Five Reasons To Try Flat Pedals for Bike Touring and Bikepacking
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
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In this vid, I tackle the controversial topic of flats vs. clipless pedals. Specifically, the reasons why we like to ride in platforms when we go bike touring or bikepacking.
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Well in my many decades of cycling I have gone through all of the pedal innovations from toe clips to clipless, but these days I am exclusively on flats. Race Face Chesters currently (and I love em).
Another flat pedal rider here! Over twenty years ago when I got my first "real" bike, I was talked into clipless pedals. I agree that clipless has its place, especially for spirited road cycling and technical single track. About 10 years ago when 90% of my riding was commuting and running errands, I ditched clipless for flat pedals. It was just much easier to walk into stores and around town. I now don't own a pair of clipless pedals or shoes. All of my bikes have platforms (Easton Flatboys) and I've never looked back. I commute, bikepack, road tour and light mountain bike all in flats. In fact, unless it's the dead of winter or serious singletrack, I bike in Chaco sandals with my flat pedals.
In the end, I think it's important to bike in what's comfortable, because ultimately you'll get out on the bike more, and that's what the #supplelife is all about. Great video Russ! Cheers!
One question, is it better to have hard sole shoe or soft sole shoe?
@RollinRat any recommendations for stiff sole shoe? I never see one in my town
@RollinRat thanks
I am still relatively new to cycling. 5 years now, and started out with clipless pedals for gravel and commuting. I moved to flat pedals first with my winter-snow-ice commuting MTB last winter. Now completely swung over flats. Just like being able to change hand position and upper body stance, being able to modify and adapt my foot position on long rides and changing conditions benefits my feet. My whole leg to lower back sheds the effects of tough rides, or recovers, more quickly. And at 65, that is a big deal.
I'm one for flat pedals. I've never been one for locking my feet to a bike. Like you said, "No need for special shoes" I too use Keen sandals to pedal in, even if it does end up with me having oddly tanned feet after cycling through Spain.
I am a convert to flat pedals for all of the five reasons you cited. Even my old Schwann 87 World Sport. What first converted me was a near miss with a car toppled me into the street and could not unclip. So safety and suppleness rule.
I completely agree with this. I switched to flats and love them. As you say, every shoe is a cycling shoe. Personally I like Vans because of the waffle grip. People always tell me they are too flexible but I have no problems with them.
I switched toe clips to platform/flat peddles about three years ago because it offers the bottom of the foot a wider area of contact eliminating pinched nerves on the bottom of my feet. I can move my foot on the platform just a millimeter or two in any direction to change the foot contact point. This is what we do when we walk, We without thinking we move the contact points of the bottom of the foot to prevent foot muscle fatigue. These little micro changes prevent damage to the foot. When I tour I only need one pare of shoes to walk or ride and wear around camp. I just change the type of sock I wear. Most of the time I wear my Keen sandals but in cold weather I wear Keen laced leather shoes. Both pair have soft rubber sole which really clings to my long spiked pedals. I do have toe straps designed for flat pedals but I have yet to try them out on a long ride.
For anyone who's on the fence, I've found the the Shimano XT PD-T8000 to be a great compromise! XT durability, quality flat with actual grippy pins on one side, classic shimano SPD on the other side. Great for efficiency when the rides are a little longer warranting SPDs, then a quality flat when you've switched to wading boots and are just hopping on and off the bike short distances from hole to hole! Happy bikefishing!
Amateur Hour Adventures Agree! Got this pedal too and also it’s predecessor and they are a really gut choice!
I'm a clipless fan. Been riding them for years on all my bikes -- be it road, cross, gravel, MTB, track. But for bikepacking through the mountains, I prefer flat pedals, especially since hike-a-bike sections are much easier in walking boots or shoes.
I use Blackspire pedals and Five Ten Guide Tennies, the mid version.
Some great points on flats, I only ride flats now but gave clips a serious try for a few years. You might like to try some Catalyst pedals from Pedalling Innovations because of the extra support your feet don’t curl around when wearing something flexible like sandals.
Amen! I’m another fan of the Race Face Chesters and personally love approach shoes for cycling. They’re a good combo of comfort, durability and athleticism.
