Can Any Idiot Ride Clip Mountain Bike Pedals?

Jack Gill, our in-house video editor and resident idiot is most comfortable when he is out riding flat MTB pedals, but can he make the switch to clipless MTB pedals and stick at it? Luckily, Neil Donoghue is on hand to guide Jack through the all-important steps when switching from flats to cleats, and be on hand to pick up the pieces when Jack inevitably goes flying!

Do you ride clips or flats? Let us know down below 👇

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[cliffsangelsphotography]

I do both, but primarily a flats rider. If I know I'm doing jumps and super technical dh, I'll get my big bike with flats. If I know it's a long adventure or doing a local XC race, I'll clip in.

[iansingleton]

I ride MTB and road. I've been a flats rider on the MTB but getting used to the clipped in feeling on the road bike I've now started riding clipped in on the MTB too. I used ride spd on the road but I've gone clipless all round now. I find the clipless system a happy medium. You've still got quite a lot of movement compared to SPD but you get that nice planted locked in feeling too. It wasn't easy, as you guys point out, after years of riding flats you seem to go backwards for a while until you forget about it and it becomes second nature. Great film guys!

[marter]

I used to race BMX clipped-in, but after having a rather nasty crash due to not being able to bail mid-air and breaking 3 bones in the proces, I switched to flats and never looked back. I feel that riding clipped-in gives you an extra edge, but it doesn't make riding more fun and since I do not race anymore I'd rather have an easy bail-out.

[bluevoodooiv]

I ride XC for fun. I started with Shimano standard SPD cleats. After many falls and bike repairs, I found out about Shimano's multi-release cleats. Never looked back. Immense fun, safe ride. Cheap, reliable, easy to use, safe. And fun. What more?

[niteryder]

Rode flats for year then tried clips and love them, so much more control and don't have to worry about getting bounced off and made me commit to stuff way more

[gabkoost]

Clipped in on the road, flat on the trails.
No way i will ever want my feet locked up on trails. Might end up with some chin bruises from the pedal hitting times to times but to me it's worth the freedom, quickness of reaction and being able to move the feet around the platform for comfort and adjustments.
More than that, it's a pain in the ass you are on a 15% gradient segment and you have to push your bike up a narrow trail because there's no way you will be able to clip in and get going again with falling on your ass.

[PatkosCsaba]

I switched to clipless pedals about 1000km ago. I am just a hobby mtb rider, but these clipless pedals were a godsend for me. It took me about 250km of riding to get used to unclipping properly. But after that, it became all reflex. The few times I crashed since, my feets were out of the pedals way ahead of hitting the ground. And now I clip in and out without even thinking about it. I really love the feeling to be connected to the bike. It gives me confidence, especially while pedaling through rough terrain. Before, I was afraid of my feet sliding off the pedals and I slowed down. Now, when I feel the bike sliding, I just push the pedals harder. That, in most cases, helps me through deep mud or roots without issues. And now I can also just quickly clip out a foot in more dangerous corners and clip back instantaneously.

[reedymc]

flats for me, I like to be able to bail the bike easily and also id just wear shin pads for accidental pedal shin flicks. seems to be an added thing to think about when in panic mode of needing to unclip lol

[livingonwheels]

I've never clipped in and after watching this, still have no interest. Honestly I don't ride hard enough to benefit from it. Excellent video, guys!

[SlyGuy]

after a bad spill with clipless, i went years with old school toe clip peddles... i recently started riding Shimano SPD clipless again, and now 6 months later, love them!!! i won't go back!!!

[jarionosouna]

My first time riding clipless I fell in love with them, my riding buddy thought I was crazy but it felt like a totally different bike. I didn’t ride for a few year and got myself another bike with flats and felt like a fish out of water, switched back to clipless today and loved it !!! 🎉🎉🎉🥳🥳🥳🥳🇹🇹

[njm]

I used to ride clip-less but the slower you are going the harder it is to unclip i.e. steep climb and the back wheel slips, no chance of unclipping. Now use pedals which are clip-less one side and flat the other. Doing this increased my confidence in riding off road and trying more steeper climbs and technical lines.

[kevinw]

I have run clipless (SPD) for 25+ years I guess....didn't spend much time on flats once I seriously got into MTB back in high school. The trails I rode starting out in MI, USA were super rooty - it didn't take too many times of feet flying off flat pedals before I wanted my feet more solidly connected to the bike. Back then, flat pedals were a bit different than they are now though, as is way inferior. This dates me, but I think I initially rode actual toe clips....Lord, would never do that again. I recently switched from the SPD single release direction (sideways only) cleat to the multi-release cleat. I don't know why I didn't do that a long time ago. With the right tension set on the pedals, the multi release cleat increased my confidence on the techy climbs and for dabbing almost exponentially. Maybe it's best to learn with the single release cleat until it's absolutely muscle memory, kicking your heal out to release, but for someone with some experience on them, the multi release cleat is definitely worth trying in the SPD world of clipless pedals. Great vid, keep up the great work GMBN!!

[landisdell]

I had a rocky start with clips. I tried them, quit for a while, and went back. My biggest mistake was to not unclip early enough. I would try to ‘save’ it, end up with no momentum while still solidly attached, and go down with the bike. It led to a lot of crashes that were worse than they needed to be. However, now, I love how the bike follows me and the extra power I get!

[jordantaffel]

I've been riding clips for 25 years, just got flats for the first time. I think I like them they give me more confidence knowing I can easily bail.

[BobMcKerrell]

I have always ridden clipless(~25yrs) and recently switched from SPD to the Crank Bros mallet. I have gotten stuck in the pedals several times now causing me to fall over including breaking my wrist the last time. I will go back to the SPD as they are much more natural to emergency exit from. I like the bigger platform of the CB but they just don't let go of your shoe fast enough. Also I think Jack had the same problem I did at first with clipping in to the CB pedals you need the shims under the cleats

[MrLesterdr]

I had a lot of trouble getting used to them at first until I backed off the tension to the minimum with multi's, from there I got the best of both worlds and haven't had a problem
I believe the biggest issue is having them too tight
This way they easily unclip but also provide the advantage of being clipped
It also makes it easier to get clipped in

[philipholenstein]

I rode the mallets and if your cleat setup is right it’s very easy to unclip. You also don’t have to be clipped in to ride the pedals which gives you more time to “find” the pedal to clip back in. I only ride flats to learn proper techniques for bunny hoping and other trial skills.

[carloswithac]

I remember my fist fall on clipless pedals. I was on my road bike and stopped at a light. I fell in front of quite a few spectators, it was super embarrassing. Tried them on MTB once, and could climb up things I couldn't with flat pedals. I just couldn't get used to them and am back on flats.

[mclark]

Been riding clipped in since day one- road and mtb. I tried flats, but didn't like my feet bouncing around on the pedals. I feel planted on the bike clipped in and after riding clips for decades, I'm able to get a foot down in a split-second. To each his/her/their own.