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

landy_man

landy_man

Likes Dirt
Well, this last week I got a set of flats and over the weekend tried 'em out with a pair of Five Ten Impacts..

What an epiphany !!! .... I can't believe I've been riding clipped in for so long and missing out on all the fun of riding with good flats and shoes.. It really changed the way I rode..
The ability to also change my foot positions from time to time to relieve tired muscles was a benefit too..

No going back for me.. anyone else made the change and not going back !!!

P.S. one set of newish XT Trails for sale :evil:
 
No Skid Marks

No Skid Marks

Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
Take photos of your virgin shins and calves now for future reference.
Lion trainer story is always a good spiel but.
 
Dozer

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
landy_man said:
Well, this last week I got a set of flats and over the weekend tried 'em out with a pair of Five Ten Impacts..

What an epiphany !!! .... I can't believe I've been riding clipped in for so long and missing out on all the fun of riding with good flats and shoes.. It really changed the way I rode..
The ability to also change my foot positions from time to time to relieve tired muscles was a benefit too..

No going back for me.. anyone else made the change and not going back !!!

P.S. one set of newish XT Trails for sale :evil:
Click to expand...
You've changed. You used to be so cool but now? Flats? Really!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yell:

Admittedly, I enjoy pump track sessions with flats but won't use them for anything else.
 
Staunch

Staunch

Eats Squid
First time I've ever seen a thread like this, normally everyone's on here declaring their love for SPDs.
Congratulations, I'm glad you've seen the light, aha.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Even on my Sunday trail/xc ride, people are starting to defect from Clipless back to flats. I detect a critical mass afoot. Clipless is now officially dead in all disciplines :bounce:
 
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stoo

stoo

Likes Dirt
Flats and Impacts are ace, pedal pin / shin impacts are somewhat less ace but it's only happened once this year.
My SPDs are where they belong, sitting in the shed on a cross country bike that I don't ride at all.....
 
landy_man

landy_man

Likes Dirt
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...
 
C

CQP

Likes Bikes
Yep, been racing XC on flats for the last 2 years. Love it.

Spent 10 years clipped in, thought it was the business, but was always trying to make my clips feel like flats. Gave up on the little pedals, got the DX clips, then the DX shoes, then Dremmelled the sole so I could get the cleats back (just a bit, nothing crazy). I eventually made them feel like my flats, only the connection to a large surface area just wasn't as solid as it is on flats. So I just rode flats and I haven't stopped.
 
N

nick82

Likes Bikes
I went back to flats and five tens after going over the bars. Went over a double wrong and tried to bail, the bike followed me and I ended up landing on my head, nice little concussion. That was using the cleats that can come un-clipped by pulling up as well as twist to get out. More fun on the flats :)
 
A

applejak26

Likes Bikes
Agreed

Agree with the love for flats. Started riding on SPD's cos my mates had them when we started out doing cross country rides but at some point thought I'd give flats a go - instant difference first time out.

Rode faster just with the confidence I could drop a foot instantaneously if needed - both up and down

With time I think it's improved my technique with jumps/bunny hops as well - can't just pick up the bike with it attached to my feet. Have to actually launch/bunny hop properly

Hard to imagine going back at the moment.
 
D

driftking

Wheel size expert
Downhill-flats-510. Winner winner

In all my years riding I have had very few feet off moments, i find flats are more comfortable for feet position and you can use your foot movement a little bit to move the bike around. I have way more confidence on flats too and that helps me go hard all the time. Even now using average pedals with old as wave zone shoes with no grip iv lost a foot once in a corner and rock gardens are still solid as ever. Anyone who has problems with feet flying off tends to be a rider who lacks flow with the terrain and fights against it.

My opinion as always on clips vs flats is; clips offer a small advantage upon pedaling if going to clips is going to loose you time elsewhere dont bother the advantage gained by pedaling will rarely if ever offset the time lost in rock gardens or other areas. if you can ride faster on clips in those areas than yes clips can offer some benefit. Thats all said confidence will equal results. Go with what works for you.

M2c :)
 
placebo

placebo

Likes Dirt
I ride flats and 5-10s on my DH bike, but I can't ride with them for longer XC rides consistently. My knees just can't take it, I can't handle any sort of volume without the float that is available with cleats/spd systems. 5-10s and a good pedal allow a good stroke through the dead spots, and good foot support, 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. A few hours of that each day for a few days, and there's some problems. Some people can handle non float systems, but I can't.
 
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