I can use either happily, am I boring or fun?

How happily? When you’re using flats it’s probably a fun kind of happy, whereas when you’re riding spds, you’re positively gay!

if a crash is big enough to do an injusry it probably hapens fast enough that you don’t get time to bail out. Dabs from SPD yes (if marginaly slower or more planning required), but uncliping in a crash is down to luck.

Maybe I (and all the other thousands of SPD users) are lucky then. I’ve never had a crash in which my feet haven’t somehow disconnected from the pedals without me even being aware of it.

Then again, for all those saying there’s no disadvantage to SPDs – would you ride a unicycle with them (I believe you own one, TJ)? There are a few who do, but I don’t think I ever will.

Having to put on special shoes to ride my bike seems unnecessary faff to me.

Yesterday on a route I took around a mountain, there was 4 hours and 6 miles* of hike a bike and 570m of climb over first a peat bog moor, and then a steep hillside with thick heather and large rocks. I can’t imagine trying this with spds. Heck, I had to rummage down one bog hole to retrieve one of my sandals.

I had no idea I would be doing this when I left my house on the bike – I was intending to do a mainly road and forestry track ride, but then got diverted by the old “I wonder if…”.

Spds would be much too limiting for me in ride choices unless the sole point of being on the bike is to be fast and sticking to tracks, and where’s the fun in that?

* Don’t believe everything you see on an OS map. There was supposed to be a path 🙁

I’m confident in my abilitys on either. From your comment your not confident about lots of things.

I’m faster with spds for all types of riding including ‘light’ DH. I do think flats are more fun for shorter rides though.

Flats on the roadie is just wrong.

I’ve gone Flats, SPDS, Flats, SPD and back to Flats again.

Flats to SPDs, because thats what proper mountain bikers used, going by the photos in all the magazines.
Back to flats cos thats what all the ultra gnar guys in the magazines seemed to be on at that particular time.
Back to SPDs very briefly cos I had a rose tinted view of how good I found them.
Finally back to flats after OTBing right onto the top of my head, nearly breaking my arm in an “ohsh**Icantunclip!” moment and finally wrecking a new X9 rear mech in another slow speed, comedy topple over. These 3 all happened in a single ride, by the way…

So, for me, flats. Simple. No special shoes to buy, no cleats to set up and replace and no sudden panics when you realise you can’t get your feet off the bloody things when you need to.

each to their own, I tried them for a month, hated them, went back to flats. it’s a confidence thing I’m sure but I just feel better on flats

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I am sure each time somebody starts this topic it is an evil conspiracy to drive me mad.

Aren’t spd’s inherited from road riding, much like triple rings?

Clipping yourself into your bike AND loosing the ability to vary where your foot sits is really alien to me, can’t see the attraction at all.

Clipping yourself into your bike AND loosing the ability to vary where your foot sits is really alien to me, can’t see the attraction at all.

Me either. My feet don’t skip off the pedals (which seems a fairly common theme) and i’m not bothered about being as efficient as possible so I really can’t see any reason to try spds.

In 37 years of riding (mostly BMX) the closest I came to having my feet attached to a bike was when I bought my first mtb – it had those silly toe strap things on (I think they lasted for almost a whole day).

haha!!!

So much sensitivity about what type of pedals

Sensitive, no mate you’re missunderstanding me. I could give a toss what people use, I use both on different bikes for different things. But i do get sick of the pedantic feckers on here who think they are ‘right’ when there really isn’t a right or wrong, just personal preference.

Now go on put some flats on yer bike, you know you want to….. 8).

Do people wear flats because they are worried about being able to clip out?

I like flats because I’m worried about being able to clip in. I hate hate hate the bike going out of control while I fail to clip back in after a dab.

I prefer SPDs on easy XC rides such as trail centres and bridleways, but hate them on anything techy where I’m likely to stall/dab/fall. Most rides include some of that type of terrain so I ride flats all the time.

SPDs have their place, flats have their place. End of story. However, flats have no place on a road bike used for training or any great distances.

I’m with TJ, SPD’s for everything, I’ve never not unclipped during a crash, and I find it completly instinctive to twist out when needed.
I’ve ridden them since about 93/94 so I guess I’m fairly used to it. No phaff in different shoes either (I tend to change into trainers before a run etc), although I can see that a days worth of hiking would be a different matter.
The one thing I’d never say is that SPD’s are better, they are different, but not better.
Fashion however, that dictates that flats, knee pads, big rucksacks and baggy clothes should be worn at all times to show good a rider is…

flats have no place on a road bike used for training or any great distances

Load of rubbish. I’ve done 85mile days on the dirt on flats.

I commute on flats and average 17.9mph on my MTB on Ralphs.

So probably for most people (except those pushing their cornering/jumping to the limit) they don’t use spds because they haven’t got to the point where they are comfortable with clipping out of them.

I hardly push the limits, but I do swap between flats and SPD’s depending on how gnarr I anticipate the ride to be. I’d use SPD’s in a race though, even if I practiced the course on flats first, doing something like an enduro* on flats just seems odd to me seeing as its essentialy a pedaly DH course.

*as in the gravity enduro, I’d probably want flats if I ever did ‘owt like the mega!

well just think how much better you’d be with spds. Anyway, neither of those involve a road bike.

i`ve been upside down after being unable to clip out and having to ask a riding buddy to help unclip my foot so i could get up.

it took him a good 5 mins to stop laughing and help. basterd.

you cant ride fun stuff with clips unless you are godlike on a bike. so the fun comment above is definatly valid.

Funnily enough what’s stopped me going to flats is that the shoes. I don’t want to trash either my running shoes or approach shoes and I already have enough sport specific shoes!

running shoes
approach shoes
Hiking boots
Mountaineering boots
Diving boots
spd shoes
winter spd shoes

It’s amazing what you collect over the years.

