Can't do flat pedals.

[Jackware]

Yes but what brand and type of flipflops are best?

What pedals was he using with how may pins?

And finally just in case - can you get SPD flipflops?

 

[Gary]

Eddie told you

*look for yourself

Not Flipflops. but Shimano do SPD sandals

*You'll be astounded

 

[Stihldog]

And finally just in case - can you get SPD flipflops?

If I see someone with spd-flip flops I would only criticize their water bottle.

 

[R120]

But you can get flat pedal specific flip flops

Men's Coaster

The men's Coaster is the ultimate mountain bike slider that provides comfort after a long mountain bike ride

rideconcepts.com

 

[Gary]

Pause the video above at around 2:06 when Eddie jumps the table and flattens his whips out towards the camera and cadge a look at his pedals from below.

 

[R120]

I would sum it up as not being able to ride flats is about technique and not being able to ride clips is more of a mental block.

Then again I grew up using toe clips on my MTB, once you have done that anything is an improvement!

 

[smtkelly]

I'm the other end I like flats (started with BMX) I've used spd's and would like to run them again but found the twisting or up pull motion aggravates my knee.

Its worth mentioning just like SPD's a good pair of shoes goes along way to how flats feel. Like most I started with using trainers/van for years they worked ok, then five ten mtb shoes they tack nicely to the pedal, but I hated how bulky they were, esp how they turned into sponges in the wet and really shit to walk up steep sections in. They fell apart after years and I bought some Five Ten Trailcross XT Mountain Bike Shoes same sticky sole in a far better package. I was apprehensive given the price but I wouldn't part with them now.

My advice is start small before bunny hopping, try just plain hopping (both wheels same time in the air). Remember to wedge yourself between your bars and pedals. By wedge I mean positive pressure to all your contact points like a climber scaling a gap. Tilt the nose of the pedals down some to give the pins a better chance. Push into the bike then draw up keeping that positive pressure on the bars contact points. Try small lifts go on from there.

 

[Shinn]

Yes but what brand and type of flipflops are best?

What pedals was he using with how may pins?

And finally just in case - can you get SPD flipflops?

I wear chongs from Chaco, awesome flip flops with Vibram soles and had a pair of shimano spd sandals years ago - they too were awesome and perfect for bar hopping in Colorado on my white walled townie bike, complete with chrome fenders and a basket - yep, I had clipless peds on a beach cruiser...

 

[Shinn]

I would sum it up as not being able to ride flats is about technique and not being able to ride clips is more of a mental block.

Then again I grew up using toe clips on my MTB, once you have done that anything is an improvement!

Agreed - my technique is horrible and its from many, many years of clipless pedals. I have a pair of 510's and running some crappy flat pedals from haibike. Might try some better flats before I totally give up.

I still have some old straps from my toe clips of yesteryear, they are actually still useful - Just not on pedals.

 

[Shinn]

I'm the other end I like flats (started with BMX) I've used spd's and would like to run them again but found the twisting or up pull motion aggravates my knee.

Its worth mentioning just like SPD's a good pair of shoes goes along way to how flats feel. Like most I started with using trainers/van for years they worked ok, then five ten mtb shoes for they tack nicely to the pedal, but I hated how bulky they, were esp how they turned into sponges in the wet and really shit to walk up steep sections in. They fell apart after years and I bought some Five Ten Trailcross XT Mountain Bike Shoes same sticky sole in a far better package. I was apprehensive given the price but I wouldn't part with them down.

My advice is start small before bunny hopping, try just plain hopping (both wheels same time in the air). Remember to wedge yourself between your bars and pedals. By wedge I mean positive pressure to all your contact points like a climber scaling a gap. Tilt the nose of the pedals down some to give the pins a better chance. Push into the bike then draw up keeping that positive pressure on the bars contact points. Try small lifts go on from there.

Your advice actually makes sense and I've watched a number of videos on the subject. Thanks, as a long time climber who hated chimney's your example made my heart skip a beat.

FWIW the crank bros seem to have have more float than the spd's. keep in mind that is a non scientific comparison.

 

[Shinn]

I thought I was done spending money on my rig for a while, now I gotta buy some new flats.

This place is becoming costly influence.

 

[Eddy Current]

I genuinely find it amazing when I hear folk with expensive bikes say they can't ride them without being attached to the pedals.
Mindblowing infact.



Unlike Skiing or snowboarding no one learned to ride a bike with their feet clipped to it

Clips came from road to xc and then to enduro. They are developed for pedal efficency. Happens that also works well on technical ride but as many pointed here being clipped is not the hard way and flat the easy way, is the opposite. kinda cheating like 29ers. Magnetic pedals should evolve among specific shoes and it that might be a good compromise. Loose your feet off the pedal is not cool I recognize It

 

[Gary]

Magnetic pedals have their place but they're a kinda worst of both worlds option for a skilled rider. Offering less precision than clips but less freedom than flats.
Clips and 29" wheels aren't cheating.. They're simply an option with different benefits but don't forget the drawbacks both have over the alternative. .

 

[Andy.M]

you brought skiing in the discussion
I guess I am useless at mountain biking then. Oh well, I had hopes it was ok to use SPD to be considered as an ok mountain bikers. But hey, one can be wrong and just admit their inferiority.

I'll just delete my account here, thanks for the ride (ski ride of course, can't bike, not good enough)

I enjoy riding my bike. I ride local bridleways, paths, roads, single tracks in the woods.
I don't bunny hop or jump or visit all out bike parks. Did I say I enjoy my rides?
I use what I call normal pedals, entry level DMR's (believe the cool guys call them flats). I wear bog standard trainers.
Did I tell you I really enjoy riding my bike?


Incidentally, why are clipless pedals so called when they actually clip your feet to the pedal? and what happens mid corner when you wash out out a bit and automatically stab your foot down to save the day?

 

[R120]

They are called clipless, because back in the day they where an alternative to riding with Toe Clips, hence by using SPD's you where going clipless.

 

[The Hodge]

I enjoy riding my bike. I ride local bridleways, paths, roads, single tracks in the woods.
I don't bunny hop or jump or visit all out bike parks. Did I say I enjoy my rides?
I use what I call normal pedals, entry level DMR's (believe the cool guys call them flats). I wear bog standard trainers.
Did I tell you I really enjoy riding my bike?


Incidentally, why are clipless pedals so called when they actually clip your feet to the pedal? and what happens mid corner when you wash out out a bit and automatically stab your foot down to save the day?

Don't know about anyone else..but I automatically unclip and put my foot down ..it just comes naturally after 20 years of riding clipless..
Not all pedals are the same though and I've never used the Shimano ( spd's) system ..preferring the Time pedal which gives more float and by all accounts is easier to engage / disengage ..

 

[Marley]

Surprised no mention of egg beaters.
Good points being made but I'm strictly an XC rider only jumping logs.
The short period that I tried flats, felt disconnected from bike.

 

[Shinn]

I've been running their mallets, like them much better than SPD (personally). Just always seems to be one that doesn't unclip when I crash...

I agree in the uncomfortable feeling of not being connected to the bike.

 

[R120]

If I am on clips my preference is Time Atacs as I find they dont give me knee pain due to how I can set them up, never been a fan of Shimano system.

 

[Gary]

I've pretty much always used Shimano SPDs and am absolutely fine switching to then whenever I do but I just find flats a lot more fun to ride and not needing faffy cycling kit to jump on and ride a bike is also a bonus.
I also use them on my roadbike with touring SPD pedals instead of a road cleat specific system as it gives me a far wider choice of SPD style shoes to use. It means I can have road specific, AM, DH, skate style freeride/bmx all cleated up to choose from. TBH apart from on rollers indoors I rarely ever wear the road shoes even for long fully lycra'd up road rides as they make you walk like a duck which detracts attention from the elegant lines of my penis at cafe stops.

 

[racinghelmi]

Been riding with Shimano SPD's for over 20 years and thought I'd give flats a try on the Rail.
After only 1 ride, back to clipless as I found it to awkward.

As the saying goes.....can't teach an old dog new tricks.

I rode clipless on the road my whole life and did so when converting to MTB.2 years ago I crashed and got somehow trapped and my foot pointed in the opposite direction when I was on the ground. An open fraction and endless procedures and operations. Could bike again and first thing was flats. Shit can happen.

 

[Gary]

I broke and dislocated almost every bone in my left foot in 2002 from a heavy impact where I couldn't free my foot from a flat pedal. Operations and metalwork to rebuild, 9months in plaster and on crutches and years of physio. And it still gives me jip to this day.
Shit can and indeed does happen.

 

[Jeffsy29]

I rode several brands of SPDs mtbiking for nearly 20 years, ending w/ CrankBros Mallets, then went to flats. I've since converted my street bike to flats as well, mostly for convenience ( you can ride with *any* shoes on flats), not so SPDs.

One thing I do miss though about my Crank Bros Mallets - they offered a ton of rotational float. They allow your knee, shin, ankle and foot alignment angles to deviate slightly throughout the stroke cycle, putting less strain on your joints for those of us with issues. The Mallets were great at locking your foot onto the pedal in the right spot without thought (front/back and laterally), but you can still pivot many degrees without release.

With platforms I feel *more* locked in, once the foot is down, it's super-sticky and not going anywhere....but as an unintended consequence I never considered - ZERO float. You need to pick your foot up, reposition, try that for a few strokes, reposition, etc. until you get it right. I'm usually adjusting 2-3x after re-mounting on the bike. I find that if my foot isn't in the right spot fore/aft, or not pointing correctly (toe-in/toe-out) it can produce knee pain in even 1/2-1mi.

For those worried about feet coming off of platforms in the rough, I've only really had that happen when I'm not properly standing in ready-position and haven't fully weighted my pedals - absorbing with my legs as the 3rd suspension. I've had a foot inadvertently release out of the Mallets too once or twice, to be fair.

 

[Kent]

Been riding with Shimano SPD's for over 20 years and thought I'd give flats a try on the Rail.
After only 1 ride, back to clipless as I found it to awkward.

As the saying goes.....can't teach an old dog new tricks.

I used to ride clipless for three years, and moved to flats five years ago and never looked back.

 

[Mr-EPIC-3]

When I started MTB about 18 years ago, I used clipless as I was going along with all of my riding buddies that were saying clipless is the way.
But got the eMTB little over 2 years ago and went back to flats and Vans (Go old BMX days). I will never go back to clipless, just love riding with flats

 

[Shinn]

I broke and dislocated almost every bone in my left foot in 2002 from a heavy impact where I couldn't free my foot from a flat pedal. Operations and metalwork to rebuild, 9months in plaster and on crutches and years of physio. And it still gives me jip to this day.
Shit can and indeed does happen.

This is the reason I jumped into the discussion. It seems like there is always one foot that does not unclip in crashes for me. Last year I rolled over a stump still clipped in, nothing broke but I was terrified laying there worrying that I had - hurt like hell. Nothing ice and I Be Hurtin didn't fix though.

I'm gonna keep working on my technique with flats, and read thru the forums a bit on them before I order a better pair than what I have.

Glad to hear your getting along @racinghelmi and @Gary

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Yes there's a fair amount of technique involved in re-acquainting to go back to flat platform pedals.

However, don't underestimate the SHOES you're using - and the flat pedal profiles too (there's a lot of different types and they can make a difference).

As far as the flat pedals themselves are concerned, they come as literally flat, or concave, or symmetrical, twisted asymmetrical, thin or fat thickness profile, large or small step area, and plastic or metal body. Then there's plastic moulded pins (round or square) or metal pins, the number of pins, fat pins or thin pins (hypodermic shin mashers), and even the height of the pins can make a big difference. Don't think that more pins means more grip. The first generation BMX Shimano DX pedal if I recall correctly, had only four thin pins and they were the grippiest flat pedals I've ever used (but not necessarily liked)! No one can tell you which is the definitive "best" pedal of all time is - because we all have different feet. Crumbs, I sound like a salesman!

Over the years, I've come to know which type of pedal design gives me a good positive feel. Not just one particular pedal, mind you... I'm not THAT fussy - but I can tell by just one look if a pedal will suit me or not. Have tried so many types over the years. These days I prefer plastic body with metal pins.

But then... often overlooked is the SHOE itself. Road cyclists coming over from the clipless side of things are used to shoes that have very hard (or solid soles). Some (not all) SPD hybrid MTB shoes also have firm soles for added 'clipped-in' support. Many MTB specific shoes also have stiffer soles when compared to casual flat shoes or skateboardy shoes. Some flat pedal riders like their sole support firm, others like them soft (like walking shoes soft). For me, if the sole support is too firm I eventually get a sharp painful stitch right under my foot arch. Then there are those freaks than can ride'em with jandals (flip-flops)... I knew a guy once that can do jumps on flat pedals with bare feet!

But most important to consider is the material under sole and most especially the waffle pattern. I stay away from fancy and intricate patterns that are non-uniform. Those are designed for running (contact for the pavement) and so the pedal pins end up with a 'hit and miss' grab. Although I have a MTB specific pair of shoes for flat pedals, my favourite riding shoe is actually not cycling specific... firm sole support (but not too firm) but the under sole pattern is flat and uniform with no arch scallop - not hard rubber (pins don't push well into hard rubber) but not too gummy either.

Something to think about when transitioning to flat pedals. Hope it helps.

 

[Gary]

IMO sticky soled shoes like 5:10s and super grippy pedals are actually detrimental to learning good flat pedal technique.
Check out a lot of the most gifted/skilled technical jibbers, street riders, freeriders, dirt jumpers and cross over riders from bmx. These guys are way more skilled with their feet than trail, Enduro and DH riders and you'll notice a large percentage of them use normal skate shoes to allow their feet more freedom. While 99% of professional racers clip in.
Although I ride flats pretty much every day I actually prefer clipping in to 5:10s as I find that level of grip really restrictive.

 

[Shinn]

My BMX years were spent with peds similar to these and checkered Vans (of course). My mother would tell me they were dangerous and that I was going to get hurt.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

IMO sticky soled shoes like 5:10s and super grippy pedals are actually detrimental to learning good flat pedal technique.
Check out a lot of the most gifted/skilled technical jibbers, street riders, freeriders, dirt jumpers and cross over riders from bmx. These guys are way more skilled with their feet than trail, Enduro and DH riders and you'll notice a large percentage of them use normal skate shoes to allow their feet more freedom. While 99% of professional racers clip in.
Although I ride flats pretty much every day I actually prefer clipping in to 5:10s as I find that level of grip really restrictive.

Yes too much grip with too gummy soles is very off-putting for me too. When I plant my foot back on, I want to be able to move it in case it landed funny. I can't readjust quickly if the soles are too grippy.