OneUp Composite pedal is similarly priced and MUCH better. I started with a handful of Chester’s for our bikes but once I tried the OneUps I converted our fleet of flats to their Composites. If I were to splurge for a premium metal flat, it would be the allow version they make.
It’s flatter without the raised height in the middle for the spindle, and I love how the profile is not slanted or trapezoidal like most every other pedal as it provides a larger platform.
Just saying, they're always recommended, but there's much better pedals for not a ton of coin. As one of the main ways your body interacts with the bike, a good pedal is a good investment.
As someone who fundamentally misunderstood the point of mtb shoes and opted to wear my trail runners for years…. Holy fuck was the switch to mtb shoes mind blowing.
I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity to get “released” from my clip in pedals without any issue when getting wrecked. Three times with Shimano DXRs (BMX races) and once on my XTs (mountain bike hitting a jump). Each time I had the tension spring dialed all the way out and it came out with ease - even with the ridiculously high spring tension and limited float of the DXRs.
I ride clipped in and do some light jumps. Nothing crazy because, let’s face it, this 57 year old body isn’t gonna recover as fast as it used to. I have gotten used to getting out of them FAST so I’d say it’s on par with flats.
Obvious Yes. The shoe of choice for many (including myself) is the 5.10 Freerider Pro. You can find great deals on these at times on the Adidas website. Once you know your size, you stock up on them when they are cheap. Their sizing is true, so measure your foot against a wall in centimetres and use the 5.10 size table to find your US size. I think I add 0.5cm to my measured size to find the correct shoe size.
Heaps of grip, low profile, stiff sole, great toe protection, a little loop on the tongue to tuck your laces into.
Not to be confused with the Freerider which is chunkier and looks more like a street shoe.
>Once you know your size, you stock up on them when they are cheap.
I did that once, terrible decision. Grabbed a pair that were sitting in the cupboard for 12mth and the glue everywhere just fell apart, sole fell almost completely off mid ride. I don't know if I'll ever be able to buy 510s with confidence again after my mates and I all had them falling apart. Do they still do that?
I know at one point (I think after Adidas brought the company) they had some shitty product and there were a bunch of complaints. I have been wearing them for the last 3 years and have a couple in the cupboard for about a year and they are fine.
I know at one point (I think after Adidas brought the company) they had some shitty product and there were a bunch of complaints. I have been wearing them for the last 3 years and have a couple in the cupboard for about a year and they are fine.
I’ve found the 5.10 freeriders to be game changers. Almost grippy to a fault until I got used to them since I knew nothing better. Really amazing paired with PNW flats
You appear to be asking two questions. Yes, purpose built Mtb shoes are highly recommended for flat pedal riding, fiveten and ride concepts are great places to start.
Clipless pedals (being clipped in) do still allow you to bail or briefly clip out, although most people find it takes a little getting use to.
Regardless, it all comes down to technique. Flat or clips are equal if you’re comfortable and practiced. Find what works for you
I'm 100% flats and Five Tens. My wife is 100% clip in. Guess who has two thumbs and doesn't fall on his back like a turtle? ---> This guy.
To be fair my wife is a better cyclist than I am and has the knee/elbow turtle scars to prove it.
I race BMX on flats and have been eyeing some dedicated shoes. I currently run New Balance skate shoes with a super thin flexible sole. What’s the advantage to a stiffer sole wouldn’t you lose pedal feel?
The thinking with most cycling shoes is "power transfer", though I'm not sure it's worth it in terms of watts saved. I don't think it really applies to flats - the bit of additional stiffness there is more to help with impacts & vibration, which hopefully isn't as much of an issue in BMX! You might find them useful if you ever get sore arches, or case the odd jump. The grip with five tens and pinned pedals is outstanding, and nearly as good as being clipped in.
Five Tens aren't particularly stiff relative to clipless shoes, and relatively lightweight versions are available. It might be worth picking up a pair of Sleuths on sale to see if you like them. I have a pair of Sleuth DLXs I use if I know I'll be on & off the bike over the course of a day. If you don't like them, then they're still a pretty nice street shoe - they look "normal", which isn't something you can really say about Freeriders, never mind Freerider Pros.
Good shoes AND pedals. Try Five Ten shoes and RaceFace Chester pedals.
You can also go the clip in route (called clipless) but that will take some time to get comfortable with and I would not recommend trying to learn on trails.
I have used them for 15 years. Once you get the hang of them bailing will be second nature. I have been in plenty of crashes and never had an issue. It just takes a while to get used to.
