Clips or Tires

[Shane_Thompson]

Hey guys having trouble decideing on what to buy or what will benifit me the most.

I either want some clipless pedals and shoes or some street tires for road riding.

My riding schedule- this should help you guys understand and decided on which would be best for me. Every Saturday I do a casual road ride with a local bike store, its a 30 mile casual ride we average around 15 mph so I have no trouble keeping up on my MTB. I was considering getting some road tires for these road rides, for I am still on knobbies. I have been told that street tires will net me a few more MPH.
Trail riding- I ride the Local trails (Ridgeland Trails) 2 and sometimes 3 times a week. I deffientley spend more time on single track than road.

So that leaves me wondering if I should get a clipless pedal setup or do the road tires. I know road tires will help me alot. But then I wonder if its the best thing to get over clipless. I know the clipless will help me out on the trails. I have been using foot cages but those things seem dangerous…

Another note about the clipless pedals, I am going have to go with a cheaper shoes as in a $40 doller shoe and im getting the pedals used(shimano), Thats one reason I am making this thread my money is tight tight and its one or the other lol. So for all I know it may not be worth going with a cheap shoe??

Hopefully you guys can take what Im saying and give me a logical answer lol Such a long post for such a simple question ha

[Shane_Thompson]

"ChiliPepper" wrote

Hey Hey!

Glad to see you back up and running bro. As per the clipless and tires, they are both very beneficial. The Maxxis Holy Roller, Maxxis Crossmark, Kenda Tomac Small Block 8, Maxxis Larsen TT 2.35", and the Maxxis Maxxlite 310 tires are great for what you are looking for in tires from what you posted. These tires are great for BMX and dirt jumps as well as urban riding. They will definitely cut down a little on the rolling resistance that the bigger knobby tires have. As per the clipless pedals, they definitely will give an advantage with your off-road and road riding over flats. Flats are great for FR and DH, or the ones terrified of being clipped in. Anyways, good luck bro and I am sure that you will get some more great advise soon from some of the other fellow riders/members.

Keep it real and ride hard! 😄

Hey ha yea im here !! Finally LOL

Thanks for the advice, I am currently using footcages are those just as good as clips or are clips way better? The footcages kind of freak me out due to all the foot action one has to do to get out of them. especially in a tight situation where I need to get a foot on the ground quick cause i have stalled or something lol.. I have had some uber sketchy moments 😏

[Shane_Thompson]

"ChiliPepper" wrote

If toe clips is what you are talking about when you mention foot cages, then by all means get rid of them. Those are only good on the road with road bikes, but even now they are pretty much obsolete with clipless pedals in wide use. You would be far better riding on clipless pedals than using those toe clips. You will just have to get used to clipping in and out of the clipless pedals, and one of the ways to do that is in an open grassy field or in your home. You can always mount your bike along a wall and practice clipping in and out while watching TV.

Toe Clips im sure thats what I have. And ha a Road RIder Gave them to me. I have been riding trails with them things.. 😢 I take it those are a No no for MTB riding? lol

[Shane_Thompson]

"ChiliPepper" wrote

Well, I do not want to say that they are worthless for trail riding, but they are definitely not the best either. Like I said, they were designed and used by roadies. I have only seen a handful of riders on the trails using them in over 15 years riding off-road. You would be so much better using clipless, and I promise that you would greatly appreciate clipless once you start using them. I will say that it is much easier clipping in and out of clipless than it with those toe clips. In fact, I am not even sure why they still make those toe clips, they are pretty much moot in todays times. I have clipless, but I ride on flats due to being a FR. Hope this helps bro!

Well I thank you for the help! I am going to go with the clip pedals, for I only do that road ride and I can hold my own even with the knobbies .

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

Given your finances and ride schedule, I would go for the clipless pedals. On your once a week paved ride, pump up your tires to the max PSI, and that combined with the extra power transfer you’ll get from the clipless will give you a decent ride.

One note, I went through this last summer while bike commuting with my mountain bike. Changing tires twice a week sucks!

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

I changed between knobbies and street tires.

Now I have my new full suspension, so I made the hardtail into a fully rigid with road tires, and the mountain bike has the velociraptors.

[Shane_Thompson]

"maddslacker" wrote

One note, I went through this last summer while bike commuting with my mountain bike. Changing tires twice a week sucks!

O yea.. I was thinking about that also. I knew that would suck lol.

[steve32300]

Hey guys having trouble decideing on what to buy or what will benifit me the most.

