bahahahahaha

OK, we have a winner for "Stupid is as stupid does", really, what does clipping in have anything to do with the skill of controlling a bike? I guess all those BMX riders doing downhill runs & 360 loops without being clipped in are just lucky :-)

Oh so that's why I've never fallen or lost control of my bike while touring.

To clip in or not is just a personal preference. It has nothing to do with safety.

Campagnolo steel quill pedals like these are on my Touring bike for 20 years

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/010...g?v=1441112634

With Toe clips and straps , and a spacer piece between the toe clip and pedal so Upside down It still is an OK surface ,

until I flip them Over & put my shoe in.

I have done that from time to time in order to save weight but found that after riding in the rain, I really like changing into a nice pair of dry shoes at camp or the hotel and so I ride in clipless (which I prefer) and have a lightweight pair of dry shoes waiting on me at the end of the day.

The only safety aspect would be that if you are using them in a stop-and-go situation like city traffic they run the risk of being more dangerous because of failure to unclip in time.

They are not more efficient but some people prefer the feel and it helps them keep their feet in the best position.

+1

Entertaining to say the least. Many recent comments have at least produced a lot now responses and activity.
Good stuff.

I hear it's dangerous to not wear cycling gloves because your hands are more likely to slip and cause a crash.
...this joking comment has more validity than riding platforms being dangerous.

Or in other words:
And if you want a nice pair of platform pedals:

http://oceanaircycles.com/wp-content...6-1024x501.jpg
VP Vice Pedal

Now don't think I am bashing SPD pedals. I do believe they can be more comfortable on longer tours where you can just keep going and going without stopping.
In the part of Europe where I live however the population density is such that you will be stopping for a crossing or a traffic light every 5 miles so the disadvantages start adding up.

The "spikes" are 2mm allen stop screws. They are available on the Rivendell site. I imagine you can find them at hardware stores, but I haven't looked.

Marc

Utterly ridiculous.

I like many roadies always thought that clipless was more efficient than flat pedals because we could gain additional power on the up stroke vs. just pushing down but.... this testing really doesn't support any increased efficiency by clipless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNedIJBZpgM

Makes sense on a really wet day. I generally take my shoes off asap whether its wet or dry so for my style of touring one pair of shoes works out. I try to pick pairs that will dry out overnight easily, and recently I've been trying shoe covers with some success. For me camping is literally just setting up a tent and passing out, but if I were more like most tourers and relaxed, cooked etc. after the days ride, I'd bring two pairs.

Is this the 19th century??

BMX bicycles are toys, not real bicycles. Just try doing 200 miles a day on one of those things.

It's as much a bicycle as a Specialized Tarmac or a Giant TCR is a bicycle.
It's as much a bicycle as a Rockhopper is a bicycle.
It's as much a bicycle as a Miyata 1000 is a bicycle.

A bmx bike is used for a segment of cycling just as the Tarmac, Rockhopper, and 1000 are used for other segments of cycling.

You wouldn't use a bmx bike to ride 200mi and you wouldn't use a 1000 to launch yourself a hundred feet while flipping thru the air.

Yes. We are discussing whether or not to clip into our penny-farthings.

That is a load of B.S.
Email this guy and tell him he makes "toys":
https://lairdframe.com/


Sorry but BMX riding is just as hard as any other cycling discipline just different. It isn't a bike you are going to tour on nor is it a bike you will win TDF on or will race to cross victory but that is not it's purpose. Pulling off some of those tricks or just racing BMX is not easy. However for those who do it, it is fun and they can be having as much or more fun as you or I touring.

If you want a toy go find a Tickle Me Elmo, bicycles however ARE NOT toys!

Back to the 21st century, I have toured many thousands of miles on platforms. I like to minimise the number of pairs of shoes I take, I like having footwear I can go hiking in, I like being able to just get off the bike and walk round some town or village or investigate some mediaeval castle or cathedral in comfort (and quietly - they often have marble floors) without swapping out shoes. My current setup is a pair of Merrill walking shoes - light but pretty rigid "vibram" soles - and Shimano Saint MTB/BMX pedals. The latter are excellent. Big platform, fractionally concave, with foot retention ranging from good to extremely good depending on how high you set the screw-in spikes. There is no loss of pedalling efficiency and to suggest they are somehow "borderline unsafe" is absurd. It's a tour. I'm not going to be bumping up against other riders like in a crit, nor am I going to be doing any Cavendish-esque finishing sprints.

I save the clipless pedals for the road bikes. Others clearly have different approaches, but it works for me.

Back to your original hypothesis that clipless pedals are required to control a bicycle, I point you to the fact that millions & millions of people around this globe use bicycles as their beast-of-burden. They carry huge loads (more then a touring cyclist here), and they don't use clipless pdeals. Likely they have never heard of a clipless pedal. Again, clipless pedals are of a benefit to a small segment of cyclists overall. I use them, I like them, and have them mounted on some of my bikes. I also have mountain bikes with platform pedals, and I enjoy riding those just as much. Use what makes you happy, but in no way does having clipless pedals provide a safer ride.

BMX Bicycle are not TOYS!!! and I had a FBM BMX dirt jumping frame hand made frame USA made $350.00 all bike part add up to 1000.00
hand made wheels $400.00

You have a right to your opinion, I have a right to mine. But I still think you are wrong by using platform pedals. Yes I have a 7 speed upright bicycle for around town. It has quill pedals with toe clips and straps. But I would not take off cross country on it.

I'm on the west end of a popular transcontinental route .. we offer a service to ship bikes home ..

there are people making all sorts of bike and pedal choices .. they all work to have gotten them across the continent.

You can have a right to your opinion and be an idiot at the same time. Post something that's incredibly stupid and you're probably going to get called on it.

:thumb: