# flat pedals, shin protection or not?



## mtymxdh (Jan 14, 2005)

Hi girls!

well maybe you read a post I wrote about the bike I bought teh Girlfriend which she end not using (at most 4 times)

well, I guess one of the main reasons for that is that she and the clipless pedals don't get along very well...

first I bought her crank brothers "candy" pedals because I believe they're the easiest to get in/out, but somehow she strugled to clip in, so after a while I changed them to CB "mallets" with a bigger cage, still had troubles with getting in/out

once I told her to try riding with running shoes, and she said it was much better, she feel less worried about hitting the ground if something happened...

so now I'm going to buy her flat pedals, the thing is that (as usual) I'm worried that in case of a fall or something she may hurt her shins ...

I've been looking at the new polycarbonate plastic pedals or regular aluminum with bolts

the plastic ones are gentler with the shin, but I've read that they're really slippy, the metallic are the opposite better grip, but meaner with the shin...

would you wear shin pads while riding XC? at least while she learns to ride in the trail...

the pedals





something like:


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## mtymxdh (Jan 14, 2005)

delete delete delete


nothing here sorry


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

Hi,

I have been through this, you have to get it right and it might cost you some money =-(

It is worth it in the end though.

She needs shin pads, after a year or so riding flats, she won't but to learn SHIN PADS.
the scars are still healing on my wife's legs years later.

The pedals have to be good, having her slip off crappy flats and getting hurt won't win any favours.

After long research you want a Kona Wah Wah or clone. the pedals are VERY thin, this will prevent her rolling off the pedals and make her pedaling more efficient. I use the pedals from superstar components, cheaper and have spares online.

Shoes also important, 5.10 rubber will keep her glued to the pedals.
by wife likes the 5.10 Guide tennie, it's not an mtb specific, but very very good. The mtb specifics tend to be DH/FR orientated and far to heavy for a girly.

This will be quite a bit to get everything but it should make her more confident, comfortable and less likely to get hurt.

From what you are saying, you are the better rider.
You assumedly wish her to perform at the same level as you.
Therefore you will need to spend more on her kit than yours to even things up.

Superstar pedals also come in pink ;-)


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## mtymxdh (Jan 14, 2005)

*thanks for the reply!!*

First, thanks for the reply...



CaveGiant said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have been through this, you have to get it right and it might cost you some money =-(
> 
> It is worth it in the end though.


If she enjoys mtb as much as I do... money is no issue ( yeah right, In my dreams....In real life it is....so I'll try to get the "best bang for the buck")



CaveGiant said:


> She needs shin pads, after a year or so riding flats, she won't but to learn SHIN PADS.
> the scars are still healing on my wife's legs years later.


OUCH! I have had fights against my pedals, which systematically have lost one after another... as a former bmx and now MTB... mostly dh, recently started to use clips.



CaveGiant said:


> The pedals have to be good, having her slip off crappy flats and getting hurt won't win any favours.
> 
> After long research you want a Kona Wah Wah or clone. the pedals are VERY thin, this will prevent her rolling off the pedals and make her pedaling more efficient. I use the pedals from superstar components, cheaper and have spares online.


I have already the Wah Wah's in my Ebay list, what do you think about "easton" flatboys or crank brothers 5050 maybe truvativ holzfeller's....

well I'll be looking for other thin profile pedals...



CaveGiant said:


> Shoes also important, 5.10 rubber will keep her glued to the pedals.
> by wife likes the 5.10 Guide tennie, it's not an mtb specific, but very very good. The mtb specifics tend to be DH/FR orientated and far to heavy for a girly.
> 
> This will be quite a bit to get everything but it should make her more confident, comfortable and less likely to get hurt.


what about the oldschool vans or airwalks... those skate shoes... with grippy soles?
she has seen the 5.10 mtb shoes and she thinks they're fugly :'( (fashion over function, I know)



CaveGiant said:


> From what you are saying, you are the better rider.
> You assumedly wish her to perform at the same level as you.
> Therefore you will need to spend more on her kit than yours to even things up.
> 
> Superstar pedals also come in pink ;-)


I'm not a better rider, its just that I've been riding for longer time... maybe somewhere in future she will kick my ass...


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

I agree - shin guards are pretty much essential while learning on flat pedals.

I use 5050s - they're not super thin, but they're grippy and you can add or move around the pins as you see fit. I recommend putting some loctite on the pins though or you will tend to lose them. 

I wouldn't bother with the plastic ones with no pins - that looks way too slippery to me.


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## heff® (Feb 10, 2004)

I'm still a fan of the ol Power Grips for easy, solid foot-to-pedal connection. Same issue as the old toe clips, they're single-sided, so she'll have to get the hang of kicking the pedal up enough to get a toehold in the strap, but that shouldn't take long.

Otherwise, what the others said, thinnish, adjustable pins if possible, sticky shoes.


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## mudworm (Feb 19, 2007)

I was able to loosen up my Candy C pedals for easier clipping in and out (see this post).


