Why no discussions about clipless pedals on ebikes

[Chris Hammond]

Okay, I am new to the world of ebikes. I am wondering why I haven't heard about any comments about clipless pedals. I have seen plenty of talking about various platform pedals that come stock on various ebikes and whether they are adequate. However, I haven't seen any talk about just switching to clipless pedals. Am I missing something obvious here?
I have been using mtb SPD type shoes and pedals for years, and I am fully planning on changing to this setup on my ebike once I get one. I find it hard to believe others aren't doing this. Any reasons not to switch that is ebike specific? Thanks.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

Okay, I am new to the world of ebikes. I am wondering why I haven't heard about any comments about clipless pedals. I have seen plenty of talking about various platform pedals that come stock on various ebikes and whether they are adequate. However, I haven't seen any talk about just switching to clipless pedals. Am I missing something obvious here?
I have been using mtb SPD type shoes and pedals for years, and I am fully planning on changing to this setup on my ebike once I get one. I find it hard to believe others aren't doing this. Any reasons not to switch that is ebike specific? Thanks.

I have Shimano spd dual platforms on my 3 ebikes but lately I have been using the platform side. The platform allows me to use the heels and prevent my knees from hurting further.

 

[rich c]

Just use what you like. I stopped using clipless after a fall. I was looking at the problem area, but came to a fast stop in a hidden washout that was filled with leaves. I didn't react fast enough to get out of the clips, even when barely moving. At 65 years old, I'm not too anxious to fall! I don't bounce like I used to. There's a whole group of people that want a throttle, no need for clipless when you ride like a scooter. Another group are just getting back into cycling after a long layoff. They're not looking for speed or high pedaling efficiency. There's another group that only ride up to the speed the motor gives assist. No need for efficiency there either. So lots of reasons.

 

[JRA]

I now use flats and a semi stiff sole shoe after years of clipless. I also gave up on wearing a chamois and choose pant styles with a gussetted crotch and have the same saddle on all my bikes. Sure makes getting ready to go for a ride a lot easier.

Plenty ride clipped in still. Personal choice.

 

[Chris Hammond]

Thanks for the responses and the link to a prior discussion. (I should've thought to do a forum search). As I have a long distance commute (60 miles round trip), and enjoy pedaling hard and going fast, I'll stay with my plan of using mtb style clipless pedals.

 

[Motodaddy]

New to clipless pedals. Just installed Shimano “click’r” clipless pd-t421 which have the platform on one side as well. Very happy so far, these are a breeze to get into and out of. After taking the plunge with little or no practice I’m now a fan of the mtb style clipless. Shoes are giro rumble, you wouldn’t know you were even swearing by the cleats.

 

[Ant]

I changed the pedals on my ebike as soon as I got it... not to clipless, but to the 'cage' (I guess it is called). Would put on my SPD pedals when I do a long day out or a tour for a few days... Just whatever you find most comfortable. I just feel more secure when I have some sort of support for my feet! Feel it it more efficient if I can lift up, as well as push down.

 

[John from Connecticut]

Chris Hammond,

Clipless pedals or not ? To me a personal choice. No right or wrong. I started with Shimano SPDs and got pretty good with them,
but pretty good is not good enough when you're balancing a 46 pound e-Bike, coming to an awkward stop and in that split second
when you must pull your foot loose ( I know it's easy ) and you don't, now you're between the ground and your 46 plus bike.

Using SPDs etc successfully with no danger of ever falling is a learned skill over time, because in those split second
situations your leg / foot must act out of muscle memory with no time to 'think about it'. If you have to think,
you're on the ground or worse.

It takes practice and for the world of e-Bikes I see no significant upside to clipless pedals as contrasted
with road riders vs the possible risk. I switched to the simple cage style pedal combo and I couldn't be happier.
I don't MTB so life there may be different. Just my two cents.

John from CT

 

[Badgerdogmomma]

Okay, I am new to the world of ebikes. I am wondering why I haven't heard about any comments about clipless pedals. I have seen plenty of talking about various platform pedals that come stock on various ebikes and whether they are adequate. However, I haven't seen any talk about just switching to clipless pedals. Am I missing something obvious here?
I have been using mtb SPD type shoes and pedals for years, and I am fully planning on changing to this setup on my ebike once I get one. I find it hard to believe others aren't doing this. Any reasons not to switch that is ebike specific? Thanks.

I am also new to the ebike world, researched for years before I finally ordered one last week (haven't gotten it yet), and I have been pondering a similar question. I used to ride mountain bikes a lot, and I have power grips on my mountain bikes. Power grips are a wide strap that are fastened to the pedal sort of corner-to-corner. When I was riding a lot in the mountains, I saw the guys I ride with almost all switch to clipless, and witnessed the learning curve they experienced. I was really happy with the power grips, and didn't ever feel the need to go clipless, for a variety of reasons, but mostly because back then a practical woman's mtb shoe in my size pretty much didn't exist, and power grips could be set up to work perfectly with my favorite light hiking boots. I still have power grips on my mountain bikes, and I am frustrated a little when I ride my cruiser and city bike that they are not on there sometimes. The cruiser could really use some help sometimes with only 3 gears and lots of hills, wind and cargo, but being attached to the pedal on a bike with coaster brakes just doesn't work well for me, hahaha. I sometimes put them on the city bike just because I like to pull and push the pedals, but don't really need them, like on the mountain bikes, because it is easy to keep that bike cruising around the top speeds that are comfortable without them. I can't wait to get the new bike, and decide to power grip or not to power grip. I doubt that I will be hopping things on it, and it should climb easily without having to push and pull, but still, sometimes I like to pull, too. I also imagine that it might help me to conserve battery juice?

