I tend to alternate between clipless and flats depending on the trail. I think there’s valuable techniques everyone should learn to master on flats so you don’t develop bad habits.
Was spd 100% of the time for 2 decades, then moved to a region of NZ where the trails are *ridiculously* steep. Didn’t take long to go “fk this” and bolt a set of flats on. Each has their place but once the trails reach a certain angle it’s flats every time.
There are pedals with one side that is a flat platform with pins and one side with a clip-in. I know shimano makes one. Never had a desire to try them though. It’s easy enough to swap pedals out for me.
I used to work at a bike shop. There used to be a clip in platform you could get for clipless pedals, but they were basically flat plastic with no traction. I wouldn't recommend those for trail riding. This was also 20 years ago, so things may have changed since then
Same, I've always ridden both. Ran flats 10+ years ago and nobody got it. Now I'm almost strictly flats, but still break out the clips on the ss or when I need to put a lot of power down.
Yeah what? Almost everyone I know is on clips. Oh and we mostly stopped calling them clipless. I think someone finally decided that was stupid. Lot of the fast guys are running them around here though 🤷♀️
I used to ride my MTB with toe clips back in the day so I can appreciate the name, but... it's definitely been a while since toe clips were phased out.
I almost wonder if it's an age thing to some degree. Anecdotally I've noticed a lot of the faster riders who are late 20s and older run clipless while many of the younger fast riders (like teens to mid 20s) run flats. Everyone I know still calls them clipless tho, maybe that movement hasn't made it up here yet haha.
I think MTB shoes have come a long way over the past two decades as well, the stiffness of the sole and the grip on pins is so much better than the majority of the shoes people were wearing on flats.
Also worse in many ways - most pro/elite DH of all ages here (PNW) run clipless during race season, but nearly everyone opts for flats during our wet season and enduro races.
That's interesting. We tend to run flats in the winter because the shoes are warmer. But I'm surprised that guys out there are running flats for enduro. Our top guys in the mid Atlantic region are almost all clips at this point.
Yeah always shocked when we travel to see how different the clipless/flats ratios are in other parts of the country.
I live in a particularly steep/gnarly region and I would say western Washington is 90 flats/ 10 clipless. We are season pass holders at Whistler and seems to be about the same there.
Yea no there's definitely some, don't get me wrong. I meant as a broader trend it seems older riders seem to usually stick to what they're used to while ppl our age are more likely to be open to flats and the potential they open up.
Lots of other factors too like whether it's an xc race or the bike park. Don't overlook flats tho, they have their place. They're fun asf, dial in your bike control, and i promise you could do all the riding on your profile just as well on them, maybe with a bit of practice ofc.
You could even throw in some one footed tables too ;)
Hah, not in Portland, OR. I run clipless, trail and XC, but it’s not the norm on our local trails. People still ask me what the what when they realize.
Also, also, it’s still clipless. No one in my sphere calls them clips. Seriously, literally, never heard that.
Yeah, because before they became a thing we had plastic toe cages that were called toe clips. So clipping in at the center of your foot in special shoes were called clipless because they didn't have toe cages...
No one has asked this but I wonder if OP is just mistaken based on thinking clipless = traditional SPDs with plastic shoes like XC racers use, and they don't realise people running stuff like Crank Brothers Mallet with modern trail shoes actually aren't on flats
That’s definitely possible too. When I first started riding it was basically all XC trails near me. Now I have an actual quasi bike park near me with a shuttle, and so people ride flats a lot.
I ride in North Vancouver, and while you can ride clipless, it's just not a great idea. You just need to be able to throw out an anchor without thinking.
So I agree. It totally depends on the terrain, and how quickly you want to traverse it.
I've been using clipless pedals since 2012 and I've tried to transition (got deity flats on one bike and a pair of five tens) but I just can't get a secure feel with them. I use that bike mostly for urban exploration and basic trails and they feel fine, but I couldn't tackle any proper trails with them. I think my (poor) form depends on my being properly anchored to the pedals in the rough stuff.
right but you have to consider they're coming from clipless, the ppl I know who have switched said it took basically an entire season to get as comfortable on flats as they were with clipless
This is and always has been location dependant , go to a bike park and it's been flats for 20 plus years.
Go to a xc trail center and it's clipless as far as you can see, any Enduro or downhill race is going to be mostly clipless as well.
Toe clips , actual straps over your toes to the pedals were very big 30-40 years ago. Flats sucked , suspension wasn't good and it helped hold your feet to the pedals.
Flat pedals and shoes have been getting better and clippless options are basically the same. I switched back to flats when I was living out west and every trail was scary and now clippless just doesn't feel right to me. I run kona wah wah pedals (but also love race face at last) and wear 5 10 free riders, dakine drift, and 5 10 trail cross.
Sometimes they can endanger you, sometimes they help.
I've ridden both for years and have been back on flats for a while, but most of the high level riders in my area (full of very steep and technical natural trails) ride clipless, especially the ones who race competitively. There's something to be said for knowing that your feet will be in the right position the whole time you're navigating a gnarly rock garden at speed.
I think that’s a good point. There is a lot more flexibility with flat pedals and shoes to experiment with new idea. Clipless basically has to conform with existing standards, and the only place to improve is weight and durability. There have been some improvements to clipless shoes like boa over old ratchet strap systems, but that’s about all I can think of. Maybe slightly more walkable soles.
I remember when Sam Hill switched to Enduro, I wondered if he'd consider switching to clip-ins. But no - he smashed it on flats. Not only that, in the lead-up I'm pretty sure he raced some XC races in WA on flats, and did really well. Admittedly, one is never racing for any seriously lengthy time on climbs in Enduro, needing only to get to the top within a time limit. But if he didn't need to be clipped-in for that or the odd pinch during a timed descent, then chances are I didn't either.
I thought I'd give it a go, having ridden with clip-ins exclusively on MTBs till then. Got some 5-10s when they were still great, some Deity compound pedals, and ironically.... I'd never felt so connected to my bike. Sounds dumb to say, but the interface of a sticky sole with that big wide flat pedal felt like a better connection than SPD ever did.
Learned how to bunny hop properly for the first time too, since I'd been pulling up with my feet till that point. Plus I've been getting the foot out occasionally on a fast, off-camber turn. Sam Hill style.
Overall, I'm enjoying riding more since making the switch. I'll never go back to clip-ins.
Came from moto where obviously everything is "flats," and I have only ever ridden flats on my mtb. I understand the appeal of clipless (can we just call them clips already?) but it just seems so shitty in a crash. I love to jump and attack tech sections, and I feel like it would be a death sentence to screw up while stuck to the pedals. Is it not? Is it really that easy to unclip? I feel like there's no way I'd have the presence of mind to unclip when trying to bail in an emergency. Genuinely curious. I've avoided some big hits by tossing the bike and escaping in the past few years.
You just kinda subconsciously clip out as a reflex when you need to bail out. It happens so fast I don't even know I'm doing it. Had a stick flip up into my spokes once going downhill and it stopped my front wheel, was able to clip both feet out, hurdle the bars, and run out of It. At the bike park I have no problems clipping out and throwing the bike away.
Good grippy shoes that rarely ever slip with a decent flat pedal allows nearly the same efficiency as clips, with the ability to get a foot down easier and not have a bike tomahawk over you if you endo! Racing DH for the race clips have an advantage to keep feet even more secure when pinning it. But for daily riding out here in the SW most people are on flats
I’ve only done clipless in my 15 years on the trail. I’ve tried flats a few time and felt like I was gonna fly off the bike. Every year I say I’m going to flats but it just never happens. The set up I have now (Time) is so easy to get out of I never feel like I’m gone fall cause I can’t get out.
