Just wondering how many of you ride clipless for downhill/FR. I got some for my B-day today. The def. will make you faster but just look kinda dangerous for a somewhat begenier like me. I mean you can move the bike around better with them like hopping and stuff. But for jumps and drops they look kinda dangerous. Anyway just curious what you think.
Clipless for DH
- Thread starter matt2991
- Start date
I do, Love it, much more control of the bike. Also beter pedalability
I feel better on drops/jumps than i do on flats. Unless Its horendesly muddy, I wont race without them, What pedals did you get anyways?
Those are good pedals, youll want to start off sith them a little lose, but not soloose you can pull your foot out on the upstroke. I usually suggest getting them set up, and leaning up against a wall, clipping in and out for about five to ten minutes, then go for a couple lightweight rides. Nice part of those pedals is that they are fairly easy to find when riding, and if you cant get back in, you of coarse have the platform to stand on
If you choose flats, the MX Pros are the sh*t, IMHO. Easily the stickiest flat pedal I've ridden so far. As you can tell, I currently run flats on dh/fr but I'm considering going clipless for racing. The DX pedals are awesome - had a pair many moons ago and wish I still had them.
I've recently converted to ATAC pedals for commuting/'cross and currently pondering getting a set of their Z-series pedals. Any feedback on those?
I've recently converted to ATAC pedals for commuting/'cross and currently pondering getting a set of their Z-series pedals. Any feedback on those?
Yeah, I use the MX Pros on my bullit. They work really well. I'm a flat pedal racer.
For you guys that clip in, what shoes are you using?
I think I'm going to try clipless for racing next season.
I think I'm going to try clipless for racing next season.
Im just running shimano SH80's, they are cheap, and seem to last, besides, I dont need overly fancy
Clipless for DH fits me perfect. I've grown up riding clipless so it was just natural to start racing Downhill clipped in. Although after 2 years of never running flats for a Downhill run... I tried it because of a bet with a friend & let me tell you.... it was the scariest run of my life. Shoe wise I was running a Nike Kato XC shoe, now I am using the SixSixOne Filter SPD, which is looks like a skate shoe + the strap.
sounds like i know what i want for christmas
anybody running flats on one bike and clipless on the other? i've got flats on the dh bike and clipless on the trail bike but have been thinking about trying clipless on the dh rig as well. however, i worry that it might reinforce bad habbits. also, it's nice to be able to bail out sometimes, yeah? 
i raced flats for my first 2 seasons and just switched to clipless and i'd never go back.
I have a tendency to hang my right foot out in corners so I use a tow-clip and duct tape to hold my right foot on the pedal. I also run no pedal at all on the left thus allowing me to properly Flintstone through rock gardens.
Oh... and I use these:
Oh... and I use these:
Time Z are fine for me. I've got them everywhere.
You raced flats and then switched to flats and wouldn't go back??
I run the high end Shimano mtb shoe and love em. I've raced both clipless and flats and more often than not I use clipless. I've been racing XC and don't have much upper body and clips allow me to use my legs to help steer the bike
Never had a problem bailing out, aside from extra muddy conditions. About the only time I will run flats is when its really muddy, any other time I can always get away from the bike.anybody running flats on one bike and clipless on the other? i've got flats on the dh bike and clipless on the trail bike but have been thinking about trying clipless on the dh rig as well. however, i worry that it might reinforce bad habbits. also, it's nice to be able to bail out sometimes, yeah?
This comes up every once in a while, so there are probably quite a few threads if you search around.
I switch between clips and flats and don't find one to be faster or better. Once you get comfortable on clips, there's no issue. Getting out of the pedals is rarely a serious problem once you are used to it. The power transfer is, of course, a bit better on clips, but it isn't as much as most people make it out to be for DH. I like them because my feet stay on the pedals and I don't have to get the placement exactly right like I do on flats- once you're in, that's it.
For pedals I use Shimano 647s, which have been doing pretty well. I used Specialized BG Comp shoes mostly this year. I liked them, but they didn't last as long as I had hoped they would. I got a pair of Adidas Plush shoes and, though I've only used them a few times, they seem really good so far. The sole is stiff enough, but still usable for walking- helpful for DH. I used to use carbon soled Nike XC shoes for DH...a bit too light and stiff...plus the sole broke.
I switch between clips and flats and don't find one to be faster or better. Once you get comfortable on clips, there's no issue. Getting out of the pedals is rarely a serious problem once you are used to it. The power transfer is, of course, a bit better on clips, but it isn't as much as most people make it out to be for DH. I like them because my feet stay on the pedals and I don't have to get the placement exactly right like I do on flats- once you're in, that's it.
For pedals I use Shimano 647s, which have been doing pretty well. I used Specialized BG Comp shoes mostly this year. I liked them, but they didn't last as long as I had hoped they would. I got a pair of Adidas Plush shoes and, though I've only used them a few times, they seem really good so far. The sole is stiff enough, but still usable for walking- helpful for DH. I used to use carbon soled Nike XC shoes for DH...a bit too light and stiff...plus the sole broke.