15 years clipping in when 2 years ago I switched to flat pedals. Never looked back. They work great and I can wear anything. My knee popping stopped and I'm much more comfortable. Yes I had 2 bike fits and neither improved my knee issues but it doesn't matter any longer I like Flat! lol
I mostly ride with Speedplay Frogs but also have a bike with 50/50's.i also think they are the best platform pedals.I have found that skateboard shoes work great with these,such as Vans,Etnies,DC,ect.They have flat and very grippy soles.My commuter,tourer is a Rawland Drakkar.
I have always ridden clip less on my mountain bike. I rarely have any issues and it helps me stay with my pedals when it gets really bouncy and helps jump the bike over logs etc. However I completely agree that riding flats makes a lot of sense for gravel touring. Less to carry and something very effective for pushing your bike up steep sections and wearing around camp or into town. Good presentation.
A recent gravel tour in Ochoco Mountains confirmed the merits of flat pedals. All of Russ’s observations make sense and I’m sold on
flats. Clip less is still fun for fast sporty rides.
I started using spd's recently after a gap of many years riding flats on my MTB. When I couldn't ride MTB any more due to knee problems I bought a tourer and fitted SPD's and love them. I was toying with the idea of going back to flats for a proper tour but was unsure but you have given me some food for thought, especially the carrying extra shoes bit (I'm size 12 UK, 13 US!). Guess I will have to dig out my old A frames (Azonic) and give them a spin - another informative video, thanks!
Try pedal innovations pedals they are the best of the best! The platform i believe is the longest in the market; when it comes to pedaling you feel supported the whole way through and this leads to no knee pain. Standard flat pedals felt "right" but for some reason it hurt my knees, something funky must be happening in my stroke that I am not conscious of.
Best purchase I have made; this goes above having shorter cranks!
I like clip-less most of the time, except for single track riding. I ride clip-less on gravel almost every time, though you're right about mud. Egg-beaters are a better choice for that than SPD's, but for long days on the bike, on mixed terrain (when mostly dry), I go for the SPD's. Plus, if I ride for many hours with platform peddles, my flat feet and low arches, start to really ache, even with higher grade inserts. Shorter rides---not a problem. My flat peddles are the Specialized 'Bennies.' Nice wide surfaces! Also, with platform peddles, it seems like I use fewer leg muscles, which causes me to feel discomfort in those muscles used more. Platforms are simple and reliable, though!
How funny, to hear reason #3. I spent a week in Sawtooth National Forrest last year and WISH I had brought a pair of shoes to hike in. No fun bikepacking in the freezing rain and snow, but hiking ... that's a different story! After 20 years of using clipless pedals and sandals, I just switched to flats and Brooks trail running shoes. As a non-racer, I think this is going to work out well for me. Thank you for a nice video!
I use flat pedals + toe straps (the kind used for fixed gear freestyle). The straps provide extra grip if i want to go a little bit faster, if not, i could just step on it or use the other side of the pedal. It works well with my favorite shoes or sandals!
Russ, I think you could be interested in something like the Five Ten clipless shoes since you mentioned riding in Five Ten flat shoes. I just got a pair of Hellcats, and even though they're "downhill and gravity" shoes they're probably the best SPD shoe i've tried. The best for me of course. :)
They're very roomy, and unlike most cycling shoes they're shaped like regular shoes. They have some padding all around and feel soft and comfortable. Full sole and the cleats don't touch the ground when you walk on hard surfaces.
I love these things. Basically they're like comfortable "regular" shoes but you can clip in. They're super easy to walk in, they flex just enough but don't feel overly flexible when pedalling. I'm planning on trying some Crankbrothers Mallet pedals to get an even more flat pedal feel.
I appreciate your practical approach to biking - everything from your video about wearing light weight, long sleeve shirts to discussing using flat pedals under some circumstances. I recently put a deposit on my first gravel / bike packing bike and am eagerly awaiting a call from my LBS when it arrives in a few weeks. I may put a spare pair of flats on it initially before I put a set of egg beaters on it so I can decide for myself what works best for me.