 

[Nova Haibike]

Okay, I am new to the world of ebikes. I am wondering why I haven't heard about any comments about clipless pedals.

I think because many if not the majority of e-bike purchasers are older and newer cyclists, and clipless pedals is more of a "serious" cyclist thing. Also, a lot of mountain bikers have switched from clipless to platform pedals, so clipless is seen as less of a necessity than in days past.

 

[alasdair]

I've been using clipless pedals for a while now, kind of as a default choice coming from a road biking background. Most of my bike riding is a long commute and I certainly value the extra efficiency that comes from being clipped in - this has got me wondering about dual sided pedals as on the weekends I often run errands and take my toddler to the park on the bike and don't want the fuss of changing shoes etc. How do then work out on the clipped in side @Mark Peralta? any interference when using them?

Thanks,
A

 

[Nova Haibike]

The main downside is that since the pedals are clipless on one side, you sometimes fuddle with clipping in because the mechanism is not self-righting. Some people find that annoying.

 

[Motodaddy]

The main downside is that since the pedals are clipless on one side, you sometimes fuddle with clipping in because the mechanism is not self-righting. Some people find that annoying.

I am now at the point where I rarely want to use the platform side of the pedal. Just purchased dual sided pd-t400s to eliminate the annoyance of having to think about what side I’m on. Still use the lower effort click’r multidirectional cleat. So easy to get out of even in emergency, for commuters this is the way forward.

 

[EmilyRides]

Thanks for the question, as I did a search wondering this very same thing. I am mostly a roadie with just a little mild MTBing thrown in. I have used clipless pedals on my road bikes exclusively for years. Although I realize that with the motor on an e-bike, I won't necessarily need to pull up on the pedals, I am afraid that if I switch to flat pedals, my feet would come flying off the pedals at the most inopportune times. They're just too used to being locked in. When it comes time to test ride e-bikes, I'll certainly try the flat pedals to see how they feel, though. It would be nice to be able to wear a variety of shoes/boots depending on weather.

 

[Nova Haibike]

I am afraid that if I switch to flat pedals, my feet would come flying off the pedals at the most inopportune times.

I started road riding back in the 70's, at the point where toe clips were the only option, and I had to nail the cleats into the shoes. Then I went clipless when Look arrived on the scene. I always thought it was the only way to ride. When I got my e-bike I went with good flats; Race Face Chesters. Even spinning my feet don't leave the pedals. I do not miss clipless at all.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I have flat pedals on my ebike and clipless pedals on my two carbon road bikes.
I find that proper foot placement is way more important on my road bikes than my ebike. I did have clipless on my ebike, but went back to regular pedals after a couple of rides.
I like that I can wear any shoes I want when riding with regular pedals. That's a big plus for me, but having said that, I wouldn't ride my road bikes without clipless pedals.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I started road riding back in the 70's, at the point where toe clips were the only option, and I had to nail the cleats into the shoes. Then I went clipless when Look arrived on the scene. I always thought it was the only way to ride. When I got my e-bike I went with good flats; Race Face Chesters. Even spinning my feet don't leave the pedals. I do not miss clipless at all.

I switched to Race Face Ride pedals which are less hurting your shins and calves, while maintaining a perfect grip. Nothing, however, can compare to my very fast mountain descents as well to very fast ride last weekend when I started thinking I must have been using clipless pedals/shoes while I was wearing Adidas FiveTen FreeRider Pro shoes and had CrankBrothers Stamp 7 platform pedals (the latter are very similar to Race Face Chesters). My feet felt glued to the pedals, disregarding how rough the terrain was!

 

[EmilyRides]

I started road riding back in the 70's, at the point where toe clips were the only option, and I had to nail the cleats into the shoes. Then I went clipless when Look arrived on the scene. I always thought it was the only way to ride. When I got my e-bike I went with good flats; Race Face Chesters. Even spinning my feet don't leave the pedals. I do not miss clipless at all.

Thanks! I will certainly give the flats a chance.

 

[Asher]

I'm skeptical that clipless provides any real world utility to anyone, besides those already so used to it that going back to flats is a bother.

Clipless increases the cost and difficulty of fitting, it makes you have to wear special shoes to use your bike (or you use hybrid pedals which lack grip for non clipless use), there's a real risk you won't unclip adequately in hairy situations. If you use road clipless, you can barely walk in the associates shoes, and even with SPDs there's a good chance you'll scratch the floors you're walking on.

An 0.1% advantage can be critical in racing and utterly irrelevant if not harmful in practical use. I doubt that it provides any noticeable speed advantage in real life riding. The bike industry will happily sell it to you to make you buy a second set of pedals, shoes, and even bikes.

I use the flat pedal Issi Thump, great grip and slight hammock shape. The ideal pairing is a good looking casual/dress shoe you can wear anywhere with a somewhat stiff sole and tight fit. Plastic pedals have gotten very good.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My gf wants to take my pedals from me