Mountain Biking - Do MTB riders use clipless pedals?

My son and I are both somewhat new to MTB riding... we have the same bikes, but he is doing jumps and more single track, while I tend to ride more trails.

I am a long time street cyclist and therefore equipped my bike with clipless pedals.

My son wanted platforms and thinks clipless are just asking for trouble.

What is the consensus in the user community... clipless or platform?

You're going to get a very disparate group of answers here. No hard and fast. Some do, some don't.

Inconclusive, non-scientific, and totally based on my own observations: clipless is in the majority for trail/xc, then more flat pedals start showing up when you start getting into fr/dh riding.

I use them for all my ridng. Ride what you like. No reason you and your son have to use the same pedal system. If you're coming from a long time road background and are used to clipping in and out, the transition to using them off road ought to be pretty mellow - I found it to be.

I use clipess. It was a little difficult to get used to at first, and I did fall some since I had never used clipless pedals before, but once I got used to them there was no going back. I love my M520s and Shimano shoes.

It depends...sometimes the trail bike has clipless, sometimes it has platforms. Same with the DH bike...depends on what, how, where, etc., I am riding.

In summary - I have more fun with the platforms but I am more efficient with the clipless.

After the ride I just got back from, I'm defiantly going to platforms. For now.

Clipless 10:1

Platform. I ride Primo BMX pedals on one bike, and Easton "Cully"s on the other. I will never, ever, ever ride clipless pedals off-road again. It's harder for me to hop logs with clipless, I don't feel comfortable riding on the edge of cliffs with clipless, and with platforms, I don't have to worry about whether I'm really clipped in or not.

You're going to get a very disparate group of answers here. No hard and fast. Some do, some don't.

Inconclusive, non-scientific, and totally based on my own observations: clipless is in the majority for trail/xc, then more flat pedals start showing up when you start getting into fr/dh riding.

I use them for all my ridng. Ride what you like. No reason you and your son have to use the same pedal system. If you're coming from a long time road background and are used to clipping in and out, the transition to using them off road ought to be pretty mellow - I found it to be.

That was pretty much my thinking... he is doing more dh/fr than I am... and he is tricking out his bike for that... with chain guards and tensioners and the like.

I on the other hand don't really plan on jumping much of anything... and am looking more for simple off road trail riding with maybe some technical single track. Something akin to road riding, but without the damn auto traffic. :D

I think I got him the wrong bike actually... he needs something with far beefier shocks... whereas I am doing quite well with mine... even though I am 60 lbs heavier...

and he is tricking out his bike for that... with chain guards and tensioners and the like...

Chainguards rule!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/98/382585123_f5010a799f.jpg?v=0

Platforms only. Too far entrenched from an old-school BMX background... :p

hi i just got some PD-M520 clipless and they came with the SM-PD22 clip-on platforms, so far they are great but i can't seem to get the platforms off them, the guy who sold them to me said they were easy to get on and off but i can't seem to be able.

can some one help me of give me some advise?

I use M520 SPD clipless on my hardtail MTB. See this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=498660) for more detailed description, but short version is that I most do road biking with Look Keo clipless, decided to get into MTB as a training alternative, went for about 4 months with platforms on my MTB, got clipless on it for XMas and have not looked back.

Those who say that one type is definitively better than the other are either pvssies or headcases.

hi i just got some PD-M520 clipless and they came with the SM-PD22 clip-on platforms, so far they are great but i can't seem to get the platforms off them, the guy who sold them to me said they were easy to get on and off but i can't seem to be able.

can some one help me of give me some advise?

Loosen the release tension screws and twist them off by hand.

i did that but it still wont move
any other ideas?

hit it with a BFH

light it on fire and melt it off

put the platform in a vise and twist the bike

dremel

take it to your LBS but be prepared to be ridiculed

clipliform

hit it with a BFH

light it on fire and melt it off

put the platform in a vise and twist the bike

dremel

take it to your LBS but be prepared to be ridiculedOr just ride on them a couple of days; they will disintegrate on their own.

Or just ride on them a couple of days; they will disintegrate on their own.

I used those platforms on a trail one time because I was still waiting for my clipless shoes and I didn't have any other pedals to use. Somehow I survived the ride. :lol:

I ride both, depends on the mood and season and purpose, but do prefer platforms. So, who cares.

Chainguards rule!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/98/382585123_f5010a799f.jpg?v=0

Opps I meant chainring guards. It replaces his largest chainring with a rigid metal ring.

I ride XC (Drops and rollers generally no higher than 2-3 feet, lots of climbing, singletrack, etc). I do like to get credit card air on my rides, but everything is well within the "trail riding" realm. Sometimes I throw platforms on for goofing around/urban skills practice, but I just feel a lot more comfortable with clipless. This is partly due to my lack of skills with platforms, but meh. When I pick up a longer travel AM or light freeride rig I'll probably give platforms a fair try.

credit card air

nice

F***in gnar indeed

When I pick up a longer travel AM or light freeride rig I'll probably give platforms a fair try...

