For me it has never been about speed or efficiency, I just like the comfort of dedicated cycling shoes and the confidence of feeling my feet securely attached to the bike. They are super useful to keep your feet from slipping off the pedals while riding over rough terrain. In the end, just use whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Yes it is not about pure performance, most of the time while comparing flats win in terms of performance but by not a lot. However on the long run, the confort is better on clipless and the feet are well in place to prevent injuries, and for a long ride it happens to me several times to have my foot that moves or slides slightly and I lose concentration and need to replace and it costs a lot of performance because you can kill a little sprint.
I have never seen one of your videos before, but one minute into this video I Liked and Subscribed. I was surprised by the outcome of this comparison. Your methodology was real good and made sense for what you had as a lab. Thanks for such a refreshing clean crips well done presentation.
First video I've watched of yours dude, really well broken down and I think I agree with your conclusions. For me I find that once race season is over I stick the flats back on for the winter or a least a month of it so I don't lose the feel. For me there's a more old school loose feel with flats and who doesn't love some muddy drifts!
Appreciate it! I like flats in the winter so I can wear warm boots and not mess around with expensive winter cycling boots. I agree the ability to stay loose and shift your weight is helpful… new to MTB so still figuring out what I like for the dirt.
Great video glad ive found you ,i love clipless cannot fault them ,but i had an accident nearly six months ago i dislocated my elbow and damaged my shoulder muscles ,i was negotiating a hill when i changed gear to start the climb my gears jammed for a split second causing me to lose balance i could not unclip fast enough and fell onto my left side ,i am only just thinking about nervously getting back on my bike now the arm is still painful im currently looking at the best flat pedals and a decent pair of shoes i cant risk another accident and the resulting months off work ,thanks for the video very helpful regards jay
Feel better soon! I had an MTB accident last fall... same thing.. uphill and couldn't unclip fast enough when I got hung up on a root. Messed up my wrist.
Unless you are a pro sprinter or just pro-anything, there's really not much if any benefit to clipless. Maybe you saving some energy, but probably not enough to obsess over.
@@TheLankyCyclist Same goes for flats. If you are not a pro living from cycling there is no point on clipless or any other special type of pedals. Also go and use them if you just, you know like them. Foot placement can be affected on you beeing a "noob" when it comes to flats maybe?
I use both long enough to tell the difference on MTB you’ll get some loose some. But on Road definitely clip as you can push on one side while pull on the other create more power on sprint. But if you haven’t experienced long enough you’ll never know the difference.
I was thinking about when climbing on my way home yesterday. Noticing how much I have to readjust my foot position as it slips. There seems to be almost no way flats could be as efficient - but it must also be statistically insignificant? As I've said before - I believe I would be better off in clipless I just like to be able to wear whatever shoes I like - a big reason being how much I'm riding to places.
@@TheLankyCyclist That used to be more of a concern - but I do ride the Raleigh most of the time now and my vintage bikes mostly have cages. I'm going to revisit the idea in the spring.
I think the foot moving thing is over blown with flats to. Does my foot move yeah maybe but it will end up back in the same spot. Now shoes on flats definitely matter and the pedal. What do I know they I ride in crocs like 90% of the time. 😀
Ouer body....try to find the best and most effective way to go as fast we can... If you have clipless you are stuck in same static place allways... Ouer bodys are not exacctly the same so do a bike fit whit messurments might not fits every body... Most importent is to use stiff soule on your shoes if you go for flats.. And skip the nails... No need for that on road race cycling.. Give the flats a proper chance.. And buy a good brand.. Good luck out there boys and girls💪🙏😁.. Thanks for the video.. You are really a good cyclist.. 👌
You said you felt more fatiqued after the run on flats. Do you ride flats as much as clips? If you ride them less, could it be a matter of getting used to? Also it was your second effort.. 🤔 Very interesting video and great that you're there busting the myths for roadies! Maybe someone starts making road shoes for flat pedals and dedicated road flats!😅
Thank you and well done. It was a fair and unbiased test even though the results are unexpected. Guess I might experiment with flats on my commuter bike.
Only change I made after this test was on the MTB… already preferred flats for mountain biking as I felt I could move my weight around better. Good luck experimenting.
I signed on for your fat tire bike videos but am enjoying your recent content just as much. Keep up the great work! Could your quads be burning with flats because your second run is going to be more tiring than your first? Wondering if you could start off on flats first when you compare it against your clipless road bike shoes. Awesome stuff!
Thanks! Definitely more tired on the second run, but it seemed disproportionate. Have also noticed my longer rides on the flats seem more tiring. But next time, I’ll run the flats first just for you!
I use both, MTB I go with flats mostly, road SPD clipless. I wonder if it's that the clipless setups will generally weight a little more than flats? I've always thought that it would be great if we could somehow really reduce the weight of the clipless system.
