To clip or not to clip

Jag009

Jag009

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Now this could be a stupid question ,but are there any benifits to using clipped peddles (ie power savings on battery )
never really been a fan of them but thinking of giving them a go again to see if i can get on with them
and do you have any recommendations to which ones to get
 
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Jag009 said:
Now this could be a stupid question ,but are there any benifits to using clipped peddles (ie power savings on battery )
never really been a fan of them but thinking of giving them a go again to see if i can get on with them
and do you have any recommendations to which ones to get
Click to expand...
in the same boat and if money were no object I would have both.
rode clips for many years, feel they really made a difference on the analogue because of pulling up and having a better power stroke.
changed to flats when I got an ebike
struggled with flats
struggle with footing on some dirty tech trails so want to try crank brothers mallet pedals but the buy in price to test them is too much so ill stick to flats for now.
 
I tried clips many years ago, promising to persist for at least three months. In the end I did 18 months on clips. But it was my first sortie into proper mtb territory that persuaded me of the benefits of flats. You see, I just could not unclip when my knee was at the top (or near) of the stroke. Cue many comedy falls - only funny to onlookers of course. I picked up a lot of cuts, scrapes and bruises and serious near misses. So, I switched back to flats and apart from a short adjustment period trying to unclip a 510 Freerider from a flat pedal (enduring yet more comedy falls!) I got on absolutely great. I use the clips now and again just to keep my eye in as it were but only on local roads, nothing gnarly at all. I have learned my lesson.

I have no idea whether an emtb changes the risk/reward equation, but I suspect not (I haven't tried it). You are either comfortable with clips or not and on anything other than easy terrain, I'm not. It is worth a try just to add a new skill to your repertoire, but do yourself a favour and go somewhere easy to start with.
 
For me, SPDs were about looking after my knees.

Riding flats, my feet tended to never be in the right place which for trail/ Park riding was never an issue. Short sections with a bit of a climb in between, it wasn't an issue.

Riding longer distance and spending longer in the saddle meant that bad habits of having misplaced feet caused issues with my knees. Uninteresting things to do with tendons, muscles and ligaments meant that my knee was twisting on each pedal stroke which over 40 odd miles, caused problems.

SPDs meant that (eventually, once they were set up) my feet were always in the right place which kept my knees happy.

Depending on what/ where/ how you ride, SPDs (or others) will be beneficial on an ebike as you'll likely be spending more time in the saddle, more time pedalling and probably, more time seated while you pedal.

I never had issues clipping in/ out, I never feel like being clipped in is detrimental to my riding. Occasionally, it can make getting started on steep techy stuff a bit difficult but the other 90% of the time, I don't see any downside.

It can be difficult to find shoes that fit properly and it takes a while to get your cleat position sorted but neither of those should put you off if you're up for a bit of fiddling.
 
Last edited:
dobbyhasfriends said:
in the same boat and if money were no object I would have both.
rode clips for many years, feel they really made a difference on the analogue because of pulling up and having a better power stroke.
changed to flats when I got an ebike
struggled with flats
struggle with footing on some dirty tech trails so want to try crank brothers mallet pedals but the buy in price to test them is too much so ill stick to flats for now.
Click to expand...
i know what you mean ,its not just the peddles (say £100 for half decent pair) its new pair of gutties another £100 , but i would like to try them again just to see how i get on , and have a few mates who swear by them , some thought needed me thinks
 
Jag009 said:
i know what you mean ,its not just the peddles (say £100 for half decent pair) its new pair of gutties another £100 , but i would like to try them again just to see how i get on , and have a few mates who swear by them , some thought needed me thinks
Click to expand...

£100??

M520s are all you need. ~£40ish.

Or even cheaper (and lighter), Boardman from Halfords. About £25
 
Jag009 said:
i know what you mean ,its not just the peddles (say £100 for half decent pair) its new pair of gutties another £100 , but i would like to try them again just to see how i get on , and have a few mates who swear by them , some thought needed me thinks
Click to expand...
Yea,I would have the mallets and some crank brothers shoes or similar, could even be £300 all in.
 
steve_sordy said:
I tried clips many years ago, promising to persist for at least three months. In the end I did 18 months on clips. But it was my first sortie into proper mtb territory that persuaded me of the benefits of flats. You see, I just could not unclip when my knee was at the top (or near) of the stroke. Cue many comedy falls - only funny to onlookers of course. I picked up a lot of cuts, scrapes and bruises and serious near misses. So, I switched back to flats and apart from a short adjustment period trying to unclip a 510 Freerider from a flat pedal (enduring yet more comedy falls!) I got on absolutely great. I use the clips now and again just to keep my eye in as it were but only on local roads, nothing gnarly at all. I have learned my lesson.

