MegaSack DRAW - 6pm Christmas Eve - LIVE on our YouTube Channel
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...
[img] 
[/img]
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.
er.. how is it?Cos that's the same as what you are doing
I haven't bought clipless pedals since 1996 or shoes since 1999.If you're buying shoes and pedals for a road bike, why buy anything else than road shoes and pedals?
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.Something to prove?
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:
[img] 
[/img]
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.
no.. you all look like fat arsed waddling ducks no matter what your physique trying to walk in those shoes 😉Are you extrapolating your own physique onto everyone else?
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.
Says you, maybe? 🙄General riding about and commuting is not the same thing as going out on a proper road ride just for the sake of riding
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]
I use flats on my road bike, as i do with every other bike i've ever owned! Never caused me any problems.
I don't use mine for any racing, just commuting, transportation and fitness. I'd argue it does thoes better with flats because i don't need a special pair of shoes to ride it. Also don't have to take a change of shoes if i'm riding to someones house.
Is there any actual evidence that being clipped in makes you [b]significantly[/b] faster?
I used SPD's on my road bike for about 6 months, it is fine with a smooth pedalling technique. You just miss out on being able to pull up on very steep hills (hardknott, wrynose) but it doesnt really matter because you can get off and walk in comfort.
everytime someone turns a crank wearing mtb shoes while cycling a road bike, a fairy dies....
painfully.
how far do you have to modify a road bike before its not a road bike and its ok to wear different shoes?
say you had a cheapish road bike and added a pannier rack. Then its sort of a light "touring bike"? what about a handlebar bag as well? what if you replace the drop bar with a flat bar, or one of those "midge" type 45 degree sideways angled drops? does it all depend on the bar shape? what if you then added disc brakes and fatter tyres? is it then a "29er" or is it a "hybrid". 😕
These are important questions that need answering before i am able to cycle home without embarassment. 😉
I think a flow chart is needed.
I use Five Tens and Easton Flat boys...use the same on the Downhill, Trail, Jump and road bike .....I like them 🙂 Seem to do ok when riding fast as the guys who are clipped in
say you had a cheapish road bike and added a pannier rack. Then its sort of a light "touring bike"? what about a handlebar bag as well? what if you replace the drop bar with a flat bar, or one of those "midge" type 45 degree sideways angled drops? does it all depend on the bar shape? what if you then added disc brakes and fatter tyres? is it then a "29er" or is it a "hybrid".
if you wanted to ride that heap of a jalopy of a creationists nightmare, then wear whatever shoes you like my friend.
Jeeeze those mp66's look a bit like you should be in leg braces and accompanied by an adult! 😯
everytime someone turns a crank wearing mtb shoes while cycling a road bike, a fairy dies....painfully.
I've been happily killing fairies for years, MTB spds work fine.
Who gives a **** what other people think - I don't !! Wear what you want!! Freedommmmmmm!
That'll be another 'special shoes' rider then 🙂
[img] 
[/img]
Wat choo lookin at?
[img] 
[/img]
Mmmm. Sexy.
No my shelves are littered with as many shoes as imelda marcos - I can just choose what ever shoe takes my fancy 😉
I use both on my road bike (my pedals have a flat pedal one side and clip-in on the other) and I don't notice much of a difference between the two most of the time. The only time I miss being clipped in is on steeper climbs as being able to pull up seems to help a lot in that situation - you can rag up a hill in a big gear so much easier if you're pulling as well!
To be honest if I hadn't paid so much for my spd shoes I probably wouldn't bother with them now as they've caused me a lot of hassle w/r/t setting up and getting the right positioning so far. And they're not as comfy as a pair of vans.
GW - Member
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.
You have a weekly Sunday morning cake session? Some of us do proper rides.
Is there any actual evidence that being clipped in makes you significantly faster
can you name one professional cyclist[non downhill] racer who is not clipped in?
can you name one professional cyclist[non downhill] racer who is not clipped in?
Isn't that a circular argument?...
why are they more efficient? the pro's use them
why do the pro's use them? they are more efficient.
if I had a road bike I'd use flats and trainers.
Kev
Is there any actual evidence that being clipped in makes you significantly faster
OK, I'll bite.
The flatter the green line, the more biomechanically efficient you'll be. This will allow you to be faster for a given wattage/spO2.
[img] 
[/img]
That's pretty and everything but without a graph comparing clipped vs flats it means nothing...
Says you, maybe?
for me "nipping to the Bank" is a 15mile (or more if I feel like it) rural road route, BTW
Yes, says me.
