Clipless, toe cages, or flats?

[marcski]

Originally Posted by skibum1321

I feel safer when I'm mountain biking with my clipless pedals. I think it is much easier to get in and out of clipless pedals than cages. And also my foot slips off less, thus leading me to bang my shin on the pedals less.

I agree. 2 weeks ago, my pedals got iced up (there was a few inches on the ground) and i was frozen out of them. After using clipless for so long now, I feel so much more solid with them. Every time i hit a rock or rode over a log, I lost my footing and was doing spread eagles, holding onto the handlebars for life.

Plus once you're used to them, they're so much easier to get into on the fly.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by marcski

I agree. 2 weeks ago, my pedals got iced up (there was a few inches on the ground) and i was frozen out of them. After using clipless for so long now, I feel so much more solid with them. Every time i hit a rock or rode over a log, I lost my footing and was doing spread eagles, holding onto the handlebars for life.

Plus once you're used to them, they're so much easier to get into on the fly.

Yeah, it's really amazing how many people don't know what the tension adjustment is for. I think a lot of people would be more comfortable with them if their tension weren't either sky high or so lose they pop out all the time.

[ga2ski]

Clipless. I only ride XC

[gladerunner]

flats all the time. use crank bros 50/50 xx. best flats on market, bar none.

[cbcbd]

Clipless for both road and mtb. I used to have cages for the road and tried once on a friend's mtb - I cannot stand cages - they are a pain to get into and scary to get out of in a hurry.
Flats are ok, but I feel much more safer and agile when clipped in to my mtb.

Originally Posted by Marc

Yeah, if I were to ever really get into freeride, I'd have a new rig with flats or I'd put the hybrid flats w/ clipless on my XC bike.

I used to have the Shimano M424 hybrid pedals - I thought that the hybrid part of it was useless. The clip still has to clear the pedal around it, so even if you ride the bike with regular shoes your foot still pivots in the center. Granted, you can still feel extra grip on the ends because of the added pedal around, but if I was to use the bike for more than a mellow 10 minute ride down the street I'd just put on my bike shoes and clip in.

Basically, don't expect to use the hybrid pedal hard with regular shoes. If I wanted to once in a while use my bike for casual use and not have to walk around in stiff shoes I'd just buy a less stiff, more casual shoe and take a ride down to DQ

[Doro]

I'm w/ djspookman....flats if I specifically going to freeride (Lynn woods etc) If I'm in the fells I will still do a few drops but mainly xc so I use clippless but w/ a platform intergrated. I hope to start riding clipped in at Lynn soon but goddamn do some those drops and rollers send chills down my spine!

[bvibert]

I have flats here for now. I'm thinking of switching to a combo pedal though...

[freeheelwilly]

Originally Posted by Doro

I'm w/ djspookman....flats if I specifically going to freeride (Lynn woods etc) If I'm in the fells I will still do a few drops but mainly xc so I use clippless but w/ a platform intergrated. I hope to start riding clipped in at Lynn soon but goddamn do some those drops and rollers send chills down my spine!

i've ridden Lynn alot - always locked in. That place rocks but it wouldn't be any less gnarly if I was on flats. Clipless are so easy to get out of - once you get the hang of it.

"Lynn, Lynn the City of Sin, You Never Come Out the Way You Went In"