I have no idea whether an emtb changes the risk/reward equation, but I suspect not (I haven't tried it). You are either comfortable with clips or not and on anything other than easy terrain, I'm not. It is worth a try just to add a new skill to your repertoire, but do yourself a favour and go somewhere easy to start with.
Click to expand...
Coming from a motorbike /motorcross background i am used to moving my feet on the pegs ,and i move my feet around on the peddles to help me with weight transfer about the bike in the twisty ruff stuff so clips are abig jump for me
thinking of giving them another go rhough as few friends are converts now .. thanks for the info
 
theremotejuggernaut said:
For me, SPDs were about looking after my knees.

Riding flats, my feet tended to never be in the right place which for trail/ Park riding was never an issue. Short sections with a bit of a climb in between, it wasn't an issue.

Riding longer distance and spending longer in the saddle meant that bad habits of having misplaced feet caused issues with my knees. Uninteresting things to do with tendons, muscles and ligaments meant that my knee was twisting on each pedal stroke which over 40 odd miles, caused problems.

SPDs meant that (eventually, once they were set up) my feet were always in the right place which kept my knees happy.

Depending on what/ where/ how you ride, SPDs (or others) will be beneficial on an ebike as you'll likely be spending more time in the saddle, more time pedalling and probably, more time rested while you pedal.

I never had issues clipping in/ out, I never feel like being clipped in is detrimental to my riding. Occasionally, it can make getting started on stepp techy stuff a bit difficult but the other 90% of the time, I don't see any downside.

It can be difficult to find shoes that fit properly and it takes a while to get your cleat position sorted but neither of those should put you off if you're up for a bit of fiddling.
Click to expand...
theremotejuggernaut said:
£100??

M520s are all you need. ~£40ish.

Or even cheaper (and lighter), Boardman from Halfords. About £25
Click to expand...
i have tried those type of peddles before on road bikes and hated them ,hence looking at flat clipped peddles and no normal cycling shoe have ever fitted me right none of them are broad enough for my feet , mtb clip shoes all seem to have broader fit ,which all seem to be around the £100 mark or more
theremotejuggernaut said:
£100??

M520s are all you need. ~£40ish.

Or even cheaper (and lighter), Boardman from Halfords. About £25
Click to expand...
i have tried those type of peddles before on road bikes and hated them ,hence looking at flat clipped peddles and no normal cycling shoe have ever fitted me right none of them are broad enough for my feet , mtb clip shoes all seem to have broader fit ,which all seem to be around the £100 mark or more
 
shockwave said:
i use these as can clip in or just use normal shoes so best of both worlds but still not cheap.

www.bikester.co.uk

Crankbrothers Double Shot 3 Pedals black | Bikester.co.uk

The Crankbrothers Double Shot 3 Pedals black at Bikester.co.uk ✓ Biking specialists in the UK ✓ Buy online with free returns ✓ Easy shipping ✓ Great prices with the best service ✓ Find what you need with Bikester.co.uk ✓
www.bikester.co.uk www.bikester.co.uk
Click to expand...
yeh ! these seem very popular choice along with others from the range as do their shoes ,can get spendy real fast though
i dont mind spending the money as long as they are right ,but at this point still wondering what to do , do i spend the money and take a chance
will let you know how i get on
cheers for the info
 
theremotejuggernaut said:
£100??

M520s are all you need. ~£40ish.

Or even cheaper (and lighter), Boardman from Halfords. About £25
Click to expand...

M821s are much much better. Well worth the extra cash.

Personally I wouldn’t say to switch to cleats unless you are already a fan, most people go the other way when they get an ebike.
 
shockwave said:
got these years ago for about 30 quid.