Switched to flats 4yrs ago. Found that i would get a swollen knee after a few days of riding hard. Hot foot was also an issue on the same side as the swollen knee. Switched to flats when i started to ride mountain bikes again, just to get used to it. Sore knee, hot foot went away. That's when I switched to flats on my touring bike and now my gravel bikes. I can still pedal at 90+rpm and over 30km/hr when desired, and I haven't had a sore knee or foot since. Riding is supposed to be fun not painful. Also no matter how professional my bike was set-up for me, my knee was done and getting worse. Flats are the new lease on my cycling life.
Best of both worlds: pedals that are flat on one side, clipless on the other. They work well on my touring bike.
ptotheatsign I use the Shimano XT PD-T8000, which is an XT SPD pedal on one side, and a flat on the other. The flat side keeps the bike casual and friendly to quickly ride for groceries, or if the trail gets too tough and I don't want to be clipped in.
I can't remember the model but mine is also Shimano. Solid pedal, would definitely buy again!
I think yours should be the PD-A530. One of the cheaper bang per buck dual sided pedals.
I use that too, but I got so used to the clipless side that it became my everyday thing even when cycling just nearby. haha
I use ISSI flip pedals! I got them to try clips for the first time this year, when I wanted the ability the still pedal on the non-clip side in town while I was worried about getting used to being clipped in, and could use the clips for long strait stretches where I was more comfortable with being clipped in.
Now that I ride clips almost all the time, I still put the flips on all my bikes because I still love having the best of both worlds.
I know people love these but for me its the worst of both worlds, making getting into both pedals harder to use.
I use clipless for almost all of my rides but I sure see the appeal for sure of riding flats. My wife using them on her road bike. It seemed a bit odd at first but if you aren't comfortable, you won't ride. So anything to make the ride more comfortable, the better, in my eyes.
This is a pretty level-headed discussion about a topic that every cyclist should think about.
MKS Urban platform pedals with Velo Orange mini clips (strapless) works well with trail running shoes for around town riding. My wife uses the same setup for minimal transition during her duathlon races.
Coming from Shimano road shoes (or as Russ says: who can walk in these) my GF and I got us Shimano XC5 in sale. For me they are really comfortable (maybe because I only use road shoes otherwise) and stiff enough to not feel the SPD through the sole.
As some others also mentioned: we use the Shimano pedals with one side SPD and flat on the other (PD-T780 and PD-T8000. Very good solution if you like both worlds.
- have tried toe clips years ago, have (also) biked with clipless, Look (racing) and SPD - and now it's just flats for my commuting and touring - for the same good reasons. Thanks for inspiring videos! :-)
I've toured in both, and think that both have their place. When I'm by myself I use clipless because I'm on my touring bike. But when we do family tours I use an xtracycle. I have the MKS Grip Kings (lamda) and use them with my Chacos. It's a great combination of foot support and comfort.
The benefits you mentioned of using flats far outweighs the marginal efficiency gains of a clip-less pedal in my opinion. I’ve been eyeing the Pedaling Innovations flats, they look like a unique option.
You’re not crazy! Race Face Chester pedals + Pearl Izumi X-ALP Launch shoes = ❤️
so cool that you got to meet Leonard Knight. He was in a nursing home by the time i got to visit salvation mountain. RIP.
Love my MKS Lambdas (aka Rivendell Gripkings)
Drilled them out the other night and installed Crank Bros. self-tapping 50-50/Mallet pins in them and now they're perfect.
Though I do love my wide Time ATAC downhill pedals with clipless sandals for touring as well
thank you I tried clip less and could not get them to work without pain. I guess all the years in construction messed up my knees and feet. I feel most comfortable on flats.
Same here.
This year I tried SPD and after two months I gave up -- after around 100 km I felt pain in my knees and I couldn't adjust shoes to fix this issue (probably it is because SPD shoes have very limited adjustment). Now I ride with flat pedals and I change feet position on purpose (the same way as hand position), for example when riding in drops I try to pedal with my toes, with SPD I couldn't do it by definition. This year longest trip was 184 (with flat pedals) and no issues at all. And I love I can walk without all those crunchy-munchy sounds! :-) One thing that I miss is the fact SPD shoes attach you to the bike, it is a bit safer in certain scenarios (rain, steep descent, riding standing on pedals), but health goes first.
How is it safer to be attached to the pedals when going downhill? I've heard this same line in other forums but no one's been able to explain it to me. Ditto for standing on the pedals; how is it "safer"?
Flats are great 👍 The racer influence has made a lot of people biased thinking serious bicyclist wear clipless. I ride 800km per month with flat mks lambda pedals and sometimes I ride barefoot and I never have problems at stop lights and so on and it's great because my feet don't sweat. Sandals could be an option, too.
There are different categories of bicycling and cyclists.
I just ride and pay attention.
People will always comment and judge. I personally don't want to look like a tour de France racer type because for me riding needs to be comfortable like Grant Peterson Rivdell style
I love old-school touring shoes -- Quoc Pham (for wider feet) or Dromarti (narrower). The only thing I like clip-in pedals for is steep uphills -- they really do help if you can pull up as well as push down. They are semi-walkable, so hike-a-bike is mostly out. Otherwise, awesome, as they slide nicely into toe clips.
I have pedaled with Speedplay Frogs for my road riding the past 12 years. As I begin to experiment with trail riding, I plan to try flat pedals for the ease of putting a foot down quickly. When I ride trails "clipped" in, I find that I leave one foot unclipped so that I can stabilize more quickly. Am going to check out some of the pedals you have covered in your videos on this topic for my Bike Friday. Thanks Russ!
I switched over from clipless to flats three years ago and have not looked back. Big fan of the Race Face Chester pedals.
There’s a video of 2 world class riders testing flats against clipless in a 9 minute hilly ride. They both end up shaving about 5% off using clipless, granite they didn’t do the flat test until after they ran the clipless ( could fatigue have played a factor in the 5% gain). Anyway for me as a senior older rider 5% is not that significant .i have some spiked flat pedals that my shoes really stick to I’m good with that.
Another reason is because with clipless you pedal with the ball of your foot (major calf workout), but with flat pedals you can pedal with the center of your foot. For me, flat pedals are more comfortable for this reason.
Been a flat pedal rider for 59 years. I still prefer flat pedals after trying out dual platform pedals, flat on one side, SPD on the other. I love the liberty of riding my bikes wearing my favorite sandals or hiking shoes.
Another flab-pedaler here. I've done clipless and cliip pedals (I'm old). They're fine. If I were going long distances exclusively I made use them again.
But bicycling is part of my life now - doing errands, short rides up a hill or two, occasionally something longer. I just don't want to think about pedals. I like to be able to get off the bike, walk into a store, visit a friend's house, walk around without worryng about the shoes.
I pedal with a Keen SPD sandal on a 1/2 spd pedal and flat platform on other side. The platform side is used during city travel when I might need quick egress to get foot off pedal or on very rocky track. The spd version I find gives better energy transfer to the pedal stroke.
Had both and a combination type pedal. Flats all the way! Freedom of shoe choices and I'm moving much slower anyway. Thanks
Flats fer sure bro ;) I use them across all my bikes. I'm running the vp harriers on my gravel bike but will try some crank brothers stamp in large size soon (I have wide feet). For pedal feel I think dmr has the best profile. I run dmr vaults on my enduro bike and dmr v6 plastic ones with plastic pins on my dirt jump bike. I would suggest the v6's with some five tens or vibram rubber shoes for people with regular or small feet. More shiner friendly if you slip a pedal.
Good point!! I will go for flat pedal for my gravel bike.
I use Crank Bros Candy clipless pedals, which have quite a lot of float (which helps a bit for people with knee/hip pain), and low forces required to unclip. It's possible to ride on them with regular shoes too if I'm just doing a short ride to the store. I have wide feet, and my feet swell after about an hour or so, but to compensate I just loosen the straps a bit.
I wish this existed before I rode Steens Mazama 1000. After 500 miles I had to back the spring all the way out and it still hurt to pull my foot off. When you're exhausted, clipping out takes sooo much effort.
Thanks. Flats are an often overlooked option.
I use Shimano M324 pedals. You then have the choice. I nearly always ride on the flats though as I've nearly "come unstuck" a few times touring, riding at lower speeds and and not getting unclipped quick enough.
