[Closed] Flats - why so popular?

I can use either happily, am I boring or fun?

How happily? When you're using flats it's probably a fun kind of happy, whereas when you're riding spds, you're positively gay!

if a crash is big enough to do an injusry it probably hapens fast enough that you don't get time to bail out. Dabs from SPD yes (if marginaly slower or more planning required), but uncliping in a crash is down to luck.

Maybe I (and all the other thousands of SPD users) are lucky then. I've never had a crash in which my feet haven't somehow disconnected from the pedals without me even being aware of it.

Then again, for all those saying there's no disadvantage to SPDs - would you ride a unicycle with them (I believe you own one, TJ)? There are a few who do, but I don't think I ever will.

Having to put on special shoes to ride my bike seems unnecessary faff to me.

Yesterday on a route I took around a mountain, there was 4 hours and 6 miles* of hike a bike and 570m of climb over first a peat bog moor, and then a steep hillside with thick heather and large rocks. I can't imagine trying this with spds. Heck, I had to rummage down one bog hole to retrieve one of my sandals.

I had no idea I would be doing this when I left my house on the bike - I was intending to do a mainly road and forestry track ride, but then got diverted by the old "I wonder if...".

Spds would be much too limiting for me in ride choices unless the sole point of being on the bike is to be fast and sticking to tracks, and where's the fun in that?

* Don't believe everything you see on an OS map. There was supposed to be a path 🙁

I'm confident in my abilitys on either. From your comment your not confident about lots of things.

I'm faster with spds for all types of riding including 'light' DH. I do think flats are more fun for shorter rides though.

Flats on the roadie is just wrong.

I've gone Flats, SPDS, Flats, SPD and back to Flats again.

Flats to SPDs, because thats what proper mountain bikers used, going by the photos in all the magazines.
Back to flats cos thats what all the ultra gnar guys in the magazines seemed to be on at that particular time.
Back to SPDs very briefly cos I had a rose tinted view of how good I found them.
Finally back to flats after OTBing right onto the top of my head, nearly breaking my arm in an "ohsh**Icantunclip!" moment and finally wrecking a new X9 rear mech in another slow speed, comedy topple over. These 3 all happened in a single ride, by the way...

So, for me, flats. Simple. No special shoes to buy, no cleats to set up and replace and no sudden panics when you realise you can't get your feet off the bloody things when you need to.

each to their own, I tried them for a month, hated them, went back to flats. it's a confidence thing I'm sure but I just feel better on flats

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[url= http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=spd+flats+site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fsingletrackworld.com%2Fforum&hl=sv&num=10&lr=&ft=i&cr=&safe=images ]I am sure each time somebody starts this topic it is an evil conspiracy to drive me mad.[/url]

Aren't spd's inherited from road riding, much like triple rings?

Clipping yourself into your bike AND loosing the ability to vary where your foot sits is really alien to me, can't see the attraction at all.

Clipping yourself into your bike AND loosing the ability to vary where your foot sits is really alien to me, can't see the attraction at all.

Me either. My feet don't skip off the pedals (which seems a fairly common theme) and i'm not bothered about being as efficient as possible so I really can't see any reason to try spds.

In 37 years of riding (mostly BMX) the closest I came to having my feet attached to a bike was when I bought my first mtb - it had those silly toe strap things on (I think they lasted for almost a whole day).

haha!!!

So much sensitivity about what type of pedals

Sensitive, no mate you're missunderstanding me. I could give a toss what people use, I use both on different bikes for different things. But i do get sick of the pedantic ****ers on here who think they are 'right' when there really isn't a right or wrong, just personal preference.

Now go on put some flats on yer bike, you know you want to..... 8).

Do people wear flats because they are worried about being able to clip out?

I like flats because I'm worried about being able to [b]clip in[/b]. I hate hate hate the bike going out of control while I fail to clip back in after a dab.

I prefer SPDs on easy XC rides such as trail centres and bridleways, but hate them on anything techy where I'm likely to stall/dab/fall. Most rides include some of that type of terrain so I ride flats all the time.

