Thinking of going cliplessless
08-09-15, 10:37 PM
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08-09-15, 10:38 PM
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I believe what rivendell says, that with a wide platform, the pressure is already distributed far enough to not cause pressure points. I'll see when I try them out, but it sounds like you're the kind of guy that probably cares about a lot of things that don't bother me, or maybe I couldn't even sense.
My sense is that you will be just fine with a wide platform and street shoes.
08-09-15, 10:43 PM
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? Seems trivially easy to just kick the pedal back to where you need it. And I agree, the loss of efficiency is only in some conditions, and I don't think I'm ever in those conditions. I don't race. Actually, two years in a row I participated in the Devil Dog Duathlon at camp pendleton, but my 1:08:37 time on the 30K ride would I'm sure be no different if I wore platforms & running shoes -- and my transition times would have been faster from no changing.
08-09-15, 10:51 PM
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If they are like by A530s, after breaking in, they will hang a certain way and knowing that it becomes easy to clip in. The A530s don't hang with the clipless side down. They hang more vertically with the clipless side toward the rear. To clip in, push the front (top) of the pedal down with your shoes and you're in.
To use the platform side, push the top of the pedal backwards.
Sounds harder than it is. Once in awhile you end up on the wrong side so you just flip when it's convenient. It's not like they'll drag on the street like toe clips can.
To use the platform side, push the top of the pedal backwards.
Sounds harder than it is. Once in awhile you end up on the wrong side so you just flip when it's convenient. It's not like they'll drag on the street like toe clips can.
08-09-15, 11:03 PM
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. I have not been doing many long distance rides as I have in years past. A week ago I did a 55 mile ride and by the end, climbs that normally wouldn't bother me were getting to be a challenge. Having clipless pedals allowed me to use a different set of muscles to help power up those hills.
08-09-15, 11:10 PM
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How hard are they to learn to use? Not hard. The only hard part is remembering to unclip before stopping. Early on everybody forgets at least once, and falls over sideways because they can't put their foot on the ground. Rite of passage. But before long it's second nature, like stepping on the clutch when you have to brake a manual shift car.
08-10-15, 07:08 AM
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There is a slight time penalty from standing as you have to position the pedal correctly and then lock into the binding, but this becomes second nature as you put miles under your bet. I find that, with said penalty, I can keep up with traffic from a stop light across the intersection. I also find that I can push higher gears in places I would other wise struggle to push.
If you are interested, I suggest a dual entry SPD pedal...not SPD-SL/Look/Time. SPD pedals and shoes are typically marketed as either MTB or touring products. SPD shoes are made such that one can walk in them much easier than other said clipless systems. I use road specific, single sided SPDs with Northwave Jet 365s with good results.
Last edited by jfowler85; 08-10-15 at 07:11 AM.
08-10-15, 10:15 AM
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I still use clipless on my fast road bike, and always will, but have switched to platforms on my others. The best platform experience, IMO, is with pins and soft-soled shoes (5-10s. Older models available through Amazon all the time for $30 and under), especially in wet weather.
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08-10-15, 10:32 AM
#34
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I've been commuting with flat pedals for a while. I like being able to jump on any of my bikes without special shoes, but very much miss pulling the pedal up in high effort situations.
08-10-15, 10:49 AM
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Whoa, $200! I'd be willing to spend up to the low $100s for the perfect shoes for me, but those look terrible for walking, as well as, well, they just look terrible. Leather, mesh, and rubber, that is all for me. I think I'd really love Keen Commuter iii or iv, but online reviews say they run narrow, so I'd have to get like size 13 probably for my 10.5eee feet.
08-10-15, 12:02 PM
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I've been researching platform pedals myself to replace the stock pedals, whose rubbery surfaces are a liability in rainy weather, and they're looking worn after just a few months of use.
I've mentioned other MKS pedals before but I might just go with these - $30 and the reviewers (bottom of page) are saying that the grip is good with shoes similar to the ones I wear when riding - one reviewer wears Vans with "waffle soles" - I wear Etnies Jameson Eco2 skate shoes:
MKS RMX Sneaker Pedals
I've mentioned other MKS pedals before but I might just go with these - $30 and the reviewers (bottom of page) are saying that the grip is good with shoes similar to the ones I wear when riding - one reviewer wears Vans with "waffle soles" - I wear Etnies Jameson Eco2 skate shoes:
MKS RMX Sneaker Pedals
08-10-15, 08:01 PM
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thank you for the very helpful answer. I want try that spd pedals. And i feel that i want try spd shoes if i say good that. I mean shoes i can use for the pedals but i can walk if bike problem. I see riders with road bike pedals and shoes and the way wals is looks hard.