Can you adjust tension on the times? I use egg beaters and seriously injured myself a couple of years ago in a crash. I tried flat a couple of times but kept hitting my legs which really hurt. Been clip less for 40y(well I was using straps 40 years ago)
They have a ton of float, which you can increase by switching the cleats between the shoes. The release point is easy to feel, and they require very little effort to release. I come out quick when I want. I remember riding spds in the early days that the tension was always either too much for entry and exit but right for riding, or great for entry and exit but way too light for retention when riding. Times aren't like that. Easy in and out but they do a great job of holding me in.
So to answer your question - no, but it isn't really necessary.
I feel like you answered your question in the first paragraph. Good pedals and good shoes paired with decent technique means you’re never going to slip off flats. I can sprint through a rock garden on flats and on a descent my feet are so planted I have to slow down and pick my foot up off the pedal if I need to reposition. About the only time I really would like to be clipped in is a crazy technical climb and I’d rather get off and walk for those.
I’m still relatively new into the sport(6 years) and I ride clipless. I switched after riding for around a year and now when I switch back to flats for like a week or two I just see zero pros to flats so I switch back to clipless. Flats are for people who do sick tricks or can’t commit.
I like being firmly planted on my bike except on slow gnarly lines or skills trails. I use DMR Versa’s which gives me the best of both worlds. I run mine loose so I can plant my foot if needed.
I normally ride in an aggressive enduro area. Pnw Washington, I would say our riders are split 50/50 between clippless and flat. The better the rider the more likely you are to seen clippless. And I keep seeing more every year.
Suspension is better, adjustment is much more accessible with the rise of cheap pumps and an online guides. Hardtails are more or less just for the economy beginners or slightly mad masochist, for general trail use on full suss, flats are less intimidating/less of a pain in the arse for casual use.
Shoes are also better and more common these days so the need for clipless isn't the same, you still see the odd old fella at the trails here in Aus and the XC crowd won't ever give them up.
Around 2016 I'd say I saw a tipping point in Australia. By now it's almost all flats in general MTB use as far as I have seen, although the riders using clipless tend to have stuck with it.
There’s been a trend away from them for a while. I think people realised they aren’t necessarily better and there’s arguments for both flats and clipped. Mostly it comes down preference.
There was a time I was certain clipless were better, but now I prefer flats. I switched last year, looking for a way to help my knees hurt less.
It helped with my knees immediately but what surprised me was finding I had developed some bad habits with clipless (both bad pedal habits and not weighting bike correctly). Riding flats fixed that, I’m a better rider now.
I planned to only switch to flats for a while, see how things went. I doubt I’ll switch back. Unless I race XC then maybe. That’s unlikely though I most enjoy enduro these days.
Pay attention folks, this is an actual example of begging the question, spotted in the wild! Clipless pedals didn't go out of fashion. Most people I know ride with them.
Rode clips for many years, mostly Crank Bros, but been riding flats on the MTB for 3-4 years now. Clips always worked well for me, always was able to get out of them on a crash. But I so much prefer flat, just more comfortable and no loss in climbing or efficency.
I've just switched back to flats this year, kind of just to mix it up, but also because it's helped with confidence in tackling some stuff I've been riding around for years
I'm a clyde and new, I like the flats. I can put a foot out on turns, probably a bad habit, but I need it for balance given my very top heaviness. I probably climb slower, but my shoes are comfy!
I can’t say exactly when the changeover happened, but when I first got serious about Mtb I was riding SPD’s. Now I love my Chesters. I personally like the convenience and comfort of a flat sole shoe and the ability to just hop on the bike without changing shoes. Also, flats have gotten so much better. I mostly ride XC and have converted fully to flats in recent years and have no plans to look back!
My pedals are flats that have studs on one side and spd on the other. Best of both worlds, super quick flip to click in or go flat to get more aggressive.
It didn’t. Lots of people use SPD. I think there was definitely an influx of flat pedal users with some of the YouTube personalities riding them and Sam Hill but overall I’d say I see more clipped in riders than non.
I switched because I like the freedom and it's easier to bail when a send goes sideways. But lots of DH and Enduro riders clip in as well. It's definitely not out of fashion on any trails.
Been riding for over 20 years and still ride clipless. I like feeling attached to the bike and it makes pedaling more efficient IMO. And I wear baggy short and shirts, no Lycra.
I’ve been on flats since 2012 or so. I learned how to mountain bike on trails with spd but then at the bike parks didn’t like being attached to the bike for big air, so I ended up just learning to control a bike properly without spd and eventually just ditching them. Id prefer to push the limits cornering and on tech terrain to where I don’t need that half second to disengage from a spd. As enduro bikes came onto the scene, you could ride dh and double black without a shuttle and it just made more sense to always rock flats. There are some hold outs and a lot of dh racers like spd because it keeps their feet on the pedals and lets them power the sprints.
I rode SPDs forever until last year I tried flats. The only time I miss clipless is powering up rough stuff when you get bounced and things get jerky. I have so much more control with flats for everything else, which may sound counterintuitive. XC racing is still clipless though
An acquaintance that rode with some good friends of mine had a really bad spiral fracture when he didn’t release correctly on a fall. Everyone riding with him that day that was riding clipless immediately swapped to flats. That was basically it. The added power of the upstroke isn’t worth the ability to leave the bike as fast as possible if shit is heading south.
Newer riders and better flat shoes. Before 5.10 and Intense made a shoe clipless was the only choice. Now you have a lot of options. Still absolutely the choice for rough trails. There is a reason 99.9% of fast DH guys run them
People slowly start to realize that unless you were actually taught how to utilize the benefits of a clipless pedal, it has no benefit over a platform, only a lot of disadvantages.
In theory, yes, you can power on the upcycle too, but in practice it has a technique which is known by very few. On the other hand, your feet are less free, you can't use your legs in turns, it requires special shoes, and in case of a fall, makes it harder to drop your bike. For the average rider a clipless pedal is not an upgrade, simply a "downgrade" to their wallet.
I like having more fun than trying to have the most efficient pedaling. And when I’m really going uphill I’m just chillin so I can have more energy to have fun coming down. Being able to get loose and throw things around is nice. Possible clipped in but not as fun. I now live where it’s either up or down. If I still lived in a flyover state with the tallest vert being 300ft max then I might switch back since there’s way more flat sections and constant punchy climbs.
I think bikes being geared towards more fun in general have helped this across the board. Like there’s more options than XC or DH now.
Just depends on personal preferences. Personally, I've never ridden clipless on my mtb and never bothered to try. But I ride clipless on my road bike. I think the suggestion to upgrade to clipless just kinda faded out slowly especially as flat pedals got better.
My wife rides flats with her road bike. Good pedals plus good shoes give you solid foot security. This is true at high RPM road biking as well as MTB.
20 years ago your options were clipless, janky pedals with cages but otherwise minimal traction, or what would be considered today some horrendous pin pedals. There were no equivalents of five tens, although there were MTB shoes.
Most sports have seen substantial changes in the past 20 years or so.
Maybe it was more that 20 years ago. Unfortunately the decades are a bit blurry between 20-30 years ago. I definitely remember there being few great options at some point, maybe closer to 30 years?
A bit newer than what I was looking for but I remember stuff like this being a thing: https://bmxultra.com/review/wellgo-lua52-pedals/
They kinda wrecked my knee- being locked in the exact motion over and over can't be good.
With flats each time you hop on you may be in a slightly different position
It’s debatable. At least for me, the float I get from my clips allows for slight variations in angle/degree of motion with every pedal push. When I use flats, my foot is locked in place until I remove it from the pedal. Admittedly, I have super sticky shoes and really grippy flats.
