teK--
Eats Squid
This is not your usual debate...
I've ridden clips for 8 years and flats for the most recent 4.
There are pros and cons to both but there is one difference I wanted to see what others think .
Crashing!
I've crashed on both, with the main difference being crashes on flats have generally ejected me off the bike. This can often allow a tuck/roll, or at least getting free from the bike, to hopefully land in a less awkward manner.
With clipless it is usually falling off to one side and hitting the ground hard (usually shoulders or hips), or getting tangled up in the bike which can sprain something, especially if one or both feet don't unclip. Check out the Vital MTB raw carnage videos and you can see pros coming off in fairly gnarly crashes and still having one foot clipped in. Probably because they crank up the cleat tension to maximum.
Overall I have found the risk of crashing, and the risk of a serious injury when crashing, is reduced when using flats.
What keeps me curious about going back to clipless, is incorrect foot placement after dabbing or getting bounced off pedals.
The high pedal grip simply makes this impossible without completely unweighting the pedal. Sometimes you have to look down too, to verify. It really kills the flow of a good run when that happens, whereas with clipless just stomp down and go.
For those who have used both, what's been your experience with crashes?
Any suggestions on how to get the foot back into the ideal position quickly and without having to look down at the pedals?
I've ridden clips for 8 years and flats for the most recent 4.
There are pros and cons to both but there is one difference I wanted to see what others think .
Crashing!
I've crashed on both, with the main difference being crashes on flats have generally ejected me off the bike. This can often allow a tuck/roll, or at least getting free from the bike, to hopefully land in a less awkward manner.
With clipless it is usually falling off to one side and hitting the ground hard (usually shoulders or hips), or getting tangled up in the bike which can sprain something, especially if one or both feet don't unclip. Check out the Vital MTB raw carnage videos and you can see pros coming off in fairly gnarly crashes and still having one foot clipped in. Probably because they crank up the cleat tension to maximum.
Overall I have found the risk of crashing, and the risk of a serious injury when crashing, is reduced when using flats.
What keeps me curious about going back to clipless, is incorrect foot placement after dabbing or getting bounced off pedals.
The high pedal grip simply makes this impossible without completely unweighting the pedal. Sometimes you have to look down too, to verify. It really kills the flow of a good run when that happens, whereas with clipless just stomp down and go.
For those who have used both, what's been your experience with crashes?
Any suggestions on how to get the foot back into the ideal position quickly and without having to look down at the pedals?