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My flat pedal experiment

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  • September 26, 2016 at 7:38 pm #26314
    road

    Been on flats for couple of weeks now and thought I’d share my observations. I was initially interested after watching a GCN video in which there was basically no power difference and not much difference elsewhere between flats and clipless. The main motivation for the flats was a niggling knee injury that’s already seen me on 165mm cranks and a higher cadence overall. I’d seen posts from a number of people claiming their knee problems had disappeared  once they used flats and thought it was worth a shot. 

    So far it’s been a pretty good exeperience with the shortcomings only really being road surface and making sure your indexing is spot on. 

    I’m running a V8 style pedal and these Puma beauties. They’re like slippers for cyclists!

    http://www.zappos.com/images/z/2/7/1/1/7/7/2711774-3-MULTIVIEW.jpg

    First thing I noticed was how loose everything felt. I literally felt like my feet were doing to fall off every pedal stroke….then I perservered and things started to feel better. I noticed that my pedal stroke was actually rubbish and very uneven but with clipless you’d not notice as much, with the flats there was nowhere to hide, you had to get a smooth style to get most out of them. Once I had that dialled in it felt loads better  and the loose feeling was totally gone. 

    Next thing I noticed was that naturally my feet were falling in a different pattern to how I’d set the cleats up. No massively different but certainly not symmetrical like I’d had the cleats set up. I was getting fatigue in the right quads setting in before the left with the clipless and I noticed this wasn’t a problem after my first 2 hour ride on the flats. I also didn’t have any hotspot feeling on the balls of my feet either. 

    The next test was hills, not just inclines but fairly steep (15%+) ones. I was a bit worried I wouldn’t be able to transition from seated to standing but in the end there was no problem. I didn’t even notice the loss of  ‘pull’ effect you get or imagine you get with clipless. Just downstroke after downstroke and power figures just as good as the clipless. 

    So what are the downsides? If you ride on terrible roads it could be a problem and I do mean pretty terrible roads. I’ve had a few feet moving a few cm here and there problems on really bad sections of road but nothing I’d class as being dangerous. The other problem I’ve had is really of my own making, not making sure my indexing was spot on. Basically if your indexing is out you’re going to get a potential for jumps and foot slips. Sort that out and no problems really. 

    Has it benefitted my knee? I’d say it’s helped as the soreness is now down to only one spot, where previously I was under attack from more than one pain point. I’m still working on my physio plan of core strengthening and a glute imbalance  so maybe as time goes on this will get past it anyway. The other point may be that maybe I need to work on the cleat setup some more and perfectly symmetrical isn’t right for me at the moment. 

    The only major downside to all this is being shunned by other roadies. I’ve literally had one guy look at my pedals and tut at me! 

     

     

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  • September 29, 2016 at 8:03 pm #878817
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    gunswick

    Thanks for posting it was an
    Thanks for posting it was an interesting read.

    I started with flat shoes a year ago, and won’t be going back to them now I have SPD’s. That said for faffing about bunny hop or wheelie practising flats are good!

    September 28, 2016 at 5:43 pm #878815
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    ChrisB200SX

    I slipped when mounting my

    I slipped when mounting my bike with similar Pumas in the damp, ironically SPD-SL pedals, landed on the bike, bent the derailleur hanger 🙁  I’ve since gone totally back to flat pedals as I was never wearing footwear to clip-in anyway but I now avoid “slick” soles.
    I can kick most cyclists arses and I don’t do any training on the bike, just a 1.5 mile commute to work and back. The main benefit I realised of clipping-in was being able to blast up very short hills, basically an increased maximum power for a very short period.

    I race duathlons in trainers and Nukeproof Electron flat pedals but I’m usually in the top 3 on the bike leg, averaging ~23mph for over an hour after running 10km (also, I’m really not built for distance running or bike endurance!). I have to put up with triathletes (some who have represented GB) telling me SPDs would be faster but they seem oblivious to the fact that I was only ~30 seconds slower than them and my bike cost £2,000 less than theirs (did I mention I also don’t do any training on the bike? 😉 ). I believe they are incorrect.

    I can see how SPDs have some benefits, but flats seem the way to go for me, it’s all just so much easier and convenient.

    September 28, 2016 at 2:56 pm #878813
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    Anonymous

    When I got my first road bike

    When I got my first road bike I used a set of Pumas similar to that (Drift Cat, if I remember rightly).  They’re great… for about an hour.  They get a bit bendy after 60 miles.  Which makes your arches ache like hell.

