Switching from clipless to flats,shoes

[Cowsham]

I recon clipless ( never understood that term for clip in spd pedals / shoes ? Surely it should be clips or clip-in cos there's an actual clip involved ? I'd prefer to call them strapless if they have to be less anything ) are the main cause of broken collar bones in cycling.

[Bob999]

I am considering using flat pedals on my road bike - road bike as in mudguards and saddlebag, that is. My other bike is an MTB and I have had DMR flats on that for at least a decade and I can't recall slipping off it because of wet conditions, but then it has pins and I've always worn fairly chunky-soled trainers on it. With the road bike (generally half-day or day rides) I like the idea of lighter footwear and also being able to wear ordinary shoes without gouging holes in the soles, which is what I imagine would happen with pins although I have never put it to the test.

If you use flat pedals without toeclips, I'd be very interested to learn what footwear you use - thin soles? firmer soles? doesn't matter? - and whether you use pins on the pedals.

Currently I have platform pedals and clips, unfortunately I can't just remove the clips as the pedal is very slippy. My leather cycling shoes are near the end of their life so am considering my options but am not interested in trying SPDs again.

Thank you.

[Jdsk]

Recent discussion:
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=142490

Jonathan

[Brucey]

it rather depends on what you think the soles on 'ordinary shoes' are made of and what kind of pins/serrations you think might be required for acceptable grip. I'm not sure that anyone can really answer that apart from you, can they...?

cheers

[Bob999]

it rather depends on what you think the soles on 'ordinary shoes' are made of and what kind of pins/serrations you think might be required for acceptable grip. I'm not sure that anyone can really answer that apart from you, can they...?

True, but there is always something to learn and maybe change my understanding, which is why I am interested in what other people on this forum use, I'm not really asking people to solve everything for me!

[Bob999]

Recent discussion:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=142490

Jonathan

Thanks, I hadn't found that

[Brucey]

fair point. FWIW one of my chums uses MKS gamma pedals and they seem to be a good compromise for use with their 'ordinary shoes'.

cheers

[Paulatic]

If you use flat pedals without toeclips, I'd be very interested to learn what footwear you use - thin soles? firmer soles? doesn't matter? - and whether you use pins on the pedals.

I switched totally to DMR on all my bikes nearly three years ago. All my specific cycling shoes were near end of life so I didn’t bother removing cleats and using them.
In the three years I’ve worn cheap £30 trainers, walking shoes, and wellies and not noticed any damage from spikes. In the summer I often wear Birkenstocks and have done a few miles to the shops in them but something tells me I wouldn’t risk that cork sole on day after day riding.

what I imagine would happen with pins although I have never put it to the test.

Stop imagining, get some experience and use your own judgement built on that experience. The walking shoes I use are light 'approach shoes' but the soles are firm and not spongey.

[zenitb]

If you use flat pedals without toeclips, I'd be very interested to learn what footwear you use - thin soles? firmer soles? doesn't matter? - and whether you use pins on the pedals.
Thank you.

I am primarily an SPD cyclist because I have learnt how to click in and out instinctively now .. even to the extent of twisting when I lift off from flats !!

However I think non-SPD cycling has something to be said for it and I "canal commuted" 14 miles a day for 3 years in army boots. One thing that I do think you need when cycling is a stiff sole and the army boots gave this and also were fine with "pins". I initially used generic Welgo "DX style" pedals .. these were terribly sealed, water getting into the bearings very easily, so I ended up with the well sealed Shimano Saint MX80 pedals, and the pins made some minor pits in the "commando" sole of the army boot but in the scheme of things this hasn't been an issue.. the sole is thick enough to take it, and once the "micro holes" are there the pins go back there each time. I commuted 5 days a week, all year in these, including snow - I kept them polished and they were really weatherpoof. I never got wet feet no matter how many muddy deep puddles there were on the canal (rider: I have mudguards and mudflaps on the bike as well). My trousers at work covered up the lace up area so they just looked like normal shoes to most people. Of course there was no faff at work changing shoes, I just got off the bike and sat down at my desk.

HM Supplies Army Boots

Shimano Saint MX80 Pedals

Because the army boots were so waterproof, and actually reasonably breathable if its not too hot, I have considered cycle camping with them.. although so far I have only cycle camped in SPDs I could see that the general purpose boots would be quite good for the sort of tour where you are locking up your bike and wandering round looking at the sights .. and also tramping round a muddy campsite. I do quite a bit of sight seeing on my tours and the "click/click" of SPDs can be an issue...

Recently i went back to SPDs for commuting (and then had to change shoes at work) but I have double sided Shimano PD-324 pedals on the bike so if I want to just pop into town I can wear normal shoes - typically my Brasher Country Classics that have a stiff sole and a grippy tread .. working well with the traditional cage on the Shimano PD-M324 pedals non-spd side. You could just get pedals that are cages on both sides rather than having SDPs of course ...

Brasher Country Classic walking shoe

Shimano PD-M324

My "army boot" experience is aslo shown here http://zenit-b.blogspot.com/2017/09/cyc ... ments.html

I cant vouch for any shoe fashion issues. I am sure all my shoe choices are deeply unfashionable

[mikeymo]

DMR V12s:

https://www.dmrbikes.com/Catalogue/Pedals/V12-2/V12

and five ten Freerider (I think) canvas. They make smarter Freeriders.

My foot never shifts. I can't see much damage to the soles.

You might get away with them for work. Depending where you work.

[colin54]

I've been using Wellgo V8 copies & a set of Shimano Saints as mentioned above, I was tempted by MKS Lambda (the long figure of 8 pedals), but whilst reading up on them a while back I came across these MKS RMX 'sneaker pedals' on the Rivendell site, I bought into their cunning ad copy and bought a couple of pairs
from Germany on ebay to try out (the postage is expensive). I like them, no pin to shin rash and seem grippy enough for me on rough ground & the usual MKS high quality. I've just ordered another couple of pairs from the same supplier to fit to my other bikes, a bit thin on the ground in the UK though.
I've never found that pinned pedals damage trainers or walking shoes particularly.
https://www.rivbike.com/products/mks-rmx-sneaker-pedals

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MKS-Pedale-R ... %7Ciid%3A1