I rode on platform pedals today, no really I did, and it did not suck

So last night I rode the Luge for the first time on flats...at night... It did not suck, but it was uncomfortable. I did not have full mojo either, and through some of the the chop felt a little loose, looks like more rides are in order.

 

Knees must stay flexed and soft , think heavy feet light hands.

 

Yeah seemed to have that in daylight, haven't ridden at night for a couple weeks do I think I was a bit rigid, which was popping me loose on the rocks.

Wait are we actually taking about riding technique... This thread is overdue for a derail

 

Haha lmao!

 

Ok @Tom the Bomb so lets continue
Heavy on The Feet, Light on the Hands (Check flats or clipless)
Heels down descend and chunk, toes down in the air (Check)

Couple thoughts your suggestions soft in the knees.....*very* important as I have been riding more (about 6 rides lots of variation) now I am thinking about smooth / soft knees and hips and staying more connected through the chuck, it definitely makes me be "Active with the bike" lets the bike move up and down keep the upper body smoother, get a little tired and stiffen up feel less connected. So I need to still think, should be good / better as I do more. I will say that I feel a little less "rear wheel" control but I have heard that is normal.

Will say that, I have now caught a little more air and when I am doing right (me and the bike taking the same ARC) its a beautiful thing, I took a nice little air off a lip at the top of meadows into a descending turn, nice approach, take off, pushed the bars a bit, toes a bit down, nice rotation, nice connection ... smiles all around, had a spectator too, told him to "Stay Right There" (thats important because I was comfortable enough to multi-task)

Now... next up. So I don't have a problem with a slower hucks, same basic as with clips, push bars , heel dropped, (mini manual) no problem

BUT

Had some minor issues today, so at speed on the Luge (and I mean at some speed) its choppy etc, and I am rockin through it and then there are a few minor 2-3ft drop at speed (I probably clear 5-7 feet or so distance), and the Bronson needs to be ridden mid weight so I have the heels down and go flying off the descending drop and the bike drops away some, like 1-2" pedal separation, not the most confidence inspiring... more than once

Do I need to do quick toes down, which seems a bit hard as it is a very quick transition, I read that you need to "suck the bike up" on features like that, or do I hold / push / rotate the bars? or get lower and let me feet drop with the bike, or perhaps pre-weight and "launch the bike a bit"

Anyways any thoughts / pointers appreciated.

 

OK...

Keep your feet on the pedals.

You're welcome!

 

I managed to get me some of this:

 

Ok Stephen 3 options. Your knees and elbows are not bent enough so that when you drop of the edge you can extend to the landing without separation.
1. Do the suck up technique and land crouched.
2. Slight manual off the edge, with suck up.
3. Jump off the edge from crouched position. You really do not need to preload. Just suck up with hands and feet.
It sounds to me like you are launching off the drop and are extending your legs too soon thus pushing the pedals away from you causing separation. You may not think you are doing this but it is most likely. Huge tip! Do not push down with your feet to reach the trail! The suck up technique is vital. When I got the confidence to suck up or let my feet and hands come up under me on jumps the separation went away and so did the dead sailor feeling of listing in the air! Every time I hit a drop or jump I let the bike suck up under me as my feet and knees come up! It even works when there is no lip! My jumping went from sketchy landings to awesomeness! Remember to let your hands come up too! Your hands and feet should come up at the same time. If you are racing and want limited air and want to get to the dirt as quickly as possible for speed get as low to the bike as you can approaching the drop. As you leave the edge drop your chest towards the top tube. This way you can get down to the dirt without loosing time in the air and be ready for a quick turn. Do it baby!
Looking forward to your next update!

 

Ya I got so many of those pedal gouges I was using sports tape on the back of my calves. That is probably happening when climbing or going from a coast to pedaling . Drop your heals when technical climbing and wipe the poop off your foot. Coming off a coast you will learn to feel for the resistance in the pedal stroke before you pedal fast. This will save you a lot of bloody calves and frustration. With technical climbing I have learned to crouch and I actually do a lot of pulling up. This works very well. Go for it!

 

@Tom the Bomb thanks

Yeah I think I am "reaching" for the ground too soon and thus pushing the bike awsy, so I will work on the "Suck Up" LOL/ staying in the crouch. I think that equals a bit more air / length. Sounds like the heels need a little up / back pressure for that oroperhaps heels down works too... I'll try. these are descending so I can chest drop a bit to get to the ground sooner. Yeah these had no lip but speed plus drop plus descending still means some air.

Thanks for some things to practice... having fun working on this.

I have rolled the pedal once or twice when mismatched speed / gear and pedalling ..something else to pay attention to.

BTW I got a pair of Stamp 7s like them better than the Cromags I had.

 

If the bike is pushing away from you on the Luge drops it could be a few things.

