As the title says, I am a very long-time user of SPD. While unclipping is basically an involuntary muscle movement for me, some areas I ride are super technical, and the split second it takes to unclip can be the difference between falling and not. Does anyone have any pedals and shoes to recommend for me?
Want to give flat pedals a try, long-time SPD user, recommendations for pedals and shoes?
pufferjumper
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lots of good plastic/composite pedals with good pins on the market these days. start there.
also quite a few good shoes on the market, too. I found the original Freeriders too flexy, too, and this caused lots of fatigue. I now have Freerider Pros and am happy with them. They're not too heavy duty for my uses, but also not too flexy.
as for shin guards - get some if you feel like it. but I agree that they're not essential gear. the only scars I have on the front of my legs from pedals of any kind came from clipless pedals in a crash, on my knee. on a pavement ride. knee pads weren't a thing back then. but even still, I wouldn't have been using them for a pavement greenway ride if they were and I owned some. the only times my pinned plaform pedals have given me scars is when they catch the back of my calf when I'm walking. sometimes just moving the bike around the garage and I stop paying attention and not even when doing a hike-a-bike.
invest the time and mental bandwidth into learning and practicing good technique and it will pay off in fewer problems.
also quite a few good shoes on the market, too. I found the original Freeriders too flexy, too, and this caused lots of fatigue. I now have Freerider Pros and am happy with them. They're not too heavy duty for my uses, but also not too flexy.
as for shin guards - get some if you feel like it. but I agree that they're not essential gear. the only scars I have on the front of my legs from pedals of any kind came from clipless pedals in a crash, on my knee. on a pavement ride. knee pads weren't a thing back then. but even still, I wouldn't have been using them for a pavement greenway ride if they were and I owned some. the only times my pinned plaform pedals have given me scars is when they catch the back of my calf when I'm walking. sometimes just moving the bike around the garage and I stop paying attention and not even when doing a hike-a-bike.
invest the time and mental bandwidth into learning and practicing good technique and it will pay off in fewer problems.
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I am a newbie to mtb, I run freerider pros which are great and deftraps. They work so well I have to lift my foot up to get repositoned on the trail. That is mostly in part to being such a newb. Foot placement I assume for you could be second nature by the sounds of it
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Also, play with foot location on the pedal. I've found that I really prefer a more centered foot on flats than on clipless. This can have a big influence on what pedals and shoes you prefer..
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My favorites that I have tried are Deity Deftrap. ~$50. Very large platform that feels even bigger (longer) due to the lack of bevel at the leading/trailing edges. Also, they have no axle bulge in the middle, and they have a very slight concave shape. Only downside is that due to the lack of axle bulge they end up on the thicker side.
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Another vote for One composites if you want a low cost of entry. They're just as good as the ALs in my opinion, having both. (It's the pins btw) Also, for my money the Ride Concepts which are often on sale are great. I like them better than the 5.10 Pros
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Last years RCs are 20% off. I really have been preferring them to the 5.10s in recent years.
I've only used my new Pearl Izumi X-Alp Launches once so far, but I love them. They are not as grippy or comfortable (yet) as my Ride Concepts, but I am sure they will get better as I break them in. The game changer is the BOA system. I don't understand how BOA is not way more popular with flats. My laces have always taken a beating out on the trail, so it seems like a no brainer to use an alternative that is not so susceptible to wear and getting caught in stuff. Sure it's expensive compared to laces, but it's worth it (providing the mechanism itself proves to be durable).
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I have my first shoes that have a BOA dial, Shimano RX800's for my gravel bike. I also really like it.
But I do think durability is probably the biggest concern with a MTB shoe. I have my doubts as to how well a BOA dial will handle impacts.
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another vote for one up composite pedals or the deity composites mentioned above. the deity's are bigger, and as a beginner flat pedal rider, or rider with larger feet, they are more confidence inspiring. For the long haul, and once you're experienced with flats, I find the oneup composites a bit better due to being a narrower profile for less pedal strikes.
Regarding shoes, my personal favorite are the 510 free rider (not the pro or contact versions) although I believe the newest versions with the addidas cross over have been ruined slightly. The reason I like these in particular is they have a goldilocks thing going on with regards to sole stiffness. I like a slightly softer sole to my flat pedal shoes then I would otherwise want on an spd shoe but there are limits... for example my ankles and arches are too shot (age 40) to ride in vans... I would love to be able to ride in something like vans as the feedback and easily discernable positive contact of the softer sole is awesome... however my body is too broken.
I have found that many approach or trail running shoes have a sole that seems to be in the sweet spot of stiff enough or not too stiff in case you already have a pair of those around.
