I tried flat pedals yesterday

Frank

Frank

Sasquatch
There is certainly a period of adjustment involved when switching to flats. Until recently I struggled with going over larger logs, but I was fine with bunny hopping...go figure. Point is, you will find what works for you, for me it was switch or give up riding. Arthritis in both feet caused me too much pain using clipless as too much pressure was being put on the balls of my feet, now I ride with my feet way more forward on the pedal. I also ride with a a slightly lower saddle height as well. It took a little time for my muscles to get used to the new position, but you can easily adapt. I feel more power is being transferred as I’m using my hips more rather than my calves. If I should ride my roadie ever again, I will use flats on that as well.
 
Off The Road Again

Off The Road Again

Well-Known Member
After years of riding clipless, I switched to flats earlier this summer. At first, didn't like it, but I got tired of falling towards the 'still clipped in' side when teetering on log overs or rocky stuff so I'm going to keep them. Got the 5 10 shoes, which are real sticky, which makes it hard to adjust foot position while riding. Other drawback is now when I'm ramping up to go over a gnarly section I know I can clear, my feet fly off the pedals, and stops me dead. It's a learning curve - now I concentrate how to put my body weight on the correct angle of the pedal. I am looking forward to riding flats in the snow tho - no more snow-clogged pedals/cleats.
 
Ian F

Ian F

Well-Known Member
Like Monkey, I grew up on a BMX bike with flats, so riding them is instinctual for me. That said, clips make most things easier for me, so I generally use them for most riding. I do run clips for DH and trail riding once in awhile just for a change of pace, or for practice when I may need to race in muddy conditions.

When I get used to bunny hopping with clips, it does take me a bit to remember the muscle memory to hop correctly with flats. Often resulting in my arms killing me the next day.
 
Fat Trout

Fat Trout

Well-Known Member
Xler8 said:
Flats highlight flaws in your technique/approach/body position, call it what you may and if you take the time to work on those flaws, you’ll be surprised of the results.

Last time I rode at a DH Park I wore my clips and thought nothing of it. The last go around at a park was with flats and there were a couple sketchy sections where I found some separation between the bike and myself. I realized what I was doing, made some corrections and kept it as one unit. It is these corrections that go unoticed when clipped in.

Yes, to each is own, however I feel there is a learning curve with flats that can pay dividends even when clipped in.
Click to expand...

I dont disagree with you but for me it was an experiment I pulled the plug on. I bought a new bike in the last year as an upgrade and with it also bought a decent pair of flats with the intent of riding them to work on technique. Like some, I've been riding clipless a long time. The problem was i hated the flats and not just a little i hated them a lot. I didnt even want to ride i hated it so much. I managed, but it was more struggle and uncertainty that I wanted. Sometimes new tactics are fun and sometimes its just a lot of frustration. I snowboard and I started when I was 30 and would NEVER go through that learning process again. I tell people who ask about snowboarding for the first time they should just pay the money and throw themselves down a flight of stairs and go home....about the same. I could see the parallel in the flats where my brain asked....this is probably gonna hurt .... do you really want to commit to this?

For biking I like pushing it and really didn't want to tempt a big high speed crash over rough terrain. Admittedly I hadn't ridden with a good pair of five10's which I knew would make it better. That was the plan but in my mind this wasn't even close to being enjoyable so why waste the $. I also really didn't like needing to have my foot farther forward and the odd position my foot would end up in sometimes when it bounced and grabbed at an angle. I ride a lot of rocky technical stuff and enjoy doing that. I need a lot of focus and I was paying attention to my feet too much so i bailed on the experiment & will just use the flats in the winter/snow. In the end I'm a decent rider but I have a day job and have no dillusions of being a pro. I just want to have a good time and disconnect from the world for a while. I do give kudos to those who can tear it up in flats and agree it will probably solidify technique. However I'm good with being a cliped in hack :cool:
 
Monkey Soup

Monkey Soup

Angry Wanker
I think this new found enthusiasm for flats comes from either younger riders who never came up riding BMX or older riders new to biking. Flats help to teach you technique, but clip less is all about efficiency. So I’ll be pro-clear voice...

