If you couldn't have clipless pedals...

[Markymark]

My average speed has stayed pretty constant of not having then having them then not having clipless. I now use flats and five-ten shoes on my road bike and average 17-18 mph on solo rides typically 40-70 miles. If I could get out more I'd get fitter and faster. Switching pedals makes feckall difference. Getting fitter does.

 

[Bollo]

A car.

 

[HLaB]

I certainly don't fancy the flats that MTB'ers use with the huge pins - it's painful enough getting whacked by a smoth edged SPD pedal, not one with big sharp pins on. Road it would be clips and straps like I used to use, although compatible shoes would need thinking about - e.g. touring shoes should do the job.

My calves were a mess after a hire bike with those pins. Even though I never whacked the legs or so I thought and there was no bruising, the pins had perforated them

As to alternative pedals I don't think I've got the skill for full strapped toe clips so I'd go for the urban style short clips.

 

[arch684]

I used clip and straps for years,i would just go back to using them again

 

[S-Express]

Powergrips

 

[youngoldbloke]

What I was using before - clips, leather toe straps and shoe plates with platform pedals

Exactly this.

 

[KneesUp]

Powergrips

There's always one!

 

[Smokin Joe]

What I was using before - clips, leather toe straps and shoe plates with platform pedals

Same here.

 

[Smokin Joe]

My average speed has stayed pretty constant of not having then having them then not having clipless. I now use flats and five-ten shoes on my road bike and average 17-18 mph on solo rides typically 40-70 miles. If I could get out more I'd get fitter and faster. Switching pedals makes feckall difference. Getting fitter does.

That's because you don't ride fast or hard enough. If you had to travel at race pace, 25mph or so with occasional bursts at 35 plus, jump hard out of corners and go from cruising up a climb to powering flat out in an instant you'd find that flats were both useless and dangerous. That's why you never see a racing cyclist without their feet secured at any level, not everything is just about fashion.

Now if you prefer flat pedals for your type of riding, fair enough. But implying that clipless pedals or toe clips and straps have no benefits is just rubbish.

 

[DCBassman]

I'll rephrase more succinctly: if you could not have any kind of feet-attached-to-bike arrangement, what type of flat pedals would you use? And I'm assuming you don't need them for all-out racing.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I'd be so distraught, I'd go and buy a new car, and drive everywhere, rather than ride. NO CLIPLESS NO RIDE, them's the rules.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I'll rephrase more succinctly: if you could not have any kind of feet-attached-to-bike arrangement, what type of flat pedals would you use? And I'm assuming you don't need them for all-out racing.

Aha, in that case I'd go for the new, super swanky, Crank Brothers flat pedals, with titanium axles, and variable pin positions. They are very nice.

 

[Sharky]

That's because you don't ride fast or hard enough. If you had to travel at race pace, 25mph or so with occasional bursts at 35 plus, jump hard out of corners and go from cruising up a climb to powering flat out in an instant you'd find that flats were both useless and dangerous. That's why you never see a racing cyclist without their feet secured at any level, not everything is just about fashion.

Now if you prefer flat pedals for your type of riding, fair enough. But implying that clipless pedals or toe clips and straps have no benefits is just rubbish.

Agree with you, but an oldie (65+) rode our 10 series a couple of years ago and having forgotten his shoes, rode round wearing sandals. He caught me and he must have done a 23 or 24!

 

[Racing roadkill]

That's because you don't ride fast or hard enough. If you had to travel at race pace, 25mph or so with occasional bursts at 35 plus, jump hard out of corners and go from cruising up a climb to powering flat out in an instant you'd find that flats were both useless and dangerous. That's why you never see a racing cyclist without their feet secured at any level, not everything is just about fashion.

Now if you prefer flat pedals for your type of riding, fair enough. But implying that clipless pedals or toe clips and straps have no benefits is just rubbish.

This is very true. You simply can't maintain high power, on variable terrain, without bindings. If your rides are billiard table flat, or big descents on to long flat bits, then sure, flats are fine. Your power will be cack, but your average speeds will flatter you. You need clipless to get a high, consistent power output, and to get a nice quick Cadence acceleration, and maintain that Cadence. The most efficient way of producing big power, being Cadence biasing your pedalling, owing to the fact that it's easier and quicker, to ramp your Cadence up, and maintain it, than it is to ramp the Torque up.

 

[smutchin]

I have flat pedals on my fixed gear road bike and I love the freedom they give me to not have to wear special shoes.

It's a myth that you need clipless pedals to ride at high cadence.