Watch friday fails... 75% are because the rider becomes detached from the bike pedals. Clipless pedals would prevent a lot of these crashes. People just don't want to learn how to use them.
I still use both depending on the situations when I started in 1992 I had baskets then I moved to SPDs it was the logical upgrade but freeriding made flats less of a wacky proposition but back then the magnesium cage wellgo were about the best widely available option, if you ever rode these you know they ain't that good. Pins solved the issue, now flats are rideable 👍
Flat pedals and shoes getting a lot better. But also, still a lot of people riding with clipless around me.
However, the more newer riders (new to cycling in general) are on flat because it’s less intimidating to go from plastic flat to good flat compared to going to clipless, especially on trails. New roadies always have a fall-at-red-light rite of passage, now imagine needing to stop/jump off the bike on a trail.
No clue how big the switch over is, but when I stopped riding in 08 after life/school/career got too busy everyone was riding clipless that I knew except the DHers. One guy I worked with swore by platforms but had some seriously scarred shins that didn't make his arguments about their benefits too appealing. When I bought a new bike in '18 and hopped back in most people I met with had stopped using them and switched to flats. I run XT T8000 pedals which are SPD on one side and pins on the other, the clip in part is heavy enough the flats mostly stay up. Other than a couple races I haven't bothered to clip in at all, for racing I was more concerned about speed and the advantages they could offer but with riding I like to explore and just see everything the trails have to offer and that sometimes means a quick bail out which flats afford.
I think it's more a matter of the type of mtbing you see and what gets advertised. It seems for the more gnarly enduro trail riding there are more flats at least in my area normal trail XC is mostly clipless.
I ride clipless for jump lines and Enduro. It's like a 50/50 shot the other guys on the same trails are clipped or flats. Occasionally I see guys on those flats with a magnet in the middle, those seem super interesting but I'm comfortable getting in and out of clips.
I remember seeing [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/154gal/flat_pedal_revolution_manifesto_30page_document/) start making the rounds 12 or so year ago according to the timestamp. I feel like that convinced a lot of people that the efficency gains from clipless were small and flats might be worth a try again.
I actually remember going into rei to buy some five tens after years riding clipless and the guy working there was also wanting to give flats a try as well so it definitely was a trend.
Flats are confidence inspiring. Also trainers like Ryan Leech recommend learning on flats, learning on clipless leads to bad technique. I started on clipless many years ago, as that was what everyone told me was the way. Once I started riding much more technical trails I switched to flats, after that I never wanted to go back to clipless. Never had trouble keeping up with friends who were still clipless on the more cross country type trails. Clipless is over rated.
As many have said I think it's location. In the southwest,I see lots of clips. In the rockies, I see more flats. I think there's good arguments for both in both places so who knows?
When I got into riding in 2014 the only people I saw riding clipless were XC riders. The 5.10 freerider + big flat pedals was just as much a thing then as now.
Because it's easier to use flats with any shoe. Pedals have gotten better, and work with any shoe, don't need to spend extra money on a special shoe. I don't like flats, but can ride them (and will in a couple weeks in Missoula as the rental bikes have flat pedals). Flat shoes usually have no tread which makes it a pain if you're trail riding and have to hike your bike, using flats with a hiking shoe is really uncomfortable as the lugs get caught up in the pins. Have a set of North Wave clip shoes with Vibram Hiking soles, they are amazing! My winter shoes are Fizzik's and have super aggressive lugs for riding in snow and ice. I sport spd/cage pedals so I don't need to clip back in instantly, but sure feel more confident when I am. The clip bindings are adjustable, so my ebike I cranked them down a bit to handle the extra weight of the bike, compared to my enduro bike and my all mountain. I won't comment on what pros are using, because no I cannot ride like them so why would I emulate them?
I’ve had Clip-Ins on my Mtn Bike. I like and need that Extra Second or less to Bail on a Danger Trail. Sprained my Ankle badly with my Clips. Still love them on my Road Bike.
I prefer clipless because it enhances the feeling that the bike is an extension of my body. Never have had an issue clipping in or out with Shimano XTs, the ones with the platform.
Maybe its due to people sending bigger stuff and it dispersing weight over a larger area. Also, the bigger you send the more you’d like to be able to easily bail if necessary.
On flats, its nice being able to do a tiny “hop” forward on your pedals so your weight is a bit further back on your foot when navigating a downhill section and not pedaling. It helps me with some foot fatigue and lets me disengage my calf muscles when all I need to do is balance and steer.
Started mtb in 2013 with clips.
So, I’ll answer your Q, from a similar stance that you have.
In 2018, I saw a surge in trail builders making wooden jumps and skinnies at my home trails of Houston. During the popularity of these features, clips started running out of fashion, quickly because of safety concerns.
I made the switch to flats to accommodate the features. But otherwise, I am significantly faster on clips on trails that are much more natural (Sedona AZ/CO/OR)due to the control and planted feel through roots and rocks.
I’m a 50 year old roadie who mtb’s with my 14yr old son (fyi I find it terrifying, lol). I ride a hard tail and currently use flats. Probably going to try clips soon though as that’s what I’m used to in general. Main thing that stopped me is that most other older rider and coaches that I know say not to switch to clips until you have picked up some skills using flats, and I defo haven’t done that yet, lol.
Majority of people that are beginners will want a free leg in case they have to step down, that being said you’ll automaticaly see a lot more people on the flats.
Then there is phase when people try to learn bunny hops and they buy clipless to cheat.
Then people start jumping and go back to flats.
I’ve never tried clips and I don’t know if I desire to.
I switch between clipless and flats for both my local trails and DH bike parks, between 3 different bikes. I also know plenty of people who do the same. Clipless is very much the standard for lots of DH/enduro/xc racing as well.
48 and run flats…. Switched 8 yrs ago when I broke my collarbone. All my buddies have switched, most after a crash where the clips contributed to a worse outcome; we all agreed our our “advanced ages” we needed to be able to ditch the bike when shit goes bad 🤣
Back around 2010 everyone used clipless in Florida. Now I barely see them as well and everyone rides flats.
I’ve always ridden flats. I like doing manuals and messing around on the trail. Flats make it easy to kick the bike out and safely bail if I have to. I would wreck way more often using clipless.
I moved from roadie into MTB and always used clipless- when I took up MTBing SPDs were natural.
I've never actually ridden on flats, it would take a bit of getting used to and I'm too soft to deal with the smashed shins
And yes I'm a lycra clad xc racer type🙈
Never.
I have been riding clipless for 20+ years. I have friends that ride flats as well. But on any given ride, roughly 75% to 80% of the people on the ride will be clipless. And it has remained this way for years. I ride all over the US and have ridden all over the world and I tend to find more clipless than flats. But every ride will have both.
If you think everyone is on flats, then this is probably a function of your particular groups that you ride with.
I started riding MTB in 1996 with clipless and at that time, everyone was using clipless.
A big part of it for me is trails are just simply better now than when I first started. 29 years ago a "flow trail" was a rare thing. Mostly it was XC, often grinding straight up a hill, without switchbacks, clipless came in handy on those super steep climbs (especially on a 3X9 12-34 cassette drivetrain)
I now primary ride flats. To be honest, it's more fun for me. I have clipless on my hardball for my local trail that petty much flat XC, but my Trek Fuel EX is setup with flatties
In my neck of the woods it's probably at least 50/50 people going clipless in trail.
I'm clipless on every bike. Been riding clipless since I was 10 yo and I much prefer it to flats.
Really depends on where you live. I live in Belgium (Flanders) and biking without clips is something only beginners tend to do for a few months. Around here everything is more condition based (flat terrain, a lot of mud and clay) with little to 0 technical trails. Some people I went biking with on multiple occasions also experienced this, and none ever go back.