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

vans are pretty good, but not as good.

this is what she wears

https://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn...6774e67746b455067796659676f77-149x149-0-0.jpg

5050 and easton are fat.

if a pedal does not list it's thickness, it is probably fat.


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## 246366 (Jul 3, 2004)

*510s*

After 15 or so years in clipless, myself and my friends are actually reverting back to flat pedals as the technology has come along so far, and I feel I'm becoming more "in tune" with my bike and the trails, because of this (you can't cheat a bunny hop with flat pedals  .

I am super skinny and was worried that the 510s would look ridiculous, but I must say, the Freeriders are not too bad. I bought the white ones and they glowed for the first couple of rides, but after I took them through the mud, they toned down a bit and looked less disco. I would highly recommend them as they are super sticky and very stiff. I've been using my husband's Kore pedals with screws in them, which has worked out great, but I just ordered some Shimano MX30 pedals, so we'll see how that goes. I don't ride with shin guards on, unless I'm going to be trying something new (or going somewhere new), but I have a few round scabs on the backs of my leg where the screws on the pedals came around and bit me. The Shimano MP66s come in smaller sizes too I think, and they can be used for flat or clipless.

http://www.ridesfo.com/servlet/the-...tally naff looking.
Flats are the new black!


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## mtymxdh (Jan 14, 2005)

thanks for all the replies and advice (advise? sorry english isn't my 1st language)

I think I've found a shoe that she might like:

http://www.zappos.com/five-ten-freerunner-shadow

http://www.zappos.com/multiview/7388118/5151

but, I have to show her first... regarding pedals... Im looking at atomlabs they're like 12mm thin... but near the 100 dls... 

http://www.atomlab.com/pedplite.html


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## mudworm (Feb 19, 2007)

Um, this is for riding, shouldn't the FiveTen FreeRiders be more suitable than FreeRunners? (I haven't worn either, but I'm just judging by the model names.)

http://www.zappos.com/five-ten-freerider-white-black

I just bought a pair of O Neal Azonic 420s based on friends' recommendations:

http://www.amazon.com/Neal-Azonic-Flat-Bicycle-Pedals/dp/B002VY8FXC ($55 w/ free shipping)


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## mtymxdh (Jan 14, 2005)

mtbkers said:


> After 15 or so years in clipless, myself and my friends are actually reverting back to flat pedals as the technology has come along so far, and I feel I'm becoming more "in tune" with my bike and the trails, because of this (you can't cheat a bunny hop with flat pedals  .
> 
> Flats are the new black!


I still have flats in my DH bike, I think I'll never feel safe with clips in my DH bike...

but in the XC and the trail bike I have switched to clipless...


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## mtymxdh (Jan 14, 2005)

mudworm said:


> Um, this is for riding, shouldn't the FiveTen FreeRiders be more suitable than FreeRunners? (I haven't worn either, but I'm just judging by the model names.)
> 
> http://www.zappos.com/five-ten-freerider-white-black


yes, I'm almost sure that the freeriders are engineered and built specifically for riding... but I know her, she will like more the freerunners, and both have the stealth sole so both will be grippy, now the freeriders must have harder sole than the runners so I'll try to convince her ...

besides, she wont be wearing these for anything else...


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## Plauscha (Jul 24, 2009)

Scars are sexy, or at least that is what i keep telling myelf!


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

It does not really matter what the shoes has been designed for, it is the special rubber on the bottom that counts.

Those freerunners look good.


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

CaveGiant said:


> It does not really matter what the shoes has been designed for, it is the special rubber on the bottom that counts.
> 
> Those freerunners look good.


I haven't seen the freerunners in person, but I would say that having a stiff sole (i.e. The opposite of what you want in a running shoe) is nearly as important as the grippy rubber.

FWIW I have Karvers and som old plain black mens 5.10s and can't imagine riding flats in anything else anymore.


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

I have to respectfully disagree on the stiffness thing.
Stifness on a SPD is important for efficient transfer.
The flats I use are large, the key parts of my foot are on the pedal, so power transfer is direct.

The thinner soles of the freerider (my current), basic (my last) and the freerunner will allow a steeper attack angle on the pedal before grip fails, they also have less rotating weight as they are much light than the DH. Finally they do not have the squishy sole that the DH shoes do, give in shoes you use for hucking is important, but for other tyrpes of riding it's added weight and inneficiency.

The custom shoes I use are just a pair of trainer resoled in 5.10 rubber with nothing above.Foot -> solid rubber -> pedal, very grippy, light and stable.


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

CaveGiant said:


> I have to respectfully disagree on the stiffness thing.
> Stifness on a SPD is important for efficient transfer.
> The flats I use are large, the key parts of my foot are on the pedal, so power transfer is direct.
> 
> ...


It's not so much about power transfer on flats (to me anyway), it's about your feet getting sore/tired/cramping because of the squishy sole that lets your foot collapse around the pedal. If I'm goofing around riding my bike in regular soft soled street shoes, my feet start to cramp up after a short period of time. In stiff soled 5.10s, that never happens.

But whatever works for you.


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