Destroy said:...but slightly differently.
I've been riding my FS bike with toe clips and straps which are real easy to slip out of.
I had planned on upgrading to clipless as I got use to the bike BUT during this learning time most
of my riding has changed from XC/minor bump single track to more all mountain/minor
freeride/technical type riding.
Needless to say, due to the more technical and rapid riding, I'm falling or coming close to
falling much more than I use to.
This is a question that you need to answer for yourself. As I'm sure you're no doubt aware, there is
a trade-off between the two. Clipless (combined with cycling shoes) offer greater pedalling
efficiency, but that comes at the cost of freedom.
Quoted message said:In the mountain bike mags I rarely see the riders using the clipless setup. Its only the pure XC
type riders that seem to use them. There must be a reason for this?
You don't see 'freeriders' in magazines using clipless, but then you don't need cycling efficiency
when you're falling off a building. As for only 'pure XC' riders using clipless, that's utter tosh.
If you took a poll here, everybody, with a couple of notable exceptions, uses clipless. Why? Because
it makes riding easier - more of your effort goes directly in to pedalling the bike forward, and
they're easy enough to clip out of in technical sections that it's not a problems. However, these
issues are less important if you're just going downhill or through the air.
And I'm guess its cause clipless are, for
Quoted message said:lack of better term, 'less safe' i.e. hinders one's abilities and balance too much during on the
edge maneuvers. (Heh, I'd like to see BMX riders using clipless, HA!)
Take a look at AA pro motos and then reiterate that statement. All of the top racers use clipless
(except Neal Wood).
Quoted message said:I'm never used or tried clipless so I really have no clue as to what they feel like. I do
downhill ski very well so if its anything similar to that 'locked in a binding' type feel I know
what thats like.
A bit, but you have a lot more flexibility. Your feet can twist and roll from side to side within
certain degrees, and unclipping is a lot easier. So in summary, it's actually nothing like ski
bindings :p
I really
Quoted message said:don't feel like shelling out $200 for some decent clipless pedals and shoes if I'm not going to
put them to good use most of the time.
Try something cheaper first then. You can pick up a decent set up for less than $100.
Quoted message said:I guess the bottom line question is, what kind of riding do clipless pedals become a hindrance and
make their use more of a paranoia hazard annoyance than helpful?
Work out what you're going to do and make a decision based on that. If you have no intention of
riding uphills ever again, then platforms are the way to go. Apart from that, you're in a grey area
that comes down to personal preference.
Take Spademan. He's a bmxer who tried several versions of clipless and couldn't get on with them. He
rides XC, but uses platforms.
Then there's me. I'm a bmxer too, but feel more than comfortable in clipless on a mtb. I'll happily
go jumping or do large drops in clipless (although anything over about 8 foot or so, I'd use
platforms).
Have a look at clipless with platforms: Shimano 646, Time Z and Crank Bros platform. Not very
comfortable in just shoes, but might offer the compromise you're looking for.
Pays yers money, takes yers choice...