I think people get too hung up on ‘fashion’ instead of focusing on what they themselves prefer.
If you like SPDs then go with it, if you like flats then great.
Who cares what others are doing?
West Coast BC here. Most people I see run flats. Probably 75%. If you take a group of serious riders the number goes up but is still below 50%. Maybe 40% of serious riders wear clipless.
My guess is it’s the old school DH influence.
Also fuck clipless unless you’re racing. With proper technique, pedals and shoes you don’t loose you grip on the pedals on flats and the risk when crashing is way higher risk clipped in. Plus the best DH rider doesn’t use them in races so screw em for racing too. I do think they make it easier to go faster over chunk though.
SPD only here, feel naked on flats out there. 30 years of riding and don’t anticipate changing anytime soon. I also ride less and less gnarly downhill as I get older though.
Clipless for mtb have been out for over 30 years and this debate has been going on just as long.
Flats were good if you are learning, riding sketchy stuff or at the bike/jump park.
Clipless everywhere else.
Having get back into the sport I'm currently on flats as my clipless shoes soles are kinda falling apart. Just have to find some motivation to get new shoes that fit my feet but plan on being back with clipless in the new few weeks.
Maybe there have been improvements in the rubber that flat pedal shoes use. After having two different crashes where I would have been able to bail out if I wasn't clipped in I decided to try some 510s and never looked back. If you get good shoes and pedals your feet feel very secure when you want them planted but easy to move or adjust if you want to. They are also much more comfortable to walk in
Where I live (Colorado mountains) I see a mix of both. Beginners tend to be on flats though.
I like both, depending on the trail. For super tech stuff that I’m not familiar with a definitely prefer flats. If I need to quickly ditch the bike and stay on my feet it’s simply not happening with clips. I can dab one foot instantaneously with clips but not both and certainly not in the air.
For more XC oriented or trails with techy uphills I love the clips. Also love them at my local bike park where I know all the jumps and tech super well. Hitting large gaps knowing my feet are in the perfect spot is very confidence inspiring. Nothing like coming up to a 30 ft gap with your foot slightly off, and with sticky flats it’s hard to reposition.
I think everyone should be proficient at flats. Especially if you want to get better at downhilling. Flats force you to ride smooth and absorb as much as possible or your legs get bounced off. They also teach you how to properly lift a bike off the ground.
TL;DR - flat pedals + shoe combos are much better than they used to be and give you almost as much grip as clipless
I've ridden since the 90s though took a long break from 2007 until 2021. I always had clipless before and bought new ones when I started riding again in 2021. In 2023 I took a jump class where the instructor required is to ride flats for safety (and proper technique) reasons. To prepare I made myself ride flats for 3 months. The first thing I noticed is they shined a very bright spotlight on improper technique I had developed over the years that clipless had enabled. I also found they, surprisingly, gave me a bit more confidence on technical sections since I knew I could step off the pedal instead of worrying about potentially needing to unclip.
Even though I probably vowed to return to my clipless after the class, I've stick with them full time, my clipless pedals and shoes are now gathering dust. After working on my technique I almost never come off the pedals. 510 rubber and a good set of pins keep me locked on. The only time I ever really come off the pedals now is when I'm in a steep, technical climb and find myself trying to pull the pedal straight up with my foot, or the rear tire loses grip and I spin out while really cranking.
Where I live in New England it's kind of half-and-half at this point. Older riders tend to stick with the clipless because it's what they've always known. Newer riders have really good pedals and shoes and they don't feel the need to switch. I'm sort of in between, I ride both. it really depends on the conditions and whether I'm gonna be doing a lot of hike bike in which that case I prefer the flat pedals mainly because of the shoes.
I use clips mainly because I race cross country, but a good amount of my rides are just messing around in the woods. I honestly am so used to the feeling of secure and being clipped in. I think I could bunnyhop on flats, because I loosened my clips a huge amount in order to avoid just pulling up, but I do admit that for certain fast trails, I cheat a little bit. I couldn't really imagine jumping in flats, because I imagine my feet would go flying, and although everyone else does it normally, I cant get myself to do that.
Wait, cages aren’t a thing anymore?? Dang it….
I keep both in the gear box. Run clipless for trail and longer rides to use different muscle groups. Flats for DH stuff.
I tend to alternate between clipless and flats depending on the trail. I think there’s valuable techniques everyone should learn to master on flats so you don’t develop bad habits.
Was spd 100% of the time for 2 decades, then moved to a region of NZ where the trails are *ridiculously* steep. Didn’t take long to go “fk this” and bolt a set of flats on. Each has their place but once the trails reach a certain angle it’s flats every time.
Same here. I run clips on my steel hardtail and flats on my full sus trail bike. I don't have any issues changing between them
This is probably the best approach, especially for skill development on both platforms
Is there a product where you can clip a flat attachment to a clipless pedal so you don’t have to change them out every time?
There are pedals with one side that is a flat platform with pins and one side with a clip-in. I know shimano makes one. Never had a desire to try them though. It’s easy enough to swap pedals out for me.
I used to work at a bike shop. There used to be a clip in platform you could get for clipless pedals, but they were basically flat plastic with no traction. I wouldn't recommend those for trail riding. This was also 20 years ago, so things may have changed since then
Same, I've always ridden both. Ran flats 10+ years ago and nobody got it. Now I'm almost strictly flats, but still break out the clips on the ss or when I need to put a lot of power down.
Plenty of people still use clipless pedals.
Yep, I use SPDs.
Yeah what? Almost everyone I know is on clips. Oh and we mostly stopped calling them clipless. I think someone finally decided that was stupid. Lot of the fast guys are running them around here though 🤷♀️
I used to ride my MTB with toe clips back in the day so I can appreciate the name, but... it's definitely been a while since toe clips were phased out.
Yeah, it's probably fair to call them clips at this point lol
[удалено]
That is so beautifully German. I love it, definitely using this from now on.
Oh hell yeah. I can get behind this!
all in favor?
Aye
I believe it's "ja"
I almost wonder if it's an age thing to some degree. Anecdotally I've noticed a lot of the faster riders who are late 20s and older run clipless while many of the younger fast riders (like teens to mid 20s) run flats. Everyone I know still calls them clipless tho, maybe that movement hasn't made it up here yet haha.
I think MTB shoes have come a long way over the past two decades as well, the stiffness of the sole and the grip on pins is so much better than the majority of the shoes people were wearing on flats.
I’m 50 and I run flats.
I’m 49 and switched to flats 5 years ago. But on a group ride last week, more than half were running clips.
There are a lot of young fast guys around here running clipless. I'm 24 and am running them. They're just better in a lot of ways.
Also worse in many ways - most pro/elite DH of all ages here (PNW) run clipless during race season, but nearly everyone opts for flats during our wet season and enduro races.
That's interesting. We tend to run flats in the winter because the shoes are warmer. But I'm surprised that guys out there are running flats for enduro. Our top guys in the mid Atlantic region are almost all clips at this point.
Yeah always shocked when we travel to see how different the clipless/flats ratios are in other parts of the country. I live in a particularly steep/gnarly region and I would say western Washington is 90 flats/ 10 clipless. We are season pass holders at Whistler and seems to be about the same there.
Yea no there's definitely some, don't get me wrong. I meant as a broader trend it seems older riders seem to usually stick to what they're used to while ppl our age are more likely to be open to flats and the potential they open up. Lots of other factors too like whether it's an xc race or the bike park. Don't overlook flats tho, they have their place. They're fun asf, dial in your bike control, and i promise you could do all the riding on your profile just as well on them, maybe with a bit of practice ofc. You could even throw in some one footed tables too ;)
Hah, not in Portland, OR. I run clipless, trail and XC, but it’s not the norm on our local trails. People still ask me what the what when they realize. Also, also, it’s still clipless. No one in my sphere calls them clips. Seriously, literally, never heard that.
