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I tried putting flat pedals back on today.....

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I tried putting flat pedals back on today.....

Old 09-26-18, 05:08 AM
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I started using SPD pedals and shoes years ago. I can still ride flat pedals but am loathe to do so. I absolutely refuse to ever ride a set of rat trap pedals and clips again..!


I do not like the impairment of the vintage look..,


but ride quality is hugely important to me. And keeping one's feet on the pedals is hugely important. So, I actually re-tapped the crank arms, on my Peugeot PX10e from French pedal thread to English. From now on, it is...

SPD for me, be they SPD and flat...


Or just SPD...


But, when hanging on the wall or on display at a local bike shop, originals pedals, with straps and traps, are just fine for my eye to behold...
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Old 09-26-18, 06:59 AM
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Pinned flats are wonderful for this old man.
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Old 09-26-18, 07:37 AM
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I doubt anyone here would have an issue after 5 miles on any pedal. I prefer SPD too, but it's not like flats are inscrutable. SPDs are convenient, like Ergos/STI, but at the end of the day, you're pumping a crank, and you'll adjust.
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Old 09-26-18, 11:00 AM
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Every so often I pull out the 3-speed with flat pedals, and I make a nuisance of myself at the first couple of stops because I can no longer just pull up my right foot to get the pedal in position to get going again. I have to hook my foot underneath a pedal to lift it up, and then move that foot back around on top to start. Not a big deal to regular flats riders, but super-annoying when you don't have the muscle memory for it, and time is of the essence when riding in traffic.
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Old 09-26-18, 11:28 AM
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I made the mistake the other day of riding a flat pedal with my SPD cleated MTB shoes.. my foot was really slipping off.

I rode home from work with a bike that has SPD's and before i changed shoes i ended up needing to ride up to the market which i do on my beater bike which has pinned platforms
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Old 09-26-18, 12:43 PM
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I doubt anyone here would have an issue after 5 miles on any pedal.
I have tried and tried to get used to straps and traps. Not a chance and five miles, or 500, would make no difference to me. The SPDs are so user friendly, compared to anything else that I have tried. Every bike I own sports SPD pedals and I doubt that I will ever change. And, for those interested, I just offered some free shoes and pedals on a new give away thread.
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Old 10-01-18, 11:24 AM
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+1 for the MKS sneaker pedal! I ride MKS flats on all my bikes, including my roadie.

AKA the "MKS RMX Platform Pedal", they are a great price, too, WITH built-in reflectors!

They don't chew up your work shoe soles ...for you commuters out there...
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Old 10-01-18, 11:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Bahnzo
And holy cow, I can't ride with them. I thought it would be nice to put the original flats back on my Schwinn, so I wouldn't have to walk around the grocery store in my touring shoes. But I kept coming off the pedals. Especially on the back stroke. I mean, really? Have I come this far with clips and cleats that I can't comfortably ride a bicycle now with normal shoes?
I have a 1981 Schwinn Super Sport that came with
"rat traps". I took them off to see what it was like and then centered my foot on the pedal like one would on a cruiser. My feet then would bump the front tire on turns. To me, it was comical.
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Old 10-01-18, 11:54 AM
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I'm not allowed to ride clipped in for the next two months, following my accident. Three rides so far, wearing trainers on Look pedals....no grip at all, so this weekend I will be in the shed trying to find some of the flat pedals I've put somewhere safe.
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Old 10-01-18, 02:11 PM
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Originally Posted by randyjawa
I have tried and tried to get used to straps and traps. Not a chance and five miles, or 500, would make no difference to me. The SPDs are so user friendly, compared to anything else that I have tried. Every bike I own sports SPD pedals and I doubt that I will ever change. And, for those interested, I just offered some free shoes and pedals on a new give away thread.
Yeah - I hate traps too. Fair point.

I think we'd get used to flats after a few hours, but I certainly prefer SPDs.
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Old 10-01-18, 02:17 PM
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Another option is to run Shimano MTB SPD. The clip is recessed in the shoe, beneath the treads of the shoe. So you get the benefits of clipping in, but you can walk around on rubber when off the bike. The clips do protrude a tiny bit, and I've worn part of the clip a little. So it sounds like taps until it wears down a bit. The wear doesn't affect the operation of the clips that I've noticed. I run it on Crank Brothers Candy pedals on my road bike for many years.


Here's a picture of the treads on a Shimano 66.
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Old 10-01-18, 02:48 PM
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I have to say I haven't read all the posts but I wonder if by using toe clips (which I am scared to use cause I hear at least once you forget to unclip and crash-having thinning bones means I must be extra careful.) But if there is a lack of use on a muscle that keeps the toe on the pedal when you use them all the time. That could explain why even when you are careful and are consciously thinking of it it still happens. Muscle fatigue could explain the why. Perhaps keep one bike without so you keep the skill and muscles? Use it at least one day per week, that should be enough to not lose it?
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Old 10-01-18, 03:36 PM
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That's funny. I can kind of see that happening. For me, it isn't difficult to switch back and forth. Not sure why. I don't normally go on long rides without either SPD or clips and straps.

