I ride Clips or pedal cages. I have seen with my own eyes, during races, mountain bikers fall over or fall backward while attached to their own bike.

I'm not ready for that.

I have a question. When you have to walk/run up a steep hills is it easy to run up it in "Clipless" Bike Shoes? I usually wear running or trail running shoes.

Walking up hills is easy - unlike road bikes, mountain bike clipless pedals usually have the cleat recessed into the shoe, so in other words you are not standing on the cleat. i had some Answer shoes which had enormous lugs, they were great for running around in the woods. Lots of people wear clipless shoes for bike riding and just never install clipless pedals or cleats just because the firmer footbed provides your foot with the optimal position for pedaling.

As far as falling out is concerned, I agree with others - it usually isn't an issue. If you fall, you normally unclip automatically, especially as riding with the pedals becomes second nature. I have endoe'd before and unclipped and hopped over the handlebars - believe me, I was surprised when I did it!

:D

Thanks everyone for all of the replies! I'm definitly not going to give up on the clipless. I think Just needed to hear that other people were as frustrated as me to start. I also might have had them a little tight to start. I loosened them up with about two turns and they are much easier to get out of now. I'm going to try some trails tomorrow so we'll see how everything goes.

when I first got mine it took all the fun out of riding because I was always 1/2 thinking about getting out if I needed. after a few unexpected happenings that left me on the ground I realized that (with 1 exception only) by the time I get from "oh" to "crap", and hit the ground I naturally came out somewhere. I have better balance now too ( Im still as graceful as an upside down turtle). the TIME pedals made the transition much easier. nothing to adjust is way cool

I would never use them for trail riding.
The extra split second it takes to unclip is just what it takes to practice your face plants.

Now if you had smooth trails, that would be different, but in NYS, it's all tree roots & rocks.

same here but I have to disagree on the extra split second part. they become as natural as platforms in time. Ive ridden both on the same trails and I crash no where as much with clipless due to better balance. I was one who was totally ANTI-CLIPLESS but am now sold on TIME ATACs

i dont think this is totally accurate. i am much better on my trails wil tons of roots and rocks and stuff like that.

i my feet stick to the pedals when i am powering up a hill with roots, my feet dont go flying, and i get more power to get over stuff.

and on the dh my feet dont move because of the bike bobing around under me.

I'm just now getting back into riding. Back when I used to ride, I jumped over a tree root and my foot slipped off the pedal and my front sprocket went right into my achilles. I'm definitely going to try out some clipless before I start getting into any crazy riding.

A couple buddies of mine have Crank Brothers egg beaters, they really like them, but are telling me I will definitely fall a few times before I get good with them.

Exactly. Look at some of the top downhillers, e.g. Peat and Gracia, they use clipless. And getting out doesn't require much time or thought once its committed to one's muscle memory (AKA practice). I've endo'd and been able to jump over the handlebars and land on my feet (well, not always). Even slid out both wheels on a sandy flat corner and managed to land on my feet as the bike continued to slide away from me. The big disadvantage of clipless, IMO, is not being able to jump off the bike easily. On some stunts/obstacles like skinnies, you want to be able to bail when things start to go wrong. Otherwise you'll fall with the bike and risk crashing head first possibly from a good distance up.

Dave

I went to clipless because my feet kept slipping off the pedals and when that happened the came around and left nasty teeth marks on my shins. You are way more efficient at pedaling with the clipless pedals. I've also had my feet slip off on the platforms just as I need some power which made me go downhill backwards. Everyone told me you fall a few times before you get the hang of it and that is true. When I get to really technical sections I sometimes unclip but that is getting less and less common now that I am getting the hang of it. The day after I got my new pedals I rode a 14 mile trail, only fell over once and that was just forgetting I had them on when I stopped. Watch the mud build up in your cleats as that can make it hard to clip and unclip. It's the only way to fly.

--GU is people.

I like toeclips with straps. I do lotsa extreme stuff on concrete and all you gotta do is pull your feet back a little and your feet aren't locked in. when doing sprints or long rides on pavement you push your feet in farther in and your foot is clamped securely to the pedal. it's nice to have more foot positions than just one, and the plastic piece around my shoe has protected my feet from stumps and rocks on trails. I like the surface on the bottom of my shoe for when I have to carry my bike up, down, around, or over rocks and steep hills. to me it's more simple and maintenance free. But hey! whatever works, huh?

Coming from a newbie to mountain biking, I went clipless after 2 weeks of owning my bike. I love the clipless pedals. I have a harder time clipping in than clipping out for those that think you can't get your feet out. I've only wrecked one time and couldn't get my feet out in time. I wreck a lot so that one time is like 1 in 50 LOL. Anyway, It does take some practice but man Is it worth it. You can adjust most clipless pedals so that your feet aren't locked down with 2,000lbs of force so you can't get them out when you need too. For trail riding it's a must in my mind and has made riding much more enjoyable and easier in the rough sections. Just don't be skeeert, if so, go back to mommy's house for some kool aid and cookies..... :D

The problem most people have with clipless is the have them set too tight

Clipless pedals are not ski bindings, your foot should pop right out with a little twist (SPD)

It takes a little getting used to at first, and everybody crashes a couple times but it will quickly become second nature to pop out of them.