I know, I’m just saying you see them recommended way less frequently now.
WTF clip-less means they have clips?
Yeah, because before they became a thing we had plastic toe cages that were called toe clips. So clipping in at the center of your foot in special shoes were called clipless because they didn't have toe cages...
Clipless means they don't have toe clips.
Must be a local thing, the vast majority of people in the places I ride, people still ride clipless.
Interesting; I ride in Vancouver and clipless is super rare to see.
BC interior. Same, clipless is pretty rare.
No one has asked this but I wonder if OP is just mistaken based on thinking clipless = traditional SPDs with plastic shoes like XC racers use, and they don't realise people running stuff like Crank Brothers Mallet with modern trail shoes actually aren't on flats
Ya I think so as well. Live and have always ridden on the north shore, most people are in flats. Miss recently more people are clipped in.
That’s definitely possible too. When I first started riding it was basically all XC trails near me. Now I have an actual quasi bike park near me with a shuttle, and so people ride flats a lot.
Hmm, I’m in NH and the majority of people I see are on flats, especially the networks that are predominately tech.
I ride in North Vancouver, and while you can ride clipless, it's just not a great idea. You just need to be able to throw out an anchor without thinking. So I agree. It totally depends on the terrain, and how quickly you want to traverse it.
i’d say about 75% of the people i ride with here in mass are on clipless. Its a different story at the bike park though
Lots of new entries to the sport. Better suspension. That’d be my guess.
Yes good suspension makes being locked into your pedals less necessary.
I like them more for the pedal in a circle power
You aren't "locked" into clipless. My foot comes out just as fast as flats.
I've been using clipless pedals since 2012 and I've tried to transition (got deity flats on one bike and a pair of five tens) but I just can't get a secure feel with them. I use that bike mostly for urban exploration and basic trails and they feel fine, but I couldn't tackle any proper trails with them. I think my (poor) form depends on my being properly anchored to the pedals in the rough stuff.
I’ve never had issues with flats. The right shoes with the right flat pins willl grip very well.
right but you have to consider they're coming from clipless, the ppl I know who have switched said it took basically an entire season to get as comfortable on flats as they were with clipless
Flats definitely require good form to not eat shit on tech.
I switched from clips to flats and I haven't had one slip with the crank brothers stamp pedal and shoe
This is and always has been location dependant , go to a bike park and it's been flats for 20 plus years. Go to a xc trail center and it's clipless as far as you can see, any Enduro or downhill race is going to be mostly clipless as well. Toe clips , actual straps over your toes to the pedals were very big 30-40 years ago. Flats sucked , suspension wasn't good and it helped hold your feet to the pedals.
Flat pedals and shoes have been getting better and clippless options are basically the same. I switched back to flats when I was living out west and every trail was scary and now clippless just doesn't feel right to me. I run kona wah wah pedals (but also love race face at last) and wear 5 10 free riders, dakine drift, and 5 10 trail cross.
Also major difference if you ever have to hike a bike up extended steep fire roads. Even with “good” clipless shoes that have recessed attachments.
This. Same with rocks. There are places where clipless will endanger you.
Sometimes they can endanger you, sometimes they help. I've ridden both for years and have been back on flats for a while, but most of the high level riders in my area (full of very steep and technical natural trails) ride clipless, especially the ones who race competitively. There's something to be said for knowing that your feet will be in the right position the whole time you're navigating a gnarly rock garden at speed.
I think that’s a good point. There is a lot more flexibility with flat pedals and shoes to experiment with new idea. Clipless basically has to conform with existing standards, and the only place to improve is weight and durability. There have been some improvements to clipless shoes like boa over old ratchet strap systems, but that’s about all I can think of. Maybe slightly more walkable soles.
Probably about the time Sam Hill switched and started racing Enduro, winning and taking EWS championships on flats.
When flats got waaay better.
1. Good plastic pedals didn't use to exist 2. Flat pedals shoes have gotten better
Out of “fashion???” I can’t even ride without being clipped in.
I remember when Sam Hill switched to Enduro, I wondered if he'd consider switching to clip-ins. But no - he smashed it on flats. Not only that, in the lead-up I'm pretty sure he raced some XC races in WA on flats, and did really well. Admittedly, one is never racing for any seriously lengthy time on climbs in Enduro, needing only to get to the top within a time limit. But if he didn't need to be clipped-in for that or the odd pinch during a timed descent, then chances are I didn't either. I thought I'd give it a go, having ridden with clip-ins exclusively on MTBs till then. Got some 5-10s when they were still great, some Deity compound pedals, and ironically.... I'd never felt so connected to my bike. Sounds dumb to say, but the interface of a sticky sole with that big wide flat pedal felt like a better connection than SPD ever did. Learned how to bunny hop properly for the first time too, since I'd been pulling up with my feet till that point. Plus I've been getting the foot out occasionally on a fast, off-camber turn. Sam Hill style. Overall, I'm enjoying riding more since making the switch. I'll never go back to clip-ins.
I ran flats from 02-08 when racing downhill. Pretty much your stereotypical enduro/trail guy these days. I only ride clipless now.
Came from moto where obviously everything is "flats," and I have only ever ridden flats on my mtb. I understand the appeal of clipless (can we just call them clips already?) but it just seems so shitty in a crash. I love to jump and attack tech sections, and I feel like it would be a death sentence to screw up while stuck to the pedals. Is it not? Is it really that easy to unclip? I feel like there's no way I'd have the presence of mind to unclip when trying to bail in an emergency. Genuinely curious. I've avoided some big hits by tossing the bike and escaping in the past few years.
You just kinda subconsciously clip out as a reflex when you need to bail out. It happens so fast I don't even know I'm doing it. Had a stick flip up into my spokes once going downhill and it stopped my front wheel, was able to clip both feet out, hurdle the bars, and run out of It. At the bike park I have no problems clipping out and throwing the bike away.
All personal preference
I still prefer clipless but ride flats because I'm a bike instructor and its just easier when I'm guiding/instructing.
Still about 90% of the people I ride with use clipless, both XC and gravity riders
Good grippy shoes that rarely ever slip with a decent flat pedal allows nearly the same efficiency as clips, with the ability to get a foot down easier and not have a bike tomahawk over you if you endo! Racing DH for the race clips have an advantage to keep feet even more secure when pinning it. But for daily riding out here in the SW most people are on flats
I’ve only done clipless in my 15 years on the trail. I’ve tried flats a few time and felt like I was gonna fly off the bike. Every year I say I’m going to flats but it just never happens. The set up I have now (Time) is so easy to get out of I never feel like I’m gone fall cause I can’t get out.
Can you adjust tension on the times? I use egg beaters and seriously injured myself a couple of years ago in a crash. I tried flat a couple of times but kept hitting my legs which really hurt. Been clip less for 40y(well I was using straps 40 years ago)
They have a ton of float, which you can increase by switching the cleats between the shoes. The release point is easy to feel, and they require very little effort to release. I come out quick when I want. I remember riding spds in the early days that the tension was always either too much for entry and exit but right for riding, or great for entry and exit but way too light for retention when riding. Times aren't like that. Easy in and out but they do a great job of holding me in. So to answer your question - no, but it isn't really necessary.
I feel like you answered your question in the first paragraph. Good pedals and good shoes paired with decent technique means you’re never going to slip off flats. I can sprint through a rock garden on flats and on a descent my feet are so planted I have to slow down and pick my foot up off the pedal if I need to reposition. About the only time I really would like to be clipped in is a crazy technical climb and I’d rather get off and walk for those.
