MTB cleats \ pedals advice

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

flats will teach you to bunny hop properly. If you think about it, you need to be going a zillion miles an hour to clear any sizable object when trying to lift both wheels off the ground at the same time. A proper bunny hope will get you over every time. I hope the method you employed riding with flats translates to riding with cleats. U will be better for it.

 

HAHA!!! Maybe that's what we should be calling the other technique! A Bunny Hope!

 

Lifting 2 wheels at once? You must be trying to Bunny Hope!

[Capricorn]

HAHA!!! Maybe that's what we should be calling the other technique! A Bunny Hope!

 

Lifting 2 wheels at once? You must be trying to Bunny Hope!

 

 

urgh... again damn spelling police caught me again

 

but lol mayhem @ bunny hope

[Super Sywurm]

Anyone that uses Comic Sans for their signature cannot be taken seriously!

 

HAHA, it's only Arial with BOLD!?

[patches]

HAHA!!! Maybe that's what we should be calling the other technique! A Bunny Hope!

 

Lifting 2 wheels at once? You must be trying to Bunny Hope!

 

Well if it was called a "Bunny Shimano", every second narna on a bike would be able to do it!

 

*throws fuel on the fire, just as it was dying*

 

...

[Pipsqueak]

eish. That's why dog invented shinpads!

Ya, I realise this now.

 

Flats are still the bomb, even with a bleeding shin.

[Guest Hollow Man]

I recently changed to SPD cleats; the "new" bike had clipless pedals fitted.

 

I like certain aspects of being hooked to the pedal with a cleat. I am not so keen on that familiar thudding ooooooffffff sound as my middle aged, medium sized white male body crashes to the earth just as I manage to clip out and somersault gracefully through an impressive and pretty swirling cloud of dust, purely for the amusement of passersby........

 

Learning and hardwiring that foot twist reflex required to clip out instead of the instinctive "pull" that the brain instinctively wants is proving to be a little more challenging than I expected. If I do not anticipate a premature dismount, I am toast - I just can't unclip quickly enough. Another thing I don't like with cleats is the foot position; I prefer to have my toes almost directly over the centre of the pedal and push with my calves, and I cannot get the cleat far enough forward to do this without cutting off the heel of the shoe. I do like still being connected to the pedal whilst bouncing around on a bit of a downhill; the added confidence is great. I do like the feel of the cleat system when climbing. I get very little positive effect from the fact that I can pull on the pedal on the upstroke using cleated shoes.

 

To be honest, I still have not weighed the pros and cons of cleats properly yet(I am still busy chewing on the experience, as well as bits of vegetation and gravel particles); I cannot vote emphatically Yes for cleats over flats as I am yet to ride with a proper flat pedal.

 

Just a couple of thoughts, in no particular order. My humble 2c.

[Jewbacca]

I say both.... Have the option of both in your armoury. It requires a bit of time in the saddle but you will benefit both ways.

 

The flats will teach you technique and 'feel' for the bike. On races etc (if you choose to do such things) the spd's will allow you to implement your skill and still gain from their power transfer benefits.

 

Honestly, either one involves time in the saddle and a learning curve. Too many people these days are buying products expecting them to be a miracle cure to their lack of skill.

 

I am not knocking the OP, just reminding everybody that patience, perseverence and a strong will to keep getting better is the important thing when trying to find your optimum setup.

 

We live in the 'now' with direct immediate media, phones that accumulate more data than a mainframe computer did 15 years ago, everything is immediate.

 

The art of picking lines and weight transfer has been lost to longer travel, bigger wheels and modern technology.

 

Yes, these things help but the fundamental basis behind them is an initial base of acquired knowledge and experience.

 

Try it all, see what works for you. One man's trash is another man's treasure. You will find what works best for you through trial and error, learning and growing your skillset and your tastes and preferences will evolve as your basis for use grows and evolves.

 

Good luck..

 

(thesis over, expecting the barage of cheap insults to follow......)

[droo]

Anyone that uses Comic Sans for their signature cannot be taken seriously!

 

hehe...

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81-ilasqt8L.jpg

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Nope, SSG - you're right. And in the land of cycling, spd's are the immediate, flats are the future reward.

 

With flats you have to WORK and practice to get to a decent level of skill.

 

With cleats, you have an element of "skill" from the get go (contact with the bike, without practicing weight transfer etc so it seems as if you have it down pat but you actually don't)

 

As with everything, work at it and it shall come.

[droo]

I recently changed to SPD cleats; the "new" bike had clipless pedals fitted.