1. Suspension set up. Possible rebound to fast
2. Body mechanics. Unless you are striaghtening your legs to explode off a lip and get max air(or pre jump/hop), then Knees should be bent at lift off so you can press down into the landing. Most all those Luge features i am pressing the bike DOWN ASAP since you gotta hit the brakes ASAP on past most of them.

“. I will say that I feel a little less "rear wheel" control but I have heard that is normal.”

As long as you can manage control of the front wheel all will work out fine.

 

Ref

 

Okay, a little thread resurrection here. A couple of weeks ago I dusted off the HT Components pedals and 510's and started running them on the Ripley as opposed to the Sidi's and XT's that I have been running just to mix it up a little. I have to say that I am actually having fun running the flats for now. I don't have any problems keeping my feet on the pedals. That's probably a combination of having good shoes and pedals, and possibly from riding BMX bikes my entire childhood and dirt bikes up until just a few years ago. That said, I don't hit any big jumps or super gnarly drops or anything like that. I am planning on leaving the flats on the bike for the immediate future.

 

Yeah, this is a good thread to read through, @pperrelle I don't know how long I've been on flats... maybe a year? The biggest change over that time is not getting bucked off on little bumps like I initially did. Feet are staying connected, so I must have learned the technique. Really noticed it coming down Loch Leven last weekend as there are a ton of water bars that would have previously given me a hard time. I was flowing over them quite nicely if I do say so!

 

for MTB, flats are all that I know... I'm on 510 and HTs. Increase in travel has added benefit of less feet buckling for me,
haven't had any prob since I went long travel.

 

As a core member of this thread I've now been riding flats for maybe 6 months actually PRd every one of my favorite decents.... Including the luge with the drops and some other chunk sections trails. It's not all just the flats but some Carbon wheels and big tires on to but I'm definitely enjoying the flats. Have yet to do big air on them yet see how that works hopefully this summer. I've been riding clipless pedals scince 95-ish not sure if I'm going back or not.

Thanks to @Tom the Bomb and @dustyyoungblood I got the flat "suck up" working strong.

I guess one thing I've noticed is I'm riding more flexible working with the bike and Terrain and not force throwing it around or Force just moving the back end where I wanted which could con. More flexible in the legs and hips I think.

 

Can we stop calling clip-in pedals "clipless" yet? They are anything but clipless.

Clips and flats. That's what we have. Clip-in, binding equipped pedals engaged by a cleat, or pedals with traction pins to grip a shoe that has no cleat.

Binding-style pedals were called "clipless" in 1989 because the dominant pedal of the day had a cage and straps called toe clips. That was 30 years ago.

"I ride in clips" or "I ride flats." Or, if you like, "I ride clipped in."

I think we here at IMTB exert enough influence on the rest of the MtB world that we can put the archaic phrase "clipless" to rest. Let's do this!

(PS: Please take the warning sticker off the driver's side window of your car too, if you haven't already. Then you will solve two of my pet peeves at once, and the world will be a better place).

 

So is the school year over for you yet?

 

God yes, those stickers

 

I rode with toe clips in my early roadie days. Those things would get old on long rides. But man, they were bomber on sprints and hard efforts! Trick was to tighten 'em up when none of your buddies was watching.

Now I ride with cleats. (Er, I mean clipped in.)

 

"Cleats" is a perfectly acceptable substitute for "clips" or "clipped in."

 

No.
Students are done next Thursday. I don't have off until July - then it's only three weeks.

 

As of today, I'm free and clear till July 30!

 

Has anyone had any experience with Catalyst Pedals?
https://pedalinginnovations.com/
Buddy of mine swears by them. He comes from BMX, so is maybe biased?
I like the idea of a larger base for more grip, but the mid-foot placement sounds more religion than science?

 

And yes, you can remove the mattress tag as well. It's safe... Trust me.

 

Try to get as thin a pedal as possible. It will reduce pedal strikes. Look at Kona's new composite pedal. They are light , thin and durable. Great reviews. Wide is good but will increase pedal strikes to the outside edge. Remember flats are much wider than clips.

 

Thanks, TTB. I've looked at the Kona Wah Wah II, as they are supposed to be similar to the Catalysts. They're a bit wider though. The Catalysts are narrower than the Wah Wahs or the Chesters I currently have. But 30mm longer. That's their entire claim to (marketing) fame.

 

This x5000...absolutely loving the composite Wah Wah 2s so far...best platform I’ve found for my 18s and SUPER grippy. Haven’t broken them yet....

Also have One Up composites on other bike...really nice too but Wah Wahs are a bit superior IMO

 

I have the wah wah ii's
Really love them so far. Super grippy, I think partially responsible for the chunks out of the soul on my 510's, and definitely responsible for multiple chunks out of my shins....

I did choose them because they are wider than the rf Chesters, so would accommodate my size 13 shoes.

 

Any pedal strike issues w/ the WWII?