My Time pedal system is pretty light. And if you go crankbrothers.... i cant imagine would be too much heavier than pedal, but probably depends alot on the specifics of what you're using. My theory is that most people generate nearly all of their power on the downstroke. I agree on using flats for MTB. I was torn before but now... happy to stick with the flats.
Flats are more aero!😂😂 Having done a couple of these kind of real world tests, you can’t hang your hat on the specific results, but looking for big disparities is what it tests, here demonstrating it’s close. I have been running flats on all my bikes the last few years, but am thinking about putting my clipless pedals back on my XC bike. Flats are essential in a fatbike IMO, lots of dabbing and dismounting in the snow.
Agree on the fat bike. I’m liking the flats on my xc bike so I can move around on the bike more and get my weight where I want it. But the longer rides are a bit of a slog. Could also be a poor bike fit which I haven’t solved yet.
So now that I've watched, here's what I got to say: I don't necessarily think that speed is where the main differences lay between these two methods, I think it's efficiency and muscle usage. I think clipless is a much more efficient method, especially when you're factoring in energy exertion and nutritional needs. That could be why you were feeling the burn on the flats in a way that you don't in clipless. Maybe good for training! I was stoked to see you doing this video though because I think it's funny how it is such a polarizing issue. Fight me bro... LoL
@@hellomxanderson I’m totally in agreement with you. Did my flat run second which probably explains part of the burn but I was more shattered than normal. On my longer flat rides on my hard tail… been way more spent. Efficiency on clipless is real.
@@TheLankyCyclist I had been using clipless pedals for about two weeks , I thought they were nice but today I fell Bc of an awkward traffic situation lol, but even prior to that I had been thinking of going back to flat because my right foot gets sleepy (smaller couple toes), that and safety is better on flat, if you are racing clipless but general riding and exercise flats are my preference
@@JitinMisra I don’t think you can go wrong either way. Takes a while to get used to them and even after 10 years I still have the occasional crash because I can’t clip out fast enough. If you go clipless, it’s helpful to get a bike fit.
The reason is quite obvious if you look at the biomechanics: your knee joint isn't a single point rotation, it actually slide and rotates. And all your joints are filled with cartillage that compresses under load. So you are trying to match a variable system who's geometry varies depending on the load it gets to a fixed bicycle system. There is no logic in thinking that the interface between those two can be and fixed and efficient.
Great video! But I didn't see the weight of the used pedals and shoes. Since you are doing climbs, weight starts to matter. And yes I use flat-pedals and very light flat-pedal-shoes, I'm happy with them on a sunday ride
I’m clipless all the way! But in all fairness, I’ve never had the right shoes every time I’ve tried flats. I’d be more curious what you prefer on single track on a mtb. Even for mtb, I prefer clipless.
I prefer flats for MTB. I think it makes it easier to shift your weight around. I can also bailout slightly quicker with flats. 😉but I do love my clipless.
As you know I am a bit of a novice. I’m wondering, semi-out loud, if clipless would help someone who has not grooved their pedal stroke as you have? To put it another way? Perhaps you have already reaped all the benefits from clipless , and now they just feel better for you. Which is cool…
I switched to flats on my mountain bike this year and feel much better. I’m more confident on techy sections and I don’t notice a difference on climbs. I don’t think I’d move to flats from clipless on my road bike though.
Nice Video! Do I care.. No. Er, maybe I do because I watched. Flats for me, Etnies bmx shoes with a bmx/mtb pedal. Mostly just to here clipless people go on and on.
1st 5 miles is too short and sitting pedal won’t make a difference. Try 100 miles with long climbs and some sprint is when the clipless shine. There’s pro and con on mtb but on road clipless won all the way.
Thanks for this data! Exactly what I was looking for. I'm also about 20 minutes from that loop you rode lol I may have to try it
For me it has never been about speed or efficiency, I just like the comfort of dedicated cycling shoes and the confidence of feeling my feet securely attached to the bike. They are super useful to keep your feet from slipping off the pedals while riding over rough terrain. In the end, just use whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Yes it is not about pure performance, most of the time while comparing flats win in terms of performance but by not a lot.
However on the long run, the confort is better on clipless and the feet are well in place to prevent injuries, and for a long ride it happens to me several times to have my foot that moves or slides slightly and I lose concentration and need to replace and it costs a lot of performance because you can kill a little sprint.
I have never seen one of your videos before, but one minute into this video I Liked and Subscribed. I was surprised by the outcome of this comparison.
Your methodology was real good and made sense for what you had as a lab.
Thanks for such a refreshing clean crips well done presentation.
Wow, thank you!