08-10-15, 10:43 PM
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Yes, there are some mountain/touring/spd shoes that are ok for walking, some racier ones are not, so you'll still have to do some shopping. But as far as I know, there have never been road shoes that were any good for walking at all.
08-10-15, 11:10 PM
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You can get covers to snap over road cleats. Somehow to me that feels like a bridge too far.
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08-10-15, 11:50 PM
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I've ridden clipless for a number of years now, and I enjoy and prefer it, BUT my shoes (Performance/Forte Traverse, no longer sold) are wearing out and since I have really hard-to-fit feet (EEE), I cannot order shoes online with any confidence, and I really am not up for the hassle of driving to stores all over San Diego trying on shoes, and then going back after they order different sizes, etc.
My wife has already switched to platforms+5tens on her mtb; plus I've been reading about platforms, and I have a friend (who is a much better rider than me, road and trail), who is explaining why he rides only platforms now (promotes better form).
So I'm thinking about ditching my clipless for platforms. I'm going to buy some cheap pedals from fleabay to experiment with (thoughts on these vs these vs these?) I really like the idea of never again having to worry about shoes just for the bike (maybe my current pedals and shoes and pedals will last forever if I use them only once/twice/year). I almost never wear any other bike-specific clothes (jersey/padded shorts), so it will fit better with my bicycle dressing philosophy to just wear tennis shoes.
Anybody else switch from clipless to platforms (for reasons other than falling-over problems/concerns?)
My wife has already switched to platforms+5tens on her mtb; plus I've been reading about platforms, and I have a friend (who is a much better rider than me, road and trail), who is explaining why he rides only platforms now (promotes better form).
So I'm thinking about ditching my clipless for platforms. I'm going to buy some cheap pedals from fleabay to experiment with (thoughts on these vs these vs these?) I really like the idea of never again having to worry about shoes just for the bike (maybe my current pedals and shoes and pedals will last forever if I use them only once/twice/year). I almost never wear any other bike-specific clothes (jersey/padded shorts), so it will fit better with my bicycle dressing philosophy to just wear tennis shoes.
Anybody else switch from clipless to platforms (for reasons other than falling-over problems/concerns?)
I swear, the internet has ruined peoples abilities to figure anything out without being able to "add to cart" and let it sit there for a few days. The amount of insanely easy tasks people pop online to asks complete strangers for that I see every day is staggering.
I don't mean to be rude or anything.
That said, a good set of platforms are awesome. I just upgraded one commuter to a nice-ish set of Giant brand pedals which are super light, decent grip, and really nice bearings. The other commuter still rocks clipless. I've been riding the platform pedaled bike lately.
08-11-15, 07:04 AM
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I have platform one side and SPd the other side and wear my mtb shoes. I don't have hard to find shoe sizes though. I rode my road bike last week all week and I have to say I missed my platform the most in downtown traffic. I did not like clipping in, in town. But I also wear some bicycling clothes on my commute (since I am in the Humid south) and ride over 10 miles commute.
08-11-15, 07:27 AM
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I got a set after a spontaneous nature hike on some rocky paths chewed up my cleats. We stopped at a park and my wife wanted to go down to the river. Road cleats are plastic. They aren't as bad to walk on as they used to be but they don't wear well. The covers aren't a bad solution if you really like road pedals but yeah, the use case is pretty narrow.
08-11-15, 08:46 AM
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You seem to be overthinking how complicated it is to pop into a local shop and do some shopping. Last time I visited san diego I was riding a bike too large for me, in a city I've never been in, and I had just come back from a knee injury, and I still didn't find it too hard to pop into TWO random bike shops while dicking around.. Or you could, you know, pick up a phone and give a couple stores a call, explain your fitment issues and ask if they might have something that works you can try before heading there...
I swear, the internet has ruined peoples abilities to figure anything out without being able to "add to cart" and let it sit there for a few days. The amount of insanely easy tasks people pop online to asks complete strangers for that I see every day is staggering.
I don't mean to be rude or anything.
I swear, the internet has ruined peoples abilities to figure anything out without being able to "add to cart" and let it sit there for a few days. The amount of insanely easy tasks people pop online to asks complete strangers for that I see every day is staggering.
I don't mean to be rude or anything.