    September 28, 2016 at 8:25 am #878811
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    tritecommentbot

    Guarantee you can burn every

    Guarantee you can burn every tutting clipped in roadie off the lights too laugh

    Never really got 100% happy with being clipped in. Cranks too long (175mm), cleats aren’t right for sure, and the left perpetually squeaks. 

    Might move to Speedplay but zzz, more money.. get in the queue..

     

    September 28, 2016 at 12:13 am #878809
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    macrophotofly

    I have flats on one bike that

    I have flats on one bike that I use to pop to the shops, etc. Still gets ridden for 30km at a time on occasions so I get to notice the difference compared to my clipless road bike

    The first thing I would say is that a good pair of flats make a huge difference over a bad pair. Something like a V8 (I have the Shimano Saint pedals) with is raised screws allows you to get a proper grip, and still push on the forward and back parts of the stroke. They have a wide base allowing the pressure to be put down without hot spots and also keep the foot stable. If you are using another type of flat pedal (e.g. the ones with a sort of serated edge) I would urge you to change.

    I also have a knee that gets painful when cycling if the foot float is not cared for. I found the Look/Shimano clipless pedals weren’t helping, until I chose cleats with so many degrees of play in them that it was hard to unclip. I changed to Speedplay and have never looked back. As my cycling has developed I have been able to use the float adjustment screws to keep the range of motion perfectly within what I need (it has changed over the last couple of years as my muscles have developed).

    Using flats I actually go back to some of the knee problems I found with Look/Shimano Clipless – essentially the flats don’t allow the type of float I need. The flex in the sole of the shoe on the pedal gives some, but not without resistance. My knee problems result from a degree of float necessary within a single pedal circle. According to my bike fitter, when my knee comes up to the top of the stroke, my heel goes inwards slightly and at the bottom of the stroke it is back parallel to the frame. If I have that small degree of unconstrained float from the speedplays then no knee problems at all.

    September 27, 2016 at 10:42 pm #878807
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    shay cycles

    I ride on flats on one bike

    I ride on flats on one bike (Brompton) for commuting although I have occasionally used SPDs on it for very hilly rides. My other commuter bike has old MKS pedals with SPD inners but metal platforms on the outside; mostly I use shoes with SPD cleats on that bike but love the fact I can ride in whatever I happen to be wearing just like on the Brompton. I find that my feet tend to be in just the same position with and without cleats and if descending quickly on unever surfaces I will plant my weight a little more firmly on the pedals when using flats.

     

    September 27, 2016 at 8:57 pm #878805
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    captain_slog

    My commuting solution is half

    My commuting solution is half-clips. These are flats with toe-clips minus the straps.

    They offer hardly any restriction when I need to get my foot down fast, but still give me enough security for most situations. The trouble is finding suitable shoes. I need something with a stiff, reasonably low-profile sole that doesn’t look too ostentatious off the bike.

    I’ve had a pair of Specialized Sonomas for years but they’re starting to fall apart. I like the look of the new Shimano RT4/RT5, but I’m not sure if the sole would work on a flat pedal, and anyway I can’t decide between velcro and laces.

    September 27, 2016 at 11:45 am #878803
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    Simon E

    Quote:

    The only major downside to all this is being shunned by other roadies. I’ve literally had one guy look at my pedals and tut at me!

    That’s not a downside, they are ignorant people that you don’t need in your life.

    Good to know you’ve tried flats and found what works for you. And thanks for sharing it – you’ve prompted me to consider fitting my old rat-trap pedals and walking boots for commuting over the winter.

    September 26, 2016 at 11:23 pm #878801
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    dottigirl

    The major difference I found

    The major difference I found when going from trainers to SPDs was I could descend faster – my feet weren’t bouncing off the pedals. Later, I also discovered the SPDs were safer in wet weather (see below).

    My advice for newbie cyclists is not to hurry about getting clipped in – acclimatise to the handling, braking, and changing gear first, before you have to worry about your feet.

    Injury-wise, I’m currently experimenting with SPDs v trainers due to a f****d ankle, and I’d say the orthotics make most of the different. However, I have discovered the setup of the two bikes I’m using is more responsible for aggravation. Not sure if it’s saddle height or setback though.

     

    (Btw, never, ever use plastic pedals and slick bottomed trainers. Recipe for disaster. I still have a lump on my forehead to prove it.)

    September 26, 2016 at 10:49 pm #878799
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    Leviathan

    Ah flats, as someone else

    Ah flats, as someone else suggested on another thread, is this so you can easily dismount and clobber errant taxi drivers?

    Nice to see the return of the Puma Mostro.

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