View attachment 96914
Click to expand...
With the cost of living going up at some rate of knots those are probably worth about £ 150 nowadays
all joking aside i am looking to see if i can find some decent peddles and shoes ithat are on sale just to keep costs down to see if i like them or not
 
I ride clipless pedals since 3 years (started on acoustic bike and then transferred them to my ebike), in my opinion (obviously someone could disagree) they have following advantages:

1. My feet are always roughly in the same position (I believe that with good setup this can help my knees). Depending on the type of the pedal or cleat, you can have some margin for movement before you unclip, though.
2. I feel "attached" to the bike, on the rough stuff my feet do not jump off the pedals (lowering the risk of a crash caused by that, or hitting my shins).
3. They help me with some movements on my heavy ebike (especially with lifting the rear wheel when needed). Of course one can say it is a poor riding technique, I can agree with that to some extent, but tbh, I don't care, because imo what counts here is the effect.

I use Shimano M520, they are dirt cheap, bomb-proof, have spring adjustment, and are very easy to service at home. They have a small contact surface, so the key is to have shoes with a stiff sole. For me the Shimano ME series (which I use) are stiff enough (5 out of 12 in Shimano's scale for shoe stiffness). @Jag009 I know you didn't like them, maybe the pedal / shoe combination was not good? For someone who wants to try riding clipless and don't waste too much money (if it turns out that clipless in general are not for him) I really think they are very good.
 
Jag009 said:
are there any benifits to using clipped peddles (ie power savings on battery )
never really been a fan of them but thinking of giving them a go again to see if i can get on with them
and do you have any recommendations to which ones to get
Click to expand...

I rode clipless pedals exclusively for many, many years. If you're going that route, you might want to stick with Shimano SPD. They're super durable, and everybody and his dog runs them. You can ride other bikes with your shoes, or your buddy can try out your bike.

Your other question was whether there are benefits to using "clipped" pedals. If we're talking about clipless pedals on bike that's ridden on technical trails, then I think there are no benefits and distinct disadvantages. But there are folks who ride clipless who are much better than me, so maybe clipless really IS better.
 
Used clips for decades and they eventually ruined my knees. Went to flats and there was a long transition to them but once I got used to the different action you use to move forward and dabbing at ease - I never looked back.

The right shoe and flat pedal matter though and for me I prefer some feedback and flex in my feet so use Vans- with the waffle pattern. Brilliant.

I would recommend going flat from the start. Safer and more fun with a focus on technique vs cranking. The best part if being able to move your feet on the pedal depending on the terrain and results you want from your investment of power. You will understand if you go flats.
 
Flats all the way More control and More fun , i have tried being clipped in but its a big NO for me ,
But this is pointless really as we are all different some do some dont its all personal preference as all the threads on this forum already mention were all different .

www.emtbforums.com

From clips to flats?

Hi all. Just few days proud owner of levo comp and I'am enjoying it a lot. I was 5 years away from bikes and in the past I have been racing enduro,xc, road and over 10y ago one season also dh. And motorbike enduro also 10y ago. So here's the past. I'am going to race next summer enduro on ebike...
www.emtbforums.com www.emtbforums.com
www.emtbforums.com

Flats or Clip Ins???

Ok so I rode trail 20+ years ago then haven’t ridden until two months ago I got a turbo Levo. Back in the day I wore clip ins. Now I got clip ins and it feels good but I hate that I cannot get a foot off peddle free of action. what’s the pros and cons please?
www.emtbforums.com www.emtbforums.com
www.emtbforums.com

Flats or clipless on an e-bike ? Is it a good idea to ride clipped in ?

Undecided ........ I used to use Crank Brothers DH Mallet clipless pedals on my acoustic enduro bikes , had a few very slow speed mishaps but other wise preferred them for keeping me attached to the bike when things got rough. Since owning e-bikes I have stuck with Hope F20 flat pedals on the...
www.emtbforums.com www.emtbforums.com
 
I think the biggest potential downside to clipless is the development of bad habits....specifically using the pedal connection to lift the bike especially on jumps and drops.
I tried clipless just out of curiosity but for my type of riding I found no benefit. What I did not like were the shoes, and the inability to change foot position on the pedal. In ge eral I found the cleat position too far forward even adjusted as far back as it would go. I felt I was missing out on being able to fully use the push position with heel angled down I use a lot on drops and steep descents with pinned pedals.
I can see why some would find clipless on long xc type rides an advantage but they are not for me. I spend more time stood on the pedals that sat on the saddle.
My set up is 5-10 freeride or EPS shoes with Spank Spoon 110s
.
 
