Who rides on platforms?

[tattiefritter]

I don't think there's any way you could effectively pedal circles unless your foot's locked onto the pedal, but I may be willing to sacrifice that to regain the joy of riding.

RedRans, I currently run flat DMR pedals on my hardtail MTB and Crank Bros Candys on all my other bikes including my full-suss ( the flats are for practising things like bunny hops etc). The thing that surprised me most was that pedalling had to be very very smooth (i.e. proper circles and constant pressure) else it was easy for feet to lift off. You obviously can't pull up but you don't need to mash either. I'm not sure about on a recumbent but using them on my hardtail has actually improved my pedal stroke.

A friend of mine has gone back to platforms after not getting on with SPDs at all, seemed to be climbing like a demon today with a very good spin. It has revolutionised her riding.

If you go for something like an MTB flat pedal with pins then a soft soled pair of shoes is best - I have an old pair of Vans skate shoes.

And it does hurt like hell when the pins hit your shin!

[Geonz]

My pedal stroke is also more efficient for riding sans attachments. I do a bit of ankle flexion to rotate the pedal for that perpendicular effect that will have maximum torque and think kind thoughts of my sainted physicist father who explained that stuff to me.

[Tuckervill]

It's refreshing to read encouraging words about platforms, instead of the endless praises of clipless.

I have platform pedals that came with my Trek 4500 MTB, and I'm happy enough with them. Some guy at a bike shop once said I should go clipless because it will keep my feet from bouncing off on treacherous terrain--but so far that hasn't been a problem. I think it's more likely that the minor bumps that make me stop on the uphills would cause more falls with injuries if I was clipped in. Sometimes on a trail I have to throw my foot down and I want to be able to do that without having to deploy a "technique".

Of course, if (when) I get a road bike, I will likely get clipless pedals and shoes. If I were racing my MTB and speed was an issue, I might get clipless pedals. But for me, someone who doesn't take risks on the trails, who can't bunny hop or do a wheelie, who walks her bike over downed trees, but does just fine over roots and rock gardens, and can climb like nobody's business, platforms meet all the need I have.

Karen

[kelownagirl]

I love my clipless mtbike shoes but I still cheat using the clips ever since I fell off. I have those temporary clip on platforms that they use in the LBS. I can use them on one side, or flip it and clip in. I tend to clip in only on one foot right now and use the platform on the other foot. I need to get over this hurdle, I know. Anyway, I like the comfort of knowing the flat pedal is there when I want it...

barb

[RedRansV2]

Thanks for all the replies, ladies.

Kitsune06: You ride the Mallets as platforms! Did they come with the bike? BTW, I doubt that you're lazy.

Goenz & tattiefritter: Now that's interesting info about improving your pedal stroke. And counter to conventional wisdom. So of course, I'm going to try it.

Tuckervill: My feet bounced a bit on my cage style pedals, but have never come all the way off. While I don't ride off road, I'm not a particularly aggressive rider and platforms will likely meet most of my needs.

mickchick: I've heard mixed reviews about those Shimanos but since you have them on all your bikes, it sounds like you're very satisfied with them. The two complaints I've heard, consistently, are that they're hard to clip in/out of and that it's a pita to get the side you want to flip up. Which side do you ride most often?

tattiefritter: Thanks for the info about the pedals with pins. I bet it does hurt like hell if you get smacked with them. I'm probably going to try them anyway. Some of the seemingly stupid stuff I've tried has worked out pretty well for me. And some things have, in fact, been just stupid.

kelownagirl: I'm so used to taking both feet off the pedals when I stop that I'm not in the habit of tilting the bike. So I thought, instead of unclip both, stop, clip in one foot preparatory to starting up again, maybe I'll try to keep one foot clipped in. Turns out you can track stand a recumbent. For about 2 seconds. And then you discover how hard it is to learn new habits. I bet that looked really funny.

Thanks again!

[Tuckervill]

Tuckervill: My feet bounced a bit on my cage style pedals, but have never come all the way off. While I don't ride off road, I'm not a particularly aggressive rider and platforms will likely meet most of my needs.

Yes, I imagine on a recumbent you're not putting your weight on your pedals like we do on mountain bikes.

I pretty much believe that if I hit something hard enough to bounce my foot off the pedal, something bad is already happening and I'm doomed anyway. lol.

Karen

[RedRansV2]

I pretty much believe that if I hit something hard enough to bounce my foot off the pedal, something bad is already happening and I'm doomed anyway. lol.

Karen

ROTFLOL!!

It was great to be able to post such a heretical notion on this board and know that no one was going to warn me of the dire consequences of my foot falling off the pedal or the loss of speed and power.

I bought a pair of cheapo ($24) Bulletproof pinned platforms so I could try out this pedal style. I liked them quite a bit.

Tattiefritter's right about using the soft soled shoes instead of the firmer mtb bike shoes. I tried both and my feet felt more securely fastened wearing the tennis shoes.

I did notice some loss of power on the hills and starting up from a stop, but they were significantly better than the stock cage style platforms. With the pins holding my foot onto the pedal, I could pull back and achieve maybe 70% of a full circle. And WTH, that's probably the same degree of commitment I have to speed and efficiency anyway. So I'm going to get either the Drilliums or Shimano DX's.

I'm going to keep the clipless pedals, though and ride them sometimes. Sometime, I'd like to do some 3-4 day supported tours or maybe STP, and they really do have an advantage in those situations.