wipekitty

I only went clipless two years ago - but have used some form of foot retention for the past decade. For quite a while, I used flat pedals with various straps - mostly velcro straps on BMX pedals, but also clips and straps.

It's kind of weird at this point; I actually feel uncomfortable riding with flat pedals and no foot retention. Kind of like riding in a car without a seatbelt. I keep straps on around-town bikes so I can wear normal shoes/dress shoes and clipless on my longer distance bikes. Even with one minor spill and two (relatively minor) crashes while clipped in, it's all good.

To each their own, though. Ride however you feel most comfortable, because if you're not comfortable, you're not going to ride as much!

Korina

With nice, big, slightly concave pedals that support and cradle your foot. Like these.

Hiro11

Flats work just fine for any type of cycling. I don't think there's any real evidence that riding clipped in is "more efficient" and pinned flat pedals are very grippy. Do what works for you.

Personally, I always ride clipped in. I'm just used to it, I've been riding clipless since the original Looks in the 80s.

Some tips if you want to get used to clipless:
1. Ride around on grass and practice clipping in and out. Do it for half an hour straight until it's an immediate action.
2. Always unclip one foot well in advance of stopping. This should also always be the same foot (I always unclip my left foot) so you get in the habit. You can also unclip both feet if that works better for you, I find that tricky as it's tough to stand up on slippery SPD-SL pedals without being clipped in.
3. When you unclip, make it a deliberate, forceful movement. That will help build muscle memory. Running a higher tension might actually help here.
4. Double sided pedals (flats on one side, clips on the other) are a great option. I use double-sided Deore XT "trekking" pedals on my gravel bike and they're very useful.

Eric S.

I used to be a pedal snob - rode MTB shoes with SPD pedals for commuting and changed shoes if going to work. Eventually I found the magic medium with Zefal mini-clips. If you have street shoes that aren't too bulky they are great with basic rat-trap pedals, providing just the right amount of pedal contact.

Harhir

I actually moved from flat pedals to combo pedals with cleats on one side and flat pedal on the other side. Since riding recumbents I actually prefer clipless since I can push and pull.
Because of the fear of not getting out in time I tried a few clipless pedals. My favourite pedals so far are the Shimano Click'R PD-T421 pedals. They have low tension cleat springs. Just a slight turn of the foot and you are out of the pedal. They also work great with the Keen Cycling sandals which have a softer sole and flex a bit more than stiffer cycling shoes.

noimagination

If you prefer platform pedals, and enjoy cycling more when using them, I don't see why you would care what anyone else thinks.

(25+ year clipless user, fallen 1x (cleat screws loose) who thinks clipless are the bee's knees)

Moe Zhoost

I've ridden clipless for years but now am reverting back to toe clips, whether the half clips or full cage. The issue is that I have never found a pair of spd shoes that were all that comfortable, and have never been able to ride more than 4 hours without hotfoot. Recently I've been having some joint pain in my right little toe that is aggravated by the spd shoes (but perfectly fine in stiff soled sneakers). I also have quite a bit of pain in my left little toe at the moment, but that was the result of a falling brick. The big challenge is rigging a system for my recumbent since foot suck is not pleasant - there are some options but all seem a little clunky.

TXBDan

I rode clipless on mountain bikes and cross/road bikes for 10+ years. A few years ago I got back into mountain biking and found that the community now embraces flats! So i switched to some 5-10 Freerider Pros and RaceFace Chester pedals and mountain biking is now a lot more fun. I like how casual it makes it. You can mess around more and be free. The shoes are extremely sticky so no issues slipping.

I'm going to start bike commuting next week and i plan to stick with the same shoe/pedal setup.

wobrien

This thread has been very helpful to me. I have flat pedals with simple tow clips and I have not had any problems or complaints. I also like not having to have a special shoe for riding. I was thinking about getting clipless pedals because I thought they might add about 1 mph or so. Even at that the value would be questionable for me. Since I have no complaints with my current pedals and I am not hearing a compelling reason to change I am going to stay put and not spend the money on new pedals and shoes.

t_e_r_r_y

i like clipless on a fixie, but i'm super relaxed and casual in most of my riding so it's flats for everything else. i rode bmx as a kid and into my 20s - street, park, dirt - so i basically grew up riding flats and i enjoy the freedom they provide

Wattsup

I ride with flats, the kind with the tiny (and sharp, I have the shin scars to prove it) little bolt-spiked that help keep the foot in place. On longer gravel rides, 40mi +, I find I like being able to switch foot position. I do find however that very bumpy terrain can bounce the foot, changing the position, which causes me to take a couple of seconds trying to reposition the foot properly. In that case, the little bolt-spikes make it more difficult.

