Thinking of clipping in.
#126
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There was some good info posted in my thread here
https://www.bikeforums.net/general-c...er-easier.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/general-c...er-easier.html
#127
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#128
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I was concerned about being able to clip out after knee surgery so I put flat/SPD pedals on a road bike. Turns out I could clip out just fine but the flats are perfect when riding with grandkids. You put your feet down a lot when riding with 5 year olds. Nice benefit to the flat side of the pedal.
Mike
Mike
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#129
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Seriously! And why is this?? A ton of the c&v crowd would love a rubber soled, slim athletic road shoe for clips/straps. Like an old-school touring shoe. There's really nothing mass produced that doesn't require a cleat. So wish Adidas or Onitsuka would offer something on this front.
#130
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For me, the studies about whether using foot retention increases efficiency or power miss the point. Those factors may be important to racers, but for me using foot retention is about allowing me to more easily spin circles, to more easily use different muscle groups on a ride and to more easily spin at higher cadences without losing a pedal.
Is spinning circles with flats possible? Is spinning a high cadence possible with flats? Yes, of course, but I'm not a pro, I don't cycle 10's of thousands of miles a year, I get tired and sloppy, I'm not the most coordinated person in the world
I like clipless pedals, they're far easier to use than clips and straps, and cycling is far more enjoyable for me using foot retention than not. Other people have different experiences, and that's fine. If the OP tries clipless and finds he/she doesn't like them, then at least they know.
(edit: oops, didn't realize that "s p a z z" is verboten)
Is spinning circles with flats possible? Is spinning a high cadence possible with flats? Yes, of course, but I'm not a pro, I don't cycle 10's of thousands of miles a year, I get tired and sloppy, I'm not the most coordinated person in the world
I like clipless pedals, they're far easier to use than clips and straps, and cycling is far more enjoyable for me using foot retention than not. Other people have different experiences, and that's fine. If the OP tries clipless and finds he/she doesn't like them, then at least they know.
(edit: oops, didn't realize that "s p a z z" is verboten)
#131
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Clipless pedals (and other forms of foot retention) are a "crutch" for bike riders in the same sense that shoes are a crutch for walkers and runners (and bike riders). Walk or run or ride enough while barefoot, and you won't need shoes.
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Thank-you for putting this up, it perfectly shows the real reason for clipless pedals is misunderstood. Clipless pedals are not in reality a performance addition except for the top tenth of one-percent of riders who actually ride for money. For 99.9% of cyclists they are a crutch exactly like an E-bike, a device to help those who do not have the coordination or muscle memory or development, skill or practice to keep their feet on the pedals without a lot of help. These people could seriously hurt themselves riding flat pedals, so it is nice that they have this type of accessory to help them, just like E-bikes are there to help people without the fitness to go on long rides without the help of batteries and motors.
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Seriously! And why is this?? A ton of the c&v crowd would love a rubber soled, slim athletic road shoe for clips/straps. Like an old-school touring shoe. There's really nothing mass produced that doesn't require a cleat. So wish Adidas or Onitsuka would offer something on this front.
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Thank-you for putting this up, it perfectly shows the real reason for clipless pedals is misunderstood. Clipless pedals are not in reality a performance addition except for the top tenth of one-percent of riders who actually ride for money. For 99.9% of cyclists they are a crutch exactly like an E-bike, a device to help those who do not have the coordination or muscle memory or development, skill or practice to keep their feet on the pedals without a lot of help. These people could seriously hurt themselves riding flat pedals, so it is nice that they have this type of accessory to help them, just like E-bikes are there to help people without the fitness to go on long rides without the help of batteries and motors.
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#138
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Seriously! And why is this?? A ton of the c&v crowd would love a rubber soled, slim athletic road shoe for clips/straps. Like an old-school touring shoe. There's really nothing mass produced that doesn't require a cleat. So wish Adidas or Onitsuka would offer something on this front.
If you go on Amazon, and search Men's Mountain Bike Shoe, it more or less shows what's currently available.
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#141
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Those aren't terrible looking. The others look too much like skate shoes -- bulky not slim enough.
The one 3alarmer posted isn't bad for a mtn bike shoe.
There are tons and tons of mtn bike and gravel shoes. There should be just a few shoes for the c&v folks without having to go to Serbia for them like I did recently with my 2Velo purchase:
The one 3alarmer posted isn't bad for a mtn bike shoe.
There are tons and tons of mtn bike and gravel shoes. There should be just a few shoes for the c&v folks without having to go to Serbia for them like I did recently with my 2Velo purchase:
#142
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I haven't read this whole thread, but of toe clips + straps, toe clips + straps + cleats, SDP, and pinned flats, I like the pinned flats the best. The pins provide a lot of retention without forcing my foot and legs into one position with or without a little variation.
