Been riding just over a year, now two bikes deep, ride mostly climb and descend trails, local is QECP.
I have been on flat pedals since i started riding again, and invested in some proper shoes and pedals early on, Shimano shoes, Gussett and Nukeproof pedals.
Had no real issue with grip, the occasional bad judgement in the air.

Decided it was time to see what clipless was all about and went for a set of Shimano AM7 shoes and xpedo dual sided (spd and platform) pedals
I’ve had 3 or 4 rides on my hardtail in clips, first few rides i descended on the platform side.
And recently tried one of my more familiar trails clipped in…
there was only one section i can remember were i felt clips benefitted.. i had previously been shaken off the pedals (but not completely) in a rooty turn, and being clipped in definitely prevented this, however the rest of the time i actually felt way less planted from not having the large platform under my feet. The only other time i felt the benefit from clips, was spinning up climbs, in an easy gear at higher cadence.. it seemed to be a much nicer experience. Moving hte bike around was a much nicer experience too, but i hadn’t actually really needed (maybe wasn’t used to doing it) on the trails.

So, i wasn’t overly sold on clips so far.
Now, i’m one ride in on Magpeds…
setting up was a ball ache, there’s lots of pins to be fitted to the pedals, and the provided Allen key is pony..I went with 2 longer pins front and rear and 2 shorter pins nearer the center front and rear on each side of each pedals.
First ride last night.. instantly noticed something wasn’t right, a tactile clicking/pop every time my feet transitioned from up to down.. After a while i worked out that one of the pins was sitting in the channel for the “cleat” and popping in and out between it… i’ve since relocated the rearward pins 1 position forwards and further outwards and a visible check so far it looks less likely to happen.
the second thing that wasn’t right.. the magnetic cleat was too far forward in my shoes.. again, I have just moved it back maybe another 20mm

So. positives.. well.. my feet remained stuck to my pedals.. at no point did they come off without me wanting them to. there was at least 3 occasions I needed to get a foot or feet out, and none of those times did Ii end up on the ground. I also experienced the similar feeling spinning up climbs i had in clips.

I’m out on my own tonight and will be getting to grips a little more with them, with the adjusted pin and cleat position and plan to update accordingly.

These seem very much a solution looking for a problem.

I’d have given more time to getting used to clipless pedals.
There’s a reason every fast/pro dh and enduro rider uses them, and it ain’t fashion (bar Sam Hill natch!)

I can’t see the attraction. Kind of product that really polarises opinion.

There’s a reason every fast/pro dh and enduro rider uses them, and it ain’t fashion (bar Sam Hill natch

Yup, they’re racing, and their contracts depend on results.

No one on here, not a single person, is in that bracket, which makes the argument kinda futile. Unless you’re a KOM desperado. Natch. 😊

Yup, they’re racing, and their contracts depend on results.

Its not just about racing, they appreciate their shins.

🤦‍♂️

No one on here, not a single person, is in that bracket,

Pretty sure there’s a couple, even if it isn’t their main job…

These seem very much a solution looking for a problem.

I’d have given more time to getting used to clipless pedals.

This. Though I’ll add that double sided SPD’s are much, much better than single sided jobs.

Didn’t noticed the bit about single sided SPDs, the worst of both worlds

It’s sort of fascinating how odd (tribal even) people get about pedal choice.

I’m interested to know if magnetic inserts can do much spds or flats can’t (I’ll admit to some scepticism) I can’t see me opting for them anyway, happily clipped for almost a decade after serving my time on flats (and toeclips too) doubt I’ll change now…

All pedals are good, whatever you use, most bikes would be rubbish without them…

I can’t see the attraction. Kind of product that really polarises opinion.

I’m repelled by the whole idea

I’m interested to know if magnetic inserts can do much spds or flats can’t

Saw a guy at BPW using them, double amputee with prosthetics.  There I could really see they were a good option

I think SPD’s are great if you’re racing or riding purely for fitness. If you’re riding for fun, transport, dicking about or just bimbling flats make more sense. No special shoes and not worried about that extra couple of seconds on a climb.

I’ve switched between the two and now just ride flats. My riding is purely recreational fun time. I’m not arsed about time, cadence etc. Just out for the smiles per mile. If your feet are bouncing off the pedals when off road, even with decent pedals and sticky shoes, I’d look at your foot position and general riding technique

David reviewed them some time ago…It was ugly

think SPD’s are great if you’re racing or riding purely for fitness. If you’re riding for fun, transport, dicking about or just bimbling flats make more sense.

Nah.
I’ve got flats on my cargo bike as I ride it in normal clothes to the shops or the pub.
Every other bike has some form of SPD’s as they just work better. They’re better for technical riding, for climbing and for pretty much anything else. Modern, double sided MTB pedals are so easy to get in or out of and they last forever. Road SPD’s are awesome too.

No special shoes

I don’t get this argument. Unless you ride barefoot, then you’re going to put shoes on right? So who cares if they’re “special” or not?