Regarding shoes, my personal favorite are the 510 free rider (not the pro or contact versions) although I believe the newest versions with the addidas cross over have been ruined slightly. The reason I like these in particular is they have a goldilocks thing going on with regards to sole stiffness. I like a slightly softer sole to my flat pedal shoes then I would otherwise want on an spd shoe but there are limits... for example my ankles and arches are too shot (age 40) to ride in vans... I would love to be able to ride in something like vans as the feedback and easily discernable positive contact of the softer sole is awesome... however my body is too broken.
I have found that many approach or trail running shoes have a sole that seems to be in the sweet spot of stiff enough or not too stiff in case you already have a pair of those around.
You can skip the special shoes and shin guards.
Any shoe with open tread you already have will work fine with any pedal with short rounded or stubby pins if you use correct technique. When you coast over bumps get off the seat, keep your weight on the pedals and your heels lower.
The weight and angle will make it impossible to be bounced off. Pedaling is fine. No shin guards are needed because you aren't using pedals with longer sharp pins.
Origin8 Slimline pedals are one example.
Any shoe with open tread you already have will work fine with any pedal with short rounded or stubby pins if you use correct technique. When you coast over bumps get off the seat, keep your weight on the pedals and your heels lower.
The weight and angle will make it impossible to be bounced off. Pedaling is fine. No shin guards are needed because you aren't using pedals with longer sharp pins.
Origin8 Slimline pedals are one example.
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So simple yet so perfect
I think any of the mtb shoe brands will work fine. Get the ones that fit the best and feel comfortable. For example the Five Ten Freerider has a wider toe box than the Freerider Pro, so you might like one over the other depending on your foot shape and width.
Also for pedals, most of the them seem to be pretty similar. I first got some cheap ones on sale, and they worked fine, but eventually many of the pins got knocked out and the threads stripped out from rock strikes. Since then I have had some older Shimano Saint pedals, which were kind of thick and heavy, but bulletproof. I now have some RaceFace Atlas pedals on one bike and OneUp alloy pedals on another bike, and I put some OneUp composite pedals on my son's bike, and they have all worked great.
Also for pedals, most of the them seem to be pretty similar. I first got some cheap ones on sale, and they worked fine, but eventually many of the pins got knocked out and the threads stripped out from rock strikes. Since then I have had some older Shimano Saint pedals, which were kind of thick and heavy, but bulletproof. I now have some RaceFace Atlas pedals on one bike and OneUp alloy pedals on another bike, and I put some OneUp composite pedals on my son's bike, and they have all worked great.
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Related...
OP - since you're in experimentation mode re flat pedals, a good experimentation approach is to INEXPENSIVELY buy/try some different pedals
1. $27 -- less aggro pins; slightly concave profile; alloy
2. $28 -- aggro pins
3. #27 -- composite
The above will help u figure out what u like, e.g., how easy/hard you want to be able to adjust your feet, etc.
Then once you figure out, you can pony up for name brand bling
Or, you might stick with one of these, like many MTBRs do but they aren't as cool to talk about.
FYI, I currently ride #1 above on my ripmo, since I'm trying to develop better feel/touch with my feel, instead of relying on just raw mechinical grip. My shins also have too many scars.
Regarding shoes --- riding shoes (with firm sole, like freerider pro) makes a bigger difference than many folks (who use other shoes) think. I was surprised.
Fun stuff. Good luck.
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I started out riding flat pedal shoes with low top Adidas trail/hiking shoes. Any shoe will work, but any shoe will also cause you to get less grip, slip more pedals, and to make less contact with the flat pedals.
Flat pedal shoes have a stiffer sole, and the rubber is very durable. The sole surface grabs the pins really well.
I don't think most shoes like Van's would hold up very long or protect your feet the same. For $50-$150 you can have the right pair of shoes that will last a long time if you take care of them.
Flat pedal shoes have a stiffer sole, and the rubber is very durable. The sole surface grabs the pins really well.
I don't think most shoes like Van's would hold up very long or protect your feet the same. For $50-$150 you can have the right pair of shoes that will last a long time if you take care of them.
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For grippy pedals without the shin shredding sharp pins check out the Chromag lineup. Have both the synth and scarabs and neither uses sharp pins. They have a nice round tip but still offer tons of grip. Combined with a good shoe it’s a winning combination.
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Five10 Freeride, and some Race Face Chester, or Crank Stamp flats. The large platform Stamp pedals are awesome!
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Love the OneUp composites and use them on all bikes now. Hate the OneUp aluminum. Stupid hump for the spindle and a crap bearing design (I had a set go bad in 30 miles).
Don't especially like the Ride Concepts compared to Freerider pros. They're heavier and my feet seemed to pop off a lot more. If you like being able to shift around your foot position I guess that could be a pro.
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