Recumbent - Platforms on a 'bent?

Just wondering if it's even possible to ride in street shoes.

I rode with platforms for 2000 miles or so on my swbs with no problems.I do prefer clip less now. Jack

You probably mean plain cage pedals. Or, maybe you mean cage or platform pedals.
My Tailwind has generic SPD/Cage pedals and I have taken a few short rides in running shoes. (Using the plain cage side.) My first few weeks of 'bent-riding were with BMX-style platform pedals.

I rode platform pedals with Power Grip straps only for the first 500 miles. Then I got SPD clipless and never looked back.

O^o

My 2 cents...yes it is possible..easier on a LWB because of foot position. Whethere you want to is another answer.

I rode platform pedals with Power Grip straps only for the first 500 miles. Then I got SPD clipless and never looked back.

O^o
I look back with a Take-a-Look mirror.

I started out with clipless then decided to give platforms a try. But with my SWB the heels of my shoes kept hitting the front tire when I would turn. Switched back to clip less.

To answer the question, yes it is possible. But on some recumbents it may not work so well because of heel clearance issues.

I would jump on my P-38 for short runs but I wouldn't ride it for any distance without clipping in. The EZ-1, however, was just fine without it.

I ride in my old-lady walking shoes (modified tennies). That whole clipping or clipless or whatever routine scares the bee-jeebies out of me. I like being able to stop and place my feet on the ground immediately.

Many people ride with platform pedals. Get the mountain bike type, that have the pins sticking up on them. Wear shoes that have a thread pattern on the bottom. The pins and the grooved threads of the soles of the shoes will grip together REALLY well. I have Crank Brothers 50/50 pedals. Google them. They are perfect for what you want.

The really spikey MTB pedals are great you actually have to lift your foot off to even reposition it.
BUT if you are talking tadpole trike, don't do it if a foot drops and grabs on the road the cross bar may well break your leg.

Yes, you can ride the street shoes and platforms. Some bent riders do all the time, even with high BB's. I'm not one of them. For me, riding securely clipped into those clipless pedals <G> adds efficiency, enjoyment and even safety.

Well, I hadn't really expected so many responses. I thought that it might boil down to personal preference, except for when a higher BB used. I am very finicky when it comes to my shoes. I really wasn't looking forward to shopping for cycling specific shoes...

My bent came with platform pedals.... rode it that way for the first week or so before putting my clipless pedals on it. And, the clipless are two-sided (clipless/platform).

Unless I'm only riding a very short distance, I go clipless. Platforms/street shoes on the bent tend to hurt my feet after a couple of miles.

i wear these platorms, and so does my wife!

i wear these platorms, and so does my wife!

That your foot, or hers?

I use platforms. Toe clips make me feel less secure on the pedal, and clipless is not an option for me.

When I bought my Giro, I had the LBS switch the platforms for Shimano PDM324 clipless pedals that have both platform and clipless. My feet kept falling asleep while wearing clipless shoes so I returned the biking shoes and use the platform side of the pedals with anything from running shoes to US Army combat boots. Maybe I'll find wider shoes for the clipless but I haven't missed them yet.

btw - the combat boots are really great biking shoes.

I have used platform pedals on all of my recumbents for a period. I have swapped all to spd style clipless pedals nowadays. I prefer the clipless.

Recumbents can be ridden without a retension system, but having one makes the experience better, IMHO. If you want to use platform pedals, then low bottom bracket bents are the better choice of style, as it's easier to keep your feet positioned when you don't have to hold your feet up.

Recumbents can be ridden without a retension system, but having one makes the experience better, IMHO. If you want to use platform pedals, then low bottom bracket bents are the better choice of style, as it's easier to keep your feet positioned when you don't have to hold your feet up.

Looks like I need to start researching LWB's...

I wore my boots today due to colder temps after almost 4000 miles this year with SPD (my pedals are 50-50). While I prefer the SPD, it was no big deal to switch back to the platform side, other than being surprised at various (now-lazy) reactions like spinning back my take-off foot at the light (takes a lot longer when not clipped in) and things like that. My feet came off a few times in the first 5 miles before they started to remember that pulling was a no-no. Warm feet were definitely the winner however, and its only a few months until Spring.

Looks like I need to start researching LWB's...

Yeah, then you can deal with recumbutt and leg suck.

I'm telling you, it is very possible to ride with platform pedals. I have been doing it for years, as have thousands of other people. ( see me earlier post ). Over all I would say more people ride with platforms than clipless.

As a matter of fact Bob B of the now defunct "Recumbent Cyclist News," wrote last year about how he moved away from clipless pedals to platforms. For about 10 years Bob B was "the" source of decent recumbent information.