You can go further than that, how many flats users don’t use shoes that are at least a bit “special” these days?

I care when I’ve ridden to work. Not spending all day sounding like I’m tap dancing.

Every other bike has some form of SPD’s as they just work better.

They’re truly shit for pissing about on a pump track and just messing about in the woods. At least for me any way. I just find them kind of annoying. Each to their own though.

You can go further than that, how many flats users don’t use shoes that are at least a bit “special” these days?

If I’m not going out for a proper off road MTB ride I’ll just wear trainers, boots or shoes depending on what it is I’m doing or where I’m going.

The shin argument against flats is a bit weak. I’ve never had an issue actually riding my bike. Pushing it is where I’ve ended up with bleeding shins. I’ve never felt that I would benefit from clips, however. I ride, albeit not very quickly, some techy bumpy stuff and even on my HT only had a few moments where I slipped a pedal. I’ve now gone FS and it seems that this will happen less frequently. My most regular riding mate does switch between both quite a bit, and he enjoys the security that clips bring, but also the freedom that flats do!

The concept of the Magpeds is interesting. Looking forward to hearing more soon.

The shin argument against flats is a bit weak.

Tell that to my mate, looks like he’s been chewed by a pack of hounds, shins and calves.

Some of it is foot technique and body positioning, but foot technique won’t save you when you’ve **** up something else which results in your feet coming off and bam.

I don’t get the “flats are better for dicking around either” I find it way easier to dick around in SPDs but that’s just me, most of my mates ride flats. As said its purely personal choice one isn’t better than the other full stop.

Except my shins are in perfect condition.

I can’t ride on flats. I went from toeclips and straps to spds in 1993 or so, and can’t ride anything technical at any kind of speed without being clipped in. I have never found modern trail shoes lacking in any way off the bike on an off-road surface. Maybe a bit click on concrete/tarmac. I also prefer not to drive in them, like I prefer not to drive in ski boots.

So a few comments mentioned..
I don’t see it as a solution to a problem thay doesn’t exist..
When I was on clips.. My foot did not feel secure.. It was.. I was glued in..
The solution would be pedals with the platform around it.. But thay brings problem 2…how can I twist my foot out when I’m clamped onto metal pins? Didn’t make sense…

So this does fix that problem… Nice big studded platform… And retention mechanism which can release in any direction..

The other comment about smashing shins… Literally cannot come of my pedals and smash my shin… I can rip my calf pushing thoigh…

Ride 2
Poppy clicky sensation is still there..will find out why..
Cleat position is much better.. Foot is located nicely and there’s a good amount of range of foot placement when it clicks in.. Its so easy to lock into, also, easy to unlock.. But again.. It hasn’t happened accidentally yet..

Again… One of my regular descents just felt OK..
A peddaly segment didn’t feel fast… I wasn’t carrying enough speed..
Feet aren’t moving unduly.. I didn’t feel nervous or unsafe… But I wasn’t having fun? Couldn’t explain it
Noticed I could pull up on the pedals, both on little jumps and when pedaling.. I’ve read thay both aren’t good practice.. Although amusing..

I have up.. Went back to my car.. And changed pedals..
And then shoes..
And bingo
As soon as I put the flat pedal shoes on they felt right..
Decided to go up for one more (I didn’t say it out loud)
As soon as I set off I realised I’d already picked the bad habit of pulling on the pedal… Took a few minutes to not do it again..
I repeated the pedally segment and matched my pb…15% or so quicker than the previous run

Right now…. I’m thinking the shoes do not work for me.
Might have the opportunity to test out some 510 hell cats instead…

Re Nickc
These are magped not mahlock pedals

I repeated the pedally segment and matched my pb…15% or so quicker than the previous run

This just reinforces the earlier comment about not giving clips enough time to get used to. Sounds like there’s a confidence thing going on as there’s no reason why any pedal should be 15% faster than another

This just reinforces the earlier comment about not giving clips enough time to get used to.

This.
And also, what’s so bad about pulling up in the pedal? That’s another thing an SPD allows you to do, a good thing.

The other comment about smashing shins… Literally cannot come of my pedals and smash my shin

I use SPD my shins look like they’ve been attacked by a madman with a staple gun.  I find it’s lees riding and more those times when you’re pushing, and the pedals spins back…Happens with any pedal, so I wouldn’t be too sure your magpeds won’t bite you.

These are magped not mahlock [sic] pedals

Apologies, you’re right. It was funny watching David trying to ride with them though, he did think they would kill him.

And also, what’s so bad about pulling up in the pedal? That’s another thing an SPD allows you to do, a good thing.

Shhh, you’ll make the flattys jealous.

Although don’t learn to just pull up on pedals for jumping or hopping, bad habit and will usually provide a subpar output.

Didn’t noticed the bit about single sided SPDs, the worst of both worlds

You gotta admit, they are a great prank. Wonder how long the average time is before people realize they suck x 2.

