Clipless pedal poll. Are you a clipper?

To clip or not to clip?

  • SPD, the tighter the better!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bit of both, depends on which bike.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Free and easy, flatties 'till I die!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0
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I am sure Hilts will be commenting on pedals very soon . . :LOL: :LOL:
 
I have been clipless since 1993, and ride 90 % of the time with my SPDS. But recent trips to Coed y brenin have taught me that on technical trails flatties are the way to go. You know that low speed rocky stuff that could stop you dead at any second, I had too many falls onto my knees cos the bike went away suddenly and I couldnt get my feet out.

Guess I just pick the pedal to suit the course, which mainly means spuds. :D
 
SPD's on everything for me (most of the time).

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I don't understand all this pish about not being able to clip out when it all goes wrong? It's easy... it just happens... I don't even think about it. I've been trapped by the bike a few times... but I'm usually trapped by my laughter. I love stacking :cool:

Having said that I use SPD's all the time I took a winter out off from them a couple of years ago and used flatties. As an ex BMXer I had no problems on DH's or jumps etc but really steep/lose/slippery climbs where you need to pull up as well as push down were almost impossible. It became very frustrating as I was never as good with the flatties as I am with SPD's.

For performance SPD's rule.

In the pre-SPD days I used to have my toeclips up so tight that any stack had serious pottential - SPD's were a godsend!

Pedalling style is important - I spent ages learning to pedal in circles pulling up and pushing down - I still practice this on flat sections and I believe it helps. I'm also a spinner - I like my gears low and my leg speed fast.
 
I would have said spd all the way - until last Saturday. If you suddenly find they're locked on, it's not funny. I mean, it is funny, but not for you!
 
All fair points messiah, in the end it comes down to a trade-off between having the extra complication of relying on a cleat to hold you in place and having a little extra power or being free and easy and being confident that your feet can come off only when and if you want them too.
personally I just don't feel the need to have the complication, you can pull up by curling your feet around the pedal. With stiff soled spd shopes you can't even feel the pedal.
 
Anthony":37wuuzfw said:
I would have said spd all the way - until last Saturday. If you suddenly find they're locked on, it's not funny. I mean, it is funny, but not for you!

I was waiting for you to put your comments in !!!
 
Clipless were a revelation when I used them the first time. Well once I got over the embarassment of falling over a couple of times because I forgot to unclip :?

The ony thing that bugs me about them is the fact you need to change your shoes to nip to the shops, rather than just jumping on in your trainers or whatever (flip-flops in the summer: it's the future :D )

On the subject of clips and straps, did anyone ever use Tioga Powergrips? I've got a pair on my old pedals. They engaged a bit like SPDs in that your foot goes in kind of at an angle, then when it's straight, the twist puts tension on the strap holding your foot in. They are pretty good, and easier to use than eith straps or SPDs
 
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