SPDs - Jumping

[halo34]

I know its one of those age old debates but I have to ask.

I can bunny hop and jump no problems clipped in with my crank bros pedals (when the bearings arent falling out).

I can make a tiny ickle bunny hop but cant jump not clipped in.

Now starting to get braver so the question is do I;

Have fun stop worrying about it and stay clipped in
Immediately go and get tacki soled shoes and flats
Buy some irrelevant bling for my bike and keep worrying about it anyway

Part of me says I want to get the technique right on flats, but the other half of me says if I go out and get air clipped in - happy and having fun stop the worrying.

Anyone got any experiences - just to add been clipped in since started riding around 5 yrs ago so find it very difficult going down hills without being clipped in.

Edited by halo34 on Tuesday 23 June 12:51

[B52er]

I went through the same thing a couple of years back, reason being that I changed from riding xc to freeriding/dh. I thought it would be a nightmare but you soon get used to it.

The main thing you need to learn is to change your technique, whilst bunny hopping with clips involves just jumping up, with flats you need to pull up your front wheel first then use the leverage from your back wheel to throw yourself forward and up. Once you get the hang of it, its really not that taxing!

As for your decision between the two i suppose it depends on what type of riding you do..... but its always nice to have a choice!

[hondafanatic]

I swap my pedals constantly. If i'm messing about, then I can do a lot more 'tricks' and have more confidence to do them if i'm on flats. If I'm out on a trail or going any distance, then spd's all the way.

I don't even attempt wheelies or endo's in spd's.

Edited by hondafanatic on Tuesday 23 June 14:52

[vwsurfbum]

hondafanatic said:

I swap my pedals constantly. If i'm messing about, then I can do a lot more 'tricks' and have more confidence to do them if i'm on flats. If I'm out on a trail or going any distance, then spd's all the way.

I don't even attempt wheelies or endo's in spd's.

Edited by hondafanatic on Tuesday 23 June 14:52

snap!

[hondafanatic]

vwsurfbum said:

hondafanatic said:

I swap my pedals constantly. If i'm messing about, then I can do a lot more 'tricks' and have more confidence to do them if i'm on flats. If I'm out on a trail or going any distance, then spd's all the way.

I don't even attempt wheelies or endo's in spd's.

Edited by hondafanatic on Tuesday 23 June 14:52

snap!

I prefer Cribbage, but whatever you like...

[halo34]

I have crank mallets so could swap out the end plates for the spiky ones - then wear tacky shoes (or whatever they be called) for mucking about, guess that would be best of both worlds.

How do you cope with feeling like your disconnected from the bike though?

[hman]

I run spd's for pretty much everything but regularly get caught out when riding ruts on steep inclines etc when I cant get unclipped in time.

When I am totally unsure of the upcoming terrain I generally swap to standard bear traps with toeclips.

This way I can get the pull and push of clips for the hilly bits, then flip over for bear traps for jumps, or tricky technical bits.

You can have a bit of both by slackening off the toe clip strap to allow for instant disengagement of foot from pedal with the added confidence that you are not going to shin slap yourself. uch:

My spd shoes are suitable for riding bear traps, clips, or spd's s it has been known for me to take an allen key and my spd pedals in my hydrapack rucksac for the intermediate road sections.

[AbarthChris]

I've always been of the opinion that you should learn the basics on flats - i.e bunnyhops and then transfer to spd's.

Simply because bunnyhops etc are all good trail techniques and if you can do them on flats you can do them even better on spds. Plus, i dont think you can say you can bunnyhop if you can only do it on spd's

But... just go with whatever you prefer!

[neil_bolton]

AbarthChris said:

I've always been of the opinion that you should learn the basics on flats - i.e bunnyhops and then transfer to spd's.

Simply because bunnyhops etc are all good trail techniques and if you can do them on flats you can do them even better on spds. Plus, i dont think you can say you can bunnyhop if you can only do it on spd's

But... just go with whatever you prefer!

SPDs and jumping never bothered me.

Just make sure if you DO start jumping on SPDs that you are ABSOLUTELY sure of your natural instinct for your feet releasing.

Otherwise its a BAD idea.

As for how best to learn? Learn it properly on flats and then try it, not the way I did it

[AbarthChris]

neil_bolton said:

AbarthChris said:

I've always been of the opinion that you should learn the basics on flats - i.e bunnyhops and then transfer to spd's.

Simply because bunnyhops etc are all good trail techniques and if you can do them on flats you can do them even better on spds. Plus, i dont think you can say you can bunnyhop if you can only do it on spd's

But... just go with whatever you prefer!

SPDs and jumping never bothered me.

Just make sure if you DO start jumping on SPDs that you are ABSOLUTELY sure of your natural instinct for your feet releasing.

Otherwise its a BAD idea.

As for how best to learn? Learn it properly on flats and then try it, not the way I did it

SPD's and jumping doesnt bother me either, its the fact i'm crap at jumping that bothers me!

im very sure of my natural instinct to stop myself with my face. works every time. (as neil will testify to, having seen me faceplant over a teeny,teeny double!)

[bennyboysvuk]

I've never used SPDs and have had DMR V8 pedals on my mountain bike for as long as I can remember. As mentioned above, once you get the technique right for bunny hopping and practice it a bit, it's really not a problem.

