Clipless vs flat pedals, which is right for you on a mountain bike? [TrailTalk Series]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 มิ.ย. 2024
- Is it worth switching from flat pedals to clips on your MTB? We’ll talk about the advantages and disadvantages of going clipless, and why I made the switch. But I’m curious, what do you prefer to mountain bike on, let me know in the comments below.
I’ve been riding clipless pedals for the last 14 years and I absolutely love them, but they’re certainly not for everyone. We’ll cover the positives and negatives for both, and help you decide which is right for you. A lot of it will come down to where, and what, you like to ride.
Personally, I find clipless pedals work great for the type of technical riding I enjoy. In challenging sections and on tough climbs they are very efficient. Regarding downhills, I like knowing my feet are always in the correct position, and that they are secured to the bike. However, I could also see how being attached to the bike might make some folks feel uncomfortable.
Finally, if you feel I missed anything, or you have a question you would like me to answer for the next TrailTalk, let me know that in the comments below too.
AFFILIATE LINKS:
There are many brands out there, but I like the Shimano SPDs. If you are looking for a good beginner pedal here are two options to choose from. (Note, you may be able to find them cheaper elsewhere)
Shimano PD-M520 clipless pedals
amzn.to/3Oeej35
SHIMANO PD-ME700 clipless pedals with platform
amzn.to/3U5jiXw
ADDITIONAL INFO:
GMBN - Flat Pedals Vs Clipless Pedals | Which Is Fastest On Rough MTB Trails?
• Flat Pedals Vs Cliples...
GCN - Are Flat Pedals Actually Just As Fast As Clipless Pedals?
• Are Flat Pedals Actual...
The Loam Wolf - Clipless Pedals VS Flats - What's better? - Back to Basics
• Clipless Pedals VS Fla...
If you like what you see, or have some feedback/questions, let me know in the comments below. If you enjoyed the video “Subscribe” to see more content like this or join me on Patreon for some extra perks.
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Table of Contents:
0:00 Intro
1:20 Advantages and disadvantages of clipless pedals
4:58 Downsides of clipless pedals
8:15 Which clipless pedals do I use?
9:26 Final thoughts and wrap up
#MTBTips #MTB #MTBAdvice #MountainBiking
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This couldn't have come at a better time. I'm about to take the SPDs off my gravel bike and get it on my MTB. Knowing my riding style, I'm terrified lol. But really I THINK it might help with slow speed tech and climbing.
Love it Zane! There is def a "full commit" aspect to clips that takes a while to get used to, but with your skills on flats I would be less concerned. Keep me posted on how it goes if you decide to try it. LGP would prob be a good place to experiment with it.
@@TrailSage definitely gonna start pretty tame on single-track then I'm really curious to see how it transitions into jumping.
Bruh, I keep going back and forth. But I do enjoy riding flats. I feel like a noob when I clip in on the trail. Probably just need to spend more time on them
i rode clipless for about 25 year (mostly xcountry). 6 years ago i started riding 1/2 flat and 1/2 clipless. i must admit that there was a pretty big learning curve for riding flats ( i ride a lot of tech). for the past 3 years i ride nothing but flats. i can do all tech and bike maneuvering i used to, only with way more confidence. my buddy now accuses me of cheating. lol.
That's awesome Leo. I see you also have a moto background, I'm sure that helps too. A lot of the guys that I ride with that have the same background are exceptional riders. Good stuff. Thanks for the comment. Sage
Excellent video! Really liked all the info on efficiency and power, etc. Just comes down to a personal preference. I'm always amazed how quickly and instinctively we clip out when needed.
Thanks Dan. We def have a lot of first hand experience on clipping out before a crash, lol.
Chris here, I'm going down with the ship 100% commitment to being clipped in. Guess thats just another reason they call me Cap' lol. Brian rides flats unless he is on his single speed and needs that extra power!
Right on Chris! What clips are you using? What flats are Brian using?
@TrailSage both of us use crankbros
Some good stuff in here Sage... But I expected nothing less...
I used to ride only Clipless but switched back to flats a couple years ago. I much prefer it... But I do miss the feel they give when you're bombing a fast rough trail... What I don't miss though is that feeling you get when you're trying to get round a tight steep "stall-out" switchbach on the side of an Alp where if you can't get your foot out and you topple left it's a 3 story fall to some jaggered rocks... :D
Interesting I had no idea you were clipless at one point. You are so talented on the flats that I can see why you don't see yourself going back. Thanks for the feedback Phil
Great video Sage, as always super edited and a great content. I prefer the flat pedals, but depending on the application, clipless pedals certainly make sense. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend buddy
Thanks Christoph! You have a unique perspective because you ride both analog and electric bikes. I think for ebikes flat pedals def make a lot of sense since you really don't need the efficiency benefits.
@@TrailSage Absolutely, I used to ride XC in my younger years and the clipless pedals made sense there, but the flat pedals are great for downhill and uphill on an e-bike.
