# To Cleat or not to Cleat



## Gamble1983 (21 Feb 2016)

Hey guys,

My main bike is my 13 incline which i tend to use for everything, commuting, road cycling and obviously mountainbiking.

I tend to be the type that enjoys cycling at speed on the roads but if i see an off road route i like to explore it, hence why i use the 13 all the time and hardly use my roadie.

Now ive got cleats on all my bikes including this 1 but i'm curious to see if others use cleats on there mountain bikes? and if so which ones?

Sometimes i feel when going full off road and up and down slopes, over humps etc that i should have standard pedals for safer manoeuvrability, but feel like i would lose something when i get back on the roads.

What are your opinions?


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## Deleted member 23692 (22 Feb 2016)

I use Shimano M647s for that very same reason - easy to use clipped in or out, and even OK for wearing normal trainers for short (ish) rides. 

Considering the platforms are plastic, they seem to shrug off knock on rocks. I've had mine for over 6 years and they just keep going


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## Levo-Lon (22 Feb 2016)

Shimano m530 and m520..tho these are for cleated shoes..no good for say 5/10 type shoes
the ones above may be more practical for comute


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## Hacienda71 (22 Feb 2016)

I ride with clips on my mtb. They are iirc m647s I have the tension set to low for an instinctive unclip if needed. With the cage around them they are ok for riding with normal shoes, but on the rough stuff they give you the comfort of not worrying about your feet slipping off the pedals. All that said I also think a good set of flats with pins would perform pretty much as well.


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## Gamble1983 (22 Feb 2016)

I like the look of the M647's and the m530's, ive been looking at trying either of these for a while now. Might grab a set.

I use the m520's aswell and although there pretty easy to unclip you could never use your normal shoes with them.

Thanks for the advice guys


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## Drago (22 Feb 2016)

Yes, Shimano M540s.


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## raleighnut (22 Feb 2016)

I'd use cleats but the SH56 instead of the SH51, much easier to unclip off road.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...cleats&usg=AFQjCNHA013TEATigMWdXUk448U6JC_hwQ


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## Cubist (22 Feb 2016)

It may sound counterintuitive, but there are times on nadgery stuff where I feel safer clipped in. On rocky stuff, especially descents, and small jumps/ dropoffs, being connected to the pedals means there's less chance of your foot slipping and the pedal welting your leg, or losing contact with the bike altogether.

If you ride off road a lot, a good pair of pedals makes all the difference. I use XT M785 trail pedals on all my bikes. They are quick and intuitive to clip in and out of, and if anything the number of times you have to unclip and clip means that you'll be better at it on road as well.

I quite like pinned flatties, but they need to be good to make me feel confident. Superstar nano thru pins and Five Ten Freeriders are a stood solid combo, and I occasionally use them for sessioning stuff in our local quarry, but I still have the scars to show how it can all go wrong.


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## Drago (22 Feb 2016)

Yep, I too prefer to be clipped in on snow, ice or loose surfaces. There are several skills and techniques which work well to your advantage for which you need to be clipped in.


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## Cubist (22 Feb 2016)

Drago said:


> Yep, I too prefer to be clipped in on snow, ice or loose surfaces. There are several skills and techniques which work well to your advantage for which you need to be clipped in.


Yep! If like me you're crap at bunny hopping you can simply loft the back over gaps and obstructions using pedal lifts. Purists hate it, but if it works then it works!


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## CaadX (2 Mar 2016)

Time Atac.


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## e-rider (3 Mar 2016)

Gamble1983 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> My main bike is my 13 incline which i tend to use for everything, commuting, road cycling and obviously mountainbiking.
> 
> ...


you are correct in that you would lose something back on the road with standard pedals, however, I can also see why certain types of off-road riding would suit standard pedals better.
Basically you can't win unless you take a spare pair of pedals and a pedal spanner with you.
In my experience combination pedals such as the DXs are rubbish and well worth avoiding - they don't provide anywhere near the grip of something like DMRs or Shimano Saints - they also don't work as well as specific SPDs either


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## OskarTennisChampion (11 Mar 2016)

Not to cleat.
That is not the question,but the answer.
That is all


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## mrbikerboy73 (14 Mar 2016)

I always rode flat pedals until a couple of years back. My natural foot position was to have the pedal under the arch of my foot, which is totally wrong, and not very efficient either. I thought I'd try being clipped in to eradicate this and would never go back to flats now. I have the pedal tension on the lowest setting in case I need to get my foot out quickly. After a while it all comes naturally and you won't even think about it. Go for it!


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