Flat pedal moment

[youngoldbloke]

Yes, maybe, but your ankles are safe!

 

[Paulus]

Aren't your toes a bit cold and vulnerable in one of those though?

The toes on the other foot would be a bit cold if you only wore one.

 

[Norm]

I had my first ride on the clipless bike for a few months today. I thoroughly enjoyed commuting on a road bike rather than the 20 year old MTB but I laughed my ass off at the first junction when I couldn't figure out why I couldn't move my feet. Luckily, I'd given myself enough space for me to look down and the brain to kick in, but that could have been "fun" (used ironically, just for MacB).

The thought of falling off because of a clipless moment frankly scares the pants off me. The first time it happens may well be the last as I'll probably junk the things.

I only tried them because someone on here was selling a second hand pair last June. I wouldn't pay new prices for something that I wasn't confident would work for me... and that price factor may well be the sort of "emperor's new clothes" that cause so many to rave about them which raises the hackles of the unclean non-believers.

I've got bikes with flats, toe clips and clipless. I think that clipless are faster, they certainly were the one time I've done the two options on a measured route. However, whilst I like the extra security of having clips or clipless, I also dislike having to wear specific shoes for a pedal-system.

I've ridden exclusively clipless for the past few months and the world continued turning. If my timed-comparison was right and there is a 5% difference between flats and clipless, what am I going to do with that time anyway? Saving 2-3 minutes on my commute isn't something that I'd notice. Reducing the time for my "just going for a ride" 10-miler doesn't show I've improved my level of fitness. Is that enough to offset the risk of falling off in the middle of a junction because of a clipless moment of non-concentration.

IMO, toe clips are a good compromise for most people on most bikes and for most uses but there's nothing wrong

 

[tyred]

I had my first ride on the clipless bike for a few months today. I thoroughly enjoyed commuting on a road bike rather than the 20 year old MTB but I laughed my ass off at the first junction when I couldn't figure out why I couldn't move my feet. Luckily, I'd given myself enough space for me to look down and the brain to kick in, but that could have been "fun" (used ironically, just for MacB).

The thought of falling off because of a clipless moment frankly scares the pants off me. The first time it happens may well be the last as I'll probably junk the things.

I only tried them because someone on here was selling a second hand pair last June. I wouldn't pay new prices for something that I wasn't confident would work for me... and that price factor may well be the sort of "emperor's new clothes" that cause so many to rave about them which raises the hackles of the unclean non-believers.

I've got bikes with flats, toe clips and clipless. I think that clipless are faster, they certainly were the one time I've done the two options on a measured route. However, whilst I like the extra security of having clips or clipless, I also dislike having to wear specific shoes for a pedal-system.

I've ridden exclusively clipless for the past few months and the world continued turning. If my timed-comparison was right and there is a 5% difference between flats and clipless, what am I going to do with that time anyway? Saving 2-3 minutes on my commute isn't something that I'd notice. Reducing the time for my "just going for a ride" 10-miler doesn't show I've improved my level of fitness. Is that enough to offset the risk of falling off in the middle of a junction because of a clipless moment of non-concentration.

IMO, toe clips are a good compromise for most people on most bikes and for most uses but there's nothing wrong

Norm, that reply is too sensible and balanced for this thread

 

[youngoldbloke]

I only tried them because someone on here was selling a second hand pair last June. I wouldn't pay new prices for something that I wasn't confident would work for me... and that price factor may well be the sort of "emperor's new clothes" that cause so many to rave about them which raises the hackles of the unclean non-believers.

I don't really accept this - OK you can buy flat pedals for 2.99 - but how good are they? A quick Google shows me you can get Wellgo SPD pedals for 18.95 - hardly enough for the 'emperors new clothes' factor surely? And that includes cleats too, remember. Toe clips and straps come at a price too, and reasonable ones won't be far shy of that price either - again you can get cheaper. Of course, you can pay £200 plus for carbon clipless pedals, but the same applies to top end flat ones too - eg Burgtec Penthouse Flat Mk3 Ti from CRC for £184.99. Once you start getting serious about cycling you are going to be looking for appropriate shoes anyway, whatever sort of pedals you prefer. So - to sum up - not much in it really, moneywise.

 

[Norm]

Sorry but I'd rather get decent shoes and pedals second hand than get cheap shoes and pedals which wouldn't have allowed me a fair test of SPDs. Buy cheap, buy twice, if I was going to test them, I'd test a set which allowed me to figure out whether I liked the system rather than test how cheap you can get crappy bearings.

My shoes would have been close to £100 new, the pedals £25 and, if I had paid £125, that might have influenced my decision about them - would I have been happy junking something which was that expensive or would I have persuaded myself that they were marvellous. As it was, I got the lot for around 1/3 the price and they were, to my eye, unused so I could give them a fair test without any conscious or unconscious concerns about the price.

