Do you ride clipped in pedals on your Emtb?

[Gary]

This isn't meant to be a flats vs clips discussion (they're both absolutely fine) I'm just Interested to know who rides which pedals and why.
Me. I can ride SPDs fine (always do on my roadbike and occasionally on a winter hardtail) but prefer not to unless I'm on a fixed (for pedalling) height seatpost. I've just always found flat pedals to be more fun and they allow me to ride looser more stylishly and get away with being sketchier on them.
Just wondering other riders thoughts as E-bikes are a bit different.

Leave a comment if you chose "other"

 

[njn]

Rode flats for a few rides to see if I would like it, right back to spds.

 

[Ade]

Flats all the way for me, The thought of clipping in fills me with fear and dread

 

[Doomanic]

Clips all the way for me, The thought of shredding my shins fills me with fear and dread.

 

[mtbnorth]

Use Deity TMAC's, best pedals I've ever had. Superior to other flat pedals due to the concavity and design. Initially used XTR Trails but didn't like them compared to the TMAC's

 

[Seric]

Use CB Mallet, and before that I used Shimano XT. The mallets are great, ones I got the shoes that fit to them. Had a pair of fiveten spd shoes that got "stuck" in the pedals and was PITA to get loose from. Using Mavic Crossmax shoes now, and it works great.

Been having a few rides now with flats as it is still some snow in the forest here. Clips tends to get cloged with dirt and snow, so wintertime I do prefere flats.

 

[Kernow]

Always Clipped in until I tried to ride the first section of the uk gravity series at the weekend , I think skis and an spd seat may have been more suitable , or rocket boots to get me out of there

 

[comtn]

Clips but only because I don't want to worry about losing the pedals when I go into the choppy gnar. Not needed to gain a pedaling advantage thats for sure. I don't lay into the pedals that hard with the assist.

 

[Gary]

Always Clipped in until I tried to ride the first section of the uk gravity series at the weekend , I think skis and an spd seat may have been more suitable , or rocket boots to get me out of there

That's my local. I'll be down that way tomorrow afternoon. You still around?

 

[Kernow]

That's my local. I'll be down that way tomorrow afternoon. You still around?

No back home today , completely knackered from a weeks riding and 2 days marshalling on the steep stages , lovely place Innerleithen

 

[Doomanic]

Was your daughter racing? How did she get on?

 

[Kernow]

Was your daughter racing? How did she get on?

Daughter had second and her boyfriend won the senior men So 2 podiums made the journey worth while ?

 

[StuR]

Used SPDs for many years on various bike incarnations and can definitely see the benefits.
I just prefer flats now when it's techy and steep. Probably a safety blanket thing as ive had some butt clenching moments not unclipping in time.
Ive just continued that logic on Emtb.

 

[Pottsy]

Flats.
Good enough for Pros, good enough for me.
Like to be able to get feet down when I need too.

Pottsy

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Have tried both, prefer flats now feels like I have more control over technical stuff. Also I fall off a fair bit. I prefer being able to be catapulted from the bike without having to think about releasing my clips ?

 

[Gary]

flats now feels like I have more control over technical stuff

You don't. but I know what you mean. When I ride clipped in I ride as if I'm on flats. The only difference is my foot can't slide over the pedal. On technical descents this tires my feet. You definitely have to be far more precise riding clipped in though. Which for me kills the fun factor.

sorry. I wasn't going to get into a discussion about clips V flats. My bad.

 

[Tamas]

I used to ride SPDs for a long time but in the last five years, I'm riding flats on all my MTBs (Nukeproof Horizon on my ebike) with FiveTen shoes. My technique improved a lot with them and they are just more convenient for me. I see even less reason to ride SPDs on an ebike.
If Sam Hill could win EWS on flats then they are good enough for me too...

 

[Kendoji]

SPuDs all the way, all the time.

 

[Tori]

I have Deity TMAC's on my Turbo Levo . . . my previous mountain bikes I always ran SPD's (they were all hardtails or full rigid).

However, after having a few years off MTB and in the interim doing a heap of dirt biking . . . I feel much more comfortable on technical rocky stuff and just generally at speed, without clip ins. I like to throw a leg out to weight the front wheel and help on cornering on the dirt bike, and I find myself doing the same a lot on the Levo . . . which I just couldn't do when I'm clipped in.

A lot of the local riding here is just trails we are making through the wilderness . . . no berms etc, lots of sharper flat corners, and being able to get a leg out really helps control on these.

EDIT : I would add, my shins and lower legs look pretty cut up I didn't have that problem with SPD's . . .

 

[Darb1972]

Thats great, good on yas

 

[Darb1972]

Never never never will i put spds shoes on my feet.
Once carried out the classic manoeuvre of keeling over to my right,into oncoming traffic because it wouldnt release from pedal.
Put my hand on wing of a transit as it skidded to a stop.
Massive amount of unannounced anal leakage ensued.
Nope, not for me.

 

[Slowroller]

There is no downside to using flats, especially on an ebike.

 

[Doomanic]

There is no downside to using flats, especially on an ebike.

If you come from a BMX background that may be true, but some of us prefer to keep our skin on our shins (and I’m not very good at that, even with SPDs...)

 

[Gary]

Keeping your feet on a flat pedal is just a skill. like any skill in life some are naturally more talented than others. but even then practice makes perfect.

it's funny how almost every mtber who makes an analogy towards BMX has clearly ridden very very little BMX

 

[Doomanic]

Wasn’t that my point?

I’ve never ridden BMX. I can’t bunny hop without SPDs and I hate jumping without them. I don’t possess nearly enough arsed to learn how to ride flats now and I’m very happy with my SPDs.

 

[Slowroller]

It's no harder to learn to ride on flats than it is for people to learn to ride clipless. With sticky shoes and decent pedals, you won't bounce out and rake your shins, I never have and I've never been on a bmx bike

I won't be going back, it's safer and way more fun.

 

[Gary]

Yeah. it has absolutely nothing to do with what biking background you have. We all started on flat pedals. for me that's 46 years ago and BMX wasn't invented yet. I don't ever use sticky soled shoes and haven't slipped a pedal once in well over a decade.

 

[Doomanic]

But I’ve already learned how to ride SPDs...

I think we will just have to agree to disagree and before anyone else mentions good enough for Sam Hill, if any of us were that good we wouldn’t be mentioning him in the first place.

 

[Gary]

Strictly speaking pulling up on SPD pedals isn't really a bunny hop at all.
It's absolutely fine not wanting to learn. But if you did it would actually improve your riding technique in SPDs too.

 

[Gary]

I think we will just have to agree to disagree

Disagree about what? As I said in the first post of this thread. It isn't meant to be a clips Vs flats discussion. I just find it interesting to know riders reasons for their choice.
Maybe you missed it but I ride both SPDs and flats and have even been known to clip in on my BMX. Both style of pedals have their merits, foybles, advantages and disadvantages.