Love my five tens. I ride with a Race Face flat pedals with the nubs which I seem to scrap on my legs, oh well. I do enjoy the combination.
My bung knee hurts for a week after riding SPDs . So all my bikes now have nice big plastic BMX pedals. Easier to portage up steep rocky goat tracks in 5-10s too!
Ride your ride. I prefer clipless for the efficiency: longer power stroke in the rotation. I have Vaude SPD touring shoes that are great to walk in and fit my wide foot nicely. No need for extra shoes on tour. Flats for around town is ok but not longer rides....for me.
I tour in both. I definitely have better power output with clipless and need it for my singlespeed touring. Flats for when the roads are in bad condition or non existent.
I really think that the Cycling Shoes with Clipless SPD Pedals is extremely dangerous on a fully loaded touring bicycle at 100lbs+ my weight of 225lbs so I am using DH Platform Pedals and Waterproof/Gore-Tex Hiking boots: This is why I am using the KEEN Targhee EXP Mid WP hiking boots/KEEN Targhee III Mid WP hiking boots and merrell moab 2 mid gore-tex hiking boots on my DMR Vault Brendog Pedals Stealth Black
I have a set of DK Distortion pedals on my 2010 CAADX 105 and love them
You forgot reason 6. Age, ha ha. For me anyway. I don’t tour, only fitness ride. Have MTB SPD pedals on road bike but Race Face Chesters on MTB. Tried 5050s after my cheapies trashed but they were loose, the cartridge could not be tightened in the body to keep an annoying klick out. A flaw in manufacturing for a small lot I guess. Nobody had replacements and the Chesters were available. I wear Reebok trail running shoes. The combo works fine.
When I'm struggling up a hill at 4 mph, I prefer flats, because I fear I won't be able to clip out in time if I have to slow down. If I keep my cleat unclipped, I worry that my foot will slip off the pedal. For downhills and flat sections, I do prefer clipless.
I like to mix it up, but actually enjoy flats going downhill so I can dab quicker if things get sketchy.
DMR V12 pedal and Adidas Five Tens, I rate this combination very highly.
I've been clipless for over twenty years, but i'm considering flat for one reason...safety. We just got back from a bikepacking trip in some steep backcountry of Alaska where if my foot did not come out of the clipless pedal, i was dead. So here's getting educated on 'older' technology. I guess some would say I'm regressing.
I use Shimano A530 SPD pedal, I can clip into the pedal on one side and go flat pedal on the other. I have arthritis in my toes of one of my feet and unless I use a really stiff shoe my foot will ache if it has to flex over the pedal, so a stiff shoe is all I can use which works best for clipless; plus I've ridden clipless pedals for so long I would be afraid of pulling my foot off the pedal especially when climbing a grade that I would normally pull up on the pedal.
I go 90/10 in terms of the percentage of time spent clipless/flat. Two of my five bikes have clipless on one side and flat on the other. My Brompton I change out the pedals fairly frequent. I go back and forth. My fat bike I mostly use flat pedals. I also love the Crank Brothers 50/50. I have a pair I haven’t been able to destroy. I’ve been trying to for 12 years.
I have bikes with both styles, clipless on the gravel bikes since walking is pretty rare and I ride those somewhat Sportingly. On the mtb and fat bike I have flats because walking is frequent, tripoding happens, and on that terrain pedaling feel is irrelevant. I have done flats on everything but for long endurance gravel rides I prefer the feel of clipless.
I guess I should add that I agree flats are better for touring, but I suppose it depends on how you go about your trip.
Gave up my Lycra and my Look and SPD pedals 25 years ago and never looked back 😉.
Awesome video !
What are the best flat pedals on the market to use on my new GT Grade Carbon Elite Gravel bike ?
Even for commuting I prefer flat pedals (Race Face Chesters) My feet don't slide off them, they're wide for my feet so I'm not forever adjusting the placement of my feet and they have traction yet allow me to lift my foot when I need to
I use flats not when I bikepack. Like you commented, those are the reasons I use them.
I ride with a Chromag flats with 510s as a shoe for the most part. In the winter I use 45nrth boots.
