Flat Pedals vs Clipless

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Ontherivet77
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Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by Ontherivet77 »

I recently switched back to flat pedals on all my bikes from various clipless systems. I've sold my Sidi's and spd sl and spd pedals and am sticking with flats for the time being. I also think with the roads being much busier, flats are safer.
According to Phil Burt on clipless pedals he states : The advantage of cleats is that more of your force and drive is applied directly and there is less energy or force wasted controlling your foot’s position on the pedal.
However, he then spends a whole chapter on the dangers of not having your cleats/pedals set up correctly, in terms of injury etc.

I'd be interested in other peoples opinions on the pros and cons of clipless and flats.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Pro - When you've not been commuting all that long and the left crank works itself loose you can still cycle to work, and then cycle into town at lunch to get a replacement.

Con - very easy to simply fall over if a something has got stuck after a day in the cycle rack.


Yes - personal experience.


On 'bents they have other advantages of course - you don't have quite the same "gravity assistance" keeping your feet in place.
They also allow significant amounts of "pulling up", applying force around more of the stroke and recruiting different muscle sets. I know people claim they don't, but I've ripped the cleat out of the bottom of shoes before, so for at least some people that "upward" pull is significant.
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squeaker
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by squeaker »

Switched my MTB back to exceedingly grippy pinned pedals a few years back. Definitely no need to worry about 'controlling the position of my feet' :roll: Just need to remember not to use my shins to reposition the cranks before starting off :wink:
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simonineaston
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by simonineaston »

Anyone any experience of the Third Way eg those Power Grip jobbies?
Power Grip pedal straps
Power Grip pedal straps
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PH
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by PH »

simonineaston wrote: 2 Jul 2021, 10:00am Anyone any experience of the Third Way eg those Power Grip jobbies?PD5010.jpg
Tried them a few years ago, didn't get on with them though ride with someone who loves theirs.
I found, different shoes varied their effectiveness AND the strap was easily flattened so getting a foot in wasn't always instinctive plus the need to flip the pedal nearly every time. Felt secure in the right shoes once attached and easy to release from. IMO the only advantage over SPD's was less restrictive shoe choices.
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by PH »

Ontherivet77 wrote: 2 Jul 2021, 9:05am I recently switched back to flat pedals on all my bikes from various clipless systems.
Likewise, it was intended to be temporary due to a knee injury which has now healed, but I don't intend changing back. I don't notice any difference in riding efficiency, though that's never been a primary aim, I like the ability to move position on the pedals and like having non cleat shoes. On the latter point, I've had different experiences with different shoes so the hoped for freedom to wear any hasn't materialised for me, though I know some who ride in any. Some of my shoes are either too slippery in the wet or the soles too fragile for grippy pedals. SPD's do have that advantage of security.
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simonineaston
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by simonineaston »

or the soles too fragile for grippy pedals.
Recognize that... used a pair of Ecco lace-ups, which had a nice traditional leather cycling-shoe vibe about them, on a pair of recently aquired pegged platform pedals and the pegs got right stuck in to the soles of the shoes :( (fortunately bought the Eccos off of fleabay for next-to-nothing).
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xerxes
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by xerxes »

I use flat pedals with a toe box on all my bikes. May not be quite as efficient as cleats, but unless you are into serious competition then it's not worth the bother using cleats, i.e. silly shoes that cost a packet and that you can't efficiently use to walk about in when you get to your destination, in addition to the danger of falling over which others have mentioned.
Pendodave
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by Pendodave »

I use flats, as having another pair of shoes in the house, or while away on the bike just seems a pita. In addition, my legs are not particularly straight, and my knees/ankles don't operate in the traditional fashion, so I suspect that locking my feet in position would probably not work out for the best.

I thought that the falling off thing was just a joke (I'm fairly recent to the biking world), but the other day a cyclist pulled up behind me at a roundabout and promptly keeled over. Quite apart from the pain of the impact, it looked like an incredibly dangerous situation to be in. Luckily he was unharmed, if a little embarrassed.
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Paulatic
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by Paulatic »

I can still remember why I bought in to the SPD system. I’d done a hundred miles in toeclips and my feet felt destroyed. Looking back it might easily have been a shoe issue.
After 20+ years clipped in I got a painful knee with little over 6 weeks before doing LEJOG. Switched to flats and the rest is history as they say. Flats for over three years now and I’ve no need or wish to go back. If I’ve lost anything in efficiency, which I don’t think I have, then I’ve gained an awful lot of freedom. Freedom to ride with anything I’m wearing, freedom of not having to buy specific shoes, freedom to wander off on a wee tour with one pair of footwear fulfilling my needs.
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Ontherivet77
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by Ontherivet77 »

Paulatic wrote: 2 Jul 2021, 2:02pm I can still remember why I bought in to the SPD system. I’d done a hundred miles in toeclips and my feet felt destroyed. Looking back it might easily have been a shoe issue.
After 20+ years clipped in I got a painful knee with little over 6 weeks before doing LEJOG. Switched to flats and the rest is history as they say. Flats for over three years now and I’ve no need or wish to go back. If I’ve lost anything in efficiency, which I don’t think I have, then I’ve gained an awful lot of freedom. Freedom to ride with anything I’m wearing, freedom of not having to buy specific shoes, freedom to wander off on a wee tour with one pair of footwear fulfilling my needs.
I think freedom sums up my attitude to it as well. The freedom to enjoy a bike ride without having to consider when and where I need to unclip to successfully negotiate traffic lights and such like.
swscotland bentrider
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by swscotland bentrider »

I've been using SPD's for years. I've got the tension backed right off and can pull a foot out easily if I want to. Never done so accidentally though. I've been following recent threads and am just about to fit mtb style pinned pedals to my wife bike. I'll be interested to see how she likes them. They could well be the future for me as I do like the idea of being able to walk and cycle in the same shoes. :)
Darkman
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by Darkman »

Do the flat/pinned pedals wreck your shoes?

I moved to SPD-SL from flats a few months back (dropped it twice, both driveside). I don't feel confident at all clipping in at junctions, especially on busy roads, and I've totally shied away from steep hills because that's where I came off trying to get clipped in. I feel that they're really putting me off cycling, though I do appreciate the better control/power. But the negatives seem to outweigh the positives, for me, at least.
Jdsk
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by Jdsk »

A couple of things that I've learned from other discussions:

• Some people seem very happy with the grip and power transmission that's available with flat pedals.

• Not having the foot restrained reduces pain for some people.

Jonathan

(I rode with toe clips and straps for most of my life. My daughter persuaded me to try single-sided SPDs and I'm very happy with them. They're set loose and I unclip a lot in town. My wife uses plastic toe shovels.)
rotavator
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Re: Flat Pedals vs Clipless

Post by rotavator »

Darkman wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 11:43am Do the flat/pinned pedals wreck your shoes?
I have been using pinned flat pedals (DMR V8s) on one of my bikes for about a year with Specialized shoes and there is not any major damage visible on the soles yet. Incidentally, MTBers rate shoes by 5-10 because they give excellent grip on pinned pedals so I think I will get some of them next time round. There is plenty of discussion on which are the best shoes for flat pedals on STW website forum.
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