Clipless pedals...do I really need them?

[Rusty Nails]

To sum up the responses...No/Yes/Depends.

I'm convinced.

 

[88robb]

I have a flat bar road bike (Giant Advanced Fast Road 1) only ride for fitness and fresh air/scenery, by myself, mainly, almost exclusively on country back roads.
I'm not in a club, nor do I intend to join one, and I'll never race or be overly competitive.
However, I have been wondering if I would benefit in any noticeable way from having clipless pedals?
Not so much for speed (the speeds I go any difference would be negligible perhaps?) but more for ease and maximising power input up hills and generally riding more efficiently = getting less tired as quickly for further.
Would I benefit or would I be wasting my money and risk falling off for negligible gains?
To add further context, I don't wear lyrca either, other than an old pair of padded cycling shorts that I wear under a pair of standard shorts (or old running/Ron Hill leggings in winter).

Thanks in advance.

You don't need them. The power gains for a casual rider are minimal. Good flat pedals with proper shoes will give you a secure, efficient ride without the cost or risk of falling over.

 

[PaulSB]

I feel if one considers the thread title "do I really need them?" the answer is clear. No, you don't.

However there many, many bits of kit one doesn't really need.........I'm the proud owner of many such items. Do these bits of kit improve the ride, enhance my enjoyment? In the main yes, without doubt. The stuff that doesn't improve my ride lives in a box at the back of the cupboard "just in case"..........

I'm definitely a yes for clipless, they do bring benefits. Whether, these benefits are measurable or not is irrelevant if the ride just feels better.

 

[Fredo76]

I currently ride with flat pedals with spikes on, and a pair of Merrill walking shoes (not boots) which have a fairly stiff sole and not too much flex.
I don't have a problem, other than wondering if I'd get more power up hills with clipless?

To answer your specific question, you can add about 20% more torque by pulling up on the pedals, IME, if you have trained enough to do it smoothly and naturally. It is different from 'pedalling normally', and so studies of pros 'pedalling normally' show that they don't do it. That doesn't mean that additional force cannot be used when wanted. It can be enough to clear a small rise without a downshift, but ultimately power output long term is a function of cardiovascular fitness. I agree with the recommendation for two-bolt SPD MTB cleats, recessed for easier walking.



I like the double-sided pedals more than combo pedals, myself.

You can get fairly stealthy, normal-looking shoes, too:



I much prefer the Multi-release versions of the SPD cleats, for easier unclipping. IMO, they are worth the separate purchase.

 

[markemark]

To answer your specific question, you can add about 20% more torque by pulling up on the pedals,

Anywhere you can justify that figure? I suspect it’s utterly made up but happy to be educated.

 

[PaulSB]

Anywhere you can justify that figure? I suspect it’s utterly made up but happy to be educated.

I'm not answering on Fredo's behalf but I fully agree with him. I can't quantify or measure it in anyway but for me it "feels" better. I don't have any data or verifiable proof. It feels like I'm getting more power down, that I'm riding better, I'm more confident climbing when clipped in. Ultimately at my level the only thing that matters is how I feel, quantifying such things for amateur riders is just about impossible and probably a complete waste of time.

I cannot imagine how people tackle serious climbs on flats. I'm sure they do, I'm sure it feels good for them but I simply can't grasp it. I'm an ordinary guy, nothing special, but I'm thinking about really big stuff; Hardknott, Wrynose, the full Fred route, Buttertubs, Lamps Moss, The Struggle, Great Dun Fell and many more that I've ridden. More locally for those who know Lancashire; Birdy Brow, Waddington Fell, The Nick, Whalley Nab. All these are serious climbs that I can't conceive of getting up on flats.

25-30% incline on flats? I would either fall off or get off.

 

[Fredo76]

Anywhere you can justify that figure? I suspect it’s utterly made up but happy to be educated.

It's a guesstimate alright, but with some basis, including comparing my weight lifting capabilities for leg presses, leg extensions, and hamstring curls. Plus graphs of muscle usage along the pedaling cycle, that I probably can't find quickly. And bits of text from studies or articles about them, like this bit, from https://pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/toolbox-pedaling-dynamics/:

In a 2007 study, Korff et al, looked at the effectiveness/efficiency relationship of four different pedaling techniques: pedaling circles, “stomping,” the riders own self-selected style and the classic “pull up” through the bottom of the pedal stroke approach.

