What can riding 100km on flat pedals teach us?

One thing that is synonymous with road cyclists is our querky shoes and our clipless pedals. For many of us when we start out on our riding journey we see the migration from flat pedals to clipless pedals as a right of passage to call ourselves a ‘real cyclist’.

To find out just how much benefit clipless pedals really have Conor Dunne set out on a 100km ride ditching his preferred clipless set-up for a set of flat pedals and cycling-specific flat shoes.

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Clipless pedals seem to present a tangible benefit over flat pedals for long road rides however is this actually the case in reality?

Although clipless pedals are ubiquitous for us lycra-wearing roadies, opinion is far more split when it comes to our off-road mountain biking cousins. Although a lot of riders do choose to ride clipped-in, there are plenty of riders, even at the top of the sport, that prefer to use flats. Obviously, the demands for each discipline couldn't be further apart however, it did get us wondering whether clipless is always the best option.

• Read more: Are flat pedals actually just as fast as clipless pedals?

It is fair to say that not all flat pedals are made equally. If you compare a pair of plastic pedals that typically come free with a new bike in contrast to some high-end performance flats you might be surprised at just how much difference there is between them.

A cheap plastic pedal offers very little in terms of grip and support and is not the most robust offering to fit to your bike. A set of premium flat pedals will have an ergonomic design that has been tailored to interface with a shoe to offer the most grip possible. They will also feature adjustable pins to customise the fit for both rider comfort and control.

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A good pair of flat pedals will have adjustable metal pins that can be tailored to fit your shoe to offer the most grip possible

Another element that can massively affect a flat pedal set-up is the shoes that are paired with them – after all, the pedal is only one-half of the equation. A cycling-specific flat shoe will have a soft sticky rubber sole that has been purposefully designed to work with the pins on a flat pedal.

• Read more: Clipless pedals: what are they and how do you use them?

It has been said that a good pedal and shoe interface can give the feeling of being clipped and can allow riders to apply power throughout more of the pedal stroke. We have even tested this theory before on GCN when Conor put flat pedals head to head with clipless with the results showing very little difference in every area other than a max sprint effort.

The route

On his 100km winter epic ride, Conor has decided to ride three laps of a 33km loop starting from Bath. This allows for a direct comparison over time between each lap to see if there is a more noticeable drop-off in performance on flat pedals as he fatigues. The loop that has been chosen also features an ascent of Bathwick Hill which provides a testing climb to put the efficiency of the flat pedals through its paces.

How did the flat pedals stack up?

As the ride progressed the fatigue set in for Conor however, no more than he would have expected to experience on clipless pedals. One thing he frequently noticed was that it was hard to tell the difference between riding on flat pedals and what he is more used to with clipless pedals.

The only time it really did become obvious was on the steeper climbs, especially whilst riding out of the saddle. If you have spent any time riding with clipless pedals it does become intuitive to pull up on the pedals whilst out of the saddle, something that is not possible whilst on flats.

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Conor fitted the flat pedals to his Canyon Endurace and paired them with a pair of cycling-specific flat shoes

One of the issues Conor experienced with flats is that it can be hard to find the perfect foot position every time. Unlike clipless pedals that lock your feet firmly in place, flat pedals take a bit more precision from the rider to find the sweet spot. It can be hard work finding the right position and mirco-adjusting your foot can be hard with such grippy shoes.

• Read more: Road or MTB pedals: which should you choose?

Something that could cause issues further down the road is the greater potential for imbalances and even injuries through the asymmetry that can creep into your riding position. It is very easy for your feet to be imbalanced on the pedals both laterally and longitudinally. Over time the repetition of this imbalanced position could potentially lead to overuse and fatigue injuries.

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Flat pedals do not hold your feet in a fixed position meaning you can find yourself riding asymmetrically

Towards the end of the ride, Conor did find that he was feeling the efforts of the ride more than normal. The additional fatigue was especially noticeable around his ankles, potentially down to continuously needing to stabilise his foot position on the pedals. It is likely that the smaller stabilising muscles that are less likely to be recruited when using clipless pedals are more susceptible to fatigue when starting out on flats until they adapt to the demands of riding without being clipped in.

• Read more: Riding through pain: Signs that your riding position needs changing

The final verdict

Although there wasn’t really that much to differentiate between riding on flats or with clipless pedals Conor noted that flat pedals did leave him feeling a little less secure on the descents and also a bit more sore in some areas after a long ride.

Although in a performance setting, he will still be reaching for his road shoes and pedals he certainly wouldn’t shun a flat pedal set-up for longer or more chilled adventure riding, especially where there could be the need for extended periods of walking with the bike.

Are you a fan of flat pedals or are you a die-hard clipless fan, let us know your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.