What are you riding with - Flats vs Clips?

What are you riding with - Flats vs Clips?

  • Flats

    Votes: 89 70.1%
  • Clips

    Votes: 38 29.9%

  • Total voters
    127

MinusPrevious

Well-known member
Sep 5, 2019
355
298
So.Cal
Yeah, Been on the flats now for a month or so. My shins have healed LOL.

But, foot placement on the pedals is not always consistent as i my left foot ball got a bit numb on my last ride (it was too far to the rear)

Inconsistent Foot Placement is a downside for me!
 

Aragaiki

New Member
Dec 24, 2019
18
8
Chile, San Pedro de la Paz
In a nomal Mtb, cleapless give you more power especially in climbing but in eMtb that is not so important. I believe with flats I can attack harder and push the limits of my emtb, because you are riding faster and have less time to react. So I feel more confortable and safer on Flat.
Cleapless might appear to have one clear benefit when it comes to riding rougher sections — they literally keep your foot attached to the pedal — but using the right technique “on flats pedals“ you can keep your feet firmly planted. All you need to do is drop your heels when riding a rough section, which also has the additional benefit of improving braking tractionI.
So just get a good pair of Five Ten MTB flat shoes or similar, descent pedals and drop your heels for safer riding.
“Heavy feets, light hand” said Brian Lopez...
 

Madmatt75

Member
Nov 22, 2018
43
58
London
I use FUNN mamba pedals. Flat one side and clipless on the other. I can ride clipped in then if I need to flip the pedal over and ride on flat side. Best of both.
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Dec 14, 2019
1,964
2,367
Scotland
I use FUNN mamba pedals. Flat one side and clipless on the other. I can ride clipped in then if I need to flip the pedal over and ride on flat side. Best of both.

I have the same, and have been using them for about 3 years now. I’m on my second set.

What I am finding more and more is that my SPD shoes (I have 5:10’s for summer, and a pair of Northwave hideous boots for winter!) have such hard soles that they don’t really grip too well on the non clip side.

I like to unclip for technical sections I’m not too sure about... or if it’s really slippy / boggy and I’m likely to have to put a foot down. I feel my feet slide about if I’m not clipped in.

I’m tempted to try a grippier pair of flat shoes and see how I get on with that. I was looking at a pair of 5:10 Impacts.
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
I think if you are used to clips, going to flats can be bit of a learning curve in terms of weighting the pedals to make sure your feet dont come off.

I remember a few years back I had been doing a fair bit of velodrome riding, and went out on my MTB, hit a small jump and found my feet coming off the pedals as I had totally forgot I want clipped in.
 

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