Their study established that mechanical effectiveness is greatly enhanced by using the “pull up” technique; it ranked higher on an effectiveness index than pedaling circles, self selected or ‘stomping’ the pedals. Gross efficiency, on the other hand, was significantly lower using this technique. It took more energy to use the ‘pull up’ technique than to simply pedal in circles or stomp. Unfortunately, Korff et al, didn’t delve into the efficacy of the trade off. Is it worth the decreased efficiency to get the greater effectiveness?

If somebody said it was only 15%, I wouldn't argue, but it would differ by riders and cadences, and if some sprinter was calculated to get 25% of his torque from pulling up under certain circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[markemark]

I suspect that if there were such benefits it would have been well tested and documented by those who have a financial interest to promote it. Lack of such testing is not proof of no benefit but it’s a big red herring for me.

 

[Fredo76]

I'm surprised at the number of people who seem to estimate believability based upon speculation on motivation, plus suppositions not in evidence.

 

[fossyant]

Shimano are now doing a new SPD cleat that makes clicking in even easier. They are easy enough as it is. Still standard release, which is easy. As pointed up below, there are a huge range of shoes. Some you would think were smart leather formal shoes to ones that look just like trainers. Ive a pair of SPD trainers I used for casual rides. Didnt look out of place walking about shops or the pub.

One big advantage is you then have access to cycling specific winter boots which are a game changer for warmth and keeping dry. Easy wipe down when they get covered in mud.

 

[fossyant]

One downside of the spikey flat pedals is the mess they can make of your shin or calf should you come off the bike (eg as is guaranteed with mountain biking). A SPD pedal will give you a good clout, but its not going to gouge your skin off.

 

[Binky]

Use clipless or don't, entirely up to individual but those trying claim they aren't far better than flats for a road bike are mistaken especially on hilly terrain.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It's a personal preference. I ride a drop bar bike with clipless. Why? Because that's what I've always ridden. It has its roots in the 1970s schoolboy fashion for racers with toeclips. It would feel weird riding anything else. But my riding would be just the same if I'd chosen a different path and ended up with flat bars and flat pedals.

Where I think the myth that clipless are an absolute necessity can be harmful is with beginners. They can be off-putting and downright dangerous. Some time ago there was a surprisingly interesting reality TV series where some celebs got trained up to do I'Étape or some such big mountain sportif. One of the celebs couldn't get along with clipless pedals, and had trouble drinking on the move. Neither of these is at all important for the task in hand but they wasted so much time badgering her about this and not getting on with actual training.

It's a OK to have subjective preferences. It's OK to be influenced by others. You don't have to quantity everything. It's not always necessary to try to objectively prove that your preference is best.

It doesn't make sense to say "Pear-eaters are wrong. Apples taste 17.3% better than pears. By the way, I never eat pears".

 

[sevenfourate]

When I bought my Gravel bike second hand in 2019, it had some DMR V12 flat pedals on. I vowed to swap them across to clipless because that's what I'd been using up till then on my other bikes. As time went by though I realised that I was really enjoying the flat pedals, they gave me so much more confidence off-road. I began to realise that I didn't need clipless at all and having flat pedals was no disadvantage when it came to steep hills or riding singletrack. I now use flats on all my bikes and when I'm riding longer than a couple of kilometres, I wear my Five Tens, otherwise I can use normal shoes with no bother. On longer multi day tours, I really appreciate having the Five Tens because they are super comfy for walking and cycling in.

I’m a dedicated DMR V12 Magesium user too. Tried clip-ins once upon a time. No issue with them. Just fancied flats - on a general purpose bike - when I got back into cycling. And then also fitted to my hybrid, gravel etc. I’ve now got them on 5 bikes.

Never had an issue uphill, downhill, off-road caked in mud or anything else. There may be a better solution for me. But at the moment: ignorance of anything else is bliss…….

 

[Dadam]

25-30% incline on flats? I would either fall off or get off.

I'd get off earlier on clipless because I'd be worried about unclipping at the imminent grinding to a halt stage.