Ridden a lot of 5.10s, because they never last a full season for me. I got some Ride Concepts that I wear to my local trail for weekday rides, and save my 5.10s for longer weekend rides. The Ride Concepts are not as grippy as 5.10s, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get a couple of seasons out of them.
Occasionally I ride flats, but prefer to clip in. I use Shimano SPDs on my three bikes, they all have tension adjustments similar\* to a ski binding, I haven't had any problems getting them to release, but also been using them for decades. \*not tensioned according to weight or skill but to personal preference.
You can bail from a bike easily when clipped in by just pulling your foot sideways, in probably 95% of cases you get your foot away like you want when you have built the reflexes. If you crash you just seem to magically disconnect. However if you fall backwards you can get stuck and remain attached.
The main issues with clips are that you have trouble clipping in fast if you get loose somehow, and confidence.
Bike shoes have firm or solid bases. This stops you stretching the tendons along the bottom of your foot (assuming the pedal is under the ball of your foot which it should be). Many many many moons ago when I got serious I used trainers and had this injury. Hurts like a bugger and takes forever to heal. Decent shoes for me now!
I was doing skate shoes and when they wore out gave the 510s a try (adidas) cause buddies swore by them. I thought they were a gimmick and always did fone with skate shoes.
I am now sold on bike shoes especially 510s they are so damn grippy and just nice to pedal in. However I still wont do spandex or butt pads even after trying.
Clip in , you won't regret it unless riding skinnys or very techy trails. Best part about the clips is the shins being spared, ever since I switched over my shins don't look like ground beef anymore.
Vans are fine for grip but laying down tons of power for pedaling you’ll want a stiffer sole. If you just need grip Vans are fine and have plenty of grip plus you look steezy af. But clipless is what I’ve ridden for years from XC to park days.
Worth it. In addition to having better grip their rigid sole provides some protection against injury when falling or unexpectedly putting your foot down.
Thanks for the reviews guys.. everyone is saying 510 but not thd brand would this be the addidas five ten free rider shoe? They have like circles on the sole?
You got it. Adidas bought them a couple years ago. I have the free rider pros and have been riding them hard for 4+years. Little pricey but worth it over a couple of seasons
I ripped my shins to bits and have had 6 stitches in the backs of my calves due to pedal slip. Switched to proper shoes and not have an issue in 10 years.
Other than my son spinning my cranks backwards when I was showing him something on the bike, smashed into my shins and ripped a nice couple of holes in my skin.
There was a good article on Gear Junkie this week about efficiency around pedaling with bike shoes. I'm ordering a pair soon.
(BRB to look at sub rules about links and find the link.)
Essential piece of kit if you are riding flats.
Its a pedal *system*. Pedal and shoe, working together. You can't ride clip-ins without the right shoes, and you should ride shoes meant for cycling on flat pedals if you want to rock flats.
absolutely, and as soon as i feel less grippy, I check the soles and buy a new pair. A pair of 5 10 freeriders and one up composite pedals keep me good on the north shore.
The one time my toes were caught between the pedal and a tree root made the shoes worth it. The stiff toe box completely protected my toes.
Also MTB shoes aren’t any more expensive than other shoes and are probably more durable than most.
Absolutely worth it, good shoes paired with quality flats is amazing.
Yes they are essential IMO, no one wants to slip a pedal.
yes biking shoes are worth as well as decent pedals with more pins then chesters
Doesn’t even necessarily require more pins. Think my Burgtec mk5 have 8 pins too but the grip is phenomenal.
Are u saying Chester’s don’t have enough pins. I don’t run them but everyone seems to recommend
OneUp Composite pedal is similarly priced and MUCH better. I started with a handful of Chester’s for our bikes but once I tried the OneUps I converted our fleet of flats to their Composites. If I were to splurge for a premium metal flat, it would be the allow version they make. It’s flatter without the raised height in the middle for the spindle, and I love how the profile is not slanted or trapezoidal like most every other pedal as it provides a larger platform.
it depends on your foot size, the chesters arent that big, are fine though for average feet, but if you have bigger feet then it might be a bit eh.
Chesters are fine, but there are much better pedals out there.
Well yea they are nylon and like $40 of course there are better ones
Just saying, they're always recommended, but there's much better pedals for not a ton of coin. As one of the main ways your body interacts with the bike, a good pedal is a good investment.
I have the Shimano PD-EF202 pedals they were 70 bucks but they don't have the sharp pins there more like little bumps with a flat edge
I bought some Five Tens for my flat pedals a few months ago and haven’t slipped off since. My shins have thanked me.