And also, what’s so bad about pulling up in the pedal? That’s another thing an SPD allows you to do, a good thing.

Some people don’t like it when you do…it’s all about  “something something bad technique”…I loose the will to live at that point and walk away. I’ve always thought dicking around on an overbuilt bike in the woods was something you did for fun, when some-one tries to tell me I’m doing “fun” the wrong way, I tend not to stick around.

I don’t get the attraction of magnets.

You’ll find that magpeds and spds are poles apart

Etc

I’ve bought some magnetic pedals…there are positives and negatives…

oh yer i don’t doubt for one second that i haven’t given them enough time
100%
I know i have got some reasonable shoes and some reasonable pedals…so it should work
one thing i did not appreciate is exactly how critical good foot to pedal engagement is…example
foot was connected to the pedal, it felt like it was correct front to back, left to right. pressing down and pulling up was ok. But actually freewheeling in the “attack” position feels alien at the moment.
Put on the flat pedals and shoes.. put my foot on the pedal and it naturally finds the concave in the pins and there’s a whole load of feedback it seems coming back..and control with it

so… again, im saying its the shoes i’m not loving so much
Im not giving up

summary so far..
love platform feel underfoot, not sure i can live with a full platform traditional cleat combo.. think i’d die
the Magpeds seem to offer the compromise, but so far im not liking my shoes
looking for shoes with more sole feedback? and a more suitable tread to lock in to pins

Not going to get into the SPD/Flats debate but magnets just seem dumb to me. The main reason is that they’ll pick up any bit of magnetic material you walk on/put the pedal down on. It’s bad enough with the small magnet for the bladder hose on my Osprey bladder! Put anything magnetic down in the car park at Cwmcarn and you’ll have small stones stuck to it instantly as the surface stones have bits of iron in them.

@alan1977 this is probably going to sound patronising, but here goes…

You’ve been riding a year?
You’re still basically a newbie 😉
Dont get bogged down in ‘this being better than that, must try this, but then switch quickly to the next thing’.
Some of us have been on MTBs for 35-40 years, and still occasionally get drawn into that silly mindset.

Flats are good if you want to play around in the woods, bit of jumping, wear normalish shoes, etc.

Clipless is better for pure speed, all day riding, for me it’s better for control on technical stuff.

I can happily ride on both, but I’ve put years into riding and getting used to both.

Put some hours in on clipless if you want, but we’re talking a good few months to get properly used to them.

Magpeds (IMHO anyway) seem to be a neither fish nor fowl option, that won’t be as good as either.

Same old… bollox

Its not just about racing, they appreciate their shins.

Yeah so Hardline riders choose them cos they are worried about their shins.

Followed by the same BS about how you can unclip out of them just as easily…

But I guess that’s cos these commenters are so much better than Jono… and when your backflip goes wrong you unclip and do a tuck or two before landing on your feet and catching the bike in one hand whilst waving to the cameras with the other?

Put anything magnetic down in the car park at Cwmcarn and you’ll have small stones stuck to it instantly as the surface stones have bits of iron in them.

Not just cwmcarn either… every bike car park has lost bolts and magnetic stuff.
I usually have a magnet in the car tool kit and it’s amazing what I’ve found just looking for a dropped rotor bolt..

Yeah so Hardline riders choose them cos they are worried about their shins.

It was a joke, chill out.

when your backflip goes wrong you unclip and do a tuck or two before landing on your feet and catching the bike in one hand whilst waving to the cameras with the other?

doesn’t everyone do that?

and Larry’s a shin model. mkay?

nickc
Subscriber

I don’t get this argument. Unless you ride barefoot, then you’re going to put shoes on right? So who cares if they’re “special” or not?

If you’re in the garage and want to do a test ride, or popping to the shops, or just pure spur of the moment jumping on and riding, you are already wearing shoes and they’ll work on flats (and not be rubbish going around tesco). It’s not a massive thing but when I was dabbling in spds again a few years back, whatever bike had them on got ridden least.

I have spent a little time with these on and off so far… and so far its a pretty positive experience
Getting the pins setup right is such a necessity, as you cannot rely on the magnets solely to lock you in
after i re positioned some of the pins and lowered the height of magnets my grip improved no end
i also pushed the cleats/plates right back in my shoes..
It’s still not right, i feel i need ht stronger magnets.. let me explain…
i can spin circles and pull on the pedals under normal riding, but i feel like i’m close to disconnecting.. However, i have successfully jumped over the front of the bike when i lost the front end
I’m also getting a clicking sensation as my foot transitions from push to pull which im still narrowing down.. im still convinced that trying the hellcats will improve grip some more and remove thissensation

Positives (so far):
well, as above, can bail easily
its really easy to engage on the pedals…
i feel it is more efficient, much like clips may or may not be…
i have found sprinting to be easier? more efficient? more confidence boosting? i cant explain.. i don’t have grip issues on flats but this is different

Negatives (so far)
Expensive
Fairly Heavy
Really hard to get set up right (so far)