Right on, brother. Not sure I'll change from flats on my MTB, but loving my SPDs on my gravel bike. So many great points in your video.
Thank you for the kind words Todd. I think the gravel bike is the perfect application for clipless pedals. Happy belated New Year btw.
Thanks Sage, I'm looking to get into clipless on my new bike and this helps.
Another great video 🤙🤙
Good stuff Chris. Let me know how the transition goes. Happy belated New Year btw.
Where are you riding at 3:12. Holy technical! I first started riding clipless, then fell alot for a little while so I switched to flats. Smashed and cut up my shins and legs so much that I switched back to clipless and never looked back. I will say that I definitely didn't have mtb specific shoes so that was one big reason the flats didn't work for me then. Great video Sage!
Hey Paul, that was Millers Pond in CT
th-cam.com/video/almResmuyKk/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much for the feedback and kind words. I know what you mean about flats. When I ride my BMX I wear shin guards, lol.
I just can not make the leap to clipless pedals. The rocky terrain in Connecticut has me, unfortunately, off my bike quite a bit. All my friends use clipless and they love them. It would be such a downer to get pedals and shoes and end up hating it. Maybe one day you’ll convince me to change.
If you are happy on flats that's all that matters Andy. It really comes down to personal preference. For me, the clips give me that extra edge when tackling those big CT rocks, but for others that might be super uncomfortable.
I've often thought about switching over. I have noticed more and more a struggle to make sure my feet are in a good (comfortable) position on my flat pedals. My feet aren't super huge (size 12) but sometimes it's a challenge getting them comfortably on the pedal. It adds to the anxiety going down hill. Maybe, as others have mentioned, I'll try clipless on the gravel bike first. But its an investment and hate to spend all that money for it to flop. Or more accurately, for me to take a flop...
Hmmm, tough call Will. I would hate for you to make an investment only to find out you don't like it. I do think trying it on your gravel bike is a great start.
Other topic idea: oval vs. normal chain rings.
Love it. The only issue is I don't have an oval ring and my TH-cam full-time budget doesn't allow for one at the moment. But thank you for the suggestion Will.
I ride flats. I Have no reason or desire to go with clipless. Maybe if I were racing like you said in the video HA! Good job explaining pros and cons.
Idea for video: mtb bike check
Good stuff Omar. Thank you for the feedback. So what flats do you ride? Also yes, bike check it a good idea. Stay tuned brotha
@@TrailSage Awesome! I have been riding the Deity Deftrap composite pedal for the last 3 years. They have a nice and wide platform 113mm x 103mm. For me this is perfect.
VERY informative Sage .. LOVE IT!
Thank you so much Mark! I always love hearing from you , hope you and the family are well.
@@TrailSage we are doing ok sage...thanks for asking...😁
Coming from a flat pedal rider, clipless is the way to go. Sure, if you have good form and your bike setup perfect then flats can be comparable. I ran clipless for my first few years and could not stand the hot spot the clip would put on my foot, very painful. Switching to flats took away all the leg pain. Most of the guys I ride with started riding flats then moved the clipless. Once they made that move they got noticeably faster.
Wow, interesting insight Logan. You are a magician on the bike and that just proves good form and technique makes a huge difference. I never got hot spots, but that is something I will keep an eye on for sure when reviewing shoes. Thanks for the comment brotha
@@TrailSage i tried several shoe/cleat/pedal combos. Some hurt more than others. I could always feel the cleat plate digging into the ball of my foot. Flats are much more susceptible to pedal strikes because they have twice the platform. I end up breaking a pedal or two a year which is costly since i run tmacs. They are by far the best flat pedal i have run. The high pivot on my jekyll has also improved my feet control. No pedal kickback is huge
@@jojosnowball Right on, thanks for the feedback Logan!
Clip clip clip all day. Shimano xt trail petals or xtr for the WIN
Right on Jeff. Thanks for chiming in, I love getting feedback.
I always say that clipless pedals make riding wayyy better 99.9% of the time, but .01% of the time (in a bad crash) they make it way worse. They make me a much better rider but I've also gotten seriously messed up because of them
Well said John. I agree, and def have been there when sh*t hits the fan, lol. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for giving us your relaxed take on this ever so controversial topic Sage! Totally agree, having fun on your bike is the most important aspect, period. Apart from that your video reminded me how I used real toe-clips on my very first MTB ... yes I'm that old. But coming from road cycling, I have always been used to being connected to my bike, so using clipless pedals never was a question for me. I did marathon races for many years and kept riding my road bike, so being clipped in is second nature to me and even the science may say something different, clipless pedals feel way more efficient to me. The only time I mount my flat pedals is when I do tech training like wheelies and manuals where I want to be able to step off a pedal quickly. But using them on my every day rides? No way. I would constantly be worried that I shred the last piece of skin off of my shins when I slip off the flat pedals 🙈
OMG I know what you mean Christian, my BMX bike has flats and I always have to wear shin guards when I ride it, lol. Thanks for the feedback too. I feel like the clips are way more efficient as well despite what the science says.