 

I like certain aspects of being hooked to the pedal with a cleat. I am not so keen on that familiar thudding ooooooffffff sound as my middle aged, medium sized white male body crashes to the earth just as I manage to clip out and somersault gracefully through an impressive and pretty swirling cloud of dust, purely for the amusement of passersby........

 

Learning and hardwiring that foot twist reflex required to clip out instead of the instinctive "pull" that the brain instinctively wants is proving to be a little more challenging than I expected. If I do not anticipate a premature dismount, I am toast - I just can't unclip quickly enough. Another thing I don't like with cleats is the foot position; I prefer to have my toes almost directly over the centre of the pedal and push with my calves, and I cannot get the cleat far enough forward to do this without cutting off the heel of the shoe. I do like still being connected to the pedal whilst bouncing around on a bit of a downhill; the added confidence is great. I do like the feel of the cleat system when climbing. I get very little positive effect from the fact that I can pull on the pedal on the upstroke using cleated shoes.

 

To be honest, I still have not weighed the pros and cons of cleats properly yet(I am still busy chewing on the experience, as well as bits of vegetation and gravel particles); I cannot vote emphatically Yes for cleats over flats as I am yet to ride with a proper flat pedal.

 

Just a couple of thoughts, in no particular order. My humble 2c.

 

Crow wrote a small tome about 2 pages back. Follow the instructions and your reflexes will be adjusted in no time at all.

[Guest Hollow Man]

Crow wrote a small tome about 2 pages back. Follow the instructions and your reflexes will be adjusted in no time at all.

 

Thanks; will check it out.

[patches]

I say both.... Have the option of both in your armoury. It requires a bit of time in the saddle but you will benefit both ways.

 

The flats will teach you technique and 'feel' for the bike. On races etc (if you choose to do such things) the spd's will allow you to implement your skill and still gain from their power transfer benefits.

 

Honestly, either one involves time in the saddle and a learning curve. Too many people these days are buying products expecting them to be a miracle cure to their lack of skill.

 

I am not knocking the OP, just reminding everybody that patience, perseverence and a strong will to keep getting better is the important thing when trying to find your optimum setup.

 

We live in the 'now' with direct immediate media, phones that accumulate more data than a mainframe computer did 15 years ago, everything is immediate.

 

The art of picking lines and weight transfer has been lost to longer travel, bigger wheels and modern technology.

 

Yes, these things help but the fundamental basis behind them is an initial base of acquired knowledge and experience.

 

Try it all, see what works for you. One man's trash is another man's treasure. You will find what works best for you through trial and error, learning and growing your skillset and your tastes and preferences will evolve as your basis for use grows and evolves.

 

Good luck..

 

(thesis over, expecting the barage of cheap insults to follow......)

 

I also have both at my disposal... but I have so much fun on the flats that I haven't had cleats on any of my bikes since May.

 

Like James Wilson said in a nutshell... if one wants o ride better... ride flats. If they want to ride faster... clip in.

 

There are skills that can only be learned on flats. But once gained they can be transferred to cleated riding to improve that too. As for the reverse, I don't think there are any skills that one can only learn clipped in (not useful ones anyway).

 

So again... to improve skills... ride flats.

Once skills are gained... to improve times... ride clipped.

[Guest Hollow Man]

Dunno why I doubled up on the use of the word "instinctively" in my earlier post. Perhaps repeated blows to the aging peanut has something to do with it......

 

This thread is refreshingly devoid of cheap insults btw.

 

Sorry SSG; You'll have to go and get insulted elsewhere.......

[MartinPV]

Leaving your clipless pedals will be a massive mistake. Remember it is about power transfer, as well as control. Flat pedals will result in you eating much more gravel. get used to those clipless pedals. Keep them well serviced.

Well, not sure that is true at all. Flats allow for a reasonable power transfer, especially if you choose to ride good quality pedals with a purpose made shoe.

[droo]

Dunno why I doubled up on the use of the word "instinctively" in my earlier post. Perhaps repeated blows to the aging peanut has something to do with it......

 

This thread is refreshingly devoid of cheap insults btw.

 

Sorry SSG; You'll have to go and get insulted elsewhere.......

 

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. I fart in your general direction.

 

(better?)

 

Edit: Insulted the wrong bloke. But SSG, you're welcome to include yourself too...

[Capricorn]

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. I fart in your general direction.

 

(better?)

 

Edit: Insulted the wrong bloke. But SSG, you're welcome to include yourself too...

LOLWUT?!? HAHAHHAAHHAH