Originally Posted by Marci
I have to say I haven't read all the posts but I wonder if by using toe clips (which I am scared to use cause I hear at least once you forget to unclip and crash-having thinning bones means I must be extra careful.
The thing to do is leave the straps loose until you get used to them. If they're loose, no problem getting feet out. After a couple weeks or whatever, experiment with snugging them up when on a clear road with no stops. After a while it becomes second nature to loosen them before stopping.

FWIW I've never crashed or fallen over because I couldn't get my feet out of toe clips when wearing normal shoes. I did fall over, once, the very first day I wore slotted cleat cycling shoes. Never happened again ever...Must have been the embarrassment factor.

BITD of slotted cleats, most people would leave the straps loose around town while warming up/down, and then snugged them up when they got to the open road, and maybe a bit tighter yet when they got to a hill.
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Old 10-01-18, 03:39 PM
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Best of both worlds

Ha, I definitely slip sometimes when I'm riding a Citibike around town after riding with clips for a while on my own bikes. On my commuter bike I have "hybrid" pedals, spd on one side, flat on the other. It's the best of both worlds because sometimes I need my sneakers when I get where I'm going and I'm not packing extra shoes. I recommend them! They're like $50 at REI and you can find cheaper versions on Amazon. Try looking for "commuter pedals"...and be careful out there.
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Old 10-01-18, 04:05 PM
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Well Sadly it takes one oops to break a bone for me, already broke a rib crashing. Darn handlebars. I even got a semi recumbent to help with that problem. Knock on wood haven't hit the pavement since. Knock on wood. LOL I am not known for my coordination.
Straps do sound good though as sometimes the feet do slip, but I have arthritis in my one foot so have to have the push power further back. I think that would mean specially made shoes. And so probably not gonna happen. Since its just to keep fit and have fun with friends. Plus my dog LOVES to run alongside the bike. Its almost as good as riding the horse down trails.
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Old 10-01-18, 04:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Marci
Well Sadly it takes one oops to break a bone for me, already broke a rib crashing. Darn handlebars. I even got a semi recumbent to help with that problem. Knock on wood haven't hit the pavement since. Knock on wood. LOL I am not known for my coordination.
If that's the case, it would be wise to stick with flats, IMO. Nothing wrong with riding platform pedals. Strapping or clipping in does help in climbing hills especially, but for a recreational rider, who cares if you go 1% faster. Have fun, and as GP says, Just Ride..
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Old 10-01-18, 04:24 PM
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Yup, something about bike riding that makes me feel 10 years old again. Love it!!
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Old 10-03-18, 07:15 PM
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I believe the same is true for all kinds of skills. Once you stop practising something, you gradually become less skillful doing it. Flat pedal is not easier than locked pedal. Remember how uncomfortable you were when you started using locked pedals?
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Old 10-04-18, 06:54 AM
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Originally Posted by gugie
Which flat pedals and what shoes?

I ride these with no problems on my commuter, they do slip a bit when wet. The solution on this is to drill and tap some of the round protrubrences and add some set screws. I haven't gotten around to doing that yet.


A maybe better solution are the Thin Gripsters which are pretty sticky. I've used these on my gravel grinder, they work very well.



The main feature of both of these pedals vs most others is the significantly larger surface area. This allows you to wear a "soft" shoe and not hurt your foot from force concentration on just the ball of your foot.
Correct question to ask. I dislike traditional rat traps: too small and poor grip. But I love MKS Lambdas - I have them on two rigs that see regular gravel and very bumpy roads. I had very minor foot slippage once, and that’s it. I have used clipless for decades and still like them, but all the various shoes I have make my feet hurt after 40-ish miles.

There’s a reason mountain bikers use those long, wide pedals with the studs in them, they work very well.
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Old 10-04-18, 01:03 PM
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There's two old pedals I really like- first is the SR SP-11 pedals. They're apparently a copy/inspiration/upgrade of the French Lyotard pedals. I have these on my Trek 720 with King Cage toe clips and KKT straps.


SP-11 King3 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr


SP-11 King2 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr




I also dig the successor to the SP-11, the SR SP-155 pedals. If push came to shove- I prefer the SP-11. This set is on may Trek 620 with MKS clips and Christophe straps.


SP-155-1 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr


SP-155-2 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
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Old 10-04-18, 01:17 PM
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I don't slip off when using flats, but the funny thing is that sometimes I twist my foot to take it off, out of habit.

I'm wearing running shoes today on my commutes because my SPD shoes got soaked on Monday, and I'm drying them out with salt and baking soda.
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Old 10-04-18, 01:21 PM
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Those SR pedals look like they concentrate the force over a pretty small area. The pinned flats allow any soft soled shoe to spread the weight more evenly.

Do you ever get foot pain with the SRs?

Thanks.
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