Paul Barnard

I have clipless on my road bike. I have platforms on my tourer, MTB and tandem. I am in CO right now doing some off road riding. I like the ability to do a quick foot dab when things go bad in technical terrain.

linnefaulk

When I got back on the bike after having kids and whatever, I assumed I would ride clipless again. But my shoes didn’t fit and I didn’t want to spend the money on new ones just yet. I switched to platform pedals then switched to pedals with pins. They are a great compromise because my foot does not slip and there is fear of falling because of a stuck shoe. I can use whatever shoe I want but mostly ride with Keen Newport because the sole is stiff enough to prevent numbness.

gringomojado

If you have a "mechanical" way ou there, you don't want to walk back in "cycling shoes"!

T Stew

I just participated in a 3-day group ride in the Adirondack Mountains in my bare feet. Turned some heads that's for sure. Some people were amazed I wasn't clipping in, like it was some kind of requirement. I haven't found anything that I couldn't do in platforms and no shoes, except when it's too cold, but I rarely bike outside of nice weather (and wear shoes and maybe even clips then). I like cool feet, and being able to move them around on longer rides. Ride your own ride and don't worry too much about others.

Andrew Sullivan

I have clipless, Great one!

Bill in VA

From age 5-16 I rode rubber flats (singlespeed BTB or Balloon Tired Bomber and Stingray types). From 19-61 I rode toe clips and straps with quill pedals, with at least 15 of those years with old school slotted cleats. From 62-66 I rode clipless (SPD). At age 67, I am back to toe clips and straps.

All had their place, but now I just want to be able to ride and stop and walk around without cleats. The SPDs were almost like no cleat for walking, but early on I had a newby unclip issue, and right before I went back to toe clips, I had some clip-IN issues. All were OE or Operator Error, as the pedals were very good pedals (Shimano PD-M9020 XTR). My wife and riders with us used to laugh when we came to stops and I instinctively reached to to loosen the strap while using clipless SPD pedals. All those years of clips and straps and related muscle memory die hard. A similar issue is that even though I love my brifters and indexed shifting, I would have no problem going back to using downtube shifters and friction, IF forced or I wanted to do a vintage ride..

I still like the clipless SPD system, and would change the pedals back for a long special ride, but I find with the flat shoes you do not get the evil stinkeye (about scratching the floor) when you enter a store or food place. Additionally, I can ride in any shoe from my flat bike shoe, to sneakers, to hiking boots, etc., without a change into special shoes. This has increased my casual riding.

I could also use flat pedals, sans pins, but the fear of the pins ripping my legs is why I would not use pins. Fortunately, most can be removed.

I think a lot of bad press on toe clips comes from operator error of too tight straps or improper threading of the strap through the buckle, or the crappy cheap limp nylon straps instead of the stiff real leather straps.

I do not know why clipless v. other is such a perennial issue, but ride what you like and works for you. I just saw a higher end classic, vintage, Peugeot PX-10 being ridden by a commuter with rubber kid's bike pedals.

Speedway2

I started using SPD's in the mid-90's(?). Prior to that it was toe clips/traps. I picked up a hybrid last year for casual rides so thought I might try platforms & running shoe combo.

During one of my rides I hit a "pot hole" which jolted my foot off the platform pedal. I kept the bike under control but it could have be a disaster (riding in traffic). When I got home...I swapped the platforms for SPD's and haven't looked back. I actually felt less safe not being clipped in.

I'm using a pair of Shimano Touring shoes that recesses the cleat making walking "click" free. I also prefer the stiffness of cycling shoes vs runners. YMMV

Toadmeister

I’ve gone to platforms on my Fat bike and prefer them for that style of riding. I still use clip less on my road/gravel bike.

Flat question: Those Allen bolt heads extruding out of my Crank Bro’s pedals are more aggressive than my shins like. I dont want to remove them as the pedal would be too smooth. Any middle ground options?

Dirt Farmer

Who, or what, are you calling a "great one"?

Ross520

What "emergency" do you think flats are going to make you safer? For mountain biking it makes sense, but for road, I don't understand how you think flats would be safer. Try putting your foot out at speed, it will NOT help. Only benefit is super low-speed technical stuff, which is very rare riding road.

billas

I like being clipped in.