SPDs have their place, flats have their place. End of story. However, flats have no place on a road bike used for training or any great distances.

I'm with TJ, SPD's for everything, I've never not unclipped during a crash, and I find it completly instinctive to twist out when needed.
I've ridden them since about 93/94 so I guess I'm fairly used to it. No phaff in different shoes either (I tend to change into trainers before a run etc), although I can see that a days worth of hiking would be a different matter.
The one thing I'd never say is that SPD's are better, they are different, but not better.
Fashion however, that dictates that flats, knee pads, big rucksacks and baggy clothes should be worn at all times to show good a rider is...

flats have no place on a road bike used for training or any great distances

Load of rubbish. I've done 85mile days on the dirt on flats.

I commute on flats and average 17.9mph on my MTB on Ralphs.

So probably for most people (except those pushing their cornering/jumping to the limit) they don't use spds because they haven't got to the point where they are comfortable with clipping out of them.

I hardly push the limits, but I do swap between flats and SPD's depending on how gnarr I anticipate the ride to be. I'd use SPD's in a race though, even if I practiced the course on flats first, doing something like an enduro* on flats just seems odd to me seeing as its essentialy a pedaly DH course.

*as in the gravity enduro, I'd probably want flats if I ever did 'owt like the mega!

well just think how much better you'd be with spds. Anyway, neither of those involve a road bike.

i`ve been upside down after being unable to clip out and having to ask a riding buddy to help unclip my foot so i could get up.

it took him a good 5 mins to stop laughing and help. basterd.

you cant ride fun stuff with clips unless you are godlike on a bike. so the fun comment above is definatly valid.

Funnily enough what's stopped me going to flats is that the shoes. I don't want to trash either my running shoes or approach shoes and I already have enough sport specific shoes!

running shoes
approach shoes
Hiking boots
Mountaineering boots
Diving boots
spd shoes
winter spd shoes

It's amazing what you collect over the years.

You got more shoes than my mrs!!

Ah, thread now technically over. There will be name calling within the next few posts

oh and climbing shoes.

Thing is my wife has all those and a healthy array of girls shoes.

transapp, allready started. i was called "positively gay" at the top of the page for riding spuds. i'm not sure which smiley face covers "positively gay" 😉 maybe....

enfht - Member
Aren't spd's inherited from road riding, much like triple rings?

Yeah, right! These damn triple rings, another burden of the road bike! 😆
Like...

Between the lines and posts everything has been said:
- SPD is good for efficiency and control if you're not tremendously skilled and don't really do gnarly stuff but confident enough with the normal technical stuff you do
- flats are good for beginners and those who do really gnarly stuff (that's a broad target group then, isn't it?!)

Personally without SPDs I would fear to be shaken from my bike or loose it mid-air and I couldn't lift it properly attempting bunny hops. So it's a skill compensator for me!

The only time I thought about flats was recently in the snow.
Maybe I give them a go. For the fun of it! 😀

Bugger, missed it!
I don't think you're gay, just a bit 'freelove' yah hippy...

the rougher the terrain, the more need for flats.

ummmm. freelove. gigidy.
i found the rougher it gets, the more need for spuds, on the straights as least 🙂

epicyclo - Member

* Don't believe everything you see on an OS map. There was supposed to be a path

Ha - yo got caught by that one again - I would have thought you would have learnt by now. Been there and taken the bike for a walk myself a few times

you cant ride fun stuff with clips unless you are godlike on a bike. so the fun comment above is definatly valid.

I ride everything with clips and I am not a godlike talent on a bike. What people seem to be missing is that persevering with SPDs makes them far easier to use, to the point where I now feel LESS safe on flat pedals.

I would agree that SPDs are less fun than flats when you are not used to them, or trying to learn new skills while wearing them (which is why I can't do big showy manuals, only wee puddle skimmers).

I've pretty much only ridden flats since i first started riding a bike (aged 6). They are on my road, MTB and commuter bikes.

When riding with friends of similar fitness with varying pedals, SPD and flats, and it doesn't seem to have a noticeable effect on any part of riding, climbing or descending. Sometimes people with flats clean a climb sometimes people on SPDs.

I started riding mtb in 1986 on flats.
I like flats.
I had an "attached via straps" crash in a different sport, which wrecked a knee and caused a recurring ankle issue.
Flats for me and I don't care what anyone else thinks is right.
It's your ride, be singleminded enough to go your own way.

I rode on clipless in The Distant Past... When I started riding again after my accident, I was given doctor's orders absolutely no clipless pedals, so switch to flats.

And, well, I'm stuck with them so it's just as well I find them pretty comparable. Both got strengths and weaknesses, and neither of either is big enough to justify overriding personal taste/requirement.

Best idea is to be able to do both- and not just the usual half-assed "I rode for 10 years on SPDs, then I tried flats for 2 rides and fell off a lot, flats suck" (or vice versa). Make an informed decision, learn what each has to offer.

All five of my bikes have flats, even the Langster commuter although those are more touring style without straps. I've lost count of the number of situations where a quick dab has saved me both on and off road and I'm convinced this would not be possible when clipped in. I did try SPD's for a while but ended up not wanting to ride.

And thats just silly.

i do find i feel more attached to my bike jumping on flats, the float on spuds just feels weird when airborne. but i'd be stuffed on steep climbs on my ss without them. horses for courses, both have there place.

being clipped in means i dont have to think about having my feet bounced off the pedals. having one less thing to think about is a good thing.

i tried flats a couple of weeks ago and hated them.

Northwind - Member

Best idea is to be able to do both- and not just the usual half-assed "I rode for 10 years on SPDs, then I tried flats for 2 rides and fell off a lot, flats suck" (or vice versa). Make an informed decision, learn what each has to offer.

float - Member

i tried flats a couple of weeks ago and hated them.

funny on purpose? 🙂

anyway...

uselesshippy - Member

i feel more attached to my bike jumping on flats, the float on spuds just feels weird when airborne. but i'd be stuffed on steep climbs on my ss without them. horses for courses, both have their place.

i agree with this person.

float - Member

being clipped in means i dont have to think about having my feet bounced off the pedals

I'll let you in on a secret- flats riders don't go around thinking all the time about not having their feet bounced off the pedals.

If you need the SPD connection to stop being bounced off, it's because you're not riding in harmony with the bike. The simple techniques that keep your feet on a flat also work for SPDs riders. The fact that you can get by without those techniques doesn't mean you couldn't benefit from learning them. You might well find it worthwhile to try flats just to transfer those skills back.

The amount of [s]shite[/s] internet fact these threads generate is brilliant. I struggle to tell who is just on a wind up or how actually believes what they are spouting, it's great entertainment. But I truely love the folk who are so 'out there' they can't be defined or restricted by such a limiting factor like a pedal, chapeau!
I like spd's, and have never been that happy on flats, and for that reason I couldn't give a toss which may be betterer.

After my first and only ride with a mountain bike club I converted to SPD's, mainly because I had crap pedals and made mincemeat out of my shins.

After a few years I plucked up the courage to o to the Alps. I had an overwhelming memory of unclipping for technical steep stuff and the SPD's clipping back in when I didn't want hem too making my descent pretty hairy to say the least.

I converted to flats (Wellgo Mag 1's) and 5-10's before my next Alp trip and didn't look back. I like the feeling that I can dab if I need to. Simple as that.

I wear (road) SPD's on my road bike though but tend not to do the hairy stuff off road on the Allez.

Not faked:

[img] [/img]

Flats are the future.

I spent 25 years off road with toe clips or SPD's and only gave flats a try at the beginning of the winter on my rigid bike. I'm wishing I'd done it years ago and I'll be buying some for my hardtail soon as well.

For me I just feel more comfortable knowing I can get a foot down more easily and without giving it conscious thought. I thought I would end up putting a foot down more often although in reality it's the opposite. I also thought I'd be constantly worrying about my feet slipping off the pedals but so far using some very ordinary shoes and only the very cheapest pedals with only small "moulded" pins this hasn't been a problem. And that's riding off road every day to work and back through the whole winter.I also find moving my weight around and controlling the bike in that way easier.

