Do you ride a road bike on flat pedals?

[Eribiste]

I've got 'half and half' pedals on my Boardman Road Race. Up to now, I've only used the binding side, but on Monday I shall have an opportunity to ride to work in ordinary shoes. I expect it will feel a bit odd now, not being connected to the bike properly. I just hope I don't have a phantom clipless moment, that would be really embarrassing!

 

[Kins]

I beg to differ, if we're engineering things for our use then they should match with zero faff. Probably the biggest single factor that caused me to abandon my conversion to clipless, having bought all the kit etc. Was the sudden realisation that I couldn't just grab a bike out of the garage and go.

Buy single sided ones then. I only have my bikes as transport and was getting a bit jacked off with sticking on shoes just to go to the shops. Bought some M324s off here from Oldgreyandslow and they are really easy to ride in, whether clipped in with shoes or trainers on the other side. My road bike is still clipless but it means I have a my commuter/general dogs body bike ready to go when I need it.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

V12s turned up today and now fitted on the bike, not sure if I put enough grease on or not.

 

[lulubel]

V12s turned up today and now fitted on the bike, not sure if I put enough grease on or not.

I work on the principle that, if you put too much grease on, it will get squished out when you tighten, and you can wipe the excess off afterwards.

 

[User16625]

Normal pedals for me. Dont like the idea of having my feet stuck to the pedals. Plus it may add to maintenance problems and having to set them up right which I cant be arsed with.

 

[HovR]

Plus it may add to maintenance problems and having to set them up right which I cant be arsed with.

My SPD maintenance consists of one squirt of GT85 on each pedal when cleaning the bike. A lot of people don't even do that! Although it can take a while to get the cleat position exactly right, you might just get lucky like me and get it right first time.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Update on the V12 pedals. Went out on the road bike for its first proper ride today. The pedals are brilliant, I am so impressed with them that I am going to get some for the hybrid. Cheers to Mo1959 for the recommendation

 

[Mo1959]

Update on the V12 pedals. Went out on the road bike for its first proper ride today. The pedals are brilliant, I am so impressed with them that I am going to get some for the hybrid. Cheers to Mo1959 for the recommendation

Good aren't they. Got another set for my new Forme road bike too. Out this morning for a bit with rubber soled trainers and feet never budged from the pedals. Next door neighbour uses clipless and hit a pothole and got a couple of snakebite punctures and walked home on cleats! Hopefully, won't ever have to do that, but if I do, at least comfy trainers will be so much better to walk on.

 

[G3CWI]

Just got some V8 pedals for my road bike. However they seem incredibly heavy so I will use them on another bike. My ideal flats would be a lot lighter with the ability to fit toe clips and straps. Any suggestions?

 

[MacB]

Just got some V8 pedals for my road bike. However they seem incredibly heavy so I will use them on another bike. My ideal flats would be a lot lighter with the ability to fit toe clips and straps. Any suggestions?

For full clips and straps you need something with the sort of cage to accommodate them, I've seen Sylvan ones recommended before. But you're not going to be making any great weight savings, there are some very light flat pedals but they also seem to be very small. If you want a good size platform then you need to accept around the 500g mark.

 

[Bill]

I like normal pedals as I can wear welly's or walking boot's or cycling sandals with no problem at all! I used to have toe clips and straps but found riding all over the road trying to get my feet into the clips a pain! Now I just ride on my foot arch or whatever part of the foot that is going...

 

[Lumix]

I think with flat pedals getting a grippy soled pair of trainers is the secret. I have one pair of trainers that grip the pedals like glue in all weathers another similar pair are hopeless.

It may be coincidental but a nagging knee pain I used to get after all day rides has dissapeared since I went back to flat pedals.

I still have the shoes ,cleats and pedals gathering dust in my wardrobe but at the moment at least I dont see me going back to them.

Totally agree with the bad knee thing. A few years ago a did some road biking and every time I did 20+ miles the inner sides of both knees would be in agony and I would be that way for 4/5 days. Tried cleats in different positions and even got pro from lbs to fit me to bike shoes correctly, but made no difference.

I was training for 200 miles in 2 days which I did, but haven't touched road bikes since because of what it did to my knees (couldn't walk properly for weeks!)

I use flats on my mtb and have never had an issue.

I don't for a second think this is because clipless are evil, my bony knees are just not made for them.

Am doing L2P in July and will be using decent flats with a pair of grippy mtb style shoes (on road bike).

Anyone else done long rides using flats? If so how did you get on?

 

[hoopdriver]

Totally agree with the bad knee thing. A few years ago a did some road biking and every time I did 20+ miles the inner sides of both knees would be in agony and I would be that way for 4/5 days. Tried cleats in different positions and even got pro from lbs to fit me to bike shoes correctly, but made no difference.

I was training for 200 miles in 2 days which I did, but haven't touched road bikes since because of what it did to my knees (couldn't walk properly for weeks!)

I use flats on my mtb and have never had an issue.

I don't for a second think this is because clipless are evil, my bony knees are just not made for them.

Am doing L2P in July and will be using decent flats with a pair of grippy mtb style shoes (on road bike).

Anyone else done long rides using flats? If so how did you get on?

I ride exclusively on flats, have done so for decades and (hopefully) will continue to do so for decades into the future. I have done many long rides on flats - a 10,000 mile trek through the Australian outback being the longest single tour, and done countless hundred-mile-plus rides while staying at home. All on flats. Never had the slightest problem, and, at least on tour, had the advantage of being able to use my walking shoes for riding, and vice versa.

 

[Lumix]

I ride exclusively on flats, have done so for decades and (hopefully) will continue to do so for decades into the future. I have done many long rides on flats - a 10,000 mile trek through the Australian outback being the longest single tour, and done countless hundred-mile-plus rides while staying at home. All on flats. Never had the slightest problem, and, at least on tour, had the advantage of being able to use my walking shoes for riding, and vice versa.

Thanks for the reassurance!

What type of flats do you use? Ideally I don't want anything too heavy, but want the grip of my v8s. Can you road bike flats?

Ta

 

[hoopdriver]

I use classic road bike/touring pedals - MKS touring pedals on one of my bikes - a Pegoretto Luigino, a pair of classic old TA quill pedals on a bespoke Enigma tourer, and on my old Thorn eXp expedition tourer a pair of, alas, no-longer-made Shimano bear trap pedals. All work really well.