I think you have to find your style first before you choose.Some people are flat pedalers some are clipless. Take greg minaar and chris kovarik for an example ....two different styles, two different pedal types.
i really like clipless. it makes for better pedaling ability through the rough, and the bike is always moving with you, so your feet aren't bounced off the pedals all the time. it's a little hard to get used to, but after riding clipless on little trail rides when i was learning about 5 years ago, i sort of got used to them. i only recently started riding downhill with them, but the difference in control for me is night and day.
my god they are amazing. I just put them on and adjusted them. I got some 661 SPD shoes for my birthday. Just got done riding around the neighborhood with them. Made me soooo much faster. They are hard to get used to though. I was doing a trackstand and totally forgot I had clipless pedals on. I fell on the concrete and hurt my wrist a little but nothing major lol. I def. need to get used to them before I take them on trails. Doing DH on them now seems suicidal. A normally 15 minute ride took me like 10 minutes because its all uphill. There just still kinda scary right now.
yea work your way up. i started just riding around town with them. than i did some xc rides and a couple weeks later did my first dh run with them. i love clipless now.
did you just ride around on your dh bike?
I run flats or clipless on my DH bike. It depends on the terrain, or my mood. Each work well. More control in the rough with the clipless, quicker to get back on the pedals (if I have to put a foot out in a corner) with flats.
as of now, I don't have a DH bike. I have a Jamis Komodo which is alright. Trying to save up for one. I wanna maybe start racing. I ride a lot of DH for fun on these crappy Kona Stinkys at Wintergreen Resort in VA. So no the clipless pedals are on my Komodo which is my only bike. I have a TON of saving to do if I wanna get a DH bike. My goal right now is a Demo, SX trail, or possibly a transisiton. Prob. SX trail cause I mean I want a bike I can use in the off season and the SX trail is the most XC friendly. I do a little freeride like really small stuff. I like mostly just all mountain I guess like tech. downhills.
HA HA ! ! you should just keep the Komodo and erase the product brand Specialized from your memmory. ( I own a kimodo and if you run a single chainring with a chain guide set up its probably the most fun you can have on a bike and running a 6" fork on the front kicks too. and you are not limited to stunt size either, you can easily blast away at some good sized doubles and drops)
As for clips Vs. Flats .. i rode Xc in clips for about 6 years but i cant do it on DH. I find that i tend to just lock my legs up and keep the pedals horozontal to the ground the whole time. With flats i am far more manuverable and not being clipped in forces me to have a good center of ballance. I also like the foot position of flats. I tend to keep the pedal right in the center or even in the back center of my foot and its easier for me to manual, wheelie, pedal kick ect ect. But ... to each their own. Just get something other than a specialized.
As for clips Vs. Flats .. i rode Xc in clips for about 6 years but i cant do it on DH. I find that i tend to just lock my legs up and keep the pedals horozontal to the ground the whole time. With flats i am far more manuverable and not being clipped in forces me to have a good center of ballance. I also like the foot position of flats. I tend to keep the pedal right in the center or even in the back center of my foot and its easier for me to manual, wheelie, pedal kick ect ect. But ... to each their own. Just get something other than a specialized.
Without reading all the above posts.
Here is something to think about!..... Sam Hill rides with platform pedals.
I have always used platforms for downhill and freeride .
Here is something to think about!..... Sam Hill rides with platform pedals.
I have always used platforms for downhill and freeride .
I like both types of systems
I run clipless on my xc bike and run flats on my DH currently.
Clipless are like bolt on horsepower. Just more efficient feeling. You get a nice "up" pull. I can't imagine using anything else for xc.
For dh though, flats work out better for me. Being able to quicker replant my foot after a dab is really nice when riding really rough terrain. This is more or less why i stopped using clipless for dh. Don't get me wrong, I liked the pedaling aspect and you couldn't loose your foot off the pedal in the rough, but with 5.10 shoes and good pedals I can't loose my footing! Are clipless really that much better at pedaling than flats? I guess it depends on the course and the rider's style.
I really dig the Time control z's though, when I was using clipless for DH. They were predictable on release and worked great even when muddy.
I run clipless on my xc bike and run flats on my DH currently.
Clipless are like bolt on horsepower. Just more efficient feeling. You get a nice "up" pull. I can't imagine using anything else for xc.
For dh though, flats work out better for me. Being able to quicker replant my foot after a dab is really nice when riding really rough terrain. This is more or less why i stopped using clipless for dh. Don't get me wrong, I liked the pedaling aspect and you couldn't loose your foot off the pedal in the rough, but with 5.10 shoes and good pedals I can't loose my footing! Are clipless really that much better at pedaling than flats? I guess it depends on the course and the rider's style.
I really dig the Time control z's though, when I was using clipless for DH. They were predictable on release and worked great even when muddy.