Pedals: Clip vs. Clipless

[Isabella Z-P]

Hey Everyone! I love my SPD pedals for the steep climbs in the Montana mountains. Going down on a single-track is difficult and I find myself not wanting to clip in with steep down hill jumps and berms. I am looking for a hybrid pedal so I can slip-in while climbing and ride a flat pedal on the way down. Most of the forums do not recommend hybrid pedals so asking for advice or alternative solution. Thanks!

[Jesper]

(06-01-2020, 05:18 PM)Isabella Z-P Wrote:  Hey Everyone! I love my SPD pedals for the steep climbs in the Montana mountains. Going down on a single-track is difficult and I find myself not wanting to clip in with steep down hill jumps and berms. I am looking for a hybrid pedal so I can slip-in while climbing and ride a flat pedal on the way down. Most of the forums do not recommend hybrid pedals so asking for advice or alternative solution. Thanks!

Hi Isabella,

I'm not a mountain biker, but I can offer one possible solution from the past. LOOK made a two-sided pedal with clip-in on one side and flat platform on the other. I don't know what type of riding you do (in the backwoods); they work for me, but I'm a road biker. They were made for mtbr's by that type of biker back in the early 90s, then LOOK utilized the design and started to produce them. Model MP90, and another version were made (MP96?). I don't know if LOOK still makes a pedal similar to them. They were only made for a couple years, and are probably not the easiest pedals to find. I found mine in a "junk" bin at the bike shop for about $10. I have no idea what they would cost on ebay and other like sites, but I would assume them to be fairly rare if you could find them. I know that the small amount of mountain biking that I have done was with regular 80's LOOK pedals, which were somewhat of a pain (being "one-sided") to mount into, and I broke my cleat making for a difficult and dangerous ride afterwards due to "pulling out" of the pedal on any uphill/technical portion of the ride. I use the MP90's for my "city" road bike so I can wear street shoes or bike shoes without having to change pedals; they are great for that use! I thought Shimano made a pedal similar to their SPD style that served the same purpose. I think regardless of what others have said, the only way to determine if a component like a pedal suites your riding needs is to be able to "test drive" the product. I certainly couldn't recommend a saddle to someone, in general; due to riding style, body, and other personal preferences. Good Luck!

Take care,
Jesper

These take the "old" style LOOK cleats, which are still readily available.
   
(photo credit: velobase)

[Jesper]

(06-01-2020, 05:18 PM)Isabella Z-P Wrote:  I love my SPD pedals for the steep climbs

Hi again Isabella,
You may want to give these a try as a modern option to what I previously posted. I cannot vouch for their performance, but being a Shimano product I would assume that they are good for what they were designed for. You can still use the SPD configured shoes with these; they have both clip-in and platform sides. "Click'R" pedal models: PD-MT50, or PD-T421. Both use the SM-SH56 cleat which I believe comes with a new set. From what I saw they are around $70-$80 a set. If you by any chance get these, please provide some feedback for myself and others. I don't do enough mtb type biking, but these might get me to do it a little more without having to use the standard SPD pedals.


   

Take care,
Jesper

[J_R_Schultz]

I use platform on my mountain bike.

[Zviedrs]

(09-17-2020, 07:48 PM)J_R_Schultz Wrote:  I use platform on my mountain bike.

The same here. I use regular platform pedals for steep uphill rides with even 10-20% incline + also for downhill yet not the hardcore one, no single trail action. It's a different story with road bikes as I simply can't do without my Shimano clip pedals.

[ILv2MTB]

I have these, they have clip on one side and a flat on the other: https://www.amazon.com/Funn-Mamba-Mountain-Clipless-Pedal/dp/B07V3D9TCD
I really like them, but they are pretty expensive, so you could also get some similar ones off of ebay or used.

I also had these, they are a lot cheaper and basically the same idea: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PLNMRLL/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07PLNMRLL&pd_rd_w=r1VYr&pf_rd_p=cbc856ed-1371-4f23-b89d-d3fb30edf66d&pd_rd_wg=yjd5c&pf_rd_r=0G4XRAM8C8XN13PTNYHM&pd_rd_r=3469c186-a9cf-469c-85ba-42b93edf4638&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFaVEhQUFdFSVdYMEcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4MjQwNDY​4UFU2U05TRlBKUTgmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDY0NjE5Nk9HVEczN0lJNjkxWSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXN​wX2RldGFpbF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

WIth both of these, you can put your feet in while climbing, and then if you have a technical downhill, you can switch to make it easier to put a foot down and catch yourself.

I hope this helps

[meamoantonio]

(06-01-2020, 05:18 PM)Isabella Z-P Wrote:  Hey Everyone! I love my SPD pedals for the steep climbs in the Montana mountains. Going down on a single-track is difficult and I find myself not wanting to clip in with steep down hill jumps and berms. I am looking for a hybrid pedal so I can slip-in while climbing and ride a flat pedal on the way down. Most of the forums do not recommend hybrid pedals so asking for advice or alternative solution. Thanks!

Try checking out Crank Brother's double shot. But tbh with cleats on and using the flat side, it wont be secure enough so going downhill can make your foot slip from the pedal, its either you go full flat pedals with pins or go full clipless

[Talha]

(06-01-2020, 05:18 PM)Isabella Z-P Wrote:  Hey Everyone! I love my SPD pedals for the steep climbs in the Montana mountains. Going down on a single-track is difficult and I find myself not wanting to clip in with steep down hill jumps and berms. I am looking for a hybrid pedal so I can slip-in while climbing and ride a flat pedal on the way down. Most of the forums do not recommend hybrid pedals so asking for advice or alternative solution. Thanks!

Remember the shoes!
clipless pedals provide a more secure connection between the you and the bike. With clipless pedals, your shoe is locked into the pedal, which prevents the foot from slipping off the pedal. Which means better control and stability.

If you're someone who likes to wear regular shoes on shorter rides but prefers clipless shoes for longer rides, then go for hybrids. They are also more convenient but don't deliver the clipless performance. For best performance, and power transfer on climbs, clipless are still better.

[SPINMAN]

For me, nothing beats the Speedplay Frogs. MTB they are self cleaning and strong, double sided, easy in and out, and you never feel trapped or stuck. On the road they have a nice feel and a wide platform for energy transfer. They also have an adjustable play of up to 6° I think. Wahoo has bought the company and have been trying to incorporate power meters onto them but they seem to be a bit wide. I have not tried them yet as they are expensive. SPD has always been a go to in MTB but found it hard to get in and out quickly. They clog with dirt and mud and I was always stomping on the pedals to clean them in order to clip back in. Look, not an option for off road.