Why no discussions about clipless pedals on ebikes

[Deacon Blues]

So...how wide is the Lake wide shoe?

$550 wide.

 

[Sierratim]

$550 wide.

Yep, they are pricey but when you wear 5-6E shoes, price is literally no object for a pair of shoes that actually fits. Just sayin'...

 

[FlatSix911]

So...how wide is the Lake wide shoe?

According to Competitive Cyclist... Lake adds +15mm.

Public Service Warning... Roo leather is certainly not PC.

Lake’s top-tier road shoe gets an update in the new CX403. Featuring the same custom-fit carbon fiber sole and supple kangaroo leather upper as its predecessor,
the CX403’s closure system is redesigned and the added rubber toe bumper helps extend the shoe’s longevity. Lake’s wide model adds 15mm to the last for an alternate fit option.

 

[dkershaw92]

We discovered these urban flat pedals from Germany for my wife's ebike. She loves the skateboard-grip surface.

Moto Urban Flat Pedal

 

[Latitude]

Years ago I had a dual suspension bike with clip pedals. Riding with a group of friends on a country road, I was approaching from behind at 30 mph when one of them strayed right over in front of me at low speed. I had to veer hard right, into a soft sandy potato field where I came to a stop buried deep, and just fell over. Couldn’t disengage the pedals. Flat pedals ever since... 20 Years later... I am 65.

 

[Marci jo]

Used SPD pedals for years on my road bikes and loved them for hills. Of course when I first got the ebike those SPDs were the first accessory. Absolutely had to have them, or so I thought. On one of the first rides I fell, maybe from the extra weight of the bike but who knows. Worst part was there were spectators! Very embarrassing. Finally realized don’t need them because I have a motor and battery that conquer any hill. Now using mtb pedals with the little pegs for extra grip. And no more falls!!

 

[Sierratim]

We discovered these urban flat pedals from Germany for my wife's ebike. She loves the skateboard-grip surface.

Moto Urban Flat Pedal
View attachment 63279

The Specialized Como/Vado ebikes come with a similar 'sandpaper grip' surface. Very handy for errands.

 

[Sifu Ben]

I somehow learned how to pedal with the flats that came with the bikes. My pedal cadence was "faster" when I was a roadie with Looks and Time iClic pedals. I made an observation over the years that only people on Shimano SPDs fell on a regular basis. If I wore worn Look cleats, they would sometimes be hard to get out but I never fell. I have some nice Carnac MTB shoes and mtb SPD pedals and I'm debating selling them.

 

[Papadevo]

At this point, I almost feel awkward riding without clipless.
In the 1980’s my Miyata “One-ten” was a blast with metal toe cages. Pull the strap hard and you are locked in. This is how I learned the necessity of planning ahead. In the 90’s Power grips came out, and gave a good tight fit that releases when you pivot your foot. Great for off-road and I used them for a year or two. At the same time I got Look Deltas for the road. Then shimano came out with SPD. I think I still have my first generation set someplace. Easy in, easy out, didn’t get clogged and locked with mud like the delta’s would off road. Yes, we tried.
For me it’s about feeling connected to the bike. I ride mostly dirt roads and single track with my Creo now, so having just that little bit more control, especially at speed, that makes me feel confident. I can bunny hop easier, lift the rear end over curbs and rocks and I don’t have to worry about my feet staying in place when descending faster than I should. I have read the benefit of upstroke with clipless is minimal, but I find on technical climbs it can help.
That being said, on my cruiser/grocery getter I’ve got flats. Any shoe, anytime. So it’s really about what you are going to do with the bike, and what you have done on one.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I feel connected to my bike with Adidas 510 and Stamp 1. To the extent I fell with one of my bikes twice because I forgot to rise my feet from the pedals. 110 rpm cadence without clipless.

 

[Sifu Ben]

Pedaling in circles with clipless pedals: at first I pulled on the upstroke. Then I learned just to unweigh on the upstroke. Pulling up had the danger of pulling out of the pedal specially when cranking out serious power. A sudden release can lead to a loss of control of the bike.

 

[MeDotOrg]

I share the conundrum of a lot of riders. I rode road bikes for many years and grew to love clipless pedals. Ideally I would ride flat pedals in-town, and if going touring or a ride in a non-congested area I would like my old Speedplays. I'll be 70 soon and the thought of having a 50 pound bike fall on me with clipless pedals could end up being one of my last rides.