Your mileage may, of course, vary but I bet there are some who, having blown £100+, wouldn't want to admit they were unsure of the benefits.

 

[Norm]

Norm, that reply is too sensible and balanced for this thread

It's ok, tyred, I've posted similar in a clipless thread in the past.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Sorry but I'd rather get decent shoes and pedals second hand than get cheap shoes and pedals which wouldn't have allowed me a fair test of SPDs. Buy cheap, buy twice, if I was going to test them, I'd test a set which allowed me to figure out whether I liked the system rather than test how cheap you can get crappy bearings.

My shoes would have been close to £100 new, the pedals £25 and, if I had paid £125, that might have influenced my decision about them - would I have been happy junking something which was that expensive or would I have persuaded myself that they were marvellous. As it was, I got the lot for around 1/3 the price and they were, to my eye, unused so I could give them a fair test without any conscious or unconscious concerns about the price.

Your mileage may, of course, vary but I bet there are some who, having blown £100+, wouldn't want to admit they were unsure of the benefits.

I paid a lot lot less than that for very good, comfortable, Shimano shoes, but more than £25 for my Look Keos. In fact I have 2 pairs of that particular shoe now, and Keos on both bikes, so I am quite happy with my choice.
One could easily say the same about flat pedals "if I had paid £125, that might have influenced my decision about them". My point was that good flat pedals or good pedals with straps and clips are going to cost money anyway so the emperors new clothes argument does not apply to one any more than another.
If you don't get on with clipless pedals thats fine by me - each to his own.

 

[zizou]

Regards the cost - my flat pedal / shoe combination cost more than my spd and spd-sl pedal /shoe combinations.

superstar ulta mags (£70) + 5-10 sam hills (£90) v shimano dx spd (£50) + shimano mp66 (£45) v shimano spd-sl 105 (£45) + specialized bg comp (£90) .

All those are mid range, could have gone alot cheaper but alot more expensive too.

Also have a pair of wellgo flats (not sure the model they were about £20) that i use with normal trainers. Wouldnt fancy doing any off roading using them though nor go on a long ride but for about town, going down to the shops when i'm trying to take things a bit easier rather than end up a sweaty mess then they are ideal

 

[Davidc]

I don't really accept this - OK you can buy flat pedals for 2.99 - but how good are they? Toe clips and straps come at a price too,

You're quite right. Not getting back into why strap and clip works, a half decent set is about £150, and thats for a clapped out old fogie like me.

It doesn't matter what you're getting as pedals, clipless, clips, flat, or anything else, the most crucial part is the bearings and the quality of the spindle. if that's wrong the pedals will be uncomfortable and inefficient. Quality costs money. ALL of your muscle power has to go through the pedals to get to the wheels so they're as important as any other transmission component, wheel, spoke, tyre or bearing. (Or so we were taught at the club I belonged to 50 years ago and every club after that).

 

[cycletron]

You're quite right. Not getting back into why strap and clip works, a half decent set is about £150, and thats for a clapped out old fogie like me.

It doesn't matter what you're getting as pedals, clipless, clips, flat, or anything else, the most crucial part is the bearings and the quality of the spindle. if that's wrong the pedals will be uncomfortable and inefficient. Quality costs money. ALL of your muscle power has to go through the pedals to get to the wheels so they're as important as any other transmission component, wheel, spoke, tyre or bearing. (Or so we were taught at the club I belonged to 50 years ago and every club after that).

In general quality does cost money, but money does not necessarily buy quality, because quality means different things to different people. The latest, super-lightweight carbon-titanium pedal that costs £200 and lasts one season might be considered quality to a race enthusiast, but would be regarded with suspicion by a commuter or touring cyclist, who is looking for toughness and a proven track record of durability, which is commonly found for less than £50.

 

[Cubist]

Your mileage may, of course, vary but I bet there are some who, having blown £100+, wouldn't want to admit they were unsure of the benefits.

Also don't forget, to bring in a bit of balance, there are some who tried clipless, got scared or hurt by a "moment" and now feel the need to post quasi-ironic threads which if you read them properly and want a counter -argument to the "gotta go clipless" gang rather than admit they lost the syntax of the immensely long sentence I started to type but realised was waffling and was struggling to punctuate properly, tend to show that they simply didn't want to state that they don't like clipless pedals because they realised that they would be ostracised by the fashionistas.

How tightly should I do up the strap on my helmet?

 

[MacB]

How tightly should I do up the strap on my helmet?

just keep going til you pass out

 

[Cubist]

just keep going til you pass out

but wouldn't that make me fall off my bike?

 

[tyred]

but wouldn't that make me fall off my bike?

You'll be fine. You have a helmet!