Who else uses flat pedals?

[Paulus]

I have a range of pedals on my bikes, SPD's on my Condor and Audax, Toe straps on my tourer, although I always have the straps on the loose side so that I can wear any type of shoe/boot when I go shopping or to the pub, or of course touring. Finally I have flats on my Brommie for my work shoes/boots.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Got to be flats if you just want to hop on a bike and ride.

I've got Eggbeaters on my PX but I don't know that they make things better/faster/more efficient, etc., but then I'm not a serious cyclist anyway.

 

[fossyant]

One thing I can't do without is clipless - on all of my bikes. Everyday shoes aren't good for cycling as they flex too much and put pressure on the wrong part of your foot (especially in the arch area). The other issue is standard shoes can damage your knee more as your foot may not be correctly aligned, causing mechanical inefficiencies.

If you don't ever intend a flat out sprint, or climb steep hills then stick to flats. I would however recommend cycle touring type shoes if you stick with flats as the soles will be more rigid = comfortable over long distances.

If you are going to spend a lot of the time in the saddle, then correct shoes are just as important as a correct bike fit.

 

[lulubel]

Please not this 'fashion' argument (again). If you look at the Pedal Museum website I linked to earlier, you will see people have been inventing ways of linking their feet more firmly to their pedals almost since the invention of the bicycle. It is a personal thing. If you don't like/get on with/feel trapped by/ etc etc don't use them. Your choice.

Actually, the impression I got from the site you linked to was that being attached to the bike is a relatively recent idea. For a long time, there were just various different designs and shapes of flat pedals, then toe clips and straps were introduced. It's only in relatively recent years that being attached to the bike has become "the thing".

I always carry my gym kit and shoes separately anyway. Change when I get there. Different shoes for different activities. You don't go to play football wearing your boots do you? Wear your climbing shoes on the journey to the hills?

If no-one was allowed to participate in an activity unless they were wearing the "correct" clothing, we'd have even more of a problem with obesity than we currently do.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Contrary to the myth of clip-in (and clips and straps pedals before them) even pro cyclists struggle to 'lift' the rising pedal. The best that can be acheived in practice is a slight reduction in the weight of the rising leg, which gives the falling leg less to do. There is a slight benefit at the bottom of the stroke, an ability to claw the pedal back which allows for a longer power stroke. It's easier to 'pedal in circles', the stroke becomes less of an up/down treadle action.

Hear, hear!

And none of that can not be achieved by half clips imo. Those Zefal plastic ones are perfectly functional, but I believe the bees knees are these currently. They look great with these. Some such clips come in different sizes, so it is worthwhile picking the right one.

This is probably worth reading too.

 

[lulubel]

Everyday shoes aren't good for cycling as they flex too much and put pressure on the wrong part of your foot (especially in the arch area). The other issue is standard shoes can damage your knee more as your foot may not be correctly aligned, causing mechanical inefficiencies.

If you don't ever intend a flat out sprint, or climb steep hills then stick to flats

Hmm ... not sure I agree, to be honest. I've been riding 100+ miles a week for the last 9 months in a pair of old running shoes, including lots of steep climbs (it's hard to avoid them around here) and I haven't had any knee problems. One of my biggest concerns about going clipless was how I'd get them set up to not put any strain on my knees, since I do have old injuries to contend with.

 

[lulubel]

Those Zefal plastic ones are perfectly functional, but I believe the bees knees are these currently. They look great with these.

And even better on a steel framed tourer in British racing green with a brown leather saddle and bar tape

 

[Francesca]

I ride with flats - theres no way I would be "attached" clipped whatever you call it onto any bike - my personal opinion and Iam sure alot of you will think differently, thats fine. I do MTB and occasional cycle toe path stuff, and just weat my MTB shoes whilst on my bike..prefer it that way, but hey we are all different. I am only in foot harness when Iam in my spinning class.

 

[fossyant]

I wouldn't want 2 or more hours in the saddle with running shoes on. Depends upon how serious you want to be - if your going for say 60 miles in 3 hours and battering yourself, then the proper shoes come into their own. Runners don't use everyday walking shoes to run in do they ?

If you are just happy to cycle about then trainers might do.

Flats don't look right on road bikes anyway

 

[Edwards80]

I "went clipless" this weekend on my road bike/commuter and I'm already considering sticking some onto my MTB too. I've found it far more comfortable and weirdly I feel safer than I did with the flats / mini clips. Horses for courses I guess!

Very glad I read this thread! The pedals below will be perfect for an old racer that I'm restoring for my Father-in-law - its a 30+ yr old 9 speed and plastic would just look wrong

Those Zefal plastic ones are perfectly functional, but I believe the bees knees are these currently.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

And even better on a steel framed tourer in British racing green with a brown leather saddle and bar tape

Wot? Does your Cross Check know you are contemplating N+1 already?

 

[lulubel]

I wouldn't want 2 or more hours in the saddle with running shoes on. Depends upon how serious you want to be - if your going for say 60 miles in 3 hours and battering yourself, then the proper shoes come into their own.

I think the longest I've done is 3:30 in the saddle. And it depends what you mean by serious. If serious means racing (or at least going as fast as possible), then I'm not at all serious. I don't mind doing some fast - for me - rides, but distance is really what interests me.

Runners don't use everyday walking shoes to run in do they?

Barefoot running seems to be the thing at the moment, which doesn't appeal to me at all. I don't fancy getting all kinds of rubbish stuck in my feet.

When I started running, I had terrible knee pain running in a pair of "fashion" trainers, and it wasn't until I had my gait analysed and was fitted for a pair of support shoes that the knee pain stopped. I took to wearing the support shoes for hiking as well, when long walks made my knees ache. I started wearing them for cycling after trying a few pairs of other shoes and getting painful knees, so I'm not so sure that footwear should be sport specific as much as it should be individual person specific. The same shoes seem to work for me regardless of what sport I'm doing.

 

[lulubel]

Wot? Does your Cross Check know you are contemplating N+1 already?

I'm a girl. We call it window shopping

 

[Bluenite]

SPD's and Brook saddles are the work of the devil......

 

[lulubel]

SPD's and Brook saddles are the work of the devil......

Two things that polarise the cycling community. Someone just needs to mention helmets and then we'll really have a discussion