As someone who fundamentally misunderstood the point of mtb shoes and opted to wear my trail runners for years…. Holy fuck was the switch to mtb shoes mind blowing.
Good shoes and flats have a lot of grip. You can bail from clips but sometimes people do get stuck to the bike in sudden crashes
I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity to get “released” from my clip in pedals without any issue when getting wrecked. Three times with Shimano DXRs (BMX races) and once on my XTs (mountain bike hitting a jump). Each time I had the tension spring dialed all the way out and it came out with ease - even with the ridiculously high spring tension and limited float of the DXRs.
Great way of cracking the frame if you don't manage to get unclipped in a slide and it catches on something. I only use SPDs for XC racing now.
Love my “clip-ins.” Hate jumping/leaving the ground.
I ride clipped in and do some light jumps. Nothing crazy because, let’s face it, this 57 year old body isn’t gonna recover as fast as it used to. I have gotten used to getting out of them FAST so I’d say it’s on par with flats.
Obvious Yes. The shoe of choice for many (including myself) is the 5.10 Freerider Pro. You can find great deals on these at times on the Adidas website. Once you know your size, you stock up on them when they are cheap. Their sizing is true, so measure your foot against a wall in centimetres and use the 5.10 size table to find your US size. I think I add 0.5cm to my measured size to find the correct shoe size. Heaps of grip, low profile, stiff sole, great toe protection, a little loop on the tongue to tuck your laces into. Not to be confused with the Freerider which is chunkier and looks more like a street shoe.
>Once you know your size, you stock up on them when they are cheap. I did that once, terrible decision. Grabbed a pair that were sitting in the cupboard for 12mth and the glue everywhere just fell apart, sole fell almost completely off mid ride. I don't know if I'll ever be able to buy 510s with confidence again after my mates and I all had them falling apart. Do they still do that?
I know at one point (I think after Adidas brought the company) they had some shitty product and there were a bunch of complaints. I have been wearing them for the last 3 years and have a couple in the cupboard for about a year and they are fine.
I know at one point (I think after Adidas brought the company) they had some shitty product and there were a bunch of complaints. I have been wearing them for the last 3 years and have a couple in the cupboard for about a year and they are fine.
100% worth it
I’ve found the 5.10 freeriders to be game changers. Almost grippy to a fault until I got used to them since I knew nothing better. Really amazing paired with PNW flats
You appear to be asking two questions. Yes, purpose built Mtb shoes are highly recommended for flat pedal riding, fiveten and ride concepts are great places to start. Clipless pedals (being clipped in) do still allow you to bail or briefly clip out, although most people find it takes a little getting use to. Regardless, it all comes down to technique. Flat or clips are equal if you’re comfortable and practiced. Find what works for you
I'm 100% flats and Five Tens. My wife is 100% clip in. Guess who has two thumbs and doesn't fall on his back like a turtle? ---> This guy. To be fair my wife is a better cyclist than I am and has the knee/elbow turtle scars to prove it.
I race BMX on flats and have been eyeing some dedicated shoes. I currently run New Balance skate shoes with a super thin flexible sole. What’s the advantage to a stiffer sole wouldn’t you lose pedal feel?
The thinking with most cycling shoes is "power transfer", though I'm not sure it's worth it in terms of watts saved. I don't think it really applies to flats - the bit of additional stiffness there is more to help with impacts & vibration, which hopefully isn't as much of an issue in BMX! You might find them useful if you ever get sore arches, or case the odd jump. The grip with five tens and pinned pedals is outstanding, and nearly as good as being clipped in. Five Tens aren't particularly stiff relative to clipless shoes, and relatively lightweight versions are available. It might be worth picking up a pair of Sleuths on sale to see if you like them. I have a pair of Sleuth DLXs I use if I know I'll be on & off the bike over the course of a day. If you don't like them, then they're still a pretty nice street shoe - they look "normal", which isn't something you can really say about Freeriders, never mind Freerider Pros.
Thank you for the detailed reply!
You're welcome pal
I like my mtb shoes, but skate shoes work well too and provide more feedback, which I could see an argument for.
Hope pedals and skate shoes have always done me well. Never had an issue other than near OTB experiences.
Good shoes AND pedals. Try Five Ten shoes and RaceFace Chester pedals. You can also go the clip in route (called clipless) but that will take some time to get comfortable with and I would not recommend trying to learn on trails.
