If you dig into the mountain of opinions on flat vs. clipless pedals you’ll find that the answer to what is “better” is highly subjective. Do they feel good? Do they work for you? Sweet, then ride those pedals! You do not need to master the skill of clipping and unclipping to be a great rider. You might find some folks who still hold onto this outdated claim, and if you do, feel free to bunny hop right over them on your flats. Pedal efficiency is not greatly improved through riding clipped in, and it’s also not required for maneuvering techy terrain, jumping, or getting rad AF. That being said, if you prefer to ride clipless pedals, you’re not any more or less rad. Our PNW Product Team remains highly divided on this topic and that’s ok.
Yeah? Well, you know, that's just like uh, your opinion, man.
“CLIPLESS PEDALS ARE FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENT” NAH DAWG.
A long-held misconception is that riding clipped in allows you to benefit from both the push and pull of the pedal stroke, leading to greater efficiency and speed. However, studies have shown this is not the case and that efficiency across pedal styles is negligible. It has also been demonstrated that the power in a pedal stroke comes more significantly from the hips, and riding with a midfoot position instead of the ball of the foot on a flat pedal can reduce stress on the calves and Achilles tendon, allowing you to rely more on your glutes and hamstrings for power. A midfoot riding position is more suited to flat pedals.
“I CAN’T BUNNY HOP UNLESS I’M CLIPPED IN” OH YES YOU CAN.
If you learned to bunny hop with clipless pedals, it might seem impossible to do so without being fully attached to your bike. If you made it through that 10-year-old GCN video you’ll hear Si say that he can’t... We’ll resist the urge to call him a roadie (derogative) and just move on to say you most definitely can bunny hop on flats. If you’ve never mastered the art of the bunny hop, or you wanna brush up on this skill, our pals over at Specialized made a very helpful instructional on bunny hoppin’.
“ROCKS ARE EVIL THOUGH” THEY CAN BE.
There are certainly cases where it can benefit you to have your feet locked in place, such as when navigating ultra rocky terrain. Being clipped in can make it easier to power through endless rock gardens without taking slammer after slammer to the shin. Adversely, if you’re a beginner, it can give some serious peace of mind to be able to dab your foot down quickly from a flat pedal.
INTERESTED IN SWITCHING FROM CLIPLESS PEDALS TO FLATS?
We’re a little biased, but we recommend taking that jump, or at least giving it a dabble. Visit our friends at Singletracks for an in-depth guide on how to free your feet and make the switch.
LEGENDARY INDECISION
It’s ok if you can’t decide between flats or clipless pedals. MTB legend Hans “NoWay” Rey has chosen the path of half n’ half. Hans developed the “HalfwayRey” pedal set up with one clip pedal/shoe on his leading foot, and a flat pedal and flat shoe on the other foot. Hans uses this unconventional setup on his XC, Enduro & eBikes. He says he prefers it for technical riding. We can’t ride like Hans, so we’re not recommending this, although we 100% applaud the kookery.