I’ve been using flat pedals, tried clipless a bit, and have recently switched to magnetic pedals. So far I’m liking this setup.
 
Jag009 said:
i have tried those type of peddles before on road bikes and hated them ,hence looking at flat clipped peddles and no normal cycling shoe have ever fitted me right none of them are broad enough for my feet , mtb clip shoes all seem to have broader fit ,which all seem to be around the £100 mark or more

i have tried those type of peddles before on road bikes and hated them ,hence looking at flat clipped peddles and no normal cycling shoe have ever fitted me right none of them are broad enough for my feet , mtb clip shoes all seem to have broader fit ,which all seem to be around the £100 mark or more
Click to expand...

I have similar issues with narrow shoes. I can't quite understand why shoe manufacturers can't make a show that actually the shape of a foot!

I've got some Mavic boots which work quite well, still a little narrower than I'd like but I went up a size and can (and often do) ride in those all day long. They're GoreTex lined with Ortholite insoles and are great for hike-a-bike. They're honestly as comfy as my walking boots. Think I paid £90 for those.

Also got some Giro Ventanna (I think) which look like skate shoes. Again, 1 size up but they're pretty comfy for long days too. They were cheap(ish) at about £50. Good shoes but not brilliant for walkies. They do ok though.

Also got some Five Ten impact Pros on sale from the Adidas store online for ~£80ish. Had to go up 1.5 sizes and they're fine. They don't get much use though as they soak up water like a sponge and take 3 days to dry out. They're also clumpy and awful for walking in.

II think part of the issue is that SPDs are about efficiency when pedalling, for that to work, the soles need to be stiff. With stiff soles, the foot needs to be supported so the shoes are made to be a tighter fit. It wouldn't work too well if the shoe was baggy, you're foot would wiggle around inside and you'd lose the advantages of the SPD system altogether.

I get what you mean about the 520s. If your used to riding flats, the tiny contact point on the 520s feels weird. Again though, woth a decent stiff sole, it doesn't feel as though your foot is unsupported.
 
Mikerb said:
What are peddles??:D
Click to expand...
It's what a peddler does. As in peddling narrow biking shoes that fit few of us. ;)

I rode clips for about 15 years then eased out of them when I got the ebike. I do like how they keep my feet on the pedals even over bumps but they just don't seem worth it now.
Superfeet make some really stiff insoles that work well for flat pedals. REI in the US peddles them.
 
Time Atac ..more " float " than spd's ..and easier to get in and out of ..the only time you will get more in the way of power from your pedal stroke is when the motor cuts out ..so if that is the only reason for wanting them ..its not really going to make any difference .
I've never had / wanted flats having been attached for over 20 years its totally natural to unclip ..and I also have a high regard for my shins to not want to puncture them on a regular basis ..
I've had some success on ebay in terms of buying at well below cost ( probably from riders who can't get used to them 😉)
 
Flats all the way. I'd been riding SPDs since the '90's but as the terrain got gnarlier with the eeb even with Nukeproof SPD pedals I never felt comfortable when not clipped in so I went to flats. First NP Horizons and more recently Specialized Bennies. I had to relearn a load of techniques but it's made me a less shit rider than I was.
 
Clipless all the way.
I did try flats, but I loose control all the time, so I'm back on clipless.
Full control - very nice - very fast :-)
 
Rode clips on the road for decades. Fell over on an MTB on slow hairpin turns. Lots of laughter from the gallery. But liked being attached to the bike on the way down a hill.

Got flats and many holes in my shins, although I did get better in the end. Never liked the way my feet would bounce around on the pedal.

Been riding Magpeds for two years now. Won't go back to cleats or flats.

Gordon
 
flash said:
Rode clips on the road for decades. Fell over on an MTB on slow hairpin turns. Lots of laughter from the gallery. But liked being attached to the bike on the way down a hill.

Got flats and many holes in my shins, although I did get better in the end. Never liked the way my feet would bounce around on the pedal.

Been riding Magpeds for two years now. Won't go back to cleats or flats.

Gordon
Click to expand...
need to have a look for these magpeds ,not seen them before
cheers
Jag
 
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