Not running clips on a road bike?

Anyone do it?

With a nice smooth pedalling style does it make that much difference?

depends how you climb (or sprint) really – I tend to pull up a bit on the pedals on steep bits (especially on road) so clips make sense.

Try both and see which you prefer?

of course it dose you can’t pull up. Riding clipped in is not hard. If you want to ride with flat pedals do so but don’t think that riding clipped in is hard or that you will be-able to get the same power down.

If you’re not prepared to be clipped in then a road bike probably isn’t the right choice of bike for you.

You don’t have to use the roadie clips either, I run XT SPD’s on my road bike (too tight to buy two sets of shoes) and they work well but are still easy to get out of.

its possible, just different.

and you know what happens to people that are different…..

You might find people don’t want to ride with you if you have flat pedals, you’re not good for their image!

what about toe straps?

i find people that wear mountain bike shoes on road bikes quite repulsive.
like fitting off road tyres to a speedboat.

Its not the done thing, but it depends how tragic you want to be. Nobody will die.

I had to do it for a week last year until a new pair of shoes arrived, didnt find it too bad at an easy pace (say about 12-14mph) but going faster than that was a bit harder because of the flexy sole and for uphills i found i kept lifting my feet off the pedal. The worst bit wasn’t the pedalling itself it was when having to unweight the bike going over rough ground or bunnyhopping to avoiding potholes, i just never felt as secure as when clipped in (I realise using cleats to bunnyhop is not the proper way to do it but i cant do it the proper way on a road bike!)

Would have thought it’d make quite a big difference sat down pedalling with your saddle at the correct extension.
I’m running old shimano 636 DH spds left over from 1996 (was using even older XTRs until they died a week ago) and 661 launch shoes on mine.. no need to look a complete gimp when you stop during a road ride 😉

i find people that wear mountain bike shoes on road bikes quite repulsive.
like fitting off road tyres to a speedboat.

post up a picture of your speedboat like figure in your oh..so.. attractive lycra kit and roady disco slippers then?

no need to look a complete gimp when you stop during a road ride

And you think any cyclist looks normal in the eyes of the general public. Unless of course you mean your cycling attire is jeans and t shirt and you wouldn’t dream of wearing anything cycling related.

Get over yourself and use what works.

Somebody I know is selling their beloved Pinarello Prince road bike at half what he paid for it (cost around £7000) and getting a mountain bike instead because arthritis in his feet means he can’t ride roadie pedals any more, but he can ride OK with flats.

So, I guess that means he doesn’t think road riding on flatties is much cop (either performance or style wise.)

like fitting off road tyres to a speedboat

no, that’s more like fitting a tutu to a harpsichord

easy people…

got no problem riding clipped, just pick up my new bike tomorrow morning and haven’t sorted any pedals/shoes out yet…

thinking about some basic spuds and a pair of these…

yeah, they look really straight! 😀

MUMMY’S SPECIAL BOY!

😉

(just do it, no-one cares)

And you think any cyclist looks normal in the eyes of the general public. Unless of course you mean your cycling attire is jeans and t shirt and you wouldn’t dream of wearing anything cycling related.

Get over yourself and use what works.
did I touch a nerve? 😆 I said when you stop! And personally I find normal(ish) skate style spd shoes and clothing works best when I’m off the bike.
I’m not racing or group riding so there’s **** all advantage wearing lycra or road shoes thanks very much. 😉

I run eggbeaters on the road bike, which I use for transport. MTB shoes are a little less gimpy with “normal” clothes than a full on jumbo cleat roadie disco slipper. Click, click, click…

I had flats on an 80’s Peugot hack bike. It was convenient but now I’ve got comfy mtb spd shoes I wouldn’t go back. I just wear the spds a lot!

It all depends on your priorites, but I must say I found it most offensive to see a guy with budget plastic flats on a £2k+ road bike. I think an appropriate pedal for the style/purpose of the bike. It’s all relative.

Using V8s and 5-10s on mine – the bike still works 🙂

lol @ bobbyspangles.

Have always been clipped on the road bike*, no reason not to, especially as there’s not any/many stops compared to some mtb rides.

*except for one occassion where i wore hiking boots with my road pedals, but that’s another story 😀

GW I take it you approve of folk riding DH etc in lycra? Cos that’s the same as what you are doing.

If you’re buying shoes and pedals for a road bike, why buy anything else than road shoes and pedals?

Something to prove?

I’d love to see what is thought of me as Im currently sporting SPD sandals (closed toe though).

I did have to put flats on the road bike over the weekend for the mrs to try, but she’ll be trying out clips on her XC bike before she gets a road bike, just to get used to them.

