minininjarob
Active Member
There is a myth that if you get long spiked flat pedals and sticky shoes your feet won’t bounce off flat pedals. They still will if your position is incorrect on your bike.
First make sure your brake levers are only angled down slightly and not in line with your arms when you stand up. This will ensure that when you hit a bump your hands and body weight will push the bike over bumps rather than stopping the bike and your weight pitching forward. You can try this by pushing your bike into a small rock while standing next to it, if your hands are on the top of your bars rotated around so they are trying to reach brakes that are pointing to the floor you’ll find the bike doesn’t roll over the obstacle as easily or at all.
Once you’ve set your levers ok this will then means when you stand up which is what you should be doing in most uneven terrain your weight will be slightly further back and your legs will be angled from the rear so your feet will be at an angle on the pedals rather than horizontal. This will mean when you hit a bump your legs will naturally increase the pressure on the pedals, not slip off forwards over the top.
You will find once you get your position on the bike right the pedals you use won’t be so important - this works with SPD and flats but with flats it makes a HUGE difference.
You also need to make sure you haven’t got the ball of your foot Over the axle of the pedal like you would on a road bike. You need your arch wrapping round the pedal so stiff shoes aren’t a good idea, you need a little give. You might find with this new foot position you might want to drop your saddle a few mm to compensate.
If you do all of the above you’ll ride a lot better and you’ll enjoy your flats. My feet NEVER slip off the pedals and I use Etnies skate shoes and DMR pedals. You will also benefit from being able to move your feet on the pedals to control the bike a lot easier round corners especially.
Bunny hopping? Well that’s a different thing - I learnt how to hop properly on a 40lb street BMX in the 90’s and it took a while but once you’ve learnt how to do it right (plenty of videos online showing you how) then you’ll never look back.
Have fun!!
First make sure your brake levers are only angled down slightly and not in line with your arms when you stand up. This will ensure that when you hit a bump your hands and body weight will push the bike over bumps rather than stopping the bike and your weight pitching forward. You can try this by pushing your bike into a small rock while standing next to it, if your hands are on the top of your bars rotated around so they are trying to reach brakes that are pointing to the floor you’ll find the bike doesn’t roll over the obstacle as easily or at all.
Once you’ve set your levers ok this will then means when you stand up which is what you should be doing in most uneven terrain your weight will be slightly further back and your legs will be angled from the rear so your feet will be at an angle on the pedals rather than horizontal. This will mean when you hit a bump your legs will naturally increase the pressure on the pedals, not slip off forwards over the top.
You will find once you get your position on the bike right the pedals you use won’t be so important - this works with SPD and flats but with flats it makes a HUGE difference.
You also need to make sure you haven’t got the ball of your foot Over the axle of the pedal like you would on a road bike. You need your arch wrapping round the pedal so stiff shoes aren’t a good idea, you need a little give. You might find with this new foot position you might want to drop your saddle a few mm to compensate.
If you do all of the above you’ll ride a lot better and you’ll enjoy your flats. My feet NEVER slip off the pedals and I use Etnies skate shoes and DMR pedals. You will also benefit from being able to move your feet on the pedals to control the bike a lot easier round corners especially.
Bunny hopping? Well that’s a different thing - I learnt how to hop properly on a 40lb street BMX in the 90’s and it took a while but once you’ve learnt how to do it right (plenty of videos online showing you how) then you’ll never look back.
Have fun!!