If I go platforms and can wear anything I want whenever, that would be very freeing. Nowadays I get most of my shoes from the salvation army (right next door, I pop over every few weeks, there's always a good selection of half-used-up running shoes).
That said, a good set of platforms are awesome. I just upgraded one commuter to a nice-ish set of Giant brand pedals which are super light, decent grip, and really nice bearings. The other commuter still rocks clipless. I've been riding the platform pedaled bike lately.
08-11-15, 08:50 AM
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I have platform one side and SPd the other side and wear my mtb shoes. I don't have hard to find shoe sizes though. I rode my road bike last week all week and I have to say I missed my platform the most in downtown traffic. I did not like clipping in, in town. But I also wear some bicycling clothes on my commute (since I am in the Humid south) and ride over 10 miles commute.
08-11-15, 09:23 AM
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Those considering going clipless might want to consider CrankBrothers pedals. I use them for my MTB and commuter and find them much better than SPD 
08-25-15, 07:33 AM
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I got a pair of the cheapest alu platform pedals on eBay (they say "BASE CAMP"). I took a mtb ride with them, and they were all right. Definitely it makes it easier to get started uphill. A couple commuting rides as well, and don't like them much; as I expected, I'm continually fussing where to put my feet. Also, the pins on these things have no bite. That much at least, I'm certain is due to the cheapness of these pedals.
Last edited by RubeRad; 08-25-15 at 07:41 AM.
08-25-15, 09:45 PM
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OK, now I get it. It is slightly, naggingly annoying to get the pedal into position. I never realized how much I relied on having my left foot clipped in to easily start off...
I got a pair of the cheapest alu platform pedals on eBay (they say "BASE CAMP"). I took a mtb ride with them, and they were all right. Definitely it makes it easier to get started uphill. A couple commuting rides as well, and don't like them much; as I expected, I'm continually fussing where to put my feet. Also, the pins on these things have no bite. That much at least, I'm certain is due to the cheapness of these pedals.
I got a pair of the cheapest alu platform pedals on eBay (they say "BASE CAMP"). I took a mtb ride with them, and they were all right. Definitely it makes it easier to get started uphill. A couple commuting rides as well, and don't like them much; as I expected, I'm continually fussing where to put my feet. Also, the pins on these things have no bite. That much at least, I'm certain is due to the cheapness of these pedals.
Amazon.com : DMR Vault Pedals Black : Bike Pedals : Sports & Outdoors
They're $115, definitely expensive, but at the same time their higher price and higher reputation I figured would make them easier (and more worthwhile) to sell on ebay if I decided not to keep them. (Buy $50 that wouldn't be worth the hassle to sell, or buy $115 pedals I could probably sell for $50-$60 and get half my money back.)
They immediately felt like pedals who's size fit my feet, and solved the grip problems I was having. The only thing I wasn't as fond of was their slightly concave design that dips down in the middle. The more I ride with them the more I get used to it though.
The best totally flat pedals I could find where the Hope f20's, they're more expensive at $160 though, and the more I ride the DMR Vault Pedals the more I've liked them.
Amazon.com : Hope F20 Platform Pedal Black : Bike Pedals : Sports & Outdoors
08-26-15, 10:10 AM
#49
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Rode today with different shoes, and it made a big difference. I have a pair of old running shoes that (before I bought actual bike shoes) I hacked off the inside heel with a box cutter. Without having to worry about heelstrike, I quickly found a comfy and secure foot position. I'm good.
08-26-15, 10:42 AM
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For me, I like clipless on rough trails because I know my feet will never get bounced off the pedals. And on the road, I don't have to decide where to put my feet, they just are where they are. For high-end riders/racers, they can apparently make your pedal stroke more efficient. And cycling shoes also have stiff soles, which can distribute pressure so you don't get localized "hotspots" (numbness), but there are stiff-soled non-clip shoes that do that as well (5ten, Chrome, probably more). And most clipless shoes also give you the ability to make sure, when you're walking, that everybody knows your a cyclist, because your shoes are super noisy and ugly and they make you walk funny.
How hard are they to learn to use? Not hard. The only hard part is remembering to unclip before stopping. Early on everybody forgets at least once, and falls over sideways because they can't put their foot on the ground. Rite of passage. But before long it's second nature, like stepping on the clutch when you have to brake a manual shift car.
How hard are they to learn to use? Not hard. The only hard part is remembering to unclip before stopping. Early on everybody forgets at least once, and falls over sideways because they can't put their foot on the ground. Rite of passage. But before long it's second nature, like stepping on the clutch when you have to brake a manual shift car.
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