Learning to ride with flats

J

JoelFitz

Likes Dirt
Hey all, pretty much always rode clipped in since getting into mountain biking in my 30s..

Been craving giving flats a go lately. Few reasons -

I reckon I cheat/bad habits with clips especially bunny hoping and jumping. Pulling up on feet etc.

There are some skills I want to learn like manualing which I feel better doing with flats.

May very likely go back to clips but I want to give flats a solid try and get to a point where I can ride both well..

So any tips for the switch? Quick ride tonight makes me feel like I'm in for a world of frustration.

Cheers
 
B

bikeyoulongtime

Likes Dirt
Around this time last year after 15 years of riding clipped in I decided to ride flats for a month, which grew into a few months, and now I'm pretty much only putting the cleats on for races and long rides. Stick at it! I went from using climbing approach shoes to 661 mtb shoes. the mtb shoes are stiffer and I feel a lot less like my feet are in danger - but they're not as grippy, should probably have stumped for 5.10s :)

My .02 from recent experience:
- Riding in flats needs more input/interaction with the bike. Sometimes low/heavy, sometimes springy and light. But you need to really drive the bike, make sure your feet stick.
- I've gone to fully open suspension, always. Riding with any sort of platform (I'm on a CTD shock) led to being bucked off more easily. Also gone few clicks less rebound damping (faster rebound).
- It's easier than it seems, and fun to learn! Do loads of bunnyhops - up curbs, down curbs, here there everywhere... and you'll get a feel for weighting and popping properly. This is pretty much what helped the most - just mucking around, a lot.

I used to worry about losing my feet on jumps and drops, or the bike not coming with me. The only time I lose them now is if I'm not paying attention in rock gardens. I still like riding clipped in, it's a level of security. After a year of mainly flats, though, I think I'm a better rider. Old dog, new tricks. Still terrible at wheelies!
 
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4dabush

4dabush

Likes Dirt
Been on flats forever. Used to ride clips for XC races and commuting and just eventually Couldn't be bothered swapping pedals because I was never going to win races. I'm about to join super masters so was finding clips hurting my knees a bit. Never had a problem racing DH, enduro or XC on flats. 70km races to commuting 25kms ish each way...all on flats. Only time I ever loose a pedal is if I don't concentrate - which sounds funny because I never really 'think' about what my feet are doing, but if you zone out, your feet are likely to let you know before you end up OTB. I do find I move my feet around on the pedals a bit on long rides/XC races, and it takes the edge off my butt, back and moves the muscles in the legs differently. I think I cramp a little less than I used to, but that could be me getting, fitter, older, slower...dunno.
What I do find is I feel more relaxed on the bike, I have more fun and give stuff a go I would think twice about clipped in because I can put my foot down without thinking.
Good luck and have fun with it.
 
P

poita

Likes Dirt
Definitely make sure you've got good shoes. I only ride flats on the MTB, mainly because I was getting sick of switching shoes every time I wanted to go for a ride. I rode in runners the other day and I nearly killed myself because my feet were slipping off the pedals everywhere. Decent MTB shoes though and it's all good.

I practised a lot of trackstanding and slow speed skills when I went back to flats, I think that helped me get a feel for things and confidence in the connection.
 
hakka

hakka

Likes Dirt
I'm in the same boat as the OP. A while back I bought a hardtail with flats (always had duallies & SPD pedals) and nearly killed myself in the first 100m. Went straight home and took the flats off. I've been thinking about trying them again on the Trance with a decent pair of shoes.

Is the Five Ten freerider sizing consistent with Shimano SPD shoes?
 
S

SF Trailboy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
hakka said:
I'm in the same boat as the OP. A while back I bought a hardtail with flats (always had duallies & SPD pedals) and nearly killed myself in the first 100m. Went straight home and took the flats off. I've been thinking about trying them again on the Trance with a decent pair of shoes.

Is the Five Ten freerider sizing consistent with Shimano SPD shoes?
Click to expand...
No. Shimanos are small, five tens are normal
 
Flow-Rider

Flow-Rider

Burner
The free riders are wide in the toe area, if you have skinny feet you can get away with a size smaller but the impacts have thick toungues, you need to go size for size.
 
J

JoelFitz

Likes Dirt
Gave them a try today.. I got 5.10 spitfire shoes which are just my every day shoes so used them.

I first found that I was constantly readjusting my feet on the pedals, would get them where comfortable then they'd get moved. But did find towards end of ride I wasn't thinking about this as much..

Didn't notice any lack of pedaling efficiency. But I'm probably not an amazing pedaller anyway.

Worst part was no longer being about to bunny hop or pop off some jumps. No idea how to get back wheel off the ground without feet coming off.
Plus jumps I felt I had to push down on the pedals so ended up pretty average.