If I were a more skilled or confident rider then the advantages of SPD's might make me stick with them, but the simple fact is that I'm not and I'm enjoying riding more and that in the end is the only criteria that counts for me.

Like smoking,flats are cool

I rode on nothing but SPDs for more than 20 years (road and off-road). I switched back to flats for my MTB because I couldn't stand the fact that going out for a ride had become such a faff - divorced from other associated activities.

So, for example, when we were kids, we would use our BMXs to go off into the woods and explore - leaping off and climbing trees (or whatever) when we wanted. And that's what I always liked about my bike: it allowed me to do whatever I wanted outside.

With SPDs, I had to consciously change my clothes and my shoes just to get out on the bike, only to then find that I couldn't just get off and walk anywhere because I was wearing these things on my feet.

Back to basics for me, then.

Funny how everyone who rides flats needs to keep putting their feet down...

...it's a bicycle, not a scooter.

With SPDs, I had to consciously change my clothes and my shoes just to get out on the bike, only to then find that I couldn't just get off and walk anywhere because I was wearing these things on my feet.

Why did yo have to change your clothes as well? My spd shoes are OK for walking in

Why did yo have to change your clothes as well? My spd shoes are OK for walking in

I had these weird 'Lake' shoes with two cleats at the front, and hence a upward curve to the toe. Not so bad with shorts in the summer, but they looked mighty goofy with cargo trousers or jeans.

Funny how everyone who rides flats needs to keep putting their feet down...

I ride flats and always put my foot down. Not sure how else to get off the bike once I'm finished riding really.

for those proclaiming that flats have no place on a road bike...seriously? or did you mean just your own road bike?

Next time I do a long or tough ride I'll try to remember that my pedal choice is just wrong and that what I'm doing is technically an impossibility.

flats are shit (for a number of reasons) with the saddle at full height (ie. proper leg extension) on a roadbike.

I ran flats on my road bike for a bit while I waited for some spds to turn up.

Don't try pedalling out of fast corners. Sparkingly sketchy...

If your happy with flats on your road bike, knock yourself out, great.
But there is a reason why every pro roadie rides clips.

Don't try pedalling out of fast corners. Sparkingly sketchy...

That isn't a flats thing, that is a pedaling thing, i have the grind marks on some time pedals when i clipped them peddling through a corner.

As for the OPs question, i guess the fact is that traditional XC isn't as popular as it involves getting fit. The current trend for playing about on bikes, going to trail centres for a meal and a ride, fitness isn't an issue, having a comfy pair of shoes for walking matters more.

Flats are the future.

+1

I ride flats and always put my foot down. Not sure how else to get off the bike once I'm finished riding really.

Amen to that.

flats are shit (for a number of reasons) with the saddle at full height (ie. proper leg extension) on a roadbike.

Don't try pedalling out of fast corners. Sparkingly sketchy..

Got old skool DX 636 on my road bike, must be one of the worst pedals for clearance ever made.

I like the pedalling efficiency of SPD's if it's something XC oriented and I think that's partly the stiff sole on the race style shoes I use on them. I prefer "caged" SPDs or flats for trail centres and playing around.

My flat technique isn't that good though, I've been bounced off the hardtail a couple of times but trying to get better.

Flats have one other advantage, you can jump on your bike and pedal along the waterfront path for a pint at the nearby marina/ take nipper to the playpark (not necessarily on the same trip) without wearing disco slippers.

Oh dear me

'there is a reason why every pro roadie rides clips'

let me just check, nope never mentioned I was a pro, astoundingly also never indicated that I raced, had any intentions of racing or that I was unhappy with the level of performance I get.

Just double checked and nope, nobody else rides my bikes.

Just triple checked and sorry, I just can't seem to find any reason why my choice of pedals should matter to anyone else. Or why anyone else would choose to make wildly innacurate statements of 'fact' as to what can or cannot be ridden with a certain type of pedal.