First video I've watched of yours dude, really well broken down and I think I agree with your conclusions. For me I find that once race season is over I stick the flats back on for the winter or a least a month of it so I don't lose the feel. For me there's a more old school loose feel with flats and who doesn't love some muddy drifts!
Appreciate it! I like flats in the winter so I can wear warm boots and not mess around with expensive winter cycling boots. I agree the ability to stay loose and shift your weight is helpful… new to MTB so still figuring out what I like for the dirt.
Great video glad ive found you ,i love clipless cannot fault them ,but i had an accident nearly six months ago i dislocated my elbow and damaged my shoulder muscles ,i was negotiating a hill when i changed gear to start the climb my gears jammed for a split second causing me to lose balance i could not unclip fast enough and fell onto my left side ,i am only just thinking about nervously getting back on my bike now the arm is still painful im currently looking at the best flat pedals and a decent pair of shoes i cant risk another accident and the resulting months off work ,thanks for the video very helpful regards jay
Feel better soon! I had an MTB accident last fall... same thing.. uphill and couldn't unclip fast enough when I got hung up on a root. Messed up my wrist.
Unless you are a pro sprinter or just pro-anything, there's really not much if any benefit to clipless. Maybe you saving some energy, but probably not enough to obsess over.
Some major benefits to be had with bike fit/comfort assuming you get it setup properly.
@@TheLankyCyclist Same goes for flats. If you are not a pro living from cycling there is no point on clipless or any other special type of pedals. Also go and use them if you just, you know like them. Foot placement can be affected on you beeing a "noob" when it comes to flats maybe?
I use both long enough to tell the difference on MTB you’ll get some loose some. But on Road definitely clip as you can push on one side while pull on the other create more power on sprint. But if you haven’t experienced long enough you’ll never know the difference.
@@wingcobra how many casual cyclists do you know who sprint and race regularly?
I was thinking about when climbing on my way home yesterday. Noticing how much I have to readjust my foot position as it slips. There seems to be almost no way flats could be as efficient - but it must also be statistically insignificant? As I've said before - I believe I would be better off in clipless I just like to be able to wear whatever shoes I like - a big reason being how much I'm riding to places.
Just remember that if you go clipless.... that's alot of bikes to outfit with new pedals. ;)
@@TheLankyCyclist That used to be more of a concern - but I do ride the Raleigh most of the time now and my vintage bikes mostly have cages. I'm going to revisit the idea in the spring.
@@TimFitzwater indoor cycling good for practicing using clipless.
I think the foot moving thing is over blown with flats to. Does my foot move yeah maybe but it will end up back in the same spot. Now shoes on flats definitely matter and the pedal.
What do I know they I ride in crocs like 90% of the time. 😀
Shoes do make a big difference. I’m not a fan of my five tens. Not the best grip. I’m talking millimeters of foot difference. I’m that picky.
No fair, you were drafting that car. Lol. Cool video, dude. One of these days I’ll go clipless.
first drafting... next thing you know, I'll be hanging onto the sides of trucks
Ouer body....try to find the best and most effective way to go as fast we can... If you have clipless you are stuck in same static place allways... Ouer bodys are not exacctly the same so do a bike fit whit messurments might not fits every body... Most importent is to use stiff soule on your shoes if you go for flats.. And skip the nails... No need for that on road race cycling.. Give the flats a proper chance.. And buy a good brand.. Good luck out there boys and girls💪🙏😁.. Thanks for the video.. You are really a good cyclist.. 👌
You said you felt more fatiqued after the run on flats. Do you ride flats as much as clips? If you ride them less, could it be a matter of getting used to? Also it was your second effort.. 🤔
Very interesting video and great that you're there busting the myths for roadies! Maybe someone starts making road shoes for flat pedals and dedicated road flats!😅
The clipless shoes were technically "gravel" shoes. I should redo the test with road shoes which would be stiffer.
Thank you and well done. It was a fair and unbiased test even though the results are unexpected. Guess I might experiment with flats on my commuter bike.
Only change I made after this test was on the MTB… already preferred flats for mountain biking as I felt I could move my weight around better. Good luck experimenting.
I signed on for your fat tire bike videos but am enjoying your recent content just as much. Keep up the great work!
Could your quads be burning with flats because your second run is going to be more tiring than your first? Wondering if you could start off on flats first when you compare it against your clipless road bike shoes.
Awesome stuff!
Thanks!
Definitely more tired on the second run, but it seemed disproportionate. Have also noticed my longer rides on the flats seem more tiring. But next time, I’ll run the flats first just for you!
@@TheLankyCyclist Ha! Thanks! Looking forward to your next video!
I use both, MTB I go with flats mostly, road SPD clipless. I wonder if it's that the clipless setups will generally weight a little more than flats? I've always thought that it would be great if we could somehow really reduce the weight of the clipless system.