For my commute I use MTB shoes, on a road bike, because I want to be able to walk about at the end. So in part I agree with you.
At the weekend, when out training on my road bike, being able to walk about in comfort is irrelevant so I wear the shoes best suited for the cycling, i.e. road shoes. This isn't that difficult to understand.
15 miles isn't very far, BTW 🙄
Flats (no foot retention) you can put power down basically from Top Dead Center to the bottom of the stroke, like a piston in an ic engine. Clips you can input force all the way round the stroke (much like an electric motor.) Hence you can output more power with clips. If you can have a go on a watt bike they have a display that shows how "circular" your pedaling is. Figure of eight (piston) at a certain RPM will have a lower power than a circle at the same RPM. Flats can give you the same power output as clips unless you know how to pedal then clips will be better. So they might not be faster for "you" but they are faster.
Iain
15 miles isn't very far, BTW
Yes, I know.. not a distance I'd enjoy walking tho
out of interest, What are you training for? if it's not road events are you really gaining anything by wearing even the best road shoes? 😕
out of interest, What are you training for? if it's not road events are you really gaining anything by wearing even the best road shoes?
why use a road bike then? if you are not training you might as well do a road ride on any bike and not bother with a bike that fits properly, is efficient and comfortable to ride 50-100 miles on.
indeed! 8)
Do people not have clearance issues using whopping great chunky flats on the road?
I've had a couple of pedal strikes whilst sprinting out of corners in crits, and to be honest it's something I'm extremely keen to avoid! Can't imagine you do any favours for your cornering clearance with flats.
Road bike - road pedals. It's only right.
Personally I never really ride my bike to a destination though (except work, when I change into more appropriate footwear anyway), so I'd sooner have shoes that are more suited to cycling. Don't really get the whole "buying a cycling shoe to wear off the bike" attitude. Do you also buy running shoes that are good for driving? Or t-shirts that make a good dish cloth?
hear hear!
if you want to buy shoes that one can mince around the town shops in then buy a touring bike or, a scooter.
of course not, everyone knows foot-out-flat out is the way to corner with flats 😉Do people not have clearance issues using whopping great chunky flats on the road?
out of interest, What are you training for? if it's not road events are you really gaining anything by wearing even the best road shoes?
Triathlon and a London to Paris event. Not that it is really relevant.
it's totally relivant.
How is that relevant?
If you entered a triathlon would you rush out and buy Keo Carbon Ti pedals and S-Works shoes?
I've only recently changed my roadie to SPD-SL's and also switched to proper roadie shoes as well. Can't say it feels a huge amount different from when I used SPD's and MTB shoes on it though.
My commter bike has the pedals that are flats on once side (A530's) and MTB type on the other. I really don't like riding it without being clipped in, but it's ok for very short trips.
I wouldn't ever enter a triathlon as I have an injury that makes running more than a few hundred meters unbearable and not being a competitive road racer/triathlete I don't even know what either of the products you've mentioned are, never mind rushing anywhere to buy them.How is that relevant?If you entered a triathlon would you rush out and buy Keo Carbon Ti pedals and S-Works shoes?
My only point here is "wear whatever you want" on whatever bike you want and stop being a stuck up **** about others' choice of attire.
didn't somebody on here post "PROOF/FACT" that even pros don't actually pull up when pedalling
(Frogs & mtb shoes on my road bike - lots of float so my knees don't make me cry. If I tried to use flats & 5.10s I think I'd be crippled after about 20miles)
Why do some 'mountain bikers' have to act/sound like petulant teenagers when any roadbike thread crops up?
Nobody really cares what you wear...
I find these work, but i ride fixed to work on a 1986 Raleigh Pursuit 😯
[img] 
?1274407417[/img]
Doesn't take long for the thread to be overtaken by (lycra clad) willy waving and a long winded game of "I'm right!"
OP's already decided, he just wanted some opinion. You wouldn't respect the approval of the person you are disagreeing with so don't fight for it. If some lycra chap in road SPDs looked down his nose at my mtb pedals/shoes I wouldn't care. Neither would I if he was baggy mtb and sneered at the road bike.
We like different things, get over it!
(mtb SPD ftw)
What a great thread - I have been ignorantly riding my road bike with mountain bike SPD's for years without realising the offence I have been causing!
But wait - since I have an Ellsworth road bike - does that mean it is ok to ride it in mountain bike gear???
AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH - my head is spinning...
