dain84

I just started racing and I'm 15. I want to know if clipless pedals really do make you faster? Also, what are some cheap ones that aren't crappy? People say they are faster with them but are they really? And why?

alcahueteria

from a mountain biker...clipless makes you faster because you can pull up too, instead of just being able to push down, therefore you use more muscles and it takes longer to tire out. If faster is what you want, I think you should give them a shot.
there's a discussion over there about the pedal/shoe bundles if your interested... https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/101223-search-clipless.html

twahl

Using clipless will make you faster, smoother, and be able to jump more confidently. I ran Shimano 424s when I was racing.

MadMan2k

I wouldn't go clipless for BMX, even racing. Seems to me like you might have to bail occasionally, and caught up in the crowd, you might not have the presence of mind to unclip, and might have the bike fall with you and break a leg or something like that.

dain84

how much would it cost me to get the clipless shoes and some decent but cheap pedals?

twahl

Check out Dan's Competition . You should be able to get pedals and a pair of compatible Van's for under $100. For what it's worth, when I was racing crashing wasn't exactly an unknown to me. Being clipped in was never a problem. I was intimidated by it at first, and did occasionally have problems on the gate, but I found that the benefits outweighed any of those issues.

dain84

bump

twahl

thread bumping is generally considered distateful. You aren't likely to get a lot of replies to the question because most of the BMX riders here don't race. They are into dirtjumping, flatland, whatever, but not racing. So for the most part they don't have any useful feedback. I raced about 3 years, but I was twice your age when I started. The last year, I went to clipless after watching so many racers that were faster, smoother, and more capable jumping than I thought I could ever be. They still were, but I got a little closer and finished 2nd in my class for the year in Virginia. That's what my opinion is based on, clipless helped me improve more than any other piece of equipment ever did.

MadMan2k

I guess it comes down to if you want to have fun racing somewhat casually, or win as much as possible...

I might run clipless on a road bike, but I enjoy being able to ride my bikes in regular shoes.

KinetikBiker

i dont race....but honestly i think clipless pedals are like cheating...becuase your feet are locked in and so you dont have to worry about slipping the pedals or getting a shinner....(people are gona be mad at me that race with clips now) i just think that if you cant or dont want to race without clips then you suck.....beartraps and other racing pedals are fine but clips are for sissys.....
now dont forget i dont race so dont get mad at what i said....

KtecR

I used to race BMX and never ran clipless... I guess I was just scared until one race:

The group in the race was small, something like 4 people. Ironically 3 of us wrecked including me. One guy who was running clipless couldn't get up as fast even though he was a way faster rider than me, leading to my 2nd place position. My .02

KinetikBiker

ya cheap clipless pedals is an oxy moron... (however you spell that)

dain84

I found some 40 dollar wellgos that have pretty good reviews.

iweargirlspants

you could get shot at!

dain84

you have to be the worst poster ever. I hope you get shot at!

queensrider86

this kid makes so many irrelevant statements. he probably takes those little cheese buses to school....

iweargirlspants

sorry but ive been out of school for almost a year now, and what the hell is a cheese bus? and is it swiss or american?

queensrider86

the yellow buses that special ed kids take

iweargirlspants

ohhh you mean the short bus? that looks like a normal size bus but smaller. that has no apparent resemblance to cheese what so ever ok i gotcha now.

KinetikBiker

is that why you know about it???? ha ha

alcahueteria

maybe he meant cheddar cause they are both yellow?

iweargirlspants

no matter what the case still horrible.

MadMan2k

Maybe I use IRC too much, but that sounded like a pretty funny comeback to me.

Queens: sorry if you didnt mean it to be funny

queensrider86

This might help you. the kid in the green is kinetic if i am correct.

https://www.geocities.com/kinetikbikeshop

queensrider86

i think this is mude

https://www.geocities.com/kinetikbikeshop/Picture45.jpg

check out the helmet when he is jumping the 20 foot spine to grass gap.