Quite frankly I would rather ride a stiffie with clipless than the best FS MTB with flats. I ride mainly Galbraith Mountain single track. I don't do many big drops or jumps but have no problem ridng a skinny clipped in.

I have been mtn biking since '91, riding in Fl, NC and Ohio till I moved to Colorado in '01. I rode with toeclips and straps till I got out here, and the technical challenges on the CO trails helped me decide to go with clipless pedals, first with an inexpensive set of Ritcheys, now running Crank Bros, Candys.
I can not contemplate riding w/o them.
Yes, there is a learning curve, as with all things new, but once past that, they provide improved control, power and ability to clean rocks, roots and other technical challenges.
No way I would ride just platforms for the type of riding that I do.
BTW, I have over 2000 trail miles on clipless pedals, and the pedals have NEVER been the cause or did they add to injury of any of my crashes.

I just recently started mountain biking. A few buddies who have been into the sport longer pushed me to go clipless right out of the gates. I was apprehensive at first, but I'm glad I did. I've gotten used to them and find that they provide confidence over bumpier terrain knowing that my feet will stay on the pedals. I've definitely had some falls that were due to the fact that I couldn't get my foot out in time, but with practice, this gets easier. I find that it helps to think about staying upright rather than having a "what if I fall" attitude. Negative thoughts lead to negative outcomes. Keep at it, you'll be glad you did.

I really don't understand why peoples feet are falling off flats. I just don't have that issue. The only time I am falling off my flats is when I am crashing or loosing concentration in a rough spot. Otherwise I am pumping the bike constantly which gives me control.

same here. no issue with the flats, my feet never leave the pedals. little/no loss of pedalling power or control if you know how to use them properly. either way flats or clipless is a matter of personal preference and learning how to use em.

well if you put it that way:

i like clipless better :)

yesterday I was going up a hill on a sandy patch and at the top is a bridge that you have to bunnyhop to get up onto. I didnt quite make the jump and my pedal slammed into the rail of the bridge. had I been on my BMX pedals I would have crashed into the rail when my foot came off the pedal= probable midsection injury from the bridge(been there). my foot didnt come loose from the bike due to being clipped in so I was able to keep my balance= made it without crashing,no injury.
someone brought up a good point. since going clipless I have no more gouges on my shins from pedals or chainrings. Id forgotten about them. I used to get at least a small one every time I rode in shorts. thanks for reminding me of that positive of clipless

clipless are best for trail riding and there great for technical bumpy stuff and small jumps

does anyone here ride clipless when dirtjumping?

The guys who dj JUST to dj don't. But I bet if you put lopes or gracia on a dj park they would still wear clipless.

Hey - I know you've had a lot of responses here but to put in my experience. I started with clipless about 2 months ago and have used it about once a week. At first I was scared $hitless to try any single track with it. But then I did and boy did I walk away that day with plenty of scrapes and bruises.... and a bruised ego. I was thinking "aren't these things supposed to help"? It took awhile to get better on them but have noticed I can now may it up some hills I used to walk. So I've noticed more power on the ups and I'm getting better at clipping out when I'm about to fall. But it's taking some time. I still get scared to be on them at times but I think the bruises and cuts will pay off. I hope.....

I do mostly rocky/rooty technical trails here in NE. I had been using straight platforms without any straps for over 20 years and I've suffered my share of shin hits. It's simply impossible sometimes to keep a foot planted on the pedal when traversing especially rough terrain. Still, there is no way I will lock my feet to the pedals knowing how many times I've saved my neck with a REALLY fast foot plant.

However, something that I recently started to use with great success are a set of Power Grips. They allow for really quick entry since they hold their shape and instantaneous exit similar to my old platforms. The best part is that when fully engaged they provide a tight and non-slip grip on my trail shoes. These have been the perfect solution for me. Recently, one of my riding buddies also switched to them after years of riding clipless pedals. He told me he was fed up with taking unnecessary falls and found the Power Grips to be a great alternative. They are worth a try for anyone who doesn't want to worry about un-clipping.

I rode with flat pedals for quite a few years, endured many a good shin bashing, then tried toe clips, theyre not bad but dont compare to cliples for me. I tried clipless for a while as well, i really liked the feeling of being one with the bike, and i could bunnyhop alot easier and higher. When i first started with them i just rode around on my street constantly unclipping and clipping in to get the feel, it was a long time ago but i dont remember taking any serious bails from them on the trails, i found them easy to clip out of on the fly if they were adjusted right. They definently provide more power in every stroke, but I went back to flat pedals because my mountain bike was my only bike and i didnt like having to wear specific shoes every time i rode any where in the city. I would say clipless pedals are the way to go for XC and most mountain biking, but i wouldnt want to be using them on a skinny.