 

[linklemming]

I started riding clipless on my MTBs back in the early 90s. Tried many systems but settled on the Shimano SPD. I loved the connected feeling. I loved how you could easily lift the bike with your feet when needed.

I rode everything on them even very technical stuff in Lake Tahoe/Sierras, Moab and Fruita, only had a few issues due to not being able to get out of the pedals

Over the last few years I had more and more incidents where I wouldnt get out in time(never really thought anything about it). In Spring 2019, I was going thru a trail entrance (gap between two posts) at about 5mph and clipped my handlebar, had little time to react and went down HARD. So hard I fractured my pelvis and spent 2 months using a walker. Im pretty sure I would havnt hit so hard with regular pedals.

I reluctantly switched to platform pedals (Stamp 1s and Oneups) and frankly have never had the desire to go back to clipless and have never come off/out of the pedals. Im sure if I tried to get big air, I would probably instinctively lift my feet but days of big air are way behind me after seperating my shoulder back in the early 2000s(I have had many biking/motorcycling injuries but just love the thrill of riding two wheel vehicles )

Clipless work great if you want to use them. Just beware, your reaction time slows down as you get older.

 

[EmilyRides]

I test rode a (non-e) bike with flat pedals yesterday to check on sizing of the same model in an "e" format. I have been using clipless pedals for years on my road bikes and my MTB (mostly non-technical gravel roads, packed wide trails, not singletrack; I am definitely beginner level with those skills). I found the worst part of the platform pedals was getting started. I am so used to clipping in on one side, pulling that foot up, and using that leg to start, that I couldn't quite coordinate myself to get started without that muscle memory! I just ordered the e-bike and will probably put clipless on it, since it's what I am used to. Even though I do realize there are issues/dangers with clipless, I'm so experienced with them that I think platforms would actually be more dangerous for me.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I’ve also been riding clipless pedals early on since acquiring my first road bike back in the late 80s. They were 3 bolt Look PP66 pedals and I rode them until I sold the bike years later. In fact, I continue to ride Look SPD clipless (albeit a modern version) on my Creo as I do tend to ride it frequently without PAS. On the other hand, like @Stefan Mikes I use flat pegged Stamp/Chester pedals on my e-mtbs. I just don’t have enough confidence in my riding skills to handle more technical local singlestracks.

I recently acquired a set of Garmin Rally power pedals to monitor metrics on my analog carbon bike and am quite pleased with how they work seamlessly with the Garmin head unit. Transitioning to clipless isn’t as intimidating as some might think and as others have commented, I rather enjoy the feeling of being connected to the bike, the power transfer, and efficiency. There are also multi release cleats that permit easier exits as well the tension on some pedals can be easily adjusted when initially starting out. My wife is a recent convert and it only took her a couple of rides to get accustomed to riding clipless. A good tip is to clip out well in advance of stopping and have your cleats positioned properly in the sole. When in doubt, your LBS can help set up your clipless system. SPD style pedals/shoes are versatile as they allow you to walk around comfortably as the cleats are recessed into the sole which isn’t the case with SPD SL versions.

 

[m@Robertson]

My cycling life started out with toe clips and cleats, so feet were totally locked in without reaching down and undoing a strap. Made for some exciting times at red-light intersections. Then came the Look clipless, followed by Look ARC - and I never got used to the ARC rotation. It just never felt right to be able to wiggle my feet.

When I got back to cycling via ebikes a few years ago, I tried going back to clips without cleats., half clips and even clipless. I just couldn't match it up well with the constant in/out of an urban commute now that I'm in my 50's. So I went to platforms, eventually settling on enormous ones that let me use a mid-foot position and support my entire arch... at the cost of having to adapt to an entirely different style of pedal stroke required with a mid-foot plant on the pedal.

About a year ago I decided the lack of repeatable, precise placement on the pedals bugged me enough I wanted to go back and try cleats again on a new bike I was building. I found a set of pedals that have spring-loaded cleats that lift up and are advertised as being 'a doddle' to clip into. Turned out the claim was absolutely true and this was the secret ingredient to being able to enjoy cleats again.

