Flats vs Clip less for long distance.

I've been riding clip less all last season and until last week I decided to switch to flats. Last week I decided to switch to flats to see if I can improve ride comfort. I was surprised during my first ride. It felt weird and I maintain the same technique as if I was in clip less minus the pulling up the pedal. I noticed that first couple of rides I was struggling to place my feet, trying to find the "perfect spot" but then I forgot all about it and it became second nature. I didn't do long ride in flats yet but I rode bunch of smaller efforts during the week to combined 378km. I feel like my feet are changing positions during the ride depending on terrain and my saddle position (going up, down or during standing). I believe this change of position allows better comfort. Does anyone have similar experience or its just my bias or poor bike fit?

Turkey_Titty_city,

it doesn't matter as long as your shoes and pedals fit properly.

if you are having issues you have the wrong pedals/shoes, wrong crank length, or q factor. or a combo of all three.

peppersnail,
peppersnail avatar

I use clipless when riding recreationally, and flats when I’m commuting. I strongly prefer the feel of clipless in all aspects. The only reason I ride flats is so that I can wear regular shoes (when I’m, say, commuting to the office).

dixius99,
dixius99 avatar

I have a pair of single-sided SPD pedals, like these. They allow me to use my clipless shoes if I want, or flip the pedal over and use any shoes. Main drawback is that you have to fumble sometimes to get to the right side of the pedal you want.

organic_helplessness,
organic_helplessness avatar

I prefer being clipped in as it gives me more stability (as long as the bike fit is good). I live in a very hilly area where I'm going downhill 30-40% of my ride. being clipped in gives me the security of bombing down those hills.

forpeterssake,

I rode clipless for years, but didn't prefer to use them when commuting, and now I ride on flat pedals 99% of the time. I do like to be able to shift positions sometimes, but more than anything, I like being able to wear different shoes when riding, especially when it's cold and I can just wear warm boots. My fitness level isn't so extreme that I notice the marginal gains of clipless pedals anyway.

Rodsterlings_cig,

Clipless is only better for longer rides if your position/setup is good. Locking yourself into a bad position will probably be much worse than the gained efficiency from clipless over flat pedals, though whether it is noticed by the end of the ride or the end of the week is the hard part.

Barry,
Barry avatar

Flats are great if you have knee issues or just want normal shoes at the end of a ride. I tend to use SPD clipless for anything that isn't a ride into town due to habit, but I'm starting to use flats more when I commute so I can wear normal sneakers when I get to my destination.

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