Platform Pedals for downhill?
 

Most of the DH pics or videos i see, i never see the riders using clip-in pedals. What is the reasoning behind this? This is coming from an XC rider who is starting to get into DH. Thanks for your help

mk

So you dont hit that big rock you though you could take and forget to unclip and fall over and tumble down hill with your bike, possible injuring yourself. It helps bailing out I'm pretty sure.

Most of the real good DHers run clipless - - mostly for the power transfer and secondarily for the extra little 'tweaky' control functions they can apply and the fact that they won't get their feet rattled off the pedals.

That must be why I'm not 'real good.' I still cannot get the hang of racing DH clipless. I opt for sticky shoes (SixSixOne Dually Takis) and hellaciously-sticky platform pedals (Syncros Mentals).

Ditto to both. BEing strapped in is a real concern.

However it is a 50/50 thing. Some do and some don't. Even the top 10 in the world, it is not 100% either way

That's true; I forgot to mention that one of the more noteable exceptions is Sam Hill.

The reason it doesn't look like DHers are running clipless is that they're usually running plarge platform style clipless pedals like ATAC Zs or something. I'm not a DH racer by any means but I prefer clipless even when I'm doing gnarlier downhill type stuff at ski resorts, I just feel like I don't have much control if I'm not clipped in.

I imagine that falling while going downhill is a little more painful that falling in a singletrack.

i run flats for everything and i feel i have complete control. in trials you need your feet to stay on the pedals, but i havent seen anyone do it cliped in

I just went from platforms to clipless on my DH bike and I can say that it is an improvement for me.

I love running my clipless set up.

I have never used clip less pedals so my opinion doesn't really hold any water, but I have done some downhill stuff and I usually move my feet around on my pedals a little bit to move my weight around, and I don't think you can do that with clip less pedals. Maybe I just have bad technique though... :p.

I think clipless makes sense for DH but when you are more slope style or freeride, platforms are a must.

Yeah but in trials you're not going down rutted, rocky terrain at 30+ mph. I agree that clipless wouldn't make sense for trials, but I think thats comparing apples to bicycles, you know?

I agree 100%.

why are platforms a must for freeride?

a) there is no need for any upward pull in freeride
b) much easier to "unclip" and no chance of "oops, I got stuck on my bike during a 25ft 360.

It really depends on the course. Myself, I run clipless regardless of the course. When I was watching the Pros at Sea Otter, I didn't see a single one running platforms. That course is a lot of tables, and you need SPEED!

But like Mael has said, look at the top 10 riders, some ride clipped in, some don't.