You got more shoes than my mrs!!

Ah, thread now technically over. There will be name calling within the next few posts

oh and climbing shoes.

Thing is my wife has all those and a healthy array of girls shoes.

transapp, allready started. i was called “positively gay” at the top of the page for riding spuds. i’m not sure which smiley face covers “positively gay” 😉 maybe….

enfht – Member
Aren’t spd’s inherited from road riding, much like triple rings?

Yeah, right! These damn triple rings, another burden of the road bike! 😆
Like…

Between the lines and posts everything has been said:
– SPD is good for efficiency and control if you’re not tremendously skilled and don’t really do gnarly stuff but confident enough with the normal technical stuff you do
– flats are good for beginners and those who do really gnarly stuff (that’s a broad target group then, isn’t it?!)

Personally without SPDs I would fear to be shaken from my bike or loose it mid-air and I couldn’t lift it properly attempting bunny hops. So it’s a skill compensator for me!

The only time I thought about flats was recently in the snow.
Maybe I give them a go. For the fun of it! 😀

Bugger, missed it!
I don’t think you’re gay, just a bit ‘freelove’ yah hippy…

the rougher the terrain, the more need for flats.

ummmm. freelove. gigidy.
i found the rougher it gets, the more need for spuds, on the straights as least 🙂

epicyclo – Member

* Don’t believe everything you see on an OS map. There was supposed to be a path

Ha – yo got caught by that one again – I would have thought you would have learnt by now. Been there and taken the bike for a walk myself a few times

you cant ride fun stuff with clips unless you are godlike on a bike. so the fun comment above is definatly valid.

I ride everything with clips and I am not a godlike talent on a bike. What people seem to be missing is that persevering with SPDs makes them far easier to use, to the point where I now feel LESS safe on flat pedals.

I would agree that SPDs are less fun than flats when you are not used to them, or trying to learn new skills while wearing them (which is why I can’t do big showy manuals, only wee puddle skimmers).

I’ve pretty much only ridden flats since i first started riding a bike (aged 6). They are on my road, MTB and commuter bikes.

When riding with friends of similar fitness with varying pedals, SPD and flats, and it doesn’t seem to have a noticeable effect on any part of riding, climbing or descending. Sometimes people with flats clean a climb sometimes people on SPDs.

I started riding mtb in 1986 on flats.
I like flats.
I had an “attached via straps” crash in a different sport, which wrecked a knee and caused a recurring ankle issue.
Flats for me and I don’t care what anyone else thinks is right.
It’s your ride, be singleminded enough to go your own way.

I rode on clipless in The Distant Past… When I started riding again after my accident, I was given doctor’s orders absolutely no clipless pedals, so switch to flats.

And, well, I’m stuck with them so it’s just as well I find them pretty comparable. Both got strengths and weaknesses, and neither of either is big enough to justify overriding personal taste/requirement.

Best idea is to be able to do both- and not just the usual half-assed “I rode for 10 years on SPDs, then I tried flats for 2 rides and fell off a lot, flats suck” (or vice versa). Make an informed decision, learn what each has to offer.

All five of my bikes have flats, even the Langster commuter although those are more touring style without straps. I’ve lost count of the number of situations where a quick dab has saved me both on and off road and I’m convinced this would not be possible when clipped in. I did try SPD’s for a while but ended up not wanting to ride.

And thats just silly.

i do find i feel more attached to my bike jumping on flats, the float on spuds just feels weird when airborne. but i’d be stuffed on steep climbs on my ss without them. horses for courses, both have there place.

being clipped in means i dont have to think about having my feet bounced off the pedals. having one less thing to think about is a good thing.

i tried flats a couple of weeks ago and hated them.

Northwind – Member

Best idea is to be able to do both- and not just the usual half-assed “I rode for 10 years on SPDs, then I tried flats for 2 rides and fell off a lot, flats suck” (or vice versa). Make an informed decision, learn what each has to offer.

float – Member

i tried flats a couple of weeks ago and hated them.

funny on purpose? 🙂

anyway…

uselesshippy – Member

i feel more attached to my bike jumping on flats, the float on spuds just feels weird when airborne. but i’d be stuffed on steep climbs on my ss without them. horses for courses, both have their place.

i agree with this person.

float – Member

being clipped in means i dont have to think about having my feet bounced off the pedals

I’ll let you in on a secret- flats riders don’t go around thinking all the time about not having their feet bounced off the pedals.

If you need the SPD connection to stop being bounced off, it’s because you’re not riding in harmony with the bike. The simple techniques that keep your feet on a flat also work for SPDs riders. The fact that you can get by without those techniques doesn’t mean you couldn’t benefit from learning them. You might well find it worthwhile to try flats just to transfer those skills back.

The amount of shite internet fact these threads generate is brilliant. I struggle to tell who is just on a wind up or how actually believes what they are spouting, it’s great entertainment. But I truely love the folk who are so ‘out there’ they can’t be defined or restricted by such a limiting factor like a pedal, chapeau!
I like spd’s, and have never been that happy on flats, and for that reason I couldn’t give a toss which may be betterer.

After my first and only ride with a mountain bike club I converted to SPD’s, mainly because I had crap pedals and made mincemeat out of my shins.

After a few years I plucked up the courage to o to the Alps. I had an overwhelming memory of unclipping for technical steep stuff and the SPD’s clipping back in when I didn’t want hem too making my descent pretty hairy to say the least.

I converted to flats (Wellgo Mag 1’s) and 5-10’s before my next Alp trip and didn’t look back. I like the feeling that I can dab if I need to. Simple as that.

I wear (road) SPD’s on my road bike though but tend not to do the hairy stuff off road on the Allez.

Not faked: