Clipless or flats??

Dukey86

New Member
Founding Member
Jan 21, 2018
23
25
Yorkshire
Who rides clipless on their e-bike? Personally I don’t see the need on an ebike I ride big flats with five ten shoes but I could be wrong!
 

Rob Rides EMTB

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Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 14, 2018
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Surrey, UK
Five tens and
876E3FFD-E733-4433-B778-A248923359E4.jpeg
 
E

EddieJ

Guest
Clipless all the way for me. Flats are just a complete pain for the bulk of my riding.


I prefer to be clipped in, and flats whenever I have tried them, just cause too much hassle in respect of pedal strike on the many of the narrow gully type sections of riding that I do. I also just don't like the look of them, and find them ugly.

pdm9000.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Doomanic

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Founding Member
Jan 21, 2018
8,730
10,395
UK
“Trail pedal”?

Do you mean these?
IMG_2852.JPG

If so, they are a bit harder to clip back in to because of the studs but offer more grip when not clipped in and more support all the time because of the larger platform.
 

Kiwi in Wales

Short cranks rule!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Patreon
Founding Member
Jan 24, 2018
1,241
1,589
Carmarthen, Wales
Always been a flat man but that is purely down to me having a dodgy ankle due to a snowboarding accident a number of decades ago and I can’t twist out of the clips even set on the lightest setting ☹️

I have ‘Gone down with the ship attached’ cart wheeling down the track too many times and it was not a nice experience. That was on a non engined bike so for my situation I can only see it being a lot worse on an ebike with all that extra weight effectively on top of you ?

I get along just fine on flats even on road bikes. As I have been forced into the situation, I have adapted to it and all is good in the hood ?????

Safety Warning: Due to me inserting longer stainless steel pins in certain positions on the pedals you really need to use shin pads for obvious reasons.

Clipless or flats? Its all down to individual preferences and circumstances.

Me? Flats all the way

FD33E530-95E1-44E3-A2A3-B27BD15FFA68.jpeg 51D017FD-166F-4E97-BF09-878BF5B8CEC4.jpeg
 
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Eckythump

Well-known member
Founding Member
Jan 16, 2018
832
680
North Yorkshire
Have Hope F20 flats on my ebike which are great but think they will be getting changed after I tried OneUp Component pedals on my regular bike. The OneUp pedals with pins are as thin as just the body of the Hopes and are a little narrower which helps with ground clearance.
I used to ride clipless, would get fed up with the mechanism bunging up with mud in winter, the final straw was when I twisted my ankle and I couldn’t ride with my foot clipped in. Went on flats with the obligatory 5Tens and never went back. Was tempted when a couple of friends tried CB Mallets like Jonas just suggested with the more open design mech.
4874283A-2519-4186-BB32-012E8B4093F2.jpeg
BABCE2B0-B6ED-476D-86A1-BAA4B56F789F.jpeg
 

Kiwi in Wales

Short cranks rule!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Patreon
Founding Member
Jan 24, 2018
1,241
1,589
Carmarthen, Wales
Have Hope F20 flats on my ebike which are great but think they will be getting changed after I tried OneUp Component pedals on my regular bike. The OneUp pedals with pins are as thin as just the body of the Hopes and are a little narrower which helps with ground clearance.
I used to ride clipless, would get fed up with the mechanism bunging up with mud in winter, the final straw was when I twisted my ankle and I couldn’t ride with my foot clipped in. Went on flats with the obligatory 5Tens and never went back. Was tempted when a couple of friends tried CB Mallets like Jonas just suggested with the more open design mech.
View attachment 277 View attachment 278
Those Oneups look well tasty ?
 

JonasH

Active member
Founding Member
Jan 23, 2018
169
104
Norway
“Trail pedal”?

Do you mean these?
View attachment 271
If so, they are a bit harder to clip back in to because of the studs but offer more grip when not clipped in and more support all the time because of the larger platform.
“Trail pedal”?

Do you mean these?
View attachment 271
If so, they are a bit harder to clip back in to because of the studs but offer more grip when not clipped in and more support all the time because of the larger platform.
6023778F-7734-40D2-B1CE-DCF5E6255DBC.jpeg
 
E

EddieJ

Guest
No idea about the CB set up, but I've never had any issues with spd's.

Sometimes, I just have too much time on my hands! If you can't get what you want, then do your own. :)

P1000544ed1.jpg
 

Eckythump

Well-known member
Founding Member
Jan 16, 2018
832
680
North Yorkshire
Hi,

In general which are easiest/quickest to click into SPD or CB ?
The Crank Bros egg beater style have an open design which has far less issue with mud, you don’t have to be quite so accurate on foot position to clip in and they generally offer more side to side ‘float’ which is an advantage if you have iffy knees. ( no advantage with Mallets or E Mallets as the pins hold your feet in position once clipped in) big downside is you cannot adjust the release tension like you can with SPD’s and as mentioned reliability & aftersales can be a problem.
 

Kernow

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Founding Member
Jan 18, 2018
1,436
1,149
Cornwall uk
I’ve used shimano spd for years. I really struggle on flats . I’ve noticed quite a few decent downhill and enduro riders will change between flats and clips depending on the type of riding
 

kcarbon

Member
Founding Member
Feb 3, 2018
241
140
australia
I'm used to Flats, I have some Crank Brothers, look like most of the alloy flats in these pic's and have needle bearings they spin free and easy. seem strong too , foot have never slipped on them so Happy.
 

PeteIOM

Member
Founding Member
Mar 11, 2018
135
98
Isle of Man
Clipless on all... when it gets hard and all will is lost I can pull my legs in all manor of directions to get them pedals turning :LOL:
 

ccrdave

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Founding Member
Jan 16, 2018
1,421
1,125
uk
I just got a pair of saints they are very nice matched with shimano shoes probably the eisest clipping/ unclipping i have had
 

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