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Flats vs Clip-in : 2019 version

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Mike Thomas

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Laurie Greenland rides flat pedals.

... but who cares??? You guys (I'm pretty confident the only people trying to tell others what they should use for pedals are guys... odd. I'll bet you're fun at parties.) need to find a hobby. Here's an idea, go for a bike ride. I ride clipped in, I like it. Many of my friends ride flats, many of them are way better/ faster than me. None of us will be winning WC races any time soon . I think we are all ok with that. You should be too. If I were Phil or Tricia I'd close this thread and give you a time-out, nothing you are saying is at all helpful to anyone who has chosen to ride flat pedals, it's just insulting and belittling.
 
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Josh Matta

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I didnt even want this thread to start.....
 

luliski

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I would think a carbon soles Clipless shoe with a slight platform like a XT trail would be more supportive than any flat out there....
I probably need insoles. Contact area with flats is much bigger, feels more stable to me.
 

Erik Timmerman

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Just watched Laurie’s run. Those are Mallets. Sick run, he was barely using the track, just bounding from side to side.
 

AmyPJ

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pais alto

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My wife recently got a new big & everyone has come out of the woodwork to tell her not to ride her clipless.

If she was a pro......
FIFY.

This thread is pretty funny...on one level anyway.
 

Philpug

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Anyone saying clipless pedals with proper bike boots are not more efficient then flats with shoes that are cool for walking around all day long, have obviously A. never pedal or B. doesn't know a thing about efficiency. But either way, I would suggest you to use some proper shoes with carbon soles, clipped in and you will see that there's simply no way that any flat pedals with those cool looking soft shoes would come anywhere near efficiency of carbon sole clipped into pedals.
Just as in skiing, also in cycling racers actually use stuff because it's fast and efficient and much less because it looks cool and current fashion says it's best thing after white bread. There were few such things before in mtb, from Cannondale riders using baggies, to DH riders complaining that lycra doesn't look cool and UCI should make rule preventing lycra in DH. Which they did, but several years later, with rule still in place, all DH guys are running super tight, non-lycra suits even if they don't look so cool, and Cannondale dropped their baggies, after it was clear that looking cool doesn't make you fast (even with mtb, wind resistance is pretty much main factor).
But no matter what, I would dare to bet, there was not a single racer on XC world cup, that would show on start in Five Ten and flats. Could be because they are traditionalist who have no idea what's good, but more possible is, because they know flats are nowhere near as fast and efficient as clipless.
Another thing for this so important different stance on bike, distributing weight once like this other time like that. Really? Seriously? I admit I'm more xc guy, but I have no issues riding down steep stuff full of rocks and roots with my xc bike, seat 10cm above handlebar and clipped in. Sure, I'm slower then guys on DH bikes, but still faster then most of friends with similar way of thinking as big part of posters here, who actually walk down in their comfortable shoes, as it's too hard, to steep and too rocky to ride down. On other side, I would dare to bet, most of all these people would have serious issues getting down some sections of xc WC race, where guys and girls in lycra clipped in speed down, sometimes even on hardtails, most of them without droper posts, and all of them on bikes with geometry so different to what most of you ride, that you would consider those bikes unridable on anything but flat gravel ;)
Have you read any of the peoples posts that are pro flats...not one have said they are more efficient but almost eveyone says they are more confident on them though. No one is talking about racing, this is for a recreational use. Everyone who is pro flats are willing to give up the Nth degree of efficiency.
 

AmyPJ

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No mud stripes as it wasn't super muddy, the dirt itself turned nice but my legs and face were coated!!
 

Rod9301

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Anyone saying clipless pedals with proper bike boots are not more efficient then flats with shoes that are cool for walking around all day long, have obviously A. never pedal or B. doesn't know a thing about efficiency. But either way, I would suggest you to use some proper shoes with carbon soles, clipped in and you will see that there's simply no way that any flat pedals with those cool looking soft shoes would come anywhere near efficiency of carbon sole clipped into pedals.
Just as in skiing, also in cycling racers actually use stuff because it's fast and efficient and much less because it looks cool and current fashion says it's best thing after white bread. There were few such things before in mtb, from Cannondale riders using baggies, to DH riders complaining that lycra doesn't look cool and UCI should make rule preventing lycra in DH. Which they did, but several years later, with rule still in place, all DH guys are running super tight, non-lycra suits even if they don't look so cool, and Cannondale dropped their baggies, after it was clear that looking cool doesn't make you fast (even with mtb, wind resistance is pretty much main factor).
But no matter what, I would dare to bet, there was not a single racer on XC world cup, that would show on start in Five Ten and flats. Could be because they are traditionalist who have no idea what's good, but more possible is, because they know flats are nowhere near as fast and efficient as clipless.
Another thing for this so important different stance on bike, distributing weight once like this other time like that. Really? Seriously? I admit I'm more xc guy, but I have no issues riding down steep stuff full of rocks and roots with my xc bike, seat 10cm above handlebar and clipped in. Sure, I'm slower then guys on DH bikes, but still faster then most of friends with similar way of thinking as big part of posters here, who actually walk down in their comfortable shoes, as it's too hard, to steep and too rocky to ride down. On other side, I would dare to bet, most of all these people would have serious issues getting down some sections of xc WC race, where guys and girls in lycra clipped in speed down, sometimes even on hardtails, most of them without droper posts, and all of them on bikes with geometry so different to what most of you ride, that you would consider those bikes unridable on anything but flat gravel ;)
If you ride Downhill with the seat up, you don't get downhill.
 

Ken_R

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Have you read any of the peoples posts that are pro flats...not one have said they are more efficient but almost eveyone says they are more confident on them though. No one is talking about racing, this is for a recreational use. Everyone who is pro flats are willing to give up the Nth degree of efficiency.

Confidence, like in skiing, is a pretty big component in fun and safe riding. Well, up to a point. :roflmao:
 
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Josh Matta

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I would contend that confidence gained is superficial is merely placebo. There are many thing I would never want to try on flats due to spinning out and then smacking my shin.
 

Ken_R

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