Switching from one to the other

[clarkenstein]

Agreed. That's why I was a Time guy when I rode clipless. But I've since gone to the dark side of riding flats and have no plans to go back. You should consider this Lou.

i'm with jeff. consider going to flats. i was an SPD guy tho.

 

[1speed]

Agreed. That's why I was a Time guy when I rode clipless. But I've since gone to the dark side of riding flats and have no plans to go back. You should consider this Lou.

I don't know how you do that -- I can't imagine riding flats anymore. I don't even like having them on my downhill rig. And I'm not criticizing -- I am just generally in awe of people who really ride flats. I remember this one guy showed up to a race in Kittattinny (sp?) a few years back -- he was wearing cut off jeans and riding a rigid steel bike with flat pedals. He finished second in Expert and those of us who finished behind him were just shaking our heads. The dude looked homeless, the way he was dressed. But he put a straight-up woodshed beating on all of us with his Toys R Us bike. I can't imagine riding those, though. I'm a namby-pamby cupcake that way.

 

[Norm]

I was forced to ride flats a few times over the past 2 months. And really, you get used to it in no time. There is a little bit of a re-learning curve but when it's a) ride flats or b) sit at home with the in-laws you quickly realize that it's not so bad.

 

[vanseggern1]

Borrow a pair from a friend and try them on a ride or two before buying. That's what I did and decided to stick with SPD.

 

[Kirt]

Borrow a pair from a friend and try them on a ride or two before buying. That's what I did and decided to stick with SPD.

I did the same exact thing. Had the same issue of pulling out of the pedal at all the wrong times. Did at least 10 rides & couldn't figure out how to stay in. Gave them back. I'll stick with the SPD's on my mountain bikes.
That said I was given the pedals back (he didn't want them) & threw them on the cross bike. I'll see if I have more success with them when cross season starts.

 

[stb222]

My vote is stick with SPD. I rode times for awhile and they were great, but I would have had to buy 3 more pairs to put on my different bikes, so I went back to spd. Have read about too many problems with crank brothers.

I switch between flats and spd on my EWR, but I never ride flats on single track. I am too used to pulling on the upstroke, and that gets you into trouble on short, steep, tech sections. I pretty much only ride flats for dirt jumping.