SPDs... Am I really missing out?

ChrisR

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Currently having a bit of a dilemma on wether I should make the jump to a set of spds.

Am I really missing much by still being on flats? My riding is all xc stuff so would I see a benefit? Will climbing be better/easier?

I know this has been discussed previously but thought I'd go over old ground again lol.
 
It's gonna go 50/50 here I reckon.

I'm for flats myself. I ride xc probably 90% of the time and flats suits me just fine. I've only ever ridden flats and Ive never felt wanting. I don't like the idea of being strapped to the bike and off road I don't think I'd see that much benefit. Plus there's the cost involved. I currently have 3 bikes with another possibly on the way, so I'd need 3 sets of pedals, plus the cost of a pair of suitable shoes and cleats. I usually just wear old skate shoes but have just bought my first pair of proper flat pedal shoes.
Then on top of that there's the walking issue. Apparently most spd shoes aren't to conducive to walking (the third speed for single speed ;) )so for that reason, I'm also out.



EDIT: just get some nice flat pedal trainers.
 
If you've not tried them, you wont realise that most of what is written above is nonsense :LOL:

being able to use your legs on the upstroke of the pedals makes life a lot easier up hill. In the event you end up in trouble you tend to end up unclipped anyway. Walking is very shoe dependent, but there are plenty of shoes that are just as easy and comfortable (and of a similar style) to skate shoes. So much so that I often just wear my SPD shoes to walk around the shops or go to the pub...with no bike involved.

Cost, unless you ride cheap resin flats like those on super market bikes, you are probably already spending as much or more than a set of SPD's can cost. The shoes are an additional expense, I shall grant you that.

I won't lie to you, whilst getting used to them you will have the inevitable SPD related injury. Most often purely an injury to pride that occurs once you start to get confident in unclipping, pull up to a set of lights or a slow stop, then forget to unclip and end up in a heap on the floor looking a tit. But this phase tends to be short lived, nothing teaches better SPD use than embarrassment.
 
I started on flats in 90/91. My mate persuaded me to get cages, and my riding got better, I was able to pull on the upstroke, making climbing easier. When SPDs came along, my same mate got them. I laughed at him falling off at traffic lights, and swore I wouldn't get any. The best part of a year passed, and I could see he was able to pull harder on the upstroke, and after his initial issues, he could always put his feet down when he needed to. I got some Onza HOs. I believe the last new set in the UK, as they were bloody hard tracking down. I fell off at lights at first. My mates laughed at me, as I had done at my mate. Now I wouldn't be without them. I find they make climbing much easier, the shoe spreads the pressure by being so stiff, so its not all the pressure in 1 spot of your foot so even the downstroke feels more powerful. It also holds your foot in the best spot for power delivery, and your anatomy all the way round the pedal action. I really feel odd without them now, and wouldn't go back.
 
I was looking at these..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290849187052?redirect=mobile

Could clip the platforms on when popping round the block with the kids etc but for my commute and when going for a ride I'd use them clipped in.

Then I'd probably look for some general use spd shoes to get used to it. Is there a spd shoe that you can actually walk in?? Have friends at work who commute on roadie shoes and often chuckle at them trying to walk!
 
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I think they would be a good compromise, but I suspect once you are used to them, you won't use the flat platform. You can walk in most MTB shoes, just steer clear of the roadie ones.
 
You can get uber stiff soled MTB shoes, but the ones I tend to buy are pretty much like trainer shoes but with a sole thats more akin to a work boot in terms of stiffness. As mentioned I commonly wear my SPD's everyday/all day and dont get any problems walking in them other than the ocaisional odd look when you tread on a metal grate and make a fairly noisy metal on metal clunk as the cleat hits, but for the most part the cleats are sufficiently recessed as to not be an issue..
 
yes, in fact less than 10 mins ago, i won another set on ebay, not that that is a reason you should change.
 
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