Scabby shins

I’m sick of having scabby skins from constantly cutting myself on flat pedals.

I ride Shimano Saint pedals with Five Ten Freerider shoes that are a couple of years old. It’s a fairly grippy combo, but could be grippier. I’ve had some nasty cuts from slipping off the pedals, the latest being after being caught unaware of a jump and making a mess of it. I also seem to catch my shins and calves on the long pins even when manoeuvring my bike around whilst off it. Obviously the long term answer is to improve my technique and be less clumsy, but in the short term I need a way to stop it crippling me.

I’ve been trying to think of ways to stop it happening (or mitigate the impact), and have come up with the following:

– Buy grippier shoe/ pedal combination. This would help, but pretty sure it would still happen sometimes (due to my less than perfect technique…).
– Wear longer socks to take some of the impact out.
– Wear some form of shin pad when doing a ride where it’s likely to happen (I’ve seen some people use football shin pads).
– Switch to SPDs.

I’ve never ridden SPDs before as I like the fact that flats are less faff when trying to get going again on a hill, but I’m now seriously reconsidering. Has anyone had experience of switching to SPDs from flats? And if so, did it save you from shin injuries? I think this is the obvious remedy but want to check before buying new pedals/ shoes.

Grip alone actually has very little to do with keeping your feet on flat peadals

Ride your bike much much more… eventually you’ll become andythecompitent…. persevere and andytheexpert is possible.

Welcome to the future.

Under the feet of a lot of those hitting Ft William tomorrow

you get scabby shins being clipped in too….

@Klunk – out of interest, how? Do you still get pedal slips? Or is it just from generally falling off?

@Mike – that would be the style I’d go for if I do get new pedals, but £100 + quid plus new shoes is an expensive investment so want to make sure it’s the right option.

@Geex – no doubt it’s technique, but as I said, I can’t ruin my shins whilst I improve.

Ride your bike much much more… eventually you’ll become andythecompitent…. persevere and andytheexpert is possible.

This is troubling me. If the time frame between adequacy and competency will only ever pass eventually, then the time frame between competency and expertise, may not even be attainable in one’s own lifetime. I don’t even have a lifetime remaining as I’ve already used possibly half of it. In short with this in mind you’ve stolen my goal of expertise! Tell me it ain’t so!?

After having a pedal-shin meet and greet with some Warner Base Jump pedals a loooong time ago, switching to SPD has probably been my smartest move.

My shin still bears the deep scars now….

@Klunk – out of interest, how? Do you still get pedal slips? Or is it just from generally falling off?

stones kicked up off the front wheel, branches and brambles.

@klunk – ah right, I can deal with those as they’re just part of mountain biking. It’s more the kind of incident that astormatt mentioned that scares me.

Yeah sod getting one of my DMR V12’s to the shin, not pleasant. After riding SPD’s for so long I can’t stand flats for anything other than mucking about (failing to) do wheelies/manuals etc.

Give SPD’s a try, once you’re over the initial learning period I bet you won’t go back.

When I first started on a bike, my shins didn’t survive a ride without being gashed or scratched in some way. Went seeing Jedi and he pointed out that my foot positioning could be better.

After that, slipping and cutting accidents were massively reduced! I did end up going clipless though as I just prefer it.

I know people say clipless just masks bad technique, but I don’t think that is true in all cases.

My shins are riddled with scars, most well over a decade old now and unlikely to ever vanish.

I switched to SPDs not because of pedal/shin strikes, or my feet constantly slipping, but because I’d started using them on my road bike and actually found them to be quite comfortable and seemingly efficient (a marginal claim TBH). Once I got used to riding with them on my MTB, I found I was happier to keep a foot on, not dab in corners and ride stuff with a little more commitment than I had before…

Definitely fewer shin injuries since, but nothing removes the possibility entirely, they’re easy enough to get out of in an emergency, and then you can catch a shin the same as before of course…

Personally I wouldn’t go back, I’m used to them, for me they’re “proper” cycling shoes and pedals now but it’s not for everyone…

I’ve not slipped a pedal in years but have a fair few scars from doing so. These days I only seem to catch a pedal to the shin pushing up a section.

My Vaults and 5 10’s are bloody grippy.

I used to be a sworn SPD riderbut having ridden with flats for so long now, I can’t bear them. The float in the pedal feels horrible when dropping a foot when cornering and I actually felt less connected to the bike.

I don’t mind the scars, they all tell a story. As above though, I now mainly get them when pushing the bike up stuff. Having to physically pull a pedal out of your shin because the pins are embedded in there seems like a flats right of passage 😀

Switch to SPDs.

i’d show you my shins, but I’m sure you want to keep your breakfast. It’s like nettle stings, pedal/shin interface is just a fun/happiness tax.

I’ve got Vaults and 5:10’s.

Don’t want to jinx myself but I haven’t had a really bad shin blaster in years. Haven’t even had any minor ones for ages. My shins are squeaky clean.

