Originally Posted by
Kapusta
If by “push/pull” you mean delivering power over the top and across the bottom… good flats and shoes let you do that.
By "push/pull" and "up/down" I was meaning the same thing. Some people tend to see the pedal stroke in only 2 directions - pushing down and pulling up. My goal is round Getting the hip flexors contributing is part of it, but the feel of it (to me) is a smooth transition through multiple muscle groups. It will never be perfect, but that's my intent. When everything is firing at the right time, unconsciously, it feels awesome.
Admittedly, I have little experience with flat pedals to truly understand their abilities and limitations, so I'm probably assuming too much about the limitations.