There’s a reason 99% of the top DH guys ride clipless. They’re faster. Those races are all about seconds, and if your foot slips off the flats while your pinballing down the course at mach-oh-shit, best case you loose a couple of seconds and lose, worse case you eat some serious shit. In cleats, the chances of your foot coming out in the gnar is greatly reduced, unless your kicked off line and twisting and contorting to save your life, in which case your going down no matter what your pedals are. When your climbing, going up those loose gnarly climbs where your back wheel is bouncing all over the place, every time your foot comes off the pedal, that’s effort wasted to get it back on and rolling again.

What’s it mean for us? There are rewards to be reaped moving to cleats. Over the course of a long ride, your going to be less fatigued by simply not having to stop when your foot comes out, especially while climbing. Even if your form is perfect, there is effort expended in keeping that form. With clips, you can focus more on turning circles and looking ahead. More important, it teaches you commitment. When you approach the gnar, you have to commit to standing up, heels down, and pedaling and pumping through the rocks rather than knowing you can put that foot down.
 
Ryan.P

Ryan.P

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I'm so glad I grew up riding bmx , when switching back and forth between clips and flats it takes about 5 min to acclimate myself and then it's not even a thought . I'd also disagree with the theory that being clipped in is more efficient or faster , maybe it feels that way for most especially if your only cycling experience has been with clipless. Damn this thread I might be going flats full time now . Let's not forget FLAT PEDALS WIN MEDALS
 
knobbyhead

knobbyhead

Next off the Island.
I rode clipless a long time, then went to flats last year with 510's. I'm having more fun with flats. I'll never win podiums.
 
Paul H

Paul H

Fearless OOS Poser
Shin strikes are real!
Get shin guards if riding flats

I ride clips and I give mad props to those who ride flats and can shred the gnarl cuz I wouldn't be able to do that.
Having said that, ride what you want and what you are comfortable with.
 
Paul H

Paul H

Fearless OOS Poser
Btw... bleeding from a crash is kinda cool but bleeding from a shin/calf strike while hiking a bike is just goofy lol
 
Tim

Tim

aka sptimmy43
Paul H said:
Btw... bleeding from a crash is kinda cool but bleeding from a shin/calf strike while hiking a bike is just goofy lol
Click to expand...

Indeed it is. However, you get really motivated to learn good form after a good shin strike. My shins looked like I tried to use a cheese grater on them last summer but I haven't slipped a pedal in almost a year now.
 
CrankAddictRich

CrankAddictRich

Well-Known Member
I remember when I first started, I was at the Jorba Jungle Habitat fest in 2016 and I had the pleasure of a solo ride with Jim Vreeland. It was probably my 3rd ride on an MTB and I was clipped in. I had already had the big fall that I referenced in my post on page 2. We were on the beginner trail at Habitat that goes around the parking lot and I was unclipping and walking around anything remotely technical... Jim asked me why I kept unclipping. He told me that I should switch to flats and that most MTB coaches would recommend riders stay on flats to learn skills and keep confidence up as I learned.. also suggested that anyone that said I wasn't a "real mountain biker" for using flats was an idiot. He also told me he wouldn't allow his son to switch to clipless unless he could ride all of 6 mile without putting a foot down, anywhere.

I've taken all of that advice to heart and I'm definitely a better mountain bike because of it. Thanks @jimvreeland
 
D

Dajerseyrat

Well-Known Member
Dont get me wrong, Im pretty proficient with clipless and do like the feel of them, however I feel there is terrain I could tackle a little bit more aggressively knowing I can just put my foot down easier without tipping over. Any falls I had with clipsless have been low speed tip overs trying to get out while getting stuck on a climb, or horsing around in the parking lot doing stationary hops and manuals..(aka, stuff Im not supposed to be doing at 45 years old..) Plus i really wanna try that log roll at 6 mile..
 
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