Yeah, then you can deal with recumbutt and leg suck.

I'm telling you, it is very possible to ride with platform pedals. I have been doing it for years, as have thousands of other people. ( see me earlier post ). Over all I would say more people ride with platforms than clipless.

As a matter of fact Bob B of the now defunct "Recumbent Cyclist News," wrote last year about how he moved away from clipless pedals to platforms. For about 10 years Bob B was "the" source of decent recumbent information.

If by Bob B you mean Bob Bryant, he has joined the staff on BROL. I'm looking forward to his articles/reviews. BROL is working on importing a bunch of Bob's RCN work as well.

Yep, exactly who I mean, and he gave up clipless pedals and went to platforms. BROL is a wonderful site for everything recumbent.

Yep, exactly who I mean, and he gave up clipless pedals and went to platforms. BROL is a wonderful site for everything recumbent.
I believe he did this on a Tour Easy which has a pretty low BB.

Heck yes. I own several recumbents - a Linear LWB, an Haluzak Horizon SWB, and two trikes. I've never ridden any of them with anything but platform pedals but did equip all of them with Nashbar strapless toe clips. No recumbent butt and no foot suck in more than 25,000 miles. I have owned cycling shoes in the past but just prefer to be able to hop on any of my recumbents with whatever shoe or boot I happen to be wearing at the time.

I ride my DF bikes clipless and wouldn't go any other way on a DF. I ride my V-Rex with MKS RMX sneaker pedals from Rivbikes (light, cheap, good platform). I'm completely comfortable, very rarely loose my grip, and can change position however I want. Heel strike? Angle heels outwards. Quick stop? Feet down instantly, and sometimes I stand to throw off momentum. Commuting? No shoes to change into. Touring? No extra shoes to carry. I just bought a pair of North Face Men's Cooper's Hill GTX XCR Trail Running Shoes from Altrec (highly recommended) for touring. Waterproof, light, and I can hike in them when I stop.

Oh Yeah, and I don't wear a single piece of bike clothing on the V-Rex, helmet excepted. I'm completely comfortable, have pockets where I can reach them, and when I get off the bike I am ready for any environment.

Have ridden a StreetMachine a few thousand km with Shimano MX-30 platform/BMX pedals; I just
jump on and go with what ever shoes or boots I have on. Most of my riding is "utility" vs. "sport"
so I don't care how fast i go or how I look. Have tried some SPD type pedals on this bike, perhaps
they are better for "sport" riding.

I own two LWB bents and have never used anything but platform pedals. They work great. My typical ride is using low cut hiking shoes with wide MTB pedals that have the little spikes on them. It feels like my shoes are stuck to the pedals. Not only do my feel never come off of them, but they never even slip. I have to make some effort when riding to lift my shoe from the pedal if I want to reposition my foot.

The really spikey MTB pedals are great you actually have to lift your foot off to even reposition it.
BUT if you are talking tadpole trike, don't do it if a foot drops and grabs on the road the cross bar may well break your leg.

Geebee is right. I've got a tadpole trike and granted, I've always had clipless pedals, but when I didn't notice that I had a rock lodged in the cleat and hadn't firmly connected, I nearly did break my leg. I hit a pothole and my leg slipped off the pedal. Thankfully, I wasn't going that fast and just got a bad wrench to my hip and knee. One of the few times I had to call for a rescue.

I'd been thinking about swapping to platform pedals, that little incident changed my mind. :twitchy:

I think on a bike though, I would prefer either the spiky mountain bike pedals or straight platforms.

I fabricated aluminum heel clips and bolted them to BMX pedals as shown. No slip, no leg suck, no heel strike, easy in/out and I can wear any shoe I want. Photo shows my shoe not quite clipped in, about a half inch higher and my shoe would be seated in, and held by, the clip. Sun EZ Tad SX.

When I bought my Giro, I had the LBS switch the platforms for Shimano PDM324 clipless pedals that have both platform and clipless. My feet kept falling asleep while wearing clipless shoes so I returned the biking shoes and use the platform side of the pedals with anything from running shoes to US Army combat boots. Maybe I'll find wider shoes for the clipless but I haven't missed them yet.

btw - the combat boots are really great biking shoes.

My preference is the 324 and the Performance equivalent Forte Campus pedals-gives you the opportunity to have the bike ready for the best of both worlds.

Is it possible to ride platforms-yes.
Downside-fatigue from keeping the foot in place against gravity.

Someone here was once selling these MTB pedals with Shimano clips on one side only. Put those
on the bent. If I think I will stop a lot, I just use 'gym shoes', or for something longer I will use
clips. Best of both worlds!