are still in decent nick, saves wearing out the five tens quite as much.

OP try a pair of composite burgtecs and normal trainers, no but point pending a fortune if it’s not for you.

Personally I prefer clipless for techy stuff, especially slower speed stuff, as the float means you can shift your weight more subtly.

I find the total opposite of that as with clips you really can’t move your feet about without clipping out.
On flats you really have freedom to move your feet forward/ backward/ left / right on the pedal to find grip and weight the bike.
Smashing through rough DH trails though clipped in wins every time.

You don’t really need 5:10s for but they are very good if you decide you want to stick with flats. Whatever trainers you have already should be grippy enough as long as you have metal pins on the pedals, unless it’s really muddy.

The nukeproof horizon comps- the plastic ones- are a really good option. They’re pretty cheap, pretty big, very grippy, and if you hate it you’ll be able to sell them pretty easily.

(not everyone likes a super grippy pedal, but I think practically nobody feels that way when they’re just starting on flats)

I’ve got horizon comps and I really like them except the plug on the end comes undone. If you get them nip it up before you use them. One set of mine I think the thread is stripped now as it keeps coming loose and then the pedal is loose on the axle.

Vaults are excellent for grip, sometimes too good if you don’t get your foot placed right the first time. The bushes wear quickly though.

I started off on bear cage and straps (!), went spd but after too many failure to unclip injuries I went flats (~12-15 years ago). Can’t imagine ever running clipless again. Considering ~50% my time is bikepacking it makes perfect sense to me.

As previously stated, you don’t need fancy shoes, I’ve mostly run trail shoes (5.10’s on Flat Boys are too sticky). You can pick up wellgo dmr copies for cheap.

I like bergtec (vaults bushes are crap). Not cheap mind.

I’ve got flatsnon the hardtail and spds on the fs at the moment. Been mostly flats for the last few years but got into clipless again on a couple of 3 day weekend trips where there’s been some big fast stuff. I find the spds give you a better connection on stuff that’s fast and rocky and it seems to give my ankles an easier time.

On steep / tech / slow stuff I quite like flats in case I need to bail. Also means I don’t get lazy and used to pulling up on spds all the time.

I’d say decent shoes are more important than decent flat pedals – 5-10’s are the bench mark for me. I’ve also got some Adidas terrex and they don’t come close to my freeriders for grip – butnin bad weather they dry out so much quicker. So the Adidas get used more in the winter / 5-10’s in the summer.

Pedal wise wellgo mg1 are cheap and ok (and light) and a number of the plastic pedals with metal pins are around £25 and probably a good starting point.

My 2 pairs of flats that are pretty decent are Carbon Cycles Exotic alloy pedals (about £33 I think) and Superstar Nano Evos whochni got in a sale for about £35/£40 I think. The nanos are a little bigger and a little bit grippier than the Exotics.

Was on clipless pedals for 12 years I think. Always bought into the “they’re more efficient, way to go” crap, and they seemed like the advanced mountain biker option. Flat pedals and shoes were also crap for most of that time, which didn’t help.

Switched to flat an year ago, Nukeproof Sam Hills and Shimano GR7 shoes. Became a much, much better rider all-round. Interestingly, I even prefer them for climbing. Stepping on a big flat platform feels much more natural than on a clip mechanism with float.

Every time I switch back to clipless, even for a single day, I start to do the same mistakes again. Now I don’t even bother. Better control, much more comfortable, even for very long days. My knees, ankles and feet never complain on flats.

The only situation I struggled at the beginning was on very fast, very rough downhill sections (and I mean proper DH and enduro tracks). I just needed to adapt and learn how to ride properly. I found that on clipless I was riding at speeds above my skillset. Now I ride even faster but in much more control.

If I was starting or simply trying I would get some plastic pedals, either the Oneup or the Burgtecs. Shoes are a little more complicated, but good deals pop up from time to time.

I’d echo what zezasker and others have said,I was indoctrinated into the clipless church around 20 years ago by my more experienced peers.It’s only in the past year or so I by chance tried riding flats again….and took to them straight away. It led me to buying some Superstar Nanos and new shoes,not realy got on with my Five Ten Impacts-too heavy,bulky,sticky and foot numbing but recently grabbed a pair of Shimano gr7-much much better.

The only slight drawback I’ve had with flats are whilst climbing rutted/furrowed terrain-pedals get hooked up/snagged on the higher/confined ground as they have a much bigger presence than my past clipped ones and when you do touch you know it.The other thing I’ve struggled occasionally is whilst climbing snagging techy terrain-that wants to stall you and punch you forward off the flats .

One early thing I noticed as soon I went onto flats was I wasn’t staying on them,getting kicked/rotated forward off them on jumps etc……..until I worked out the front end of my bike needed to be higher for me rotating my weight back slightly more into my feet and the problem solved (a problem I didn’t know I had on clipless on the same bikes as it was masking it) .

Non issues in the scheme of things though as I’m having fun the rest of the time .

I still ride clipless too and no doubt will be through the winter months as good robust low maintenance winter flats don’t seem to exist-perhaps Endura should get into the shoe market and I am well set up for it with my existing clipless gear.

One thing that helps on very rough technical climbs on flat pedals is to be on 1 or 2 heavier gears than you’d be on clips. The added pressure you apply on the pedals keeps your feet better attached. The lower torque also smooths power delivery.

Oval chainrings seem to be marginally better for this, but I don’t care anymore

tried spds for a week. couldn’t get on with them. Flats all the way for me.