Clipless merits

SPD's are awesome when your refexes have learnt the new method of exiting the pedal. Toe clips are a kind of rearward pull, which needs learning from flatties.
Personally I suggest if someone is 40+ then they may struggle to get on with the learning process, but it's worth the attempt at trying them imo.

I say spuds are so much more comfy in the shoe than clips, typically you have to wear cycling shoes, so you don't get that bendy trainer sole which actually hurts my feet.

I would never go back, it just feels wrong not being clipped in & toe clips make me feel anxious. If you ever find yourself riding in utter gloopy mud, not having toe clips dangling in the dirt is also quite helpfull.

matt24777":12uhhao7 said:

highlandsflyer":12uhhao7 said:

BMX racing Olympics style is not really street BMX.

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One of the two genres of bmx, original comment didn't specify, agreed street style are flatties generally.

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Similar to this thread though. There are many styles of riders on here and each to their own. For pop to work, allotment, shop style even I wouldn't wear SPD. I will happily ride normal shoes on SPD pedals as I find them easy to rest on and as grippy as my 'traditional flats' though. In fact I feel safer on them then the traditional pedals.

There are benefits, there are downside but what those are depends what you ride and how you pedal.

I used spds for a period of about 3 years in the early to mid nineties. Swapped to flat pedals and after about 2 months knew they were more suitable for my riding which was at a time when xc, DH and trials was all done on the same bike.
Now I love retrobikes because I can appreciate where we have come from but looking back I see spds in the same category as long flat stems, narrow bars and skinny tyres i.e. the ill-advised modification of the clunker style MTB into into something more akin to a road bike rather than something designed to tackle technical terrain and have fun.

https://www.bikejames.com/strength/the- ... at-pedals/

Well I'm 50 .never used spd s but wsould try them if I could afford them .
I use loose straps or none at all.I just have octopus pedals on my cannondale and ever slipped off off road

If anyone claims that they cant bunny hop without spd's or clips, doesnt know how to do it properly


G

I'm 47 and progressed from toeclips n straps to Time clipless 2 years ago , fall off trying to twist my feet out of flats !.
Clipless all the way for me .

unkleGsif":9gcxpkvx said:

If anyone claims that they cant bunny hop without spd's or clips, doesnt know how to do it properly


G

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Bunny hop

Haven't heard that term since MBUK in the 90's, well I suppose we are on Retrobike.

superstar1":36ilmu16 said:

unkleGsif":36ilmu16 said:

If anyone claims that they cant bunny hop without spd's or clips, doesnt know how to do it properly


G

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Bunny hop

Haven't heard that term since MBUK in the 90's, well I suppose we are on Retrobike.

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Odd as it's still the common term for a small jump, be it front then back or the more of a spd technique of both at the same time.

Not sure where you've been...

Neil":3ga8rysp said:

The notion that you need that firm a connection to the pedal to generate decent performance, I'm calling as a crock - you need your foot not to move about. But at least for me, the notion about being able to use them to also pull - well you can do that anyways with toeclips - but IME it just leads to fatigue - for me, cycling is all about spinning or pushing hard.

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It's not a crock, Pedaling in circles gives you a big power boost and yes it's hard to sustain initially but once you get used to it you can sustain it. It's not same with toe clips they're just too loose.

JamesM":3wfcc4lu said:

Neil":3wfcc4lu said:

The notion that you need that firm a connection to the pedal to generate decent performance, I'm calling as a crock - you need your foot not to move about. But at least for me, the notion about being able to use them to also pull - well you can do that anyways with toeclips - but IME it just leads to fatigue - for me, cycling is all about spinning or pushing hard.

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It's not a crock, Pedaling in circles gives you a big power boost and yes it's hard to sustain initially but once you get used to it you can sustain it. It's not same with toe clips they are just to loose.

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Well your mileage may vary. I've done many miles, in the saddle, and in the gym, and all that trying to use effort in pulling - or "pedaling in circles" has done, is create fatigue. Sure, you may temporarily be able to generate more power for a brief period - but in my experience, that comes at a cost of greater fatigue, which my measurements have shown to actually harm my performance.

Perhaps you get different results.