Me I use DH Flat Pedals since 11-2008 on my old Surly LHT Touring Bike same with my New Soma Saga Disc Touring Bike my DMR Vault Brendog Pedals Stealth Black with me using the DH/BMX type flat platform Pedal dates to when I had a FBM Pro BMX Bike since 2005
I ride flats on my gravel bike and my downhill bike. Also riding the Easton Flatboys and Race Face Chesters.
Sometimes one falls off the bike so bad, and even if you master the art of clipless well, THERE ARE FACTORS BEYOND YOUR CONTROL which may lead you to a hospital. As in my case. I borrowed some ideas from the bluelug guys on Instagram and just bought a pair of VP-001s. Night and day from some sick, rad CB Mallet E's.
Also, if you have really big feet, the clipless spd shoes are ULTRA expensive. I wear 13 or 14 extra wide normally, and the only options were over $400
5-10 Impacts and Fyxation Mesa MP's. Great combo. Never had my foot slip off even when spinning my ass off.
I have tried them all and I feel at home with clipless pedals, not saying I wouldn't ride on flats, but I would add a toe tip. There are pros and cons withe every decision
I like riding clipless, but my new gravel bike has a slight toe overlap. For that reason I ride my gravel bike with platform pedals. I have fallen over sitting still or going very slow numerous times because my front wheel would hit my locked in foot. I have no choice but to ride gravel on flats.
I use the flip flop pedals with clipless on one side and flats on the other. It guarantees I can use whichever bike I want, how I want. I even have them on my junker commuting bike.
For me the perfect choice is a good flat pedal with toe clip. I think it's safe to ride like this. No slipping (not even if I stay out of the saddle) but I can step down anytime I want. Plus I can wear any of my shoes. For me the adventure biking means I can get off my bike anytime and I can go to the thick forest or to a muddy field in my comfy shoes.
The heavier the overall setup ( bike plus packs) the better good flats seem to work for me. But on my sleek light road bikes or on my cx bike ( I use it for 2 hr gravel rides), and I just want to go fast, spd-sl or spd.
Agreed, when bike packing or touring all day on your bike, you need comfort first!
I use Shimano M324 pedals which allows me to clip or not. I think there's a place for both.
I ride SPDs most of the time. But I find my right foot tends to get a hot spot that can become problematic after a few hours.
On those weekends when I crank out big mileage on Saturday, I often ride flat the next day. I like the new XT flats. Big (really big) and grippy. The Saint flats work well, too. But after a day off clipless, I am just fine again.
Actually, it may be more of a shoe issue than a pedal issue. Maybe.
I also get that hot spot on both feet after a few hours of riding with my SPD's, especially in the hotter weather
Definitely flats when I’m bike packing!
Try modern BMX brand pedals, made from nylon. Strong enough for super-hardcore BMX street/dirt riders. Half the weight of fancy metal MTB counterparts and way cheaper. Come in cool colours and go great with my Birkenstock's!
I think the best is half flat and with clip. Also have shoes that you can walk with and also clip
little missiles love it. I use rat traps myself I have found some fixation pedal straps for mountain bike pedals with the spikes on them you can really feel the power transfer with these
Question. Could you tell what straps you have used for your pedals and how you attach them? Thanks
@@fernandourrea3677 you can find the straps on ebay under toe clips for bicycles
Some very good reasons... And I have to say, all of them apply to me as well.
I think it depends on your body. In my experience flat pedals with hefty pins give no float, whereas SPD's do. This can affect knees/ankles. Mind you, since I broke my ankle I've been using flats, and it is great just jumping on a bike without having to change shoes. Horses for courses.
6th reason, you should include is that the clipless pedal system is expensive especially when it comes to clipless pedal shoes. One SIDI shoe could cost $249. I agree on the 5050 pedals because I have two of them. One of the pedals is on my old mountain bike and the other one would be on my road bike. Peace!
I like platforms for all gravel riding, being attached to the pedals and suddenly losing traction on a steep incline is a recipe for disaster. I see the benefits of cleats on the road and on a mountain bike but for gravel; I believe that platforms are the best option for gravel. You need to be able to step off the bike at a moments notice, you aren’t riding over bumpy enough stuff at speed to knock your feet out of place, you don’t need to squeeze out every watt to gain milliseconds and you will seldom be in a Tour de France level sprint that would need total connection. If you haven’t tried platforms on your gravel bike, give them a shot, you may end up loving them.