I either want some clipless pedals and shoes or some street tires for road riding.

I am a platform pedal user,so I might be a little biased here but………….I just bought a set of Kenda K-Rads to commute to work and ride urban and they are a absolutely night and day difference from using regular knobby trail tires around town.The clippless will make pedaling more constructive for your spinning tecnique,although the street tires will net you WAY less rolling restistance on the pavement and concrete.Another thing is,(as far as budget goes),just because you go with the street tires,does’nt mean you cant use them on the trail as well.I use my Kenda K-Rads on the trail as well.Of course out here in Colorado,we have alot of hard dry pack trails and rocks so it’s not like you cant get away with using a smooth knobby like the K-Rad or a small block 8 or such.

But,even at that,if you plan on being a clippless kinda rider,you may want to go with the clippless pedals just so your sticking to what you want to do and be.Decisions,decisions,hahahahahaha.We can blah blah blah all we want,but you’ll have to decide where you want to spend your money,but these are my thoughts.

[brianW]

I rode with toe clips ’til last year and had no problem with them. However after ggoingg clipless I would not go back to them.

Unless you have a complete wheel set for the road tires it would be a real pain in the ______ to change from trail to road tires every week.

[Shane_Thompson]

"steve32300" wrote

Hey guys having trouble decideing on what to buy or what will benifit me the most.

I either want some clipless pedals and shoes or some street tires for road riding.

I am a platform pedal user,so I might be a little biased here but………….I just bought a set of Kenda K-Rads to commute to work and ride urban and they are a absolutely night and day difference from using regular knobby trail tires around town.The clippless will make pedaling more constructive for your spinning tecnique,although the street tires will net you WAY less rolling restistance on the pavement and concrete.Another thing is,(as far as budget goes),just because you go with the street tires,does’nt mean you cant use them on the trail as well.I use my Kenda K-Rads on the trail as well.Of course out here in Colorado,we have alot of hard dry pack trails and rocks so it’s not like you cant get away with using a smooth knobby like the K-Rad or a small block 8 or such.

But,even at that,if you plan on being a clippless kinda rider,you may want to go with the clippless pedals just so your sticking to what you want to do and be.Decisions,decisions,hahahahahaha.We can blah blah blah all we want,but you’ll have to decide where you want to spend your money,but these are my thoughts.

Well I only do that one road ride a week, and I do stay with lead pack the whole time. Once again this is a casual ride averaing probably 12 MPH. I hold my own easily.

But there is also a second ride that leaves place that is all hardcore road riders that average 18-20MPH. I would like to ride with them because they go further, and ride faster. In that case I would love to get a set of road tires. But I highly doubt I could maintaine pace due to MTB gearing.

[Devin_P]

I ride both MTB and road and 18-20mph is faster than it seems…. You would likely wear your self out fast and not be able to keep up on a long ride with the road crew. The gearing and the bike design/efficiency are way different. If the ride has "no drop" policy I think you would end up ‘not making any friends’ if they were to be held up. But as far as everything else I would suggest gettin the pedals. They will work both on and off road and you can upgrade shoes as you get the money. One question, (didn’t see if you mentioned it) are the pedals MTB type or road specific?? Mtb can be used both styles but it is alittle more difficult to use road clips on an MTB.

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

I can manage 18-20 on my converted mountain bike….barely…gearing definitely catches up with you in that range.

[Shane_Thompson]

"Devin_P" wrote

I ride both MTB and road and 18-20mph is faster than it seems…. You would likely wear your self out fast and not be able to keep up on a long ride with the road crew. The gearing and the bike design/efficiency are way different. If the ride has "no drop" policy I think you would end up ‘not making any friends’ if they were to be held up. But as far as everything else I would suggest gettin the pedals. They will work both on and off road and you can upgrade shoes as you get the money. One question, (didn’t see if you mentioned it) are the pedals MTB type or road specific?? Mtb can be used both styles but it is alittle more difficult to use road clips on an MTB.

yes im sure they are I am buying them from a MTB racer that owns a portable shop, So I am sure they are good.

But yea about the roadie guys, yea I do not think that would be a good idea trying to tag along with those guy because they are full hardcore lance armstrongs lol

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

Perhaps the real purchase here should be an inexpensive, used road bike?

[Shane_Thompson]

"maddslacker" wrote

Perhaps the real purchase here should be an inexpensive, used road bike?

I have been looking around. Just cant really find nothing locally.

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