My Time pedal system is pretty light. And if you go crankbrothers.... i cant imagine would be too much heavier than pedal, but probably depends alot on the specifics of what you're using. My theory is that most people generate nearly all of their power on the downstroke. I agree on using flats for MTB. I was torn before but now... happy to stick with the flats.
Flats are more aero!😂😂 Having done a couple of these kind of real world tests, you can’t hang your hat on the specific results, but looking for big disparities is what it tests, here demonstrating it’s close. I have been running flats on all my bikes the last few years, but am thinking about putting my clipless pedals back on my XC bike. Flats are essential in a fatbike IMO, lots of dabbing and dismounting in the snow.
Agree on the fat bike. I’m liking the flats on my xc bike so I can move around on the bike more and get my weight where I want it. But the longer rides are a bit of a slog. Could also be a poor bike fit which I haven’t solved yet.
I'm about to watch right now but I'm surprised there's only six comments, such a polarizing issue usually!
So now that I've watched, here's what I got to say: I don't necessarily think that speed is where the main differences lay between these two methods, I think it's efficiency and muscle usage. I think clipless is a much more efficient method, especially when you're factoring in energy exertion and nutritional needs. That could be why you were feeling the burn on the flats in a way that you don't in clipless. Maybe good for training!
I was stoked to see you doing this video though because I think it's funny how it is such a polarizing issue. Fight me bro... LoL
@@hellomxanderson I’m totally in agreement with you. Did my flat run second which probably explains part of the burn but I was more shattered than normal. On my longer flat rides on my hard tail… been way more spent. Efficiency on clipless is real.
Hah, polarizing yes but not a lot of people interested in watching a 40 year old dude ride around in Lycra. 😅
@@TheLankyCyclist I had been using clipless pedals for about two weeks , I thought they were nice but today I fell Bc of an awkward traffic situation lol, but even prior to that I had been thinking of going back to flat because my right foot gets sleepy (smaller couple toes), that and safety is better on flat, if you are racing clipless but general riding and exercise flats are my preference
@@JitinMisra I don’t think you can go wrong either way. Takes a while to get used to them and even after 10 years I still have the occasional crash because I can’t clip out fast enough. If you go clipless, it’s helpful to get a bike fit.
The reason is quite obvious if you look at the biomechanics: your knee joint isn't a single point rotation, it actually slide and rotates. And all your joints are filled with cartillage that compresses under load. So you are trying to match a variable system who's geometry varies depending on the load it gets to a fixed bicycle system. There is no logic in thinking that the interface between those two can be and fixed and efficient.
Great video! But I didn't see the weight of the used pedals and shoes.
Since you are doing climbs, weight starts to matter. And yes I use flat-pedals and very light flat-pedal-shoes, I'm happy with them on a sunday ride
Short punchy climbs. Not sure there’s a material difference between the two setups. Thanks for watching!
I’m clipless all the way! But in all fairness, I’ve never had the right shoes every time I’ve tried flats. I’d be more curious what you prefer on single track on a mtb. Even for mtb, I prefer clipless.
I prefer flats for MTB. I think it makes it easier to shift your weight around. I can also bailout slightly quicker with flats. 😉but I do love my clipless.
Would have been good to see some max power shorter efforts, on climbing and on the flat. There I'd expect a clipless advantage
Good call. Want to compare against road or proper MTB shoe also rather than flexy gravel shoe.
As you know I am a bit of a novice. I’m wondering, semi-out loud, if clipless would help someone who has not grooved their pedal stroke as you have?
To put it another way? Perhaps you have already reaped all the benefits from clipless , and now they just feel better for you. Which is cool…
Excellent point I had not thought of and it makes me feel like I know what I’m doing so you know what you get …. A 👋
@@TheLankyCyclist you just made my night buddy!
I switched to flats on my mountain bike this year and feel much better. I’m more confident on techy sections and I don’t notice a difference on climbs. I don’t think I’d move to flats from clipless on my road bike though.
Completely agree! Glad I’m not the only one. Thanks for stopping by!
Love flats
Nice Video! Do I care.. No. Er, maybe I do because I watched. Flats for me, Etnies bmx shoes with a bmx/mtb pedal. Mostly just to here clipless people go on and on.
Clipless people love their clipless!
Don't hit your brakes, Don't hit your brakes!!! HAHAHA!
Don’t mess up my test ****!😂
Watching sir new friend ride safe God bless
Awesome, thank you!
1st 5 miles is too short and sitting pedal won’t make a difference. Try 100 miles with long climbs and some sprint is when the clipless shine. There’s pro and con on mtb but on road clipless won all the way.
I don't disagree.
No amount of data will negate the fact that flat pedals just look strange on the Stig. Lol.
👆👆👆