MTB shoes. Looking for advice please.

[Vetseun]

Lol. Tell that to Sam Hill who is currently getting top positions on the EWS....

Sam Hill rides proper downhill not the wannabe downhill that we ride. He would ride our downhill and kick our asses on his little cousins bmx with slops on.

My opinion was based on us average Joe's not those super humams.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Sam Hill rides proper downhill not the wannabe downhill that we ride. He would ride our downhill and kick our asses on his little cousins bmx with slops on.

My opinion was based on us average Joe's not those super humams.

Oh absolutely. But the point stands...

 

[Shaun Green]

This!

You could try the Adidas Terrex shoe - designed for flats and walking... and a lot cheaper than 510's -

 

http://www.duesouth.co.za/pdp/adidas-men-s-terrex-trail-cross-sl-shoe-black/_/A-194614AAAH5

 

I ride flats just for the confidence it gives me, and am VERY happy with my Terrex shoes. Have done rides up to 85km in them, without any problems. And if I have to get off the bike, they make for decent Trail Running shoes.

 

Also: the Flats vs Clips debate is far from over. YouTube is your friend.

 

It's also fun to sometimes be the only flats nutter in A-batch   

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

This!

 

I ride flats just for the confidence it gives me, and am VERY happy with my Terrex shoes. Have done rides up to 85km in them, without any problems. And if I have to get off the bike, they make for decent Trail Running shoes.

 

Also: the Flats vs Clips debate is far from over. YouTube is your friend.

 

It's also fun to sometimes be the only flats nutter in A-batch

Lol. Love getting those chirps.

 

Raydek got one at hoogekraal the other day. Couple of mamils didn't wanna let him in front of them on the first climb. "Oh he's on flats he'll never stay on front"

 

Passed them and never saw them again.

[Guest notmyname]

I ride with cleats on all my bikes and I'm not going back to flats. That said I think it's important to mention that I rode flats for the fist 15 years of cycling.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I ride with cleats on all my bikes and I'm not going back to flats. That said I think it's important to mention that I rode flats for the fist 15 years of cycling.

There we go.

[popcorn_skollie]

I can't believe I'm being baited into this whole thing again. In 6 weeks we'll do it again. But before we do we'll argue about wheel size, then bar and stem width, then drivetrain debates and so on and so on. There will be a new rider every week asking for advise on any of these topics. Naturally people will offer answers. Mostly good advice offered in good faith. The thing is though. Advice offered is usually based on experience and quite often personal preference. If you look at the pros racing in both the EWS and DH World Cups. Some riders are on flats while others are clipped in. Can't say much for the XC heroes. I have no idea whats going on there. Probably all clipped in but lets brush that off as a moot point. 

 

At the end of the day the choice is personal. Unfortunately when it comes to the topic of flats vs cleats its a preference that will only be discovered after some riding experience and experimentation. Because of this I'm gonna side with Myles on this one. Flats first. 

But good flats and at least a decent pair of grippy soled sneakers. No need to fork out on 5tens just yet. I don't like telling those new to the sport to buy 5tens. Simply because they are pricey and its possible that after 6 months of riding they might realize that they prefer being clipped in. I say flats first because when you're starting out being clipped in can be very intimidating and could possibly discourage you from riding altogether. There's so much to learn when you start mountain biking. Its just silly to have all your attention focused on not falling because your feet are attached to the pedals. Learning makes more sense on flats. Once you're confident on the bike though you can look at the option again.

 

Do gravity riders wear flats? Yes they do. But some of them also clip in. Do race snakes clip in? Yes, almost exclusively but I've seen guys in lycra and 5tens too. There is no better. Each has its pros and cons. Experienced riders will choose what they feel works for them. 

Myself? I ride both. Flats on my jump bike and clipped in on my trail and DH bikes.

Because that works for me. You just need to figure out what works for you.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Bazinga. Well said, PS. 

[fabes]

Lol. Love getting those chirps.

 

Raydek got one at hoogekraal the other day. Couple of mamils didn't wanna let him in front of them on the first climb. "Oh he's on flats he'll never stay on front"

 

Passed them and never saw them again.

A bunch?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

A bunch?

handfull, IIRC. Not enough to be a bunch. I think bunch = 6+

[Audible Anarchy]

From my experience learning with the flats will teach how to weight your mtb properly and give you better fundamentals than the cleats .( this coming from a long roadie background- i automatically jumped onto spds when i bought my first mtb)

 

Dropping your heels and getting your weight in to the bb, manuals, bunny hopping properly vs lifting with cleats etc...all improved drastically once i switched from spd to flats/ shoes.

 

I still like the cleats for riding longer faster rides and climbing but, i prefer my 5-10s and nukeproof pedals for cruising trails with the mates and playing with the bike.

[Tony datoy]

I bought a pair of these https://www.specialized.com/za/en/shoes/cadet/105705 not too long ago and they are real comfy. There is a rubber section in the sole that you can remove if you want to fit cleats.

T

[KingTJ]

GIro Privateers....Great shoes, comfortable  and reliable and durable

[V12man]

This!

 

I ride flats just for the confidence it gives me, and am VERY happy with my Terrex shoes. Have done rides up to 85km in them, without any problems. And if I have to get off the bike, they make for decent Trail Running shoes.

 

Also: the Flats vs Clips debate is far from over. YouTube is your friend.

 

It's also fun to sometimes be the only flats nutter in A-batch

I bought a set but haven't put the flats on my bike yet to play with - will get there eventually:)

[Red Robin]

Lots of food for thought and excellent to get different opinions and the benefit of years of experience from everybody. Much appreciated.