My recent bike was a hardtail as well and used to get ridden on DH tracks and jumps etc so not exactly mincing around.

@sirromj

Your goal of expertise is not mine to steal. It is however yours to squander.

Sounds like you will need to change your habits to attain your goal.
Firstly STOP being so negative and looking to blame (anything other than your own non-committment)

Secondly STOP squandering time on this dull website (or any other dull task) when you could be out practicing and improving basic skillz. STOP squandering time doing dull long mtb loops. You don’t even need to go anywhere to learn how to keep your feet on a pedal. the street outside your house will do.

Next: Slam your saddle. Leave it slammed. (All summer) this will improve your core fitness and teach you how to ride a bike properly.

Also: Stop using sticky soled pedals/overly grippy pedals. Normal skate shoes and averagely grippy (but concave) flat pedals will teach you good foot technique rather than have you relying on “aids”

From now on: Every time you are near your bike actively practice riding it. This is just playing with your toy and so should be fun. If it isn’t fun. STOP. have a break and come back to it.

Have (realistic) goals.

Easy Goal: Become expert at removing a foot and placing it back – just find a loose surface and practice consecutive turns. Getting looser and turning in tighter as you progress. any old flat open area will do. Repetition and regularity is key and builds muscle memory so eventually you won’t be thinking about technique at all. it’ll just be natural.
Intermediate Goal: Become compitent in all aspects of pumping/jumping and hopping including understanding and being able to initiate manuals/nose manuals and turning on one wheel. (not on a loose surfaces… that will come later). Again. Repetition and regularity is key and builds muscle memory so eventually you won’t be thinking about technique at all. it’ll just be natural.
Advanced Goal: Learn no footers. first on the flat. then bunnyhop no footers. then off jumps/drops. Eventually learn crank flips. – This will teach you where your pedals are and that your entire body dictates whether they are on your pedals or not.
Other than the advanced goals these are the basic mtb skills everyone who owns a decent mtb and calls themselves a mountainbiker should have.
You CAN definitely progress to the advanced level I have described above by the end of the summer. but it’s entirely up to YOU.

The nice house, nice car, £2k+ mtb and booked on a skills course crowd are generally way less skilled than any kid who rides their £300 Carera around their housing scheme. The main difference is the amount of time spent actually trying and repeating stuff that involves some skill to perform.

It would be cheaper to adapt your riding style to be honest. I run 510 Freeriders with Nukeproof Electron EVO pedals (£25 plastic, nothing fancy) and I haven’t had a pedal slip in nearly 2 years of riding that combo, and that’s while doing flat out downhill at places like BPW, Black Mountains, FoD and Cwmcarn.

If your feet are slipping off that regularly it’s either worn pedal pins or something about your foot positioning/riding style. For example if you ride with ‘stiff legs’ that will make you prone to getting bounced off the pedals rather than soak up the bumps.

It’s not really regular, I’ve had 2 bad ones in 10 months or so, but I get constant smaller scratches just from getting on and off the bike and repositioning.

The twice I’ve slipped off badly were caused by bad technique and awkward landings. I know I need to work on this, but don’t want to ruin my shins in the meantime.

I’m tempted by the idea of better flat pedals too, perhaps the new XT ones.

After 4 years of spds and no shin pain, I’m on flats on one bike, it seems to have improved my technique but a few slips recently both shins are bruised, a painful shin bone if pressed and a few cuts at the moment, the nettle stings yesterday added to it,

gonna stick to my spds bikes this week to give my shins a rest..

it’s definately technique a few jumps and bumps and my foot has slipped, I know I need to dig in more on the heal, as opposed the ball of my feet on the pedals (as per spd)

Probably worth thinking how your foot is position when u have slipped

“I’m tempted by the idea of better flat pedals too, perhaps the new XT ones.”

*sigh*

Yeah, I think my feet were too far forward the times they did slip so I need to work on that.

@geez- get over yourself. I’ve admitted I need to work on my technique but I don’t have unlimited time to do so, so in the meantime I want a ‘cheat’ way to help. I mountain bike to enjoy myself, I have no intention of becoming a pro so I’m not going to spend a whole summer working on specific skills.

Wow… Who knew a *sigh* was so hard to deal with? Phew… So glad I didn’t “tut”

Riding bikes is fun. Learning technique is just riding bikes with slightly better insight. Please accept my sincerest apologies if my advice was too harsh.

Enjoy your new pedals.

Your advice was potentially useful and appreciated, I perhaps came across as a bit dismissive of it when I didn’t mean to. Your weirdly passive aggressive follow up posts were less appreciated. It’s not “hard to deal with”, it just makes you appear like you’re trying to start an argument over nothing.

I know technique is the most important factor, but whilst I learn I want to save my shins from as many bad cuts as possible. Pedals/ shoes can do that, even if they aren’t the long term answer, hence why I asked this in the OP.

