Made the change to flats and wont be going back !!

[Alo661]

pedals I bought are the newish Saints.. with the spacers removed under the hex heads..

with the impacts on.. I can actually lift my foot and the pedal comes up with the pedal.. it is really, really refreshing to be able to move my feet around on the pedals.. especially with my old coger knees..

the ability to "dab" a foot around corners like I do on my dirt bike is a game changer for me.. I can hit stuff harder with confidence knowing that if it all goes pear shaped, I'd more than likely get a foot down instead of hit the deck.. a few times over the weekend I hit a bar here and there and would have been on my ass if I were clipped.. and the only reason I hit the bars, is because I was riding faster having more fun..

this post was just a "heads up" to all those out there that have been riding clipped in for years and always thought you had to.. good flats and good shoes offer insane amounts of grip that was not possible years ago...

510's and the saint flats with the longer pins equal an amazing amount of grip!

Only thing I ride clipped in now is on my roadie.

 

[Hugor]

but the stickiness that allows that means the shoe is hard to get exactly the angle you want it at, and after a couple of goes you just pedal even if it's not exactly right.

I have this issue as well.
The stickiness makes it hard to make small adjustments - you actually have to lift your foot up and put it back on the pedal, rather than just slide it up a bit.
On a moving bike its very hard to find that perfect position, whereas with cleats you get that perfect position every time.
I've kept with flats though as I still find the trade off acceptable.

Perhaps someone needs to design a flat with a small amount of rotation (float)!

 

[nikmcc]

After many years of riding XC/Trail/AM in clips and DH on flats, I've gone back to flats all round.

I've only ridden my trail bike twice on flats so far, and I gotta say I'm lovin it:beer:

I didn't realise how much fun I was missing out on being clipped in. I think I'm riding heaps better too. As others have mentioned, it's the little things like being able to dab a foot round a corner if need be, having the confidence to hit log rides and skinnies and having the option to jump off.

I also think that now having flats on both bikes and not continuously swapping back and forth between pedal styles is going to benefit me in the long run.

It's kinda hard to describe, but riding on flats gives me a real sense of freedom, and makes the bike more about fun than hardcore efficiency.

The only downside I've found is long fire road climbs, but they suck anyways so who cares!



Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2

 

[kiwiinmelb]

I love my flats and 5 10s,

Its amazing though, the amount of riders that tell me flats are no good, then if I question have you ridden them with 5 10s? And they usually answer no,

To get the grip, the shoes are the key.

 

[landy_man]

I love my flats and 5 10s,

Its amazing though, the amount of riders that tell me flats are no good, then if I question have you ridden them with 5 10s? And they usually answer no,

To get the grip, the shoes are the key.

agreed.. x1000000000

 

[driftking]

I love my flats and 5 10s,

Its amazing though, the amount of riders that tell me flats are no good, then if I question have you ridden them with 5 10s? And they usually answer no,

To get the grip, the shoes are the key.

I use shabby shoes and have no issues I have used 510 and yes they do offer way more, I think though flats take another style, you new to let the bike float round and really move with the bike, I love the feeling flats give under foot. I love it

 

[Urban DH]

anyone mentioned that with flats you dont need to carry a second pair of shoes to go for a ride, flats and single speed for life, ride everything on a dj/street bike your fitness will go way up and then after it has get back on the genre specific bikes and you'll be a bloody weapon!

ns with bigger pins and a dc shoe for me and its like glue!

flats for life!

 

[ben_rides_a_bike]

Its like coming out of the closet... but for all the good reasons!

 

[Big Chuck]

Go the flats!! Love my 5.10 Low Impacts. They make me look cooler too.

At first I went back to flats to build skills on the slower techy XC tracks(this happened). I soon realised that I loved the freedom. The freedom that mountain biking gives you, to get away from the cars and the tarmac(and Strava some times).

Still hit longer(30-60Km) firetrail rides with clipless pedals, just a bit easier on the legs that way.

 

[StanTheMan]

the way I see it its like this.

The riders who like flats like the freedom. Bit like the people in America with guns.

Flats = pro gun

clips equals= tighter gun laws.


LOL

errr ....great whatever floats your boat. your not taking anyones life or liberty for not locking up your flats.... perhaps if someone stole them off you, they too could enjoy the freedom you experience.

errr maybe I'll go hang in the other thread.

ohh and just for the record I'm cliped in. But I'm sure when I suggest it should be the other way. you will not kill me for trying to take away your rights. You'll hopefully just show me your finger and we'll have a beer.

 

[indica]

ohh and just for the record I'm cliped in. .

You use Toe-Clips? Fuck me that is odd. I run clipless - cleats, not flats.

 

[StanTheMan]

You use Toe-Clips? Fuck me that is odd. I run clipless - cleats, not flats.

yea I'm such a man

perhaps I should drink less beer, Get less reved up about things. Indeed Eggs on face can taste nice. Perhaps wash egg down with some Scotch instead.

 

[indica]

yea I'm such a man

perhaps I should drink less beer, Get less reved up about things. Indeed Eggs on face can taste nice. Perhaps wash egg down with some Scotch instead.

Beer is good, time for another.

 

[landy_man]

I especially love the way some 29'er riding, lycra clad, latte sipping, metro sexuals look down their noses at my 26"er, flat pedaled, mud encrusted bike at the trail head.. I then laugh hard if I see them lying on the side of the track with their bikes attached to their feet.. :afro:

 

[StanTheMan]

Beer is good, time for another.

Beer is good for carbs
Scotch is good for courage.

LOL
hick'

 

[driftking]

Beer is good for carbs
Scotch is good for courage.

LOL
hick'

vodka is good for no one.

 

[mik_git]

I'm the opposite, I rode BMX and started mtb on flats, but it me no time at all to love spd's and I can't go back, I've tried a few times, but it just doesn't feel right. Even putting a foot down to rail a corner feels more natural to go straight back to clipped in. Flats, just can't do it.

 

[Trigger02]

Globes work great with pinned flats, You can make quick adjustments but i have never slipped off, I want 5-10's for Downhill though, But Globes are perfect for everything else

 

[dontfeelcold]

I am a long time clipless use for everything, DH, Trail, XC but would like to give flats a go.

I would get 5 10s without a second thought but they don't make them in my size according to the website. I need a US 14.

What else other brand shoes good for flats?

I use Shimano DX shoes for clipless riding and was thinking of getting a pair of those but the version for riding flats. Anyone have any experience of know if they are any good?

 

[flamshmizer]

I switch between flats and clips for trail riding depending on how I feel. I think its great going between the two because it changes the way you ride so much, each time it feels like a different bike and different trail.

For BMX/4x track stuff, I almost exclusively use clipless, as that just feels more comfortable, and for downhill I use flats 99.9% of the time because thats more comfortable.

But then again I only ride for fun so what would I know.