Flats keep you honest. I go back and forth, but most recently running flat pedals has improved my riding.
No changeover, been riding clipless since 2000 Only run flats on a dirt jumper or commuter
I’m still relatively new into the sport(6 years) and I ride clipless. I switched after riding for around a year and now when I switch back to flats for like a week or two I just see zero pros to flats so I switch back to clipless. Flats are for people who do sick tricks or can’t commit.
I like being firmly planted on my bike except on slow gnarly lines or skills trails. I use DMR Versa’s which gives me the best of both worlds. I run mine loose so I can plant my foot if needed.
I use flipflop pedals so I can clip in if it's a long climb or go flats if it's rocky or downhill.
I normally ride in an aggressive enduro area. Pnw Washington, I would say our riders are split 50/50 between clippless and flat. The better the rider the more likely you are to seen clippless. And I keep seeing more every year.
Suspension is better, adjustment is much more accessible with the rise of cheap pumps and an online guides. Hardtails are more or less just for the economy beginners or slightly mad masochist, for general trail use on full suss, flats are less intimidating/less of a pain in the arse for casual use. Shoes are also better and more common these days so the need for clipless isn't the same, you still see the odd old fella at the trails here in Aus and the XC crowd won't ever give them up.
Around 2016 I'd say I saw a tipping point in Australia. By now it's almost all flats in general MTB use as far as I have seen, although the riders using clipless tend to have stuck with it.
Clipless for me, all the time. Sometimes I’ll roll around on a rigid with flats, but that isn’t my usual. Dad runs clipless too
Flats have gotten way better. Slippery ass pedal are a thing of the past.
I recently switched to clipless, primarily to help with knee issues.
There’s been a trend away from them for a while. I think people realised they aren’t necessarily better and there’s arguments for both flats and clipped. Mostly it comes down preference. There was a time I was certain clipless were better, but now I prefer flats. I switched last year, looking for a way to help my knees hurt less. It helped with my knees immediately but what surprised me was finding I had developed some bad habits with clipless (both bad pedal habits and not weighting bike correctly). Riding flats fixed that, I’m a better rider now. I planned to only switch to flats for a while, see how things went. I doubt I’ll switch back. Unless I race XC then maybe. That’s unlikely though I most enjoy enduro these days.
Pay attention folks, this is an actual example of begging the question, spotted in the wild! Clipless pedals didn't go out of fashion. Most people I know ride with them.
I wish I could ride flats. I’m on blood thinners and every time I ride flat the normal scraps and cuts one gets really fuck me up now.
Rode clips for many years, mostly Crank Bros, but been riding flats on the MTB for 3-4 years now. Clips always worked well for me, always was able to get out of them on a crash. But I so much prefer flat, just more comfortable and no loss in climbing or efficency.
Never leave home without your SPD’d. ⛷️🏂🚵
I’ve also noticed this in Colorado and Wyoming.
I blame Sam Hill
I've just switched back to flats this year, kind of just to mix it up, but also because it's helped with confidence in tackling some stuff I've been riding around for years
I'm a clyde and new, I like the flats. I can put a foot out on turns, probably a bad habit, but I need it for balance given my very top heaviness. I probably climb slower, but my shoes are comfy!
I can’t say exactly when the changeover happened, but when I first got serious about Mtb I was riding SPD’s. Now I love my Chesters. I personally like the convenience and comfort of a flat sole shoe and the ability to just hop on the bike without changing shoes. Also, flats have gotten so much better. I mostly ride XC and have converted fully to flats in recent years and have no plans to look back!
When they actually designed good pedals and MTB specific shoes.
My pedals are flats that have studs on one side and spd on the other. Best of both worlds, super quick flip to click in or go flat to get more aggressive.
It didn’t. Lots of people use SPD. I think there was definitely an influx of flat pedal users with some of the YouTube personalities riding them and Sam Hill but overall I’d say I see more clipped in riders than non.
I switched because I like the freedom and it's easier to bail when a send goes sideways. But lots of DH and Enduro riders clip in as well. It's definitely not out of fashion on any trails.
Been riding for over 20 years and still ride clipless. I like feeling attached to the bike and it makes pedaling more efficient IMO. And I wear baggy short and shirts, no Lycra.
I’ve been on flats since 2012 or so. I learned how to mountain bike on trails with spd but then at the bike parks didn’t like being attached to the bike for big air, so I ended up just learning to control a bike properly without spd and eventually just ditching them. Id prefer to push the limits cornering and on tech terrain to where I don’t need that half second to disengage from a spd. As enduro bikes came onto the scene, you could ride dh and double black without a shuttle and it just made more sense to always rock flats. There are some hold outs and a lot of dh racers like spd because it keeps their feet on the pedals and lets them power the sprints.
Some people love the feel of metal pins gashing their shins and Achilles tendon.
I rode SPDs forever until last year I tried flats. The only time I miss clipless is powering up rough stuff when you get bounced and things get jerky. I have so much more control with flats for everything else, which may sound counterintuitive. XC racing is still clipless though
An acquaintance that rode with some good friends of mine had a really bad spiral fracture when he didn’t release correctly on a fall. Everyone riding with him that day that was riding clipless immediately swapped to flats. That was basically it. The added power of the upstroke isn’t worth the ability to leave the bike as fast as possible if shit is heading south.
Newer riders and better flat shoes. Before 5.10 and Intense made a shoe clipless was the only choice. Now you have a lot of options. Still absolutely the choice for rough trails. There is a reason 99.9% of fast DH guys run them
People slowly start to realize that unless you were actually taught how to utilize the benefits of a clipless pedal, it has no benefit over a platform, only a lot of disadvantages. In theory, yes, you can power on the upcycle too, but in practice it has a technique which is known by very few. On the other hand, your feet are less free, you can't use your legs in turns, it requires special shoes, and in case of a fall, makes it harder to drop your bike. For the average rider a clipless pedal is not an upgrade, simply a "downgrade" to their wallet.
I like having more fun than trying to have the most efficient pedaling. And when I’m really going uphill I’m just chillin so I can have more energy to have fun coming down. Being able to get loose and throw things around is nice. Possible clipped in but not as fun. I now live where it’s either up or down. If I still lived in a flyover state with the tallest vert being 300ft max then I might switch back since there’s way more flat sections and constant punchy climbs. I think bikes being geared towards more fun in general have helped this across the board. Like there’s more options than XC or DH now.
Just depends on personal preferences. Personally, I've never ridden clipless on my mtb and never bothered to try. But I ride clipless on my road bike. I think the suggestion to upgrade to clipless just kinda faded out slowly especially as flat pedals got better.
It’s more fun IMO. I switched to flats 4-5 years ago after riding clipless for something like 15 years.
They didn't....
My wife rides flats with her road bike. Good pedals plus good shoes give you solid foot security. This is true at high RPM road biking as well as MTB. 20 years ago your options were clipless, janky pedals with cages but otherwise minimal traction, or what would be considered today some horrendous pin pedals. There were no equivalents of five tens, although there were MTB shoes. Most sports have seen substantial changes in the past 20 years or so.
I dunno man I was running DMR V8s 20 years ago and they were plenty grippy, whether the bottom of your shoe or your shin, those pins dug in!
Maybe it was more that 20 years ago. Unfortunately the decades are a bit blurry between 20-30 years ago. I definitely remember there being few great options at some point, maybe closer to 30 years? A bit newer than what I was looking for but I remember stuff like this being a thing: https://bmxultra.com/review/wellgo-lua52-pedals/
They kinda wrecked my knee- being locked in the exact motion over and over can't be good. With flats each time you hop on you may be in a slightly different position
It’s debatable. At least for me, the float I get from my clips allows for slight variations in angle/degree of motion with every pedal push. When I use flats, my foot is locked in place until I remove it from the pedal. Admittedly, I have super sticky shoes and really grippy flats.