Ok. you find me weird. Fair enough. That’s entirely down to your perception of me and there’s not a whole lot I can do about it but I’m not looking for any sort of arguement. Infact, the advice I’ve given you (and in reply to sirromj) was so fool proof and factual I’ve absolutely no interest in even debating it at all.

FWIW: Shimano XT pedals have exactly the same grub screws as many pedals so aren’t going to solve your problem no matter how grippy they (or your shoes) are when you eventually do slip a pedal. One thing which will is shin protection. Mtb being such a cyclic fashion led activity means that at the current time shin guards are no longer on trend. They are however still freely available. The choice whether to wear such protection is of course entirely up to you.

Disclaimer: Even if you do find me weird. There’s nothing intentionally aggressive and certainly nothing passive about this (final) reply. Simply facts laid out before you.

Holy Moly, it can only happen on here can’t it? Someone asks a question & folk get huffy ffs!

Anyway, the only reason I even read the thread about ‘scabby shins’ was cos it reminded me of a mate who rode motorcycle trials with me in the 70’s/80’s. Paul had an Ossa M.A.R. 250 (hands up if you knew what ‘M.A.R.’ stood for) He went practicing (mucking about) one night without his trusty Pit Wellies on & his foot came off the footpeg & his shin took the brunt.

Down to the bone.

I know cos I saw his leg.

Scabby shins my arse. 🙂

@geex – I have no issue with looking trendy on a bike, my outfit is looks ridiculous anyway as I get stuff in the sale. I’ve considered shin pads but worried they’d be far too warm or uncomfortable to ride in, but I haven’t really investigated them so happy to hear differently. I was thinking long socks might take some of the impact out too, but obviously won’t offer too much protection.

And as I said, the advice was appreciated, my first reply was commenting about the tone of a different reply, not the one about the advice.

If u want some shinguards  checkout the g-form ones on crc/wiggle (and also eBay) £13.99

they should be enough to save your shins

Like everything, it’s a compromise.

Where do you want the scars?

On flats it’s on my shins….after trying to go back to SPD’s it was just about everywhere else on my body.lol

Purely a subjective experience mind. I’ll be staying with flats however. 😃

Are not adequecy and competency synonymous? I got a divide by zero (ie a lifetime) trying to calculate out how long it would take to reach expertise based on the duration of going nowhere (the synonym). I’ll try some no footers on my commutes next week while wearing my worn out waffly vans on my flat pedals 😉

@poopscoop – out of interest, why did you not get on with SPDs? Not able to get out of them when crashing?

^^

Totally honest here.

For whatever reason I just lose confidence when clipped in. Though I rode clipped in for many years.

I know that in reality the transition from clipped to unclipped is just as fast as from a flat. It’s just one of those occasions where (for me) the logic just didn’t help in the real world.

Now the thought of being clipped in just destroys the prospect of riding without to too  “fear” of things going wrong and being able to bail.

Also I have learnt that one of the joys bike riding is just getting on the bike as you walk past it on the way to the front door instead of picking up the car keys.

Jeans/ trainers…. Whatever. Just being able to get on the bike and treat it as natural as walking is infectious. Much like it was having a bike when I was a kid.

All completely subjective and totally (I)logical but flats work for me now. An age thing at 49? Just don’t know.

Though I won’t argue the point….I wish SPD’s did too!

Either way, choice is a great thing and in the grand scale of biking and the freedom it gives who cares what works as long as it does. Its all bloody great.👍

Learn to pedal properly, don’t stamp big squares.

Walking shoes with decent lugs on them and plain old style track or touring pedals, and your feet don’t slip.

The pedal is lighter than a platform, cheaper, and less likely to inflict injury. They also do not clog up with mud or ice/snow, and having less mass, do not suck the heat out of your feet in winter.

do not suck the heat out of your feet in winter.

This is one often overlooked fact about SPD’s btw, that big brass conductor attached to your foot.

(hands up if you knew what ‘M.A.R.’ stood for)

Mick Andrews replica. Not to be confused with the MRR Montesa (Malcom Rathmell replica) which I owned.

I got it what do I win ?

It’s not the pedalling I have a problem with in flats, it’s mainly jumps or drops that have gone wrong and I’ve landed awkwardly.

Is it just a case of having you feet further back and dropping your heels? How far do you drop them? I always find it mildly uncomfortable when trying time I that, so I’m guessing I’m doing that wrong.

No it’s not.

You’re very obviously doing lots and lots of things wrongly. But as you’ve said you’re not even prepared to spend one summer sorting it out. Good luck asking online for tiny bits of advice to try and correct years of bad technique.

what sort of a weirdo would do something like that, eh?

😉

You’re very obviously doing lots and lots of things wrongly.

Your certainly full on geex 😨 I’d imagine most people asking for some advise, just want to ride their bike a couple of times a week and have a bit of fun. Your recomondations would suck the life out of mtbing for me 😯