Flat pedals thread

Lots of people use trail running shoes like Saloman.

For tcr in 2019 I got some Innov-8 trail running shoes. Main reason was because I thought five 10s would be too hot for the balkans, but quick drying was also a factor.

Soles were a bit more flex than five 10s but, with an insole, they were fine, and comfortable to ride 6 days in. I'd use them again on a hot weather ride.

The ones I ordered had wedge-type soles and zero heel drop. They probably weren't the best pair as I was ordering of the Internet, but were good enough.

I also ordered several pairs of spd shoes with the idea of using them without cleats, but that idea didn't work.

I remember looking into those trail shoes way back when you first mentioned them. I think we swapped some PMs about them. I'm probably just going to use the Catalyst pedals and my old Nikes. They're heavy and almost worn through but they're kinda waterproof from the outside and should be warm even if they are slow to dry out.

Any comfortable shoes should be fine!

I'm currently using trail runners for mtb stuff, as rare as that it

I've got a pair of DMR V8s (v2) that could do with servicing, anybody know if it can be done without the special servicing tool?

I ended up buying another pair of Five 10 Freeriders that cropped up in my size on ebay just in time for delivery before we left. They're the mesh ones whereas my other ones are sealed more for wet weather but I found the mesh version to dry quite quickly (either that or I just didn't notice how wet they were because I was wearing waterproof socks the whole time - fucking revelation!). So, I think I'll just be sticking with Five Tens as I like their pedal grip. I tried my boots and my worn Nikes and they were both slippery as on the Catalyst pedals.

Five 10s are the best I've found so far.

I've got a pair of NorthWave equivalents. They are ok but a bit less grippy and very heavy. And less toe room if you are trying to shim them with plastic insoles, but most people don't do that. And not really any better in any other respect to offset.

I expect it is the waterproof socks. They seem to have come on a bit. I hadn't worn sealskinz for years but I took some on TCR in 2019. My normal socks started hurting after 3 days so I had to use the SealSkinz I'd also brought and was pleasantly surprised to find they were comfortable for a few days in Balkans heat.

I bought Dexshell socks for Scotland. We got a shit pair that had cracked and sent it back for refund and replaced. Both pairs after that held up fine. They were really good and warm.

I've also got a pair of the new Shimano flat pedal shoes - they have a neoprene sleeve that stops stones and stuff going in the shoes which is a pet hate of mine with flat shoes.

I've got a pair of spd/flat combination pedals for commuting. They're pretty good. However, seems my saddle position doesn't work equally well on both. With the flats and ordinary shoes, I prefer a lower and more forward saddle (only by around 5mm in both directions). Slight pain not to be able to just jump on and ride in either mode.

Any one else had this issue? Slightly surprised I would have thought it would be the other way around and the SPDs/ cycling shoes would have a lower stack height.

These are the ones:
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/shimano/PD-EH500.html

Same here, had to lower the seat else knee pain in longish ride in flat.

That doesn't make much sense to me. I raised my saddle when I put flats on, because the stack is higher, so when you're at the top of the pedal stroke, you'd have effectively compressed your hip angle and at the bottom you're not extending your knee as far.

What kind of knee pain? What pedals and shoes? Do you position your feet into a similar location to the pedal spindle on flats vs. clipless or is the pedal forcing your foot somewhere different?

Could it be that your position to begin with was wrong.

You (should) drop your heels more with flats and so that usually more than accounts for the extra stack. I generally lower my saddle a few mm if I put flats on the MTB

Not sure I can describe it accurately, but there is some pain in the front part of the knee if riding with vans on the flat part of the pedal,
Pedals are the SH500 same as @chris0 up there.
No such pain when using the same pedal with clipless shoe (Shimano xc5) on the same seat height or when I was using MKS gamma before.

I ride midfoot so I probably do a lot less heal movement than you tippy toe riders. It still makes no sense that your pedaling would change so much just because of the platform, certainly not enough to make up for the maybe 5-10mm difference in stack between clipless and flats.

pain in the front part of the knee

Anterior knee pain is usually from the saddle being too low.

Hence my point about needing the raise the saddle when you move to flats (because you've effectively shortened the distance your leg travels with the higher pedal+shoe stack).

Hmm actually I always thought it is the other way, that clipless means higher seatpost.

I'll try raising it as you suggest next ride.
This would mean my seat height was also not optimal when riding clipless then right? But maybe not enough that is causing any pain or discomfort.

So there is a difference between the optimal seat height for the two side of the pedal.
Hence to me it defeat the purpose of two type on one pedal.

Yeah, hence my "Could it be that your position to begin with was wrong?" question. You may have just been masking an issue with it being "close enough" to not give you pain, but then moving even further away from optimal with flats caused the issues.

Those clipless+flat pedals are for commuter types or ride to the shops types. I'd never ride any distance on the 'other' side without adjustment, ie. set them up for what you normally ride (say clipless) and then just do short stuff on the flats like nipping to the shops.

If you're gonna ride far in flats, use dedicated flat pedals or adjust saddle (up) like I said and don't forget kids, #hippyisalwaysright ;)

Those clipless+flat pedals are for commuter types or ride to the shops types

Ha, that's me found out! I used to use them when I used spds. I actually used them for 2 x PBP and TCR in 2016. I mainly used the spd side but did use the flat side for a change sometimes. I once got hot foot on a 600 and the flat side for a couple of hours was a ride saver. I never felt the need to change saddle height or anything else. In fact I'd sometimes ride one side flat the other clipped.

More recently, after going midfoot I've used speedplay and flat pedals on the same bike - swapping them over as required - and felt the saddle position was right for each. In fact my bikefitter didn't recommend change when I went to him with the flats.

I think the missus still has those stupid SPD+flat pedals on her bike. They can be useful but the point is I wouldn't do big miles on one side when you're set up for the other side.

Everyone's going to be different with fit and it depends on knee bend to begin with and what shoes you're using. I ran with higher saddle in Badlands and it worked as expected so I've done the same with An Turas Mor and MTB stuff.

I can throughly recommend old school bmx Hutch beartrap pedals, absolutely immense grip, totally impossible to slip your foot off them.

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I rocked those pedals without the cage bit for years on my road bike/shopping bike. Barefoot on beartraps ftw

Even without the cage, still a bit pointy 😯

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I used to be bare foot a lot in Oz, you end up being able to walk on anything. 200degC tarmac. Nails. Fucking neanderthal ain't I? :) I've lost that "skill" now.

Opened a can of worms here. Seems there's a few variables: different pedals probably have different stack height differences on either side, shoe stack height differences, cleat position, rider flexibility/ sensitivity to changes/ pedalling style, etc.

Mainly I commute on flats. I did big miles at the weekend on clipless which I can confirm is a bad idea. Moving saddle further back and up helped. Probably an element of fit being wrong in the first place.