Pedals: Platform vs. Clipless???

[sparklehorse]

Hello!
I'm new to bikepacking, but I've been a cyclist and a backpacker for decades. I'm excited to combine the two this season. Anyway, just wondering what folks here think about platform pedals for bikepacking. I've been using clipless pedals for years for road biking and commuting. Frankly, and I know its blasphemy, but I'm really not that fond of clipless pedals. Perhaps it's because I fell a couple times when I was first learning to use them, but even after five years with no problems I still don't really like them. I'm always concerned I'll get caught off guard one day and crash because I didn't unclip quick enough. So I'm thinking of swapping them out for platform pedals. Can't decide if I want toe clips or not. Probably not. I don't anticipate doing any technical singletrack any time soon, most of my bikepacking will likely be on dirt roads, fire lanes, mellow single track, etc. And my camping gear will be pretty light, like about 15 lbs total including food. So, anybody else using platforms? How do you like them? Are they with toe clips or without?

Thanks for the help!

Gordon

[sean salach]

I've done quite a bit of touring with both. I prefer clipless on rougher terrain. Smoother terrain and road touring, I prefer platforms. For me, the biggest advantage of clipless pedals is control in technical sections and bumpy stuff. If there's any amount of walking involved, sneakers are an advantage over cycling shoes. Power grips are nice for non-technical touring as well.

[sparklehorse]

Yeah, one of the reasons I want to swap them out is on my upcoming trip I'll lilkely be walking the bike through some very steep ravines. Probably do some day hiking too, maybe some fishing. I just want to wear my normal hiking shoes for that & I don't want to carry a second pair.

That's a good tip on the Power Grips, I'll have to check them out. Thanks.

G

[MonkeySpacePilot]

I prefer flat pedals for everything bar racing, some shimano mx30 or dmr v8 pedals with a pair of five ten camp four aproach shoes are a great combination for bickepacking.

[chrisx]

I took my crank brothers off and put on some platform pedals for my trip across Baja.  I hiked in places not even spiders live. I fell down in places where I didn't see other people for a week.  Especially at night in a strange place far from other people I was glad not to be clipped to my bike.
I was not in a hurry. 

[wdlandparker]

I ride a fixed gear off road with platforms and sneakers, if that doesn't tell you anything about how good platforms can be, look harder

[AmyL]

"Power grips are nice for non-technical touring as well."
+1.  If you haven't tried them, you should at least give them a test.  I love mine.

[bmike-vt]

"Power grips are nice for non-technical touring as well."
+1.  If you haven't tried them, you should at least give them a test.  I love mine.

disliked them - seemed to put weird pressure on my knees... would rather run platform or clipless...

[mtjoe]

In the same boat as the original poster. Really like the freedom of platforms in all modes of riding. They work especially well in the winter when I can wear snow boots while everyone with clipless is trying to figure out how to modify their boots to keep their feet from freezing. Versatility, comfort, and safety. Great combination. +1 on the DMR's, have them on both my bikes now. Best grip I've had while using boots in the winter.

[Singlespeedpunk]

I have (in the last 6mths) changed over to DMR V12s and hiking trainers (TNF Hedgehog 2 GoreTex) as while the Time ATAC / SBC shoe combo was great on the bike they sucked to ride in and "trainer type" shoes were pretty crappy on and off the bike too. I have added some longer pins to the pedals but apart from that they are stock.

I have just got back from biking the Annapurna Circuit and the pedal / shoe combo worked great, esp with all the portage on the first few days (60-70% one day!) Only down-side was loosing chunks of the leg to the pedal when pushing the bike up scree slopes...leg looks like its be hit by a couple of No8 shot shells!

Having sz13 feet only having to take one pair of shoes on a trip / tour saves massive ammounts of weight!

SSP

[bartspedden]

I really enjoy both my crank brothers 5050's and candy's. I race downhill and xc and use the 5050s for dh and candy's for everything else. i road the candy's on the colorado trail last year and loved them.  So much of the climbing is (for me) just so steep that I couldn't imagine riding flats.  I always prefer flats on gnarlier downhill, but with time I've gotten used to being clipped in.  For me, it came down to balance on the uphills.  Once I gained control over my balance, I started learning to pull my rear wheel up and over rocks/roots with my clips on the steep uphills.  Stuff that I would of previously never really considered pedaling up, I suddenly learned to ride up, and it was all because of extra control I gained from being clipped in.  Additionally, on the steep switchbacks, I learned to hop my rear wheel around the curve while being clipped in verus putting a foot down.

Clearly, lots of folks can do all these things with flats, but for me, clips really helped me make the transition to being able to ride harder terrain without getting out of my bike while riding with a full pack.

enjoy!

bart

[SSSasky]

I've been a multi-year clipless-only rider.  I used to advocate clipless for basically all riding.  Then I realised how tired I was of not being able to wear whatever shoes I wanted, or just hop on the bike and go.  I've now switched to all platform, all the time, and love it.

Going on a two day, 250km ride with light gear, that I plan on doing on the platform pedals.  It'll be my first longer ride on platform pedals, but I look forward to trying it out.  I also really look forward to bringing only one pair of shoes (Blundstone boots), and being able to walk around comfortably at the destination.

However, I do very little technical mountain biking.  If I were doing more of that, I think I would still stick with clipless, because of the control issues.  Otherwise, platform all the way.

[sparklehorse]

Thanks for all your input folks! I was already leaning heavily toward switching to platforms prior to my Deschutes River trip, and the comments made here by some of you convinced me to do so. I made the switch, did the trip, and loved the platforms. It was great to ride with regular hiking boots, and not need any extra footwear. I didn't miss my clipless pedals at all, but then again we weren't riding anything technical. I've posted a trip report here on bikepacking.net if you're interested:

http://www.bikepacking.net/tripreports/deschutes-rail-trail-oregon/

Thanks again,

Gordon

[SSSasky]

Thanks for the update Gordon!  Glad to hear the platforms worked out for you.  I'm gonna use platforms and boots on an upcoming 240km overnighter. 

[vaporjourney]

time to revive a dead thread here...

I just finished a 5,000+ mile bike tour trying to find the nastyy roads of Baja, Mainland Mex, Belize, and Guatemala.   Wore pedal grips on cheapo Wellgo platform pedals the whole time and loved it.  Now I'm thinking about switching to some nice and wide (and grippy) BMX pedals for the next big trip in South America.  Any recommendations on BMX pedals that can accomdate power grips?  Was looking at the DMR v8s, primarily because they supposedly have great rolling bearings and are serviceable.  Problem is they don't seem to have holes small enough to secure the power grip brackets to them, or even to rig up my own screw/hardware solution.   Other pedal recommendations anyone???

[wdlandparker]

I have a pair of v-8's and they are very nice, as well as sevicable, just don't attempt to use the little grease port thingy, and take them all the way a part to service.