The Five Tens are very good, up to a point, if you use them on the road. For me, it's 30 miles, after which point the soles just aren't stiff enough for me. YMMV.
For shoes that look good and work as well on flat pedals as carbon-soled wonders do on clipless, one could buy the shoes one wants and have a shoemaker attach, say, a Vibram sole to your shoes of choice. The pins will grab the Vibram, and the shoes might even be stiffer on pinned flats than on 'clipless' pedals. One can even DIY attach the soles of one's choice to the shoes.
The Five Tens are very good, up to a point, if you use them on the road. For me, it's 30 miles, after which point the soles just aren't stiff enough for me. YMMV.
For shoes that look good and work as well on flat pedals as carbon-soled wonders do on clipless, one could buy the shoes one wants and have a shoemaker attach, say, a Vibram sole to your shoes of choice. The pins will grab the Vibram, and the shoes might even be stiffer on pinned flats than on 'clipless' pedals. One can even DIY attach the soles of one's choice to the shoes.
Last edited by philbob57; 07-01-23 at 11:26 AM.
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#144
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So attitudes can change.
In probably 1994, at about the age of 15, I got my first pair of clipless pedals. I still remember them, Onza HO Ti. I got them with either paper route money or Burger King money. Either way, my parents weren't pleased.
What followed were decades of riding clipped in. MTB, Triathlon, Road Racing, Singlespeed messing around, and even a pedicab tricycle. If it pedalled, I damn well better be clipped to it.
Last year I bought a new mountain bike, a slack geometry long travel hardtail. Down-country, party hardtail, milf magnet. I don't care what you call it. It didn't seem right to ride it the way it was designed while clipped in so I bought some flat pedals for it and moved my whole family to the PNW, and left all my other shoes and pedals in storage in Colorado. After more than a year of giving the dirt more hell than I've given it since I was 18, I'm convinced. Off road on flats is the way to go. I've yet to even shred my legs, I think that's either a rumor or incompetence. I wouldn't switch back now.
I'm still clipped in on my gravel bike, trainer, and road bike. That's not going to change. The more uniform circles I can pedal decrease my fatigue and increase my ride satisfaction. They probably don't speed me up.
In probably 1994, at about the age of 15, I got my first pair of clipless pedals. I still remember them, Onza HO Ti. I got them with either paper route money or Burger King money. Either way, my parents weren't pleased.
What followed were decades of riding clipped in. MTB, Triathlon, Road Racing, Singlespeed messing around, and even a pedicab tricycle. If it pedalled, I damn well better be clipped to it.
Last year I bought a new mountain bike, a slack geometry long travel hardtail. Down-country, party hardtail, milf magnet. I don't care what you call it. It didn't seem right to ride it the way it was designed while clipped in so I bought some flat pedals for it and moved my whole family to the PNW, and left all my other shoes and pedals in storage in Colorado. After more than a year of giving the dirt more hell than I've given it since I was 18, I'm convinced. Off road on flats is the way to go. I've yet to even shred my legs, I think that's either a rumor or incompetence. I wouldn't switch back now.
I'm still clipped in on my gravel bike, trainer, and road bike. That's not going to change. The more uniform circles I can pedal decrease my fatigue and increase my ride satisfaction. They probably don't speed me up.
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Those aren't terrible looking. The others look too much like skate shoes -- bulky not slim enough.
The one 3alarmer posted isn't bad for a mtn bike shoe.
There are tons and tons of mtn bike and gravel shoes. There should be just a few shoes for the c&v folks without having to go to Serbia for them like I did recently with my 2Velo purchase:
The one 3alarmer posted isn't bad for a mtn bike shoe.
There are tons and tons of mtn bike and gravel shoes. There should be just a few shoes for the c&v folks without having to go to Serbia for them like I did recently with my 2Velo purchase:
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Left to right:
'5' brand (Adidas) stealth clipless shoes (says so right on 'em!)
'Speed' brand Chinese road shoes from eBay
Matt Berger Ethnies skating shoes, for toe-clips w/o cleats (not particularly stiff-soled, though)
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Pictures of the Lem’s Primal Zen I mentioned in this thread:
If you want shoes that are foot-shaped, rather than feet that are shoe-shaped, these may be of interest. They also come in suede, each in several colors or the Chillum would be similar style but with mostly canvas uppers.
Otto
If you want shoes that are foot-shaped, rather than feet that are shoe-shaped, these may be of interest. They also come in suede, each in several colors or the Chillum would be similar style but with mostly canvas uppers.
Otto
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