Actually it's quite often the case that top level equipment requires top level input to glean the maximum returns. As we move down the input chain the returns often diminish. Most of my kit is beyond any level I'll ever attain or desire to attain. I found the performance gains from using SPDs on the road to be outweighed by the inconvenience. I am however quite happy to acknowledge that you tower above me on the input chain and so your returns make flats unthinkable. I didn't even have to use much imagination to figure that out, you should try it sometime.

"both have their place."
i agree with this person.

I agree with this person that agrees with that person. 🙂

And as mentioned before it is sad in a funny way or funny in a sad way that some people seriously consider one or the other wrong or right. If they are serious about it.

But what I get out of this thread - apart from some amusement - is that there may be a few more reasons for flats than I thought. And that's a good thing. I mean, broaden your horizon, consider things you didn't before etc.

...Now, tell me, how do you bunny hop on flats again? Pedals 45° tilted forward, feet pressed into the pedal?! How do you keep the pressure up/the feet connected to the pedal when in the air?

Another stupid thread ! Ok you like to ride with flats fair enough, but especially on a road bike don't try and say their better ! They aren't, personal prefference doesn't alter the laws of physics.

...Now, tell me, how do you bunny hop on flats again? Pedals 45° tilted forward, feet pressed into the pedal?! How do you keep the pressure up/the feet connected to the pedal when in the air?

Practise scooping the back wheel of the floor without lifting the front.

...Now, tell me, how do you bunny hop on flats again? Pedals 45° tilted forward, feet pressed into the pedal?! How do you keep the pressure up/the feet connected to the pedal when in the air?

The trick is to tie of couple of particularly long pubic hairs around the top tube.

taxi25, you need to point to where someone said flats were better for the road...or did you just make that up to have a rant against?

I said the benefits were not enough for me versus the downsides, which is a rather different statement. But feel free to rant away at the invisible posters upsetting you.

macb, i wasn't having a go, as i said "if you like running flats on your road bike,GREAT." none of us are sam hill or lance armstrong, it's just riding a bike, it's supposed to be fun. jesus.....

These threads are are what make STW special 😐 🙄

@uselesshippy - think nothing of it, it's only the net, some of the people on this thread might even own bikes as well.

I just get a chuckle out of the flat out, excuse the pun, declarations of right and wrong, possible and impossible, etc. I also struggle to resist indulging in pedantry when the 'but the pros do this' reasoning is trotted out....which is my problem not yours

I already have enough sport specific shoes!

running shoes
approach shoes
Hiking boots
Mountaineering boots
Diving boots
spd shoes
winter spd shoes

There's room for a bit of consolidation in there - personally I use running shoes for what you probably do with approach shoes and hiking boots (I've even worn them in situations where most people would use mountaineering boots!) Mind you, I do now own 3 different pairs of shoes suitable for riding flats since I've been riding a uni (which then resulted in me putting a pair of flat pedals on my hack MTB), and my list goes like this:

bike shoes:
SPD
winter SPD
roadie
flats
running shoes:
road
trail
fell/XC
orienteering
XC skiing:
classic
skate
rollerski
touring
windsurf/kayak:
summer shoes
winter booties

aracer now known as Imelda

I think we're all missing the point here, it's not flat pedals that are wrong- it's road bikes.

+1

Practise scooping the back wheel of the floor without lifting the front.

Don't scoop. Launch the bike into the air by pushing it into the ground and your feet will stay on the pedals - it pushes you, you don't pull it.

I switched to riding SPD from cheap flats.

Cost wise, little more expensive for SPD shoes and pedals, but then the "top" flat pedals aren't cheap at all.

I found that in wet weather I was slipping on the pedals, a stiffer/gripper shoe (I was using Globe Skate Shoes) may have helped, or some better pedals or both. I switched to SPD to improve pedalling efficiency, made a massive difference to my riding and fitness.

I feel that I have to wimp out a bit on some tougher sections where I feel I might fall. I struggled a bit at Gisburn in the wet on the Northshore and some very muddy sections where it was slow going and I wanted to dab out now and again.