So... I use both. Depends on what bike I'm riding. I still have an old pair of SIDI Genius shoes handy if I decide to toss away my ability to walk in favor of superb cycling shoes. But I doubt I'll resurrect them. Instead I have good walking shoes that have decent styling ... with recessed cleats inside.

Funn Ripper pedals

Pedaling Innovations Catalyst pedals

 

[EmilyRides]

I use Crank Brothers Candies pedals on all my bikes. The cleats are recessed, so my shoes (usually my Keen Commuter bike sandals) are walkable, and the pedals are super easy for me to clip into and out of. I used to use the older style Speedplay X-2 "lollipop" pedals on my road bike, and I loved those, though the cleats were difficult to walk in and required cleat covers to do so. Years later Speedplay came out with the Zeros, and I had a terrible time clipping into or out of them; a very scary feeling, not to mention dangerous. I gave mine to my husband and went back to the Candies. Speedplay had so many complaints about the Zeros that they introduced a "light action" version, but I didn't bother trying those as I'd already given up road-specific cycling shoes. I used to ride Speedplay Frogs on my MTB many years ago, but those were almost too easy to inadvertently clip out of. I just haven't had a minute of problems with the Eggbeaters, and those are the cleats on my shoes, so I'll be using those on my new e-bike as well.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

On a merry note...

A gravel cycling group ride. 99% of participants ride clipless (it belongs to the style!) The group stops before an intersection or a railway barrier, then is to continue the ride. "Click-click-click-click!"; the whole group clicks in. Then we stop at an inn and everybody leaves their bikes. The group starts walking. "Clack-clack-clack-clack!"

 

[Deacon Blues]

My cycling life started out with toe clips and cleats, so feet were totally locked in without reaching down and undoing a strap. Made for some exciting times at red-light intersections. Then came the Look clipless, followed by Look ARC - and I never got used to the ARC rotation. It just never felt right to be able to wiggle my feet.

When I got back to cycling via ebikes a few years ago, I tried going back to clips without cleats., half clips and even clipless. I just couldn't match it up well with the constant in/out of an urban commute now that I'm in my 50's. So I went to platforms, eventually settling on enormous ones that let me use a mid-foot position and support my entire arch... at the cost of having to adapt to an entirely different style of pedal stroke required with a mid-foot plant on the pedal.

About a year ago I decided the lack of repeatable, precise placement on the pedals bugged me enough I wanted to go back and try cleats again on a new bike I was building. I found a set of pedals that have spring-loaded cleats that lift up and are advertised as being 'a doddle' to clip into. Turned out the claim was absolutely true and this was the secret ingredient to being able to enjoy cleats again.

So... I use both. Depends on what bike I'm riding. I still have an old pair of SIDI Genius shoes handy if I decide to toss away my ability to walk in favor of superb cycling shoes. But I doubt I'll resurrect them. Instead I have good walking shoes that have decent styling ... with recessed cleats inside.

Funn Ripper pedals
View attachment 131088View attachment 131089


Pedaling Innovations Catalyst pedals

View attachment 131090

I noticed FUNN has a model that has clip-ins on one side and flats on the other, with spikes, called FUNN Mambas. I have a Shanimo set of clipless pedals that also have a clip-in side and a flat side and I like them, a lot.
I'm thinking the FUNN Mambas would be perfect for my new mountain bike, that will also spend some time on the pavement.

 

[m@Robertson]

I noticed FUNN has a model that has clip-ins on one side and flats on the other, with spikes, called FUNN Mambas.

Yeah I've seen them. The issue with doing that is you have to get the correct side of the pedals upright every time, whereas with the Rippers it doesn't matter. There are cleats on both sides. To me, while urban commuting where stoplights and the need to un-cleat is frequent, I don't want the aggravation of having to situate my pedal orientation before I can get going again after the light turns green (been there done that, and its more brain power than I want to put into the process).

I've found the metal pins are sufficient to hold onto normal shoes. And since the cleats are spring-loaded, they just get out of the way when a flat shoe plants itself on the pedal. If I ever feel so inclined, I can swap out the solid pins for grub screws (I have about a zillion of them as a pair of Catalyst pedals come with a full set of extras and I have several pairs) and grub screws with their sharp-edged top side would probably double the grip of a flat soled shoe. IIRC they are a standard M3 size so any Ace Hardware should have them.