spd vs flat pedals: foot position?

[owly]

Thinking about trying out flat pedals on the gravel bike.

Set them up today on the road bike. Rode up and down the street. Feels weird after being on Speedplay Frogs for the last four years.

My question is about technique difference. Seems like I need to plant a little more forward on the flat pedals to get the power down/engage the full area of the pedal, compared to the spd position.

Anyone else find they have to use this technique?

[JStonebarger]

No, with both speedplays and flat pedals if anything I tend toward a spot just behind the ball of my foot. (Eggbeaters for cyclocross, on the other hand, I ride straight on the ball. Maybe just for easier remounts?)

I'm curious to hear others' experiences. I love my flats, but for me the obvious differences were skinning my shin (the first ride or two -- a painful lesson I relearned quickly) and moving my foot around at will. If you haven't used the big flat "BMX pedals" try them -- they're the best.

[Tony]

Thinking about trying out flat pedals on the gravel bike.

Set them up today on the road bike. Rode up and down the street. Feels weird after being on Speedplay Frogs for the last four years.

My question is about technique difference. Seems like I need to plant a little more forward on the flat pedals to get the power down/engage the full area of the pedal, compared to the spd position.

Anyone else find they have to use this technique?

Yes, when I'm using flats my foot is more forward than when riding clipless. I also ride with clipless setup slightly behind the ball of my foot.

[jischr]

The ball of my foot is about the same, over the spindle, but i find my right foot turns outward after a while. And when I stand up in a hard effort the right slips around a bit.
Guess it shows I really am left leg dominate.

[dgauthier]

I rode flats for years -- as a kid. Never once did I think about where my foot was positioned.

Flats are pretty elemental. Were I to try them again I would keep the same idea in mind: "If I'm thinking about it, I'm doing it wrong."

[vqdriver]

I find myself more or less centered on flats, its the most neutral for standing and coasting technical stuff. Cleats are pushed as far back as possible

[simplemind]

In the same vein...what is the "correct" clipless foot position, i.e. horizontal, heel down, toe down?

[ultraman6970]

If you are going to use flat pedals I would pair them with a good shoe and with toe clips if your pedaling technique is bad.

[owly]

In the same vein...what is the "correct" clipless foot position, i.e. horizontal, heel down, toe down?

After a bit of reading, seems like that is what I need to do.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Very helpful.

[Tony]

I rode flats for years -- as a kid. Never once did I think about where my foot was positioned.

Flats are pretty elemental. Were I to try them again I would keep the same idea in mind: "If I'm thinking about it, I'm doing it wrong."

With my five tens the pins seem to find that sweet spot they've wore into so really don't think much about foot position.

[Tony]

If you are going to use flat pedals I would pair them with a good shoe and with toe clips if your pedaling technique is bad.

Are we talking about flat pedals with pins?

[kevinvc]

I switched to flats from clipless for commuting. I plan on doing the same for mountain biking as well, once the trails out here get dry enough to ride.

I found that I position my foot sightly forward on the flats. I also seem to settle a little further out from the spindle than I do on my SPDs. For a while I tried to consciously move my foot inwards and back to mimic my clipless setup as closely as possible. After a few weeks I stopped worrying about it. My feet naturally drift back to where they want to go. I haven't had any pain or other issues, so I just let my feet do what feels natural.

When I'm in my clipless, everything feels natural there too.

[benb]

On flats my feet assume about the same position I setup on SPDs for.

I've been trying SPD-SL again on my road bike lately.. the shoes don't allow me to setup with my foot in that same comfy/natural position, they force my foot back on the pedal due to the forward location of the mounting hoes on the shoe. I'm going to try it a little longer but will probably end up going back to using the SPDs everywhere.

[Ken Robb]

I think my feet naturally assume a good position on my flat pedals without me thinking about it. This position was a little different than (foot farther forward) than I had when clipped in on SPD or Eggbeaters. I moved my cleats to get closer to my "natural" position and liked it better.

If you haven't ridden flats lately you may learn something about cleat positioning by trying flats. Heck, you might like flats better but they look odd if you ride wearing "kit". :)

[GRAVELBIKE]

There's a school of thought that favors a foot-forward (http://www.gravelbike.com/first-impressions-catalyst-platform-pedals/) position on flats (say that 3x fast). Some riders take it to the extreme and pedal with their arches directly over the spindle. I find that it works well when navigating really rough/rocky sections but the jury is still out for "normal" riding/terrain. Interestingly enough I seem to prefer a higher gears and slower cadence when I move my feet forward.