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I have some coaching booked and want to start learning to manual.
I have been riding clipless for a decade but think flats might be better for this.
I have some shoes (Shimamo GR9), what pedals could I pair them with?
Cheers,
Mick
Nukeproof Neutron.
Dmr v11 or Plastic Burgtec’s.
There seem to be lots of good plastic flats around now that are cheap - but how soon is the coaching? If you’ve been on clips for a decade it could take you a lot of hours to get comfortable on flats!
Deity Deftraps. Love mine. So much nicer underfoot than the Burgtec plastics on my other bike, which feel tiny and tall now.
As has been said, Nukeproof Neutron/Electron Evo: https://slam69.co.uk/products/nukeproof-neutron-evo-electron-evo-flat-pedals
Ball of your foot over the inner front pin, heavy feet/light hands and you'll be fine. It's really not that hard - it's not like anyone learns to ride a bike as a kid on clipless pedals..!
Plastic Nukeproofs. Bought some as a quick temporary solution a few years ago expecting them to explode/disintegrate pretty quickly and here I am 3/4 years down the line still using them. Will buy another set when these die. Been a flat pedal user all my life and these are the best I've used.
What shoe size are you?
+1 for Plastic Nukeproofs
work really well with Shimano GR7s I use (which will be the same sole as the GR9s)
I’ve had a mix of plastic and metal pedals. Currently running Nukeproof Horizon Sam Hills on my hardtail and by far the best pedal I’ve ever used.
Another +1 for plastic Nukeproofs. Bought them because cheap as a temporary measure but haven't felt the need to change.
I've never had proper flat shoes either - just use the worn out fellrunners i have a steady supply of.
One thing I find bizarre is that people seem to want the grippiest combo of shoe and pedal. I’ve had combos like that and I find that if you can’t move your feet on the pedals it’s just as hard as when it’s too slippy. It seems a few people coming from SPD want to feel attached to the pedals, but it’s the position on the bike and your technique that stops you bouncing off the pedals. Brake levers almost flat (not in line with arms) puts your weight back and angles the pedals back a bit, this makes your weight push into the pedals over bumps rather than being bounced off.
I never used to have an issue with grippy pedals when I rode BMX and all we had was some cheap airwalks or DCs and Wellgo DX copies. I don’t particularly like big pedals nowadays, I run DMR V8s and am gutted they have changed them now and are bigger units!
“ It’s really not that hard – it’s not like anyone learns to ride a bike as a kid on clipless pedals..!”
I think there’s a (small?) percentage of clips riders whose technique relies on being clipped in and they have quite a shock when they’re on a pedal that doesn’t allow them to pull. I imagine you’d rapidly learn if you’re one of those!
Yeah, I have previously dabbled and have flats on my "family rides/school-run/pub bike hardtail".
Not being clipped in is pretty scary when you are used to it. I'm hoping getting the right shoes/pedals will help this time.
Mick
I think there’s a (small?) percentage of clips riders whose technique relies on being clipped in and they have quite a shock when they’re on a pedal that doesn’t allow them to pull. I imagine you’d rapidly learn if you’re one of those!
That was me about 5 years ago.
I'd never worried about my feet riding SPDs and my technique was shite. It was so bad that when I first tried flats I used to slip off the pedals changing gear!
I nearly gave up after constantly slipping pedals and cutting shins and calves. I'm glad I stuck with it though. I feel much more confident on technical stuff than I ever did on SPDs
I've been using DMR Vaults for over 10 years now. I guess I like them.
As mentioned above, maximum grip isn't always as good as it sounds. It's nice to be able to wriggle your feet around on the pedals if you need to correct your placement. This is pretty difficult in Five Tens on grippy pedals.
I said in the shoe thread I prefer my Giro Jackets to my Impacts for some riding because they have less grip. They're my choice of shoe for the DJ bike, pedalling around and everything but DH days or uplifts.
There's also the possibility that it doesn't even matter. I learned to ride in the 90's on whatever crap pedal and shoe combo I had at the time and used to be way more adventurous then than I am now.
Yeah I remember pedalling my £200 Muddy Fox in trainers and the supplied plastic pedals. Had a few moments when my feet used to slip off.
Not a good time to be looking for pedals, prices have rocketed. How about - https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PEEGTOR/el-guapo-toro-flat-pedal
(Same as Carboncycles ones.)
Been using some wellgo magnesium flats for a while off and on.
Finding it hard to re learn the basics on flats after over a decade on SPD's but quite like the challenge and knowing it will help in the long term. Bunny hopping is fine, it's small jumps and big roots that just bounce me up off the bike, and much less power on hills. No amount of grip will stop that; its just re learning the technique.
At the moment I try to do one ride a week on flats. Longer xc ride on SPD's.
I'd put that above stuff like V12's size wise and into a larger platform pedal.
I'm only 41/42 and find the kids V12's only just big enough (other than doing DJ)
Even at my 41-42 I'm OK with a big pedal like a superstar nano/vault size.
I don't really know your shoes but you might want to consider the opposite of what you might expect coming from SPD's
That is ability to reposition your foot.
Certainly with the 5 10 rubber and my superstars this is way less than SPD's or CB clipped in.
You will have next to ZERO play... without lifting your foot.
Going along further I'll tell you something you'll probably need to convince yourself of...
when you are used to clips and you put your foot down it will probably feel totally wrong .... and lead to a desire to place it "correctly".... leading to lack of being ready for whatever ahead because your thinking about your foot position. (This is a bit self perpetuating if you stop for something looks a bit challenging)
What I can tell you is 5mm either way makes no odds once you just accept it even though it feels SO WRONG at first but honestly you need to convince yourself (maybe just remember what I typed).
If you want to ride flats (or both) then I'm really saying persist on this. At least for me it was a huge block for ages. Now I don't even think of it.
Yeah I think I am better at positioning my feet now (or accepting not perfect position).
I put some plastic DMR ones on my HT for the school-run, just so I could use normal footwear (5:10 approach shoes so still sticky). I used to spend ages repositioning my feet but aren't aware of doing it any more. I think this will help my transition.
I'm watching this thread. I've been riding clipped in for at least 15 years, and on the rare occasion that I ride my sons bike my feet get bounced off the pedals a lot, feels like being high-sided on a motorbike; riding flat pedals is something I'd really like to relearn.
Had DMR's since about 99(?)and always been happy with the grip/reposition balance.
Recently got the latest Burgtec Mk5 penthouse flats and I'll be buying them from now on.
What about cheap shoes for a temporary flats user?
Not those On One shoes they look like they should be photographed in first class on a jumbo jet.
That Ryan Leech flat pedal challenge came out at the same time as I got my first flats. Helped a lot, for the big bike it's flats all the way.
Personally, I like 5:10's on Chromag Synths.
I'm about to go down this path too after two and a half decades on clips due to a knee injury. I have some DMR Vaults and Ride Concepts shoes on their way.
I have been running Saint clips and Shimano AM9 shoes for the last couple of years with the cleats pushed all the way back, so the foot position is more flat-esque. I'm hoping this will help at least bit.
One-Up components flat pedal for me, nice and slim, good outside pins and solid feeling.
I like my superstar Nano Evo’s - plenty of grip and they are wearing quite well.
If those Planet X pedals above are the same as the carbon cycles ones they’re pretty good too. I had those before the nanos - I’d say the nanos do have the edge on grip.
Ordered some Nukeproof Neutron.
Something to be aware of is not all flat pedals are flat. Quite a few have a bulge in the middle for the bearings. Some are worse than others. This doesn't seem to bother some people at all but for some reason I really don't like it and prefer properly flat pedals.