Flat pedals

[welshwhit]

I usually ride spd's but after a few very snowy and then muddy rides on my local patch, I've found that my shoes are either balling up with snow and ice or clogging up with mud.

A mate and I are also riding the WRT this year and I've decided that flats might be a good option to have if I want to switch, especially as I suspect their may be some pushing involved....

My budget isn't huge, so I thought I'd enquire what you fine folk use and recommend, looking around the £25 ish mark I think.

Ad what about footwear? What's good for multi day trips?

Thanks
Drew

[Ray Young]

Bought some Wellgo v8 copies from CRC about 18 months to see if I liked flats and their still going strong. Their really cheap. Because I liked them I bought some five ten boots to go with them and their ace, not cheap though, £85 and that was reduced. When the wellgo's wear out I'll buy some better quality ones.

[Zippy]

A few things here just to give you some more options.

You can get these sort of things: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=5937 or indeed these: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=67250 which are one side flat, one side spd.



You can also buy these adaptors: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-bpd-90-feet ... -adaptors/ which can clip into standard shimano spd's and turn them into flat pedals, you could also make your own if you have a spare set of cleats.

Alternatively, there are other clipless pedals around, I personally use time atacs and they've been pretty good generally in mud and snow, occasionally had to slam my foot on them to clear, but generally better than my mates using shimano's (I'm also bloody minded and pretty much keep my feet on the pedals at all possible costs, even if if makes more sense to get off the bike...!). An example is I had no problems at Mayhem this year, and I had to run a downhill section coz it was soo claggy and we were fighting for the podium...here's a photo someone snapped of me in the mud: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic ... st-3916461
Also, crank brothers clear pretty well coz they're tiny...but in fairness the cheaper ones don't last and the platform is tiny if you're not clipped (and I a. couldn't get on with them and b. have never owned any, so this is 2nd hand information).

Just throwing it out there

[Bearbonesnorm]

I ride flats all the time, whether it's pleasure or work (yes I know the word 'work' is pushing things) and must have tried upwards of 30 pairs over the years. The V8 or copy of (I recall Wellgo make the DMR V8) is an alright pedal, they're strong enough, light enough and have a nice concave shape ... something lacking from some more modern, very thin profile pedals. Before you use them, lift the plastic spindle cover and get some grease in there, do that once every 6 months and they'll just keep going.

Footwear ... as Ray says 5:10s are great for grip but they really don't offer much protection from the weather. I can easily destroy a pair in under 12 months too. I wear them for coaching but have just bought a pair of Inov8 Terrafly 343 boots for general riding duties. They're sort of a shoe/boot cross, goretex lined and have a fairly flat (and sticky rubber) sole, they're also very light - much cheapness here: http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/INO9 ... ing-boots/

The key to changing from longterm clipped in on to flats, is less to be with footwear or pedals and more to do with foot placement

[welshwhit]

Thanks for all the input,

I do have a pair of inov8's and they are good shoes, and the stickiness of 5.10stealth rubber is legendary from back when I climbed.

Those wellago pedals look very reasonable, might give them a try and see how things go!

Drew

[gairym]

i've been riding v8's with Inov8's for the last few years and i love 'em - perfect combo in my opinion!

[johnnystorm]

The Wellgo V8s or the Superstar Flats if you fancy something a bit more blingy. As Stu says I'm certain Wellgo have been making the V8 flats long before DMR starting badge engineering them and charging twice as much.

[Chew]

I bought some cheap flat pedals to try before i fully switched over from being clipped in for trail riding.

Nothing fancy and have seen better days, but send me a PM and i'll pop them in the post for you to try.

[Cheeky Monkey]

I like Kona Wah Wahs as flats. Never got on with Wellgo / DMRs. Or rather, much prefered a shallower flat pedal once I used one. If you want good mud / snow performace with clips try Time ATACs.

Superstar flats are good, according to a mate who's a bit of a wrecker (and MBR) and cheaper than many other brands.

Decent flat shoes make a big difference IMO. Stu seems to have found the limits of performance / durability. My 510s are going strong but I use clips as well (most of the the TBH) and the winter boots come out in crap weather / conditions.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Decent flat shoes make a big difference IMO. Stu seems to have found the limits of performance / durability.

In fairness to 5:10, I'm heavy on shoes anyway and I never wear the soles out ... just knacker the uppers, usually managing to remove the uppers from the soles. I've moved from Impacts to Freeriders to try and help ... the upper is stitched to the sole on the FR but bonded on the Impacts.

[Zippy]

Depending on your reasons for changing to flats... has anyone tried the more shoe derived clippy pedal shoes?

Like these: http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/a ... brown.html