Had a spin whilst it had flats and it just feels odd, massive pins on the pedals did help, but still lifting my feet on the upstroke.

yesterday I just rode to the bank, the ride to the bank took less than half an hour each way but I was in there for an hour.. pretty glad I wasn’t wearing lycra or spazzy shoes.. and you know what? I reckon the bank manager’d agree 😉
I wonder how many of you would get all lycra’d up for such a ride or just have driven?
what’s the shortest rides you lot ever do on your roadbikes? I like to be able to just jump on any of mine, whatever I’m wearing instead of faffing about getting changed or having to walk/drive somewhere.

GW I take it you approve of folk riding DH etc in lycra? .

Racers, Yes! banning lycra at the highest level in DH racing is one of the dumbest rules ever… and half of the whingers who moaned about it acually won, podiumed or had their highest finishes wearing it while gaining an advantage over others who didn’t.

Cos that’s the same as what you are doing

er.. how is it?

If you’re buying shoes and pedals for a road bike, why buy anything else than road shoes and pedals?

I haven’t bought clipless pedals since 1996 or shoes since 1999.

Something to prove?

Yes, I suppose it’s just that you don’t need to look like fat arsed ducks waddling up to the counter to get your weekly cake portions on a sunday morning as pretty much none of you are ever going to win anything on the road anyway.

Don’t drive and hate public transport.

If its over a hours walk, I’ll ride as long as I can get away in cycling attire or they have showers (i.e. work). If I can’t then I’ll take public transport and get changed into whatever is needed when nearby.

Yes, I suppose it’s just that you don’t need to look like fat arsed ducks waddling up to the counter to get your weekly cake portions on a sunday morning as pretty much none of you are ever going to win anything on the road anyway.

Are you extrapolating your own physique onto everyone else?

simon are you saying you’d need to have cycling attire on to ride 4miles? 😕

Jambo, the DX shoes are meant to be great. I personally prefer these:

As they look a little less extreme, but strokes/folks.

Shimano SPDs are a good choice too 🙂

General riding about and commuting is not the same thing as going out on a proper road ride just for the sake of riding.
Off the bike appearance and practicality isn’t high up on my list of concerns when I’m riding from my door for 4 or 5 hours with nought more than a short coffee stop, returning to my door.
Nipping down the shops or bank or whatever is entirely different and what I choose to wear to do it changes accordingly.

Are you extrapolating your own physique onto everyone else?

no.. you all look like fat arsed waddling ducks no matter what your physique trying to walk in those shoes 😉

It’s a bit silly, would you ride roadie pedals on a MTB just ‘cos you thought it was a good idea – somehow I very much doubt it.

It’s rather like using a large Chefs knife to cut a crusty loaf, it’ll do the same job as a bread knife but just not as well.

General riding about and commuting is not the same thing as going out on a proper road ride just for the sake of riding

Says you, maybe? 🙄
for me “nipping to the Bank” is a 15mile (or more if I feel like it) rural road route, BTW

well, set of second hand mp66’s from ebay and a set of A520 spds from CRC ordered. £50 all in.

And just out of interest. Whats with wearing the socks on the outside of your shoes? Saw a few like that out on saturday…

no.. you all look like fat arsed waddling ducks no matter what your physique trying to walk in those shoes

😆

jambo – glad you aksed on here? 😆

The overshoes reduce aero drag and make you go 0.002% faster. Plus, you can get more logos on your person by sporting your fav team’s fluro horror shops.

Socks over shoes. Keeps the shoes clean, cuts out the cold breeze first thing in the morning without getting to hot later, looks pro 😀

(i dont do it tho, been using my MW80 waterproof mtb shoes until last week!)

Don’t really care what anyone else thinks, but do have a self-respect issue with details such as what shoes and pedals etc… I prefer mtb (recessed) cleats and boring old Shimano touring/mtb leisure shoes. I don’t think they look wrong, particularly on my road bike, which is Audax/light tour/winter trainer style. I ride to work (12.5 miles) and just wear the cycle shoes with jeans at work – they’re kinda brown and black suede, and quite inconspicuous.

For a proper racer road bike I think I would feel obliged to get some proper road shoes – but that’s not a great bike for just riding about anyway…

As for flat pedals on a raod bike – well, a Dutch shopper or any old pub bike would be fine, but anything with drop bars deserves clipping-in. If the bike is sufficiently old, toe straps would be perfectly acceptable, ableit with the correct shoes!

whilst not being one for adhering to all the rules [ though I know most from both codes] not having SPDs on a road bike is just wrong [ even if you are waiting for some new one take some of your MTB and at least just have the wrong shoes [ I never wear roadie shoes these days]