[Pslide]

I'd been riding SPDs for a long long time, and as such probably developed a rather spud-ish riding style. I switched over to flats a while back, and man does it feel good to be free! But I've noticed that with different riding style, it requires a different bike setup. Just wondering if this is the same as others have found?

I clip more pedals with flats. Flats make you pump the terrain more, thus compressing the suspension and getting those pedals close the ground. Might need a bit more pre-load and/or low speed compression?!

I like a smaller bike. Seems like I'm working the bike more now, chucking it around, and a smaller bike (with slightly steeper head angle) feels more...well, chuckable. Plus, I pedal less...so less room needed in the cockpit.

I like drifty tires. On spuds I wanted max grip and rarely induced a slide. Always rode pretty tidy. Now that I'm carrying more speed and have the foot out a bit more, I'm drifting more and find my tire preference might be changing...

All of this was pretty unexpected! Anyone found the same?

 

[dhkid]

cant help you on the suspension set up, but there was an article in dirt a few years back on bos suspension which touched on this subject. they did say flat and spud riders require slightly different suspension set ups.

what i will say is that on flats (generally) your body weight is slightly further back on the bike because you have to keep pressure on the pedals. where as spuds you dont really need that. saying that, i guess stiffening up your suspension with a bit more compression a maybe a higher spring rate wont be a bad idea.

 

[JRogers]

All of this was pretty unexpected! Anyone found the same?

My experience has not really been the same. I switch between flats and clips on my DH bike every now and then. I do notice that I clip the pedals a bit more on flats. But not enough so that I want to change my suspension to get the pedals higher. I haven't felt the need to change my suspension or positioning based on the pedals.

 

[Fred.dh]

I think you need a faster rebound ... to get stucked on pedals... and of course... good shoes and pedals...

 

[buildyourown]

Not my setup so much, but I definitely changed my riding position.
I had to consciously drop my heals to keep from getting bounced off the pedals.
I still ride clips regularly and can switch back and forth no prob now.
However, I think my ankles are paying the price. They crack when I climb stairs.

 

[slowitdown]

My experience has not really been the same. I switch between flats and clips on my DH bike every now and then. I do notice that I clip the pedals a bit more on flats. But not enough so that I want to change my suspension to get the pedals higher. I haven't felt the need to change my suspension or positioning based on the pedals.

when I rode flats more, but still alternated with clips, I found the same as you. I just changed pedals, nothing else.

 

[Pslide]

I suppose if you change between flats and spuds often, your riding style may be more consistent. If you are pumping and working the bike equally regarding of what pedals you run (like you probably should be), then there is probably not much difference.

Faster rebound...might give that a try! Before I got 5-10s I would have definitely been altering my shock settings, but not as critical now that I've got sticky rubber...

 

[slowitdown]

pslide, I think that the more a rider gets used to using flats on technical trails where the feet get bounced off the pedals a lot, the more subtle the rider gets in his pressuring the pedals. there's all sorts of ways to keep the pedals and feet in contact, and excessive pressure is just one of them. when I ran flats the 5.10s didn't exist yet except for those who bought the low hikers from 5.10 and used them for riding, I had one friend who did that. they didn't have the Sam Hill, Nathan Rennie, etc models like they have now. those things help keep you from having to use excessive moves to keep your feet in contact with the pedals.

I pump the terrain the exact same amount no matter what pedals I'm on. I ride the same no matter what. the only difference is I can get a foot off the pedal faster on a flat, but I'm still pretty quick on the clips, and usually if I have to bail it's almost the same as bailing on flats.

try being more subtle with your pressure on the pedals.