As for OMG I HAVE TO PUT SPECIAL SHOES ON, well I would wear special shorts, gloves, helmet anyway, so some shoes isn't much else, and besides, I wouldn't want my normal shoes getting all cacked up. Just wash down my SPD shoes after a ride with a sponge and they come up great every time.

I think it depends on the trails. I rarely see serious-looking riders in the peak riding flats, whereas replies on here would seem to suggest that flats were the norm.

I dunno. I ride flats for DH because it's fun to get rowdy with flat pedals. But on the usual peaks trails I got really annoyed the last time I tried flats. Inefficient, kept hitting them on rocks and was never quite happy with my foot positioning.

tarquin - Member
...As for OMG I HAVE TO PUT SPECIAL SHOES ON, well I would wear special shorts, gloves, helmet anyway, so some shoes isn't much else...

Some of us don't like to have to dress like a bike warrior specially for the bike. My bike sits at the back door and I can just jump on it and ride wearing my normal clothes for a day outside. I dress for the mountain not the bike, and I don't want to be limited where I can take my bike by my footwear.

Some examples of a day out...

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No track at all.

to be fair epicycle, if that is truly representative of where your riding i wouldn't bother with the bike. I see no fun riding across bogs, rocks, rough grass land. Bikes IMO suit places where trails exist, be it sheep, badgers, deer etc. or man made ones.

Some great responses - a few that have intrigued me most, say things like i've been riding for 15, 20, 25 years but i'm not that skilled at this that or the other.....jeez after 20years you should be nailing it!!!

I rode BMX for 10 years before injury forced me to ride Mtb. The flats to spd conversion was 'interesting' but now having been on mtb and road for over 10 years, i dont think i could ride flats that well. My riding is just not that gnar anymore either but even when pushing hard at inners 6/7 years ago over jumps and drops it was always with spd on, no problems....main thing was having confidence and being able to handle the bike.

jeez after 20years you should be nailing it!!!

Why?

I have been riding 20years and the reason i started and still ride is to escape, i know what i can do, and can probably do more than my head will let me, but i know i have limits technically, it doesn't bother me.

As for flats, for me i see no point, SPDs work, i know when i climb my feet are where i want them, i know the bike will do what i tell it to do, after a few hours i don't have to think about pedal position/about weighting/unweighting/bunny hops etc. just pull and the bike comes.

I dress for the mountain not the bike, and I don't want to be limited where I can take my bike by my footwear.

Yeah, but you have a "special" bike. In any case, are you telling me that you wear normal street shoes to ride there? Personally I found I didn't have any shoes which worked well on flat pedals when I got my uni, and had to buy some more special ones. That's not to mention that the SPD shoes I own are fine for hiking through stuff like that - in fact I suspect I've hiked further with a bike wearing SPD shoes than most on here who claim they need flats because they like going for hikes with their bike.

mrmo - Member
to be fair epicycle, if that is truly representative of where your riding i wouldn't bother with the bike...

Probably is - in that it's my favoured terrain. Mountains are like magnets to me, doesn't matter what I'm riding, if I see an interesting track I'll poke a wheel along it regardless of what I'm riding.

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I think druidh was the one who expressed it nicely "putting the mountain into the mountain bike" (or was it munrobiker?)

If am out for more than an hour or so, I'll almost always hit a bit where it's like that. Why let my footwear limit me to tracks when a cut across the mountain will take me somewhere interesting and save me from simply doubling back over stuff I have just ridden?

Anyway how else would I get there? Can't afford a helicopter - but fat tyres do make offroad much easier. 🙂

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riding for 15, 20, 25 years but i'm not that skilled at this that or the other.....jeez after 20years you should be nailing it!!!

I've been rock climbing on and off for about 10 years. I'm still not amazing. I can live with myself.

Why let my footwear limit me to tracks when a cut across the mountain will take me somewhere interesting and save me from simply doubling back over stuff I have just ridden?

Indeed - which is why I wear grippy SPD shoes rather than the flat pedal specific ones which have far less grip when walking.