I tend to wheelie a lot and the thought of having my feet locked in if I'm doing a particularly precarious cornering wheelie worries me.

These are the pedals I use:

http://www.jensonusa.com/product/pe/PE407E00BLK__9...

[hondafanatic]

Does anyone do anything other than jump in spds? I wouldn't even attempt a wheelie for the same reason above, although I ride almost exclusively on spds.

I think Danny McAskill's next challenge should be to do his whole routine in spds.

[AbarthChris]

hondafanatic said:

Does anyone do anything other than jump in spds? I wouldn't even attempt a wheelie for the same reason above, although I ride almost exclusively on spds.

I think Danny McAskill's next challenge should be to do his whole routine in spds.

I wheelie, stoppie, and do everything i would do on flats. I've been known to pull some stonking high speed wheelies down hill. Its all about having confidence with the back brake

[bennyboysvuk]

AbarthChris said:

hondafanatic said:

Does anyone do anything other than jump in spds? I wouldn't even attempt a wheelie for the same reason above, although I ride almost exclusively on spds.

I think Danny McAskill's next challenge should be to do his whole routine in spds.

I wheelie, stoppie, and do everything i would do on flats. I've been known to pull some stonking high speed wheelies down hill. Its all about having confidence with the back brake

That's a given, but I think it more depends on how far you're prepared to go to save a wheelie that's going wrong. i.e. sticking out a leg to counterbalance it is something I do quite often if freewheeling-wheelying.

[markoc]

I too went from DMR V pedals and Vans to SPDs - largely because of the need at the time to do roadwork as a commute. Since then ( a good 8 or so years ago) I have not looked back from SPD's - and I used to swear by GT DX's and DMR V's. I'm no big air merchant, but enjoy getting off the floor (a foot of air is plenty for me) - and don't have too many moments on the SPD's. If I'm going to be playing around I back off the tension so clipping out is a lot easier.

Given the choice, if I was to do a pure DH day or muck about I'd go back to flats and vans - but my riding is more XC now with less mucking around so SPD's are best for me. I found the issue with SPD's was "finding" the pedal again once you've clipped out - which with good technique you shouldn't need to do it, but is a practice only made perfect by getting it wrong (which hurts).

Do they still make those Shimano SPD's with a flat DH style pedal around them. I know back in the day they were red with a black centre - 636's I think. Might be worth picking a pair up if they're still around, as a good compromise pedal while you get used to being airborne with the bike attached.

[hman]

markoc said:

I too went from DMR V pedals and Vans to SPDs - largely because of the need at the time to do roadwork as a commute. Since then ( a good 8 or so years ago) I have not looked back from SPD's - and I used to swear by GT DX's and DMR V's. I'm no big air merchant, but enjoy getting off the floor (a foot of air is plenty for me) - and don't have too many moments on the SPD's. If I'm going to be playing around I back off the tension so clipping out is a lot easier.

Given the choice, if I was to do a pure DH day or muck about I'd go back to flats and vans - but my riding is more XC now with less mucking around so SPD's are best for me. I found the issue with SPD's was "finding" the pedal again once you've clipped out - which with good technique you shouldn't need to do it, but is a practice only made perfect by getting it wrong (which hurts).

Do they still make those Shimano SPD's with a flat DH style pedal around them. I know back in the day they were red with a black centre - 636's I think. Might be worth picking a pair up if they're still around, as a good compromise pedal while you get used to being airborne with the bike attached.

I have spds witha a sort of plate around them, enough to cycle without being in the cleat if you know what i mean.

They are one sided though so a pita if you are out of cleat and want to get back in in a hurry, I may install my two sided mini spd pedals soon.

[markoc]

These are what I was thinking of. Not sure if they are still in production, but some form of variant must be:

[hondafanatic]

markoc said:

These are what I was thinking of. Not sure if they are still in production, but some form of variant must be:

I started using spds with these. They were heavy but really good.

Abarthchris - you're my new hero.

[AbarthChris]

hondafanatic said:

I started using spds with these. They were heavy but really good.

Abarthchris - you're my new hero.

Why thankyou! <blushes>

I use a version of those spuds too, black with silver metal cage. cant remember the model.

I do Cwmcarn DH on spds, and ill be doing the Mega in a couple of weeks clipped in too.

[neil_bolton]

AbarthChris said:

hondafanatic said:

I started using spds with these. They were heavy but really good.

Abarthchris - you're my new hero.

Why thankyou! <blushes>

I use a version of those spuds too, black with silver metal cage. cant remember the model.

I do Cwmcarn DH on spds, and ill be doing the Mega in a couple of weeks clipped in too.

M636 to be exact is that model. DX was the 'group' they belonged to.

Its still in production now, but the cage is now resin (I have a set, but used to run the red ones, and the grey ones) as opposed to aluminium.

Best pedals ever, but top tip for Mega riders:

Don't run caged SPD pedals; you'll be clipping loads of immovable rocks, and a set of XC pedals would be more efficient. However I can understand that the cage gives a level of solidness to the bike.

ps. I hit 35ft gaps with spds. Its easy.