Anyone Ride with Plain Ol' Platform Pedals, No Clips or Nothin'?

[Owlie]

@wackyjacky1 you said, "One thing I missed was, when at a stop, being able to raise the foot that is still clipped-in so that the pedal is in the "go" position when I'm ready to take off again. But I'm sure I'll get used to that."

So here's what I do with regular platform pedals. When I get to the stop light & am stopped I lean to my right with the weight on my right leg (I am left leg dominant and want that leg in the top "go" position), I use my left foot to backpedal the pedal & stop when my left foot is in the "Go" or top position. It's a quick, automatic loop that I make and I don't really even think about it. I hope that makes sense.

What I did when I was mentally transitioning myself toward clipless pedals (but still using platforms) was stop, then catch the left pedal (the one that I now keep clipped in) with my toe and bring it back up (basically backpedaling) to the "go" position. There was significantly less awkward hopping at stop signs, back then.

[Geonz]

I have toe clips without straps on my commuter. I *have* had my foot slip forward off the pedal, and gotten the front of my shoe stuck in my wheel, and had the wheel suck the shoe entirely off my foot (I was wearing it sandal-style), wrap itself around the fender and into the spokes and bring the bike to a halt and hurl me over the handlebars. The hard part was untangling fender and shoe and wheel... then I could ride away again. (The hardest part was standing in the road, on one foot 'cause theother foot was just socked, looking at this absurd entanglement, and having left my camera at home. I didn't even have witnesses; it was a quiet morning. It was April; I was wearing lots of layers, hardly even any road rash.)
Having just the clip part (they're the mountain bike kind) means there's something to hold my foot in but it is **really** easy to get my foot out.
Real cyclist? Splort! I am too busy being myself to define myself, thank you. By definition, according to some in my community, I'm not "real" if I'm commuting, not training or racing. There are others who think that the simpler things are, the closer one is to the ultimate definition of Real Cycling. Whatever. I just do it for the bliss.

[Owlie]

I have toe clips without straps on my commuter. I *have* had my foot slip forward off the pedal, and gotten the front of my shoe stuck in my wheel, and had the wheel suck the shoe entirely off my foot (I was wearing it sandal-style), wrap itself around the fender and into the spokes and bring the bike to a halt and hurl me over the handlebars. The hard part was untangling fender and shoe and wheel... then I could ride away again. (The hardest part was standing in the road, on one foot 'cause theother foot was just socked, looking at this absurd entanglement, and having left my camera at home. I didn't even have witnesses; it was a quiet morning. It was April; I was wearing lots of layers, hardly even any road rash.)
.

[sundial]

I *have* had my foot slip forward off the pedal, and gotten the front of my shoe stuck in my wheel, and had the wheel suck the shoe entirely off my foot (I was wearing it sandal-style), wrap itself around the fender and into the spokes and bring the bike to a halt and hurl me over the handlebars.

You win the shoe suck award!

[Velocivixen]

Yes, Owlie that's a better description of what I do. Just got back from a ride & paid attention to what I do with my left foot. No problems with my start ups at the light.

[Catrin]

One thing to be aware of with BMX pedals is something called pedal slap. Gotta love those pins, they keep your feet from sliding, but if the pedal should slam against your shin or calf when walking or stopping for some reason - it will draw blood. No ifs ands or buts about it - that being said I still prefer them much better than "regular" platform pedals because my feet do stay on them much better.

Just something to be aware of.

[wackyjacky1]

One thing to be aware of with BMX pedals is something called pedal slap.

Ha ha, years ago I had a mtb with those bear-trap style pedals that are kinda serrated on both sides. I was riding in the street and decided to try hopping up the curb and onto the sidewalk (I had just come back from a visit to The Netherlands and saw folks do this a million times, it looked so effortless and easy). I totally flubbed it, my left foot slipped off its pedal, and with all my weight on the right pedal, the crank arm swung around and the left pedal smacked me full-force in the shin. It opened up a series of 2- to 3-inch long scrapes on my shin that went down to the bone. Hurt like a mother!!! It looked like I had been mauled by a wild animal, lol.

(I got back on my bike and made my way to a bar called Duddley's Draw -- this happened in College Station, TX -- and ordered a pitcher of beer. I sat on the front porch of Duddley's, propped my bloody leg up on a chair, and drank that whole pitcher.)

[luv2climb]

Ha ha, years ago I had a mtb with those bear-trap style pedals that are kinda serrated on both sides. I was riding in the street and decided to try hopping up the curb and onto the sidewalk (I had just come back from a visit to The Netherlands and saw folks do this a million times, it looked so effortless and easy). I totally flubbed it, my left foot slipped off its pedal, and with all my weight on the right pedal, the crank arm swung around and the left pedal smacked me full-force in the shin. It opened up a series of 2- to 3-inch long scrapes on my shin that went down to the bone. Hurt like a mother!!! It looked like I had been mauled by a wild animal, lol.

(I got back on my bike and made my way to a bar called Duddley's Draw -- this happened in College Station, TX -- and ordered a pitcher of beer. I sat on the front porch of Duddley's, propped my bloody leg up on a chair, and drank that whole pitcher.)

Ow!

I use the serrated bear-trap pedals on all my bikes, but they all have toe clips and straps. When I buy a bike one of the first things I do is install clips and straps. They have saved my shins many times and they are definitely more efficient, especially on climbs. When I did the steep hill climbs on my single-speed Dahon folding bike that I posted video of, I did a lot of pulling up on those hills. It helped a lot!

[Espresso]

(I got back on my bike and made my way to a bar called Duddley's Draw -- this happened in College Station, TX -- and ordered a pitcher of beer. I sat on the front porch of Duddley's, propped my bloody leg up on a chair, and drank that whole pitcher.)

LOL! What a great (but painful!) story!

[wackyjacky1]

Wanted to post a quick follow-up to say how much I LOVE these pedals. Having used toe clips my entire adult life, it felt a little weird to go without, but now that I've adapted to these new pedals, I am a platform pedal convert.

I now experience zero foot fatigue, and where I once would get some slight knee pain after a long ride, there is absolutely no knee pain now. I love being able to wear any old shoe and still be able to pedal efficiently (the wide platform seems to serve the same purpose as a stiff-soled shoe).

Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em. And thanks again to everyone for the helpful tips and advice.

[Velocivixen]

So you're still with the Wellgo's you mentioned? Sounds like a good choice. My DH has similar pedals on his commuter and limes them a lot.

[wackyjacky1]

Yes, the cheapie Wellgo B087's. They don't spin too freely, but I'm hoping the bearings will smooth out when they get a few more miles on them (I've put about 100 miles on them so far). If they don't, I may upgrade, but even the way they are, I love 'em.

[Catrin]

Wanted to post a quick follow-up to say how much I LOVE these pedals. Having used toe clips my entire adult life, it felt a little weird to go without, but now that I've adapted to these new pedals, I am a platform pedal convert...

Glad to hear these are working for you! I really do like BMX pedals, but I have knee problems if I am not attached to my bike so have moved to Frogs which have made a world of difference. The important bit is what you and your knees like