Yup... I'm at it again with the platforms. A few weeks back I decided to give platforms another go. This time my decision was driven out of frustration and comfort.
I was having issue slipping and sliding on my cycling shoes, my issue was the SPD cleat sticking out. I would put a foot down to catch myself and instead of traction I would get ice skates. This would ultimately always end up in scrapes and bruises on my shins from bouncing off rocks and logs.
Last weekend at Hawes I was coming into the Walgreens parking lot and put my foot down and it was splits city (ouch!). That was the last straw that put me over the top and I switched to platform pedals and my Nike 6.0 (that a buddy got at Gravity Camp but they didn't fit him so he gifted them to me).
This setup has some pretty sweet advantages:
- Hike-a-Bike sections are a lot easier.
- My shoes are super comfortable.
- I feel more confident in the sketchy tech sections (I can just put my foot down instead of having to clipout. That couple of milliseconds is the difference between falling on my ass and catching myself)
- I can just walk inside without scraping up our new tile.
- Not having to clip in on the sketchy section is awesome
- Driving my car is easier (to and from a ride)
- Most Importantly... I feel like a kid again
The disadvantages are:
- No more cheating on bunny hops
- Technical climbs are a lot harder (This is mainly an issue when I get tired and my pedal stroke gets sloppy).
I had some trepidation on my first technical ride with this setup because I'd been mountain biking with clipless since I was 16, but after the first descent the fear of my feet flying off the pedals was gone. Plus all the pro's in the videos roll with platforms so if it works for them it should work for you.