Just highlights skills lacking I think ha-ha.
 
Mrlinderman

Mrlinderman

Likes Dirt
JoelFitz said:
Gave them a try today.. I got 5.10 spitfire shoes which are just my every day shoes so used them.

I first found that I was constantly readjusting my feet on the pedals, would get them where comfortable then they'd get moved. But did find towards end of ride I wasn't thinking about this as much..

Didn't notice any lack of pedaling efficiency. But I'm probably not an amazing pedaller anyway.

Worst part was no longer being about to bunny hop or pop off some jumps. No idea how to get back wheel off the ground without feet coming off.
Plus jumps I felt I had to push down on the pedals so ended up pretty average.

Just highlights skills lacking I think ha-ha.
Click to expand...
Which pedals, the style of flat pedal plays as much a part in grip as the shoe

I use these pedals and these shoes
https://www.mountainbikesdirect.com.au/5.10-impact-low-team-black-five-ten
https://www.mountainbikesdirect.com.au/jetblack-sealed-bearing-pedals

when riding i am solid on the pedals, no slip at all, i feel confident getting my heel slightly forward and really leaning back in the pedal for when you have your ass over the back wheel, sometimes its actually too grippy and i need to pull my foot up to readjust.

Re-learning your bunny hop will be the hardest part of going back to flats
 
B

bikeyoulongtime

Likes Dirt
JoelFitz said:
Worst part was no longer being about to bunny hop or pop off some jumps. No idea how to get back wheel off the ground without feet coming off.
Plus jumps I felt I had to push down on the pedals so ended up pretty average.
Click to expand...
ah cool. Just bunny hop up and down everything - kerbs, stairs, the lot. I went from zero skills to bunnyhopping up three stairs in a few months. With jumps, I weight my bike a lot more before the jump than I used to - kind of preload the suspension so the bike springs up to meet you. I do the same for drops - a little squish, pop, and fly.

I also ride pretty much instep over the axle, so dropping my heels is super easy. But I'm no guru, just relating experiences that are relatively fresh in my mind :)

ohyeah. I bought a cheap dirt jump bike around the same time I started the flats mission a year ago. It helped a lot, and weighs a heap more than my mtb - so whatever I can do on the DJ is easier on the big bike (except pump tracks.. which the DJ bike is a lot better at)
 
CourseOut

CourseOut

Likes Bikes
Ride flats, get skills!

Decent shoes (I have always ridden in Etnies, probably not the best shoes out but I've been on them for 15 years so maybe I am just feeling some stockholm syndrome) and decent pedals (I love my Nukeproof Electrons) will help your confidence.

To build skills up, I'd suggest just riding around on the flat, relearning how to bunnyhop without being able to clip lift. There are a million tutorials on the youtoobs, but basically you want to pull the bars up and push them out. Think about the motion for ollying a skateboard and you will work it out pretty quick.

As for staying stuck to the pedals on the trail, its gonna feel super weird to start with, no doubt. As mentioned earlier you are going to need to concentrate more on what your feet are doing. Like anything it will become second nature after a few rides. You might even find that you get more confidence not being as connected to the bike? Easy to dab a foot real quick and get back on the pedal

Good luck and let us know how you get on!
 
D

D/\M0

Likes Bikes
Similar to the OP but less time on clips. I've recently just got a set of DMR flats for the exact reason of feeling like I was getting technically lazy.
Likely will keep clips on the XC dualie and flats on the do it all hardtail which gets more use.
Looking at the 5.10 Freerides for kicks, but jeez they want a fair few $$ for them...
 
J

JoelFitz

Likes Dirt
Thanks all for your comments, helpful stuff!
I've got a pair of nukeproof electrons on the way. Stolen my wife's diety compounds for the time being.

Some vids and reading advises I would need to learn to wheelie and manual to confidently bunny hop on flats.. Is this true?
 
scblack

scblack

Leucocholic
JoelFitz said:
Some vids and reading advises I would need to learn to wheelie and manual to confidently bunny hop on flats.. Is this true?
Click to expand...
Not true at all. I can barely wheelie 10metres, and can't manual for my life. I can bunny hop on flats perfectly fine.

Just need to learn how to grip the pedals and lift the bike.
 
N

NeoNasty

Likes Dirt
Funny this topic came up. I've also recently started riding on flats on the dually. Mainly to become a better rider. Cyclo and HT are on clipless still.

I watched a few videos on YouTube and just went riding. Its harder to lift the rear wheel, but I was getting lazy anyway.

I can wheelie about 10M but cant manual for shit. Bunny hops aren't a problem, I cant get as high as clipless but its no big deal.

I'm on a a set of Saints that are almost dead and wearing my Shimano am45 (clipless) shoes. Sure its not perfect but im not ready to spend another $150 on 5.10s

More practice required.
 
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