I know pedals is quite a personal preference thing.
but your argument about loosing traction turning into disaster, you are simply wrong. mountainbiking use clips all the time (although lots use flats as well!), and the chance of suddenly loosing traction on a climb is something that happens very, very often. and it's not an issue. you just need to get used to the clips - then you will easily have time to clip out on even the wildest gravel climbs.
Mikkel Nielsen what advantage do clips provide for a gravel rider?
+Paddyhudson for me, they make me feel more efficient (although I know that the science on this goes both ways!), and I simply like the feeling of being connected to the bike. it puts me in the zone.
I'm not saying one is better than the other - using flats is totally fine if that's what you prefer.
I'm just not accepting the argument that a sudden loss of traction equals disaster.
+Mikkel Nielsen you say that you need to be able to step off the bike at a moments notice.
So is the case for mountainbiking, yet loads of people feel very comfortable clipped in.
That’s fair, It may have been a tad dramatic and to each their own but in my eyes, there aren’t enough benefits in riding gravel with cleats. I ride on busy urban gravel trails mainly and so I encounter many unexpected obstacles; flats are the ideal pedal for most of what I do.
i saw on one of your bikes a plastic or nylon flat pedal, and i wondered who made those, and if i could get them in orange...
Since you mention Hoka, I think their shoes are pretty narrow. I'd recommend Altra if you like generous toebox.
Yep. I’ve use Altras as well.
I find cleats beneficial during climbing, otherwise i use the flat part of my pedal for the rest of the ride... I only get serious during climbs... On flat parts i try to enjoy the scenery
Now that I can afford shoes all year, the bear traps work pretty well versus the rubber kind.
I’m not ready for the shift to flats but I can see a day when I will be. I’d probably have to combine the flats with some sort of strap to keep my foot from floating around.
Thanks for the informative video and getting me to think about the options. BTW you’re real cyclist, mote than those who judge you.
I think I'll probably give up on clipless soon, it's just too inconvenient. It's hard to dial in the cleat position, the left and right foot have a difference of like 5mm or something. The spd shoes are annoying to walk in, I can hear the cleat scraping the pavement, they are also expensive. After something like 10 km my toes go numb and I can feel the hot spot. My left knee starts giving me problems but I can't change the foot position to relieve the discomfort. They do help when I'm out of the saddle and trying to pull up on the pedal, but that's pretty much it.
I'm definitely moving to flats. A car failed to yield recently and I squeezed the brakes hard, which made my rear wheel loose traction, sending me sliding on the asphalt and crashing the bicycle into the car bumper. I was riding unclipped on my hybrid pedals, walked away with just some scratches and road rash. I shudder to think what might've been have I been clipped in.
There is a middle ground. Reversible pedals allow the use of SPD shoes, which really are good to walk in and good to cycle with, giving you a more efficient pedalling action when clipped in and comfortable to walk in when you want to.
Personally, I ride clipless. Because I want the most efficient pedalling , I have covers to put over my cleats but in truth rarely use them. It’s a personal thing though, wear whatever you want to, each has it’s advantage in certain situations. If you wear flat shoes and platform pedals you will rarely keep up with road cyclists who are pushing on. You only have to look at the Top bike racers,none wear flat shoes!
If you’re in no rush and not bothered about long distances being covered slower than you otherwise might cover them, wear trainers!
Your call.
I toured 6 European countries in the summer of 2018 (5 months) and used flat pedals. I’ll likely do the same next summer and have every intention of using flat pedals. If you’re traveling long term, multiple pairs of shoes just add weight and are simply unnecessary.
Thumb up for the Kona “Wah Wah II” pedals.
Flat pedals all the way; it's just makes things so much simpler. It's also nice to ride the bike to the trailhead in your trail shoes go for a run then ride the bike home.
I hate those people that insist you have to ride clipless list to be a true cyclist. It’s such a toxic attitude. Just ride what feels best for you.