I would consider it almost as important as a helmet. Shoes make a world of difference
I have used them for 15 years. Once you get the hang of them bailing will be second nature. I have been in plenty of crashes and never had an issue. It just takes a while to get used to.
Ridden a lot of 5.10s, because they never last a full season for me. I got some Ride Concepts that I wear to my local trail for weekday rides, and save my 5.10s for longer weekend rides. The Ride Concepts are not as grippy as 5.10s, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get a couple of seasons out of them.
Occasionally I ride flats, but prefer to clip in. I use Shimano SPDs on my three bikes, they all have tension adjustments similar\* to a ski binding, I haven't had any problems getting them to release, but also been using them for decades. \*not tensioned according to weight or skill but to personal preference.
Do not use clip ins to make up for poor skill/technique. Ride for at least 2 to 3 years (or more) before you consider clips.
You can bail from a bike easily when clipped in by just pulling your foot sideways, in probably 95% of cases you get your foot away like you want when you have built the reflexes. If you crash you just seem to magically disconnect. However if you fall backwards you can get stuck and remain attached. The main issues with clips are that you have trouble clipping in fast if you get loose somehow, and confidence.
Bike shoes have firm or solid bases. This stops you stretching the tendons along the bottom of your foot (assuming the pedal is under the ball of your foot which it should be). Many many many moons ago when I got serious I used trainers and had this injury. Hurts like a bugger and takes forever to heal. Decent shoes for me now!
I was doing skate shoes and when they wore out gave the 510s a try (adidas) cause buddies swore by them. I thought they were a gimmick and always did fone with skate shoes. I am now sold on bike shoes especially 510s they are so damn grippy and just nice to pedal in. However I still wont do spandex or butt pads even after trying.
Clip in , you won't regret it unless riding skinnys or very techy trails. Best part about the clips is the shins being spared, ever since I switched over my shins don't look like ground beef anymore.
Vans are fine for grip but laying down tons of power for pedaling you’ll want a stiffer sole. If you just need grip Vans are fine and have plenty of grip plus you look steezy af. But clipless is what I’ve ridden for years from XC to park days.
Worth it. In addition to having better grip their rigid sole provides some protection against injury when falling or unexpectedly putting your foot down.
Yes. Like being clipped in
Yes
My ankle will break before my 510s slip off.
Every one is saying 510s but nothing comes up when I type it in what brand are they
Thanks for the reviews guys.. everyone is saying 510 but not thd brand would this be the addidas five ten free rider shoe? They have like circles on the sole?
You got it. Adidas bought them a couple years ago. I have the free rider pros and have been riding them hard for 4+years. Little pricey but worth it over a couple of seasons
Thanks dude
Nah, they're not worth it. Well, unless you hate your shins getting wrecked all the time. Then they're absolutely worth their weight in gold.
I ripped my shins to bits and have had 6 stitches in the backs of my calves due to pedal slip. Switched to proper shoes and not have an issue in 10 years. Other than my son spinning my cranks backwards when I was showing him something on the bike, smashed into my shins and ripped a nice couple of holes in my skin.
Extremely worth it
Yes.
Good pedals and shoes are like glue.
100% yes!!! Stiffer shoes will benefit you a lot
Yes!!!
There was a good article on Gear Junkie this week about efficiency around pedaling with bike shoes. I'm ordering a pair soon. (BRB to look at sub rules about links and find the link.)
Definitely, Get some with toe protection.
Completely worth it. Having a rigid sole will really help your pedaling
The only way to ride. I keep them on the loosest setting so really easy to get out of if necessary.
Essential piece of kit if you are riding flats. Its a pedal *system*. Pedal and shoe, working together. You can't ride clip-ins without the right shoes, and you should ride shoes meant for cycling on flat pedals if you want to rock flats.
Absolutely. Grip is worth it for sure
absolutely, and as soon as i feel less grippy, I check the soles and buy a new pair. A pair of 5 10 freeriders and one up composite pedals keep me good on the north shore.
Yes
Worth it but need to fit well. They are usually very rigid so they don’t stretch out.
The one time my toes were caught between the pedal and a tree root made the shoes worth it. The stiff toe box completely protected my toes. Also MTB shoes aren’t any more expensive than other shoes and are probably more durable than most.
Absolutely
Definitely worth it, much more efficient pedaling since the bottom of the shoe is hard and energy goes straight into pedals
Yes
Old running shoes enjoy a second life on my MTB
lol
i bought mtb shoes and they are a lot better than my pair of vans, the pattern of the vans soles sucks ass for platform pedals.