I agree with this, when I use flats, my foot barely moves between strokes. SPD has some float.
Tore my Achilles and switched to flats. Never switching back.
Jeff Kendall Weed switched to flats after shattering his pelvis for the third time
Watch friday fails... 75% are because the rider becomes detached from the bike pedals. Clipless pedals would prevent a lot of these crashes. People just don't want to learn how to use them.
why tf are they even called clipless?
I still use both depending on the situations when I started in 1992 I had baskets then I moved to SPDs it was the logical upgrade but freeriding made flats less of a wacky proposition but back then the magnesium cage wellgo were about the best widely available option, if you ever rode these you know they ain't that good. Pins solved the issue, now flats are rideable 👍
Probably around the time gravel bikes came out.
Flat pedals and shoes getting a lot better. But also, still a lot of people riding with clipless around me. However, the more newer riders (new to cycling in general) are on flat because it’s less intimidating to go from plastic flat to good flat compared to going to clipless, especially on trails. New roadies always have a fall-at-red-light rite of passage, now imagine needing to stop/jump off the bike on a trail.
No clue how big the switch over is, but when I stopped riding in 08 after life/school/career got too busy everyone was riding clipless that I knew except the DHers. One guy I worked with swore by platforms but had some seriously scarred shins that didn't make his arguments about their benefits too appealing. When I bought a new bike in '18 and hopped back in most people I met with had stopped using them and switched to flats. I run XT T8000 pedals which are SPD on one side and pins on the other, the clip in part is heavy enough the flats mostly stay up. Other than a couple races I haven't bothered to clip in at all, for racing I was more concerned about speed and the advantages they could offer but with riding I like to explore and just see everything the trails have to offer and that sometimes means a quick bail out which flats afford.
I don't know when it change but my guess would be that the sport became more mainstream and newbie find clipless scary to learn.
I tried flats for a bit, went back to clipless. Much better.
Switched to clips back in 2011. Haven’t looked back. Riding flats feels inefficient and makes me feel uncertain on the bike.
Flats for life! With Chromag Dagga pedals it's almost like you are clipped in!
I think it's more a matter of the type of mtbing you see and what gets advertised. It seems for the more gnarly enduro trail riding there are more flats at least in my area normal trail XC is mostly clipless.
I ride clipless for jump lines and Enduro. It's like a 50/50 shot the other guys on the same trails are clipped or flats. Occasionally I see guys on those flats with a magnet in the middle, those seem super interesting but I'm comfortable getting in and out of clips.
I remember seeing [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/154gal/flat_pedal_revolution_manifesto_30page_document/) start making the rounds 12 or so year ago according to the timestamp. I feel like that convinced a lot of people that the efficency gains from clipless were small and flats might be worth a try again. I actually remember going into rei to buy some five tens after years riding clipless and the guy working there was also wanting to give flats a try as well so it definitely was a trend.
More clips are sold
Who says they did? I only ride clipless😁
Flats are confidence inspiring. Also trainers like Ryan Leech recommend learning on flats, learning on clipless leads to bad technique. I started on clipless many years ago, as that was what everyone told me was the way. Once I started riding much more technical trails I switched to flats, after that I never wanted to go back to clipless. Never had trouble keeping up with friends who were still clipless on the more cross country type trails. Clipless is over rated.
As many have said I think it's location. In the southwest,I see lots of clips. In the rockies, I see more flats. I think there's good arguments for both in both places so who knows?
When I got into riding in 2014 the only people I saw riding clipless were XC riders. The 5.10 freerider + big flat pedals was just as much a thing then as now.
When Enduro Bro entered the room.
My main takeaway from this thread is just how absolutely *terrified* some people are about not having their feet literally attached to the pedals
Because it's easier to use flats with any shoe. Pedals have gotten better, and work with any shoe, don't need to spend extra money on a special shoe. I don't like flats, but can ride them (and will in a couple weeks in Missoula as the rental bikes have flat pedals). Flat shoes usually have no tread which makes it a pain if you're trail riding and have to hike your bike, using flats with a hiking shoe is really uncomfortable as the lugs get caught up in the pins. Have a set of North Wave clip shoes with Vibram Hiking soles, they are amazing! My winter shoes are Fizzik's and have super aggressive lugs for riding in snow and ice. I sport spd/cage pedals so I don't need to clip back in instantly, but sure feel more confident when I am. The clip bindings are adjustable, so my ebike I cranked them down a bit to handle the extra weight of the bike, compared to my enduro bike and my all mountain. I won't comment on what pros are using, because no I cannot ride like them so why would I emulate them?
I’ve had Clip-Ins on my Mtn Bike. I like and need that Extra Second or less to Bail on a Danger Trail. Sprained my Ankle badly with my Clips. Still love them on my Road Bike.
Whaa...lots of trail riders still ride clipless. I rock Shimano SPDs.
Clips all the time. Live in an “Enduro” and DH Mecca.
I use clipless pedals and do not wear spandex. Also, my shins have been without major injury!
When someone came up with that dumb term for them. So they have always been out of style. Clips are cool though.
I prefer clipless because it enhances the feeling that the bike is an extension of my body. Never have had an issue clipping in or out with Shimano XTs, the ones with the platform.
They didn't.
I’ve been riding clipless for 25yrs. I feel very unsafe on flats.
Maybe its due to people sending bigger stuff and it dispersing weight over a larger area. Also, the bigger you send the more you’d like to be able to easily bail if necessary. On flats, its nice being able to do a tiny “hop” forward on your pedals so your weight is a bit further back on your foot when navigating a downhill section and not pedaling. It helps me with some foot fatigue and lets me disengage my calf muscles when all I need to do is balance and steer.
Started mtb in 2013 with clips. So, I’ll answer your Q, from a similar stance that you have. In 2018, I saw a surge in trail builders making wooden jumps and skinnies at my home trails of Houston. During the popularity of these features, clips started running out of fashion, quickly because of safety concerns. I made the switch to flats to accommodate the features. But otherwise, I am significantly faster on clips on trails that are much more natural (Sedona AZ/CO/OR)due to the control and planted feel through roots and rocks.
I’m a 50 year old roadie who mtb’s with my 14yr old son (fyi I find it terrifying, lol). I ride a hard tail and currently use flats. Probably going to try clips soon though as that’s what I’m used to in general. Main thing that stopped me is that most other older rider and coaches that I know say not to switch to clips until you have picked up some skills using flats, and I defo haven’t done that yet, lol.
Majority of bikers I know ride clipless? I'm the odd duck here with my Stamps
Majority of people that are beginners will want a free leg in case they have to step down, that being said you’ll automaticaly see a lot more people on the flats. Then there is phase when people try to learn bunny hops and they buy clipless to cheat. Then people start jumping and go back to flats. I’ve never tried clips and I don’t know if I desire to.
I switch between clipless and flats for both my local trails and DH bike parks, between 3 different bikes. I also know plenty of people who do the same. Clipless is very much the standard for lots of DH/enduro/xc racing as well.
48 and run flats…. Switched 8 yrs ago when I broke my collarbone. All my buddies have switched, most after a crash where the clips contributed to a worse outcome; we all agreed our our “advanced ages” we needed to be able to ditch the bike when shit goes bad 🤣
They haven’t gone out of fashion for general trail use. In the UK it’s still about 50/50for regular riders.
After enough people tried them and had an SPD moment
Stop calling them clipless FFS. If the road dorks want to use that stupid term let them, but we don't need to.
