[Chinaboy]

alright...I'm new at ridemonkey, very cool site.
Got a question for all you seasoned riders....I'm an old school XC rider just recently switched over to the dark side (much more fun!!), I have spent years riding clipped in, now without the fancy pedals and shoes, I cant seem to keep my feet on the pedals when I'm doing drops, I only do max 4 footers since I'm old, even basic bunny hops give me problems sometimes. Any suggestions? new pedals? shoes? technique?
Thanks for any comments.

Chinaboy from Northern British Columbia.

 

[BIGHIT756]

try to get flats have multiple pins on them, like 6-8 or so, then get some flat skateboarding type shoes, that have a nice grippy sole on them. also try to get concave pedals, so that they shape to your shoe better. hope this helps, if it doesn't, i don't know what to tell you!!

 

[Mike.rider]

go to supergo.com and pic up some wayless b37 flats or if you wana stay with clips and got money get some crankbrothers malet pedals. good luck and welcome to the dark side

 

[Chinaboy]

Thanks for the input guys, I am now shopping for new shoes and pedals!!! keep my fingers crossed!!
Darkside rocks!

 

[smedford]

A decent set of flats and the right shoe combo can't be beat. I use Kona Jack****s with old school vans. Perfect for me.

I also am a converted xc geen that came from clipless.

 

[Juvat]

I've never used clipless, toe clips or anything of the sort. I was using a set of Wellgo B-37s, but I had a problem with the pedals coming apart. Even loc-tite didn't help. Now I use the new Specialized Lo' Pro Mag Platforms. I love 'em so far. Oh, and I have an old pair of Airwalks that have served me well for so long.

 

[TyF]

i ride trials, do some dirt jumping/freeriding, and some bmx here and there and i use sun ringle zu-zu pedals with osiris shoes, got them both from danscomp.com. great site very fast shipping great prices. This is the best shoe pedal combo i have ever used and ive tried many different combos. The best part is the shoes were like $40 and the pedals were $40 as well.

 

[KPicha]

For those of you who've tried out a bunch of different shoes, have you noticed a difference in traction based on tread pattern more , or is it the stickyness of the sole that really matters?

 

[BikeGeek]

Originally posted by KPicha
For those of you who've tried out a bunch of different shoes, have you noticed a difference in traction based on tread pattern more , or is it the stickyness of the sole that really matters?

The softer, "sticky" treads are great in rocks, but tend to break off sooner.

Honestly, I didn't pay as much attention to the tread pattern when I bought my last pair as I did the reviews given the shoe by people in the area, or in areas with similar conditions to ours.

 

[KPicha]

Good point. You ride with flats? What shoes did you end up with?

 

[TyF]

skate shoes seem to work the best, anything with a good flat sole is great. try to aviod thick aggressive tred like cross country shoes.

 

[BIGHIT756]

i try to buy the soft soled type of skate shoes, but the soft ones do tend to wear out faster

 

[boostindoubles]

Originally posted by smedford
A decent set of flats and the right shoe combo can't be beat. I use Kona Jack****s with old school vans. Perfect for me.

hey i run jaskchits with my old school etnies! i love dem pedals. theyre so grippy sometimes my shoes are stuck in the pins.

 

[Dawg_Rider]

Originally posted by BIGHIT756
i try to buy the soft soled type of skate shoes, but the soft ones do tend to wear out faster

word. i use gray and black etnies w/ jack**** pedals.
this combo is off da hook.

 

[boxxerace]

Dont forget that in addition to the right equiptment, ( as everyone above so correctly noted ) , one will have to learn (aka: practice) to ride and jump with flats.

Naturally, for most riding, you will simply get use to them after a while.

On top of just getting use to it, you can prepare for jumping, by remembering to slightly put pressure between your handlebar and pedals. I guess I cannot exactly describe it, however imagine skiing down through bumps ( if you ski ) . You generally intend to keep the ski flat and in contact with the snow.

The same thing goes with the bike. When you drop off something, you slightly push down with your feet, maintaining contact. When jumping, in particular jumps with opposite angled transitions, you sorta pivot around your feet ( in the air ) . Crap... not sure this helps.

Anyhow, try staying somewhat behind the ball of your foot on the flat pedal. Also, shingaurds might be a good idea if you get roudy in your riding.

Well, good luck then,

cheers.

 

[Chinaboy]

Thanks boxxerace! thats some good tips to keep in mind. I alreday bought shin guards, after my first trip out, shins got frekin bleedin' holes all over it, realized the value of shin guards. Thanks again for the tips.
chinaboy

 

[Slugman]

Chinaboy - After busting 3 xc frames I made the same transition to the "dark" side (several years back).

I know this probably goes against most of the riders out there... but I see nothing wrong with keeping the clipless for Freeriding. You get the security that you are not going to slip off, and it helps you climb so you can hit more stuff!

Granted if you're doing some serious technical DH you may want the option to bail, but I've rarely had a problem with it... but I aint the fastest thing on the trail either.

One trick I used to do was to ride flats for a month and then go back to clips... it's amaizing how much higher you can go.

I will admit that I did eventually ween myself off of clipless on the hardtail, but I find that with my squishy bike I still feel more confident with them.

Good luck... and welcome :devil:

 

[boxxerace]

Indeed one setup is not always right for everyone. The best we can do is talk from personal experience. Sounds like you are on the right track...

Learning the hardway is the quick way sometimes.

Have fun, and go ride!

 

[Chinaboy]

Thanks slugman, nice to know its not totally stupid to use spd on a squishy or freeride bike. I always thought it was a "no no" to use clipless. The one time I did, everyone thought I was nuts.
Thanks for the reinforcement.
chinaboy