Originally Posted by
ncfisherman
Being efficient at riding flat pedals doesn't happen over night. Riding flats takes practice and skills that you are not forced to learn if you're riding clipless. I ride both and I'm certainly a better technical rider because of riding flat pedals.
Here's a great in-depth article on Flat pedals from MTB'r and Fitness specialist James Wilson:
http://www.bikejames.com/wp-content/...nManifesto.pdf
#1 tip for learning to ride flats is to stick with them for atleast 12 rides.
I didn't read the whole thing (I'm at work)...but is he saying that you don't (or shouldn't) use your hammies on the upstroke?
I've heard this MANY times before...but my PERSONAL experience is that if Im in the middle of a super-long climb I quite regularly start putting more emphasis on my hamstrings during the upstroke and it is quite noticable how much of a break my quads get.
I alternate between a "push" and a "pull" for long climbs...right or wrong it gets me through.
My view on that "manifesto": just another opinion...no more or less valid than those above this post.