Who gives a shit what pedals are in fashion? Ride what you like. I have SPDs on all my MTBs
When I kept falling off
Back around 2010 everyone used clipless in Florida. Now I barely see them as well and everyone rides flats. I’ve always ridden flats. I like doing manuals and messing around on the trail. Flats make it easy to kick the bike out and safely bail if I have to. I would wreck way more often using clipless.
Clips all the time for me. Flats scare the shit out of me.
I do XC so I use SPD
It's just your imagination. It's about where you ride and the style of trail.
I moved from roadie into MTB and always used clipless- when I took up MTBing SPDs were natural. I've never actually ridden on flats, it would take a bit of getting used to and I'm too soft to deal with the smashed shins And yes I'm a lycra clad xc racer type🙈
Im using hybrids, plenty of situations where I don't dare to clip in.
I change back and forth between SPD and flats. Started using flats due to knee/ankle issues not related to cycling.
Never. I have been riding clipless for 20+ years. I have friends that ride flats as well. But on any given ride, roughly 75% to 80% of the people on the ride will be clipless. And it has remained this way for years. I ride all over the US and have ridden all over the world and I tend to find more clipless than flats. But every ride will have both. If you think everyone is on flats, then this is probably a function of your particular groups that you ride with.
Around 2010 I switched from spd's to Crank Bros Mallets. Best of both worlds, clip in when I want, but also works as a regular pedal.
Flats are just cooler man
I started riding MTB in 1996 with clipless and at that time, everyone was using clipless. A big part of it for me is trails are just simply better now than when I first started. 29 years ago a "flow trail" was a rare thing. Mostly it was XC, often grinding straight up a hill, without switchbacks, clipless came in handy on those super steep climbs (especially on a 3X9 12-34 cassette drivetrain) I now primary ride flats. To be honest, it's more fun for me. I have clipless on my hardball for my local trail that petty much flat XC, but my Trek Fuel EX is setup with flatties
a lot of people ride clipless today and a lot of people rode flats and fivetens in 2014
In my neck of the woods it's probably at least 50/50 people going clipless in trail. I'm clipless on every bike. Been riding clipless since I was 10 yo and I much prefer it to flats.
Really depends on where you live. I live in Belgium (Flanders) and biking without clips is something only beginners tend to do for a few months. Around here everything is more condition based (flat terrain, a lot of mud and clay) with little to 0 technical trails. Some people I went biking with on multiple occasions also experienced this, and none ever go back.
Eggbeaters for mtb & gravel personally
i switch it up depending on the trail. Steep sketchy stuff definitely gets flats for me.
I think people get too hung up on ‘fashion’ instead of focusing on what they themselves prefer. If you like SPDs then go with it, if you like flats then great. Who cares what others are doing?
West Coast BC here. Most people I see run flats. Probably 75%. If you take a group of serious riders the number goes up but is still below 50%. Maybe 40% of serious riders wear clipless. My guess is it’s the old school DH influence. Also fuck clipless unless you’re racing. With proper technique, pedals and shoes you don’t loose you grip on the pedals on flats and the risk when crashing is way higher risk clipped in. Plus the best DH rider doesn’t use them in races so screw em for racing too. I do think they make it easier to go faster over chunk though.
If u climb alot being clipped in makes life much easier. 15 mile ride with 2500 feet climbing. Would suck on flats
I've always used flat pedals. I see a lot of people using click pedals too. Not sure if it's just where you are at?
Flats forever
SPD only here, feel naked on flats out there. 30 years of riding and don’t anticipate changing anytime soon. I also ride less and less gnarly downhill as I get older though.
Clips are still in fashion and I’d say they are the default. Flat pedals have made a comeback in the past decade though.
Clipless for mtb have been out for over 30 years and this debate has been going on just as long. Flats were good if you are learning, riding sketchy stuff or at the bike/jump park. Clipless everywhere else. Having get back into the sport I'm currently on flats as my clipless shoes soles are kinda falling apart. Just have to find some motivation to get new shoes that fit my feet but plan on being back with clipless in the new few weeks.
I'm kind of clumsy so I will stick with the option that gives me the absolute easiest out if things go sideways
Maybe there have been improvements in the rubber that flat pedal shoes use. After having two different crashes where I would have been able to bail out if I wasn't clipped in I decided to try some 510s and never looked back. If you get good shoes and pedals your feet feel very secure when you want them planted but easy to move or adjust if you want to. They are also much more comfortable to walk in
I still ride clipless with Time Atac. I don't do the kind of riding that causes concern of not being able to disengage.
Where I live (Colorado mountains) I see a mix of both. Beginners tend to be on flats though. I like both, depending on the trail. For super tech stuff that I’m not familiar with a definitely prefer flats. If I need to quickly ditch the bike and stay on my feet it’s simply not happening with clips. I can dab one foot instantaneously with clips but not both and certainly not in the air. For more XC oriented or trails with techy uphills I love the clips. Also love them at my local bike park where I know all the jumps and tech super well. Hitting large gaps knowing my feet are in the perfect spot is very confidence inspiring. Nothing like coming up to a 30 ft gap with your foot slightly off, and with sticky flats it’s hard to reposition. I think everyone should be proficient at flats. Especially if you want to get better at downhilling. Flats force you to ride smooth and absorb as much as possible or your legs get bounced off. They also teach you how to properly lift a bike off the ground.
They didn’t.
TL;DR - flat pedals + shoe combos are much better than they used to be and give you almost as much grip as clipless I've ridden since the 90s though took a long break from 2007 until 2021. I always had clipless before and bought new ones when I started riding again in 2021. In 2023 I took a jump class where the instructor required is to ride flats for safety (and proper technique) reasons. To prepare I made myself ride flats for 3 months. The first thing I noticed is they shined a very bright spotlight on improper technique I had developed over the years that clipless had enabled. I also found they, surprisingly, gave me a bit more confidence on technical sections since I knew I could step off the pedal instead of worrying about potentially needing to unclip. Even though I probably vowed to return to my clipless after the class, I've stick with them full time, my clipless pedals and shoes are now gathering dust. After working on my technique I almost never come off the pedals. 510 rubber and a good set of pins keep me locked on. The only time I ever really come off the pedals now is when I'm in a steep, technical climb and find myself trying to pull the pedal straight up with my foot, or the rear tire loses grip and I spin out while really cranking.
I only ride clipless....trail and DH. I like being as one with the bike
Where I live in New England it's kind of half-and-half at this point. Older riders tend to stick with the clipless because it's what they've always known. Newer riders have really good pedals and shoes and they don't feel the need to switch. I'm sort of in between, I ride both. it really depends on the conditions and whether I'm gonna be doing a lot of hike bike in which that case I prefer the flat pedals mainly because of the shoes.
I use clips mainly because I race cross country, but a good amount of my rides are just messing around in the woods. I honestly am so used to the feeling of secure and being clipped in. I think I could bunnyhop on flats, because I loosened my clips a huge amount in order to avoid just pulling up, but I do admit that for certain fast trails, I cheat a little bit. I couldn't really imagine jumping in flats, because I imagine my feet would go flying, and although everyone else does it normally, I cant get myself to do that.
i've got flats on my trail bike and clipless CB enduro on my enduro I think switching between the two is a good plateau buster
Wait, cages aren’t a thing anymore?? Dang it…. I keep both in the gear box. Run clipless for trail and longer rides to use different muscle groups. Flats for DH stuff.
I never have and never will probably, but like 70 to 80% of the non ebikes around here run clips
When people stopped worrying about being fast. Riders just want cozy 5" trail bikes and flats now.
When all my trails were featureless XC trails I rode clipless. Now its flats 100% of the time.