Here you go... your first platform pedal lesson. :)

You don't need a longer travel AM or freeride bike, even a hard tail will do. Best done on a bike with short stem and lowered saddle. Don't forget to wear shin guards at first (soccer types will do, or even a notebook tucked inside your socks - trust me on this!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAem3L7Rlpk&NR=1

Have fun!! :thumb:

.

Had to check who cares? for this poll. I generally use and prefer clipless over flats, but wouldn't feel safe with clipless while freeriding and DHing in general. In that case I use pedals with good studs and a good pair of sticky shoes (like those made by 661 or fiveten).

Here you go... your first platform pedal lesson. :)

You don't need a longer travel AM or freeride bike, even a hard tail will do. Best done on a bike with short stem and lowered saddle. Don't forget to wear shin guards at first (soccer types will do, or even a notebook tucked inside your socks - trust me on this!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAem3L7Rlpk&NR=1

Have fun!! :thumb:

.

That's basically what I've been doing on my XC hardtail, but not that often because I like having it set up for trail riding, which means clipless. I'm thinking about getting a dirt jumper for the urban stuff.

I ride XC and I use platforms, with powergrips. works well enough but I'm going to check out clipless next week.
I ride clipless on my road bike, nothing compares. I figure I'll give it a try for my MTB.

I've considered the 50/50 clipless/platform pedals. I know that like most multi-tools, they're going to be a compromise. When riding logs or skinny ramps, I clip out so I can throw my knees around for better balance. Adequate for little finesse moves, but pretty poor for anything fast or dramatic, in which case I stay clipped in and hope for the best.

I'm paraphrasing a quote from a Bicycling Magazine article on a fellow who builds extreme jumps and trails: use platforms if the third of a second it takes you to unclip would be the difference between planting your face or not. So, if the course you're riding makes you nervous, you might want to go platform. My skill level isn't very high, so I prefer platforms right now.

Boxers or briefs? It's all personal preference.

i've heard this basic rule of thumb before:

jumps = platforms
trails/long distance = clipless

buuuut, i've only used clipless once, don't yell at me O:-)

my suggestion would be getting some powergrips, they're easier to get out of than clipless, cheaper, and you can see if you like that feel, if not, flip the pedal over and use the other side, i use them on my road bike, and they do well

After the ride I just got back from, I'm defiantly going to platforms. For now.

Well, if you were going to do anything defiantly in regards to your pedals, wouldn't it be to stay with the clipless?

I don't understand why people think that you can't ride aggressively and hit jumps with clipless.

It's doable, though it's purpose in those circumstances are best left on a dh/bmx/slalom/4x course.

i've heard this basic rule of thumb before:

jumps = platforms
trails/long distance = clipless

buuuut, i've only used clipless once, don't yell at me O:-)

my suggestion would be getting some powergrips, they're easier to get out of than clipless, cheaper, and you can see if you like that feel.......

Please explain how they are easier to get out of.....

Well, if you were going to do anything defiantly in regards to your pedals, wouldn't it be to stay with the clipless?

Our trails have less than little grip right now (Mud, then ice, then icy snow), so climbing is almost not doable. You get off to walk up hills, then you cleats fill with mud and ice, so you cant clip in, or you have to sit down and pick you pedals and cleats out with a knife. But in the summer when its bone dry, no walking is required, so you dont have to worry about your cleats or pedals getting filled with mud and dirt.

I ride clipless on both MTBs and the third and fourth mtb I use for MUP riding. Got tired of hitting something and having my foot slip off the pedal. I ride SPDs and they are set as loose as the set screw will allow while maintaining the set screw in place.

People who do a lot of jumps/tricks do use platforms. Old "no-way" Hans Ray comes to mind at the pro level. Downhiller's often use them too. By platforms I'm talking about the ones that have the dozen or so pins sticking out of the platform that grab the softer sole of the properly matched bike shoe.

Many of my friends do casual jumps and tricks and mostly ride single track. They all go clipless. If the single track is mostly smooth and the hills aren't too steep, it probably doesn't make a lot of difference as I think one can pedal "full-circles" with either, though clipless is superior for pedalling circles when going full-out.

But for rough and steeper stuff, clipless is the way to go. A good compromise is the Shimano SPD system with the #56 cleat vice the standard that come with the pedals (#51?). It's multi-release and easier to get out of. That's especially true when falling where there may be insufficient time, space or one is at too awkward a body angle to twist the heel outwards. I use those exclusively.

Al

Our trails have less than little grip right now (Mud, then ice, then icy snow), so climbing is almost not doable. You get off to walk up hills, then you cleats fill with mud and ice, so you cant clip in, or you have to sit down and pick you pedals and cleats out with a knife. But in the summer when its bone dry, no walking is required, so you dont have to worry about your cleats or pedals getting filled with mud and dirt.

So, like I said, if you were defiantly doing something with your pedals, it would be to use clipless...you know, despite the problems of using them, so that would be being defiant. Get it? :roflmao2:

I've got pedals with clipless one side and platform the other. What do I vote for?

I've only done a little snow and ice, but have some experience with steep and mud. I've had no real problems with the SPD 540 clipless pedals. Sure, sometimes it takes more effort to clip-in, but nothing other than that. Spraying the pedals with silicon or in real wet conditions silicon+teflon seems to help some.

Al