Platform vs. Clipless Pedals: What to Choose for Mountain Biking?
3 minute read
Sometimes it is surprising that this question, whose answer depends primarily on personal preferences, sparks such passionate discussions among mountain bikers. You can often encounter staunch supporters of each of the two systems, and there are also people who easily alternate between the two types.
Let's quickly look at what each one is. Platform pedals are generally closer to the traditional idea of this component. Unlike city and touring pedals, however, they have a larger and more massive platform, from which aggressively looking pins protrude (usually thin Allen bolts screwed into the pedal platform). Overall, this type of pedal comes to mountain biking from BMX bikes – companies like DMR with models like Vault are typical representatives of this kind. When combined with suitable shoes featuring a flat sole made of soft rubber compound, the grip becomes so good that many compare it to clipping into clipless pedals.
Clipless pedals, on the other hand, are an idea borrowed from skiing. It is no coincidence that the French company Look was the first to develop such pedals, but for road bikes. Nowadays, road clipless pedals have a quite different design from those for mountain bikes, although the principle is generally the same. For mountain bikes, there are many types – from XC models with minimalist size and very low weight, such as the Look X-Track EN-Rage, to downhill/enduro models that have both clipless mechanisms and a sufficiently large platform – for example, the Crank Brothers Mallet E. Clipless pedals require special shoes with a stiffer sole and holes for mounting cleats (also called "pieces") that snap into the clipless mechanism.
As for city cyclists and bike tourists, their choice is the most diverse. Besides most of the types mentioned, they often try a mixed approach – pedals that have a platform on one side and clipless on the other. For the city, this seems like a good compromise, but for mountain riding, most people reject such an approach.
So, the dilemma "platforms or clipless" mainly concerns mountain biking practitioners. In this discipline, the advantages and disadvantages of each type seem to stand out most clearly.
Platform pedals are generally easier and more intuitive to use. You step on and ride; you stop and lift your foot off the pedal. They do not clog with mud, allow more foot movement in different directions, and in some ways enable more aggressive riding (especially in corners). If you are just starting to learn basic techniques like lifting the rear wheel, bunny hops, and even proper pedaling, platforms will help you develop better habits. On the other hand, with them, the foot can shift during riding on rougher terrain. If you "miss" the pedal, it can leave a lasting and painful mark on your shin. In general, platforms are less efficient for long pedaling sessions, which is also related to the fact that shoes for them do not have such stiff soles. But this guarantees easier walking when you need to carry the bike on your back or push it along a trail.
Clipping into clipless pedals guarantees a good connection between the foot and the pedal even on the roughest terrain, which is why these models are often preferred by riders with hardtail frames. For XC riders, they provide some advantage in pedaling – not because you can pull the pedal upward with your foot (generally, this technique is not correct), but because the so-called circular pedaling (pulling the pedal backward at the lowest point) happens more naturally and without much thought. However, keep in mind that the cleats must be precisely positioned to allow natural foot movement during pedaling – do not underestimate this detail to avoid knee problems! The main difficulty when riding with clipless pedals is not whether you will unclip during a fall – initially, people fear this, but in practice, the pedals almost always release without you even noticing. The problem is more in situations where a rider preemptively unclips their foot (for example, in a corner or on a steep, technical section), after which it is not always easy to clip back in immediately, especially if you have to start from a standstill. Another disadvantage is that in thick, sticky mud, clipless pedals sometimes clog – moreover, in such conditions, falls are usually quick and unexpected, so platforms become the more reliable option.
