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My rant?
MTBers constantly choosing fashion over form, aka, fads.
It started with pro DHers who (documeneted by Farentino in a Grimy Handshake piece) requested a rule against spandex because they didn't want to wear it but didn't want to get beat by someone who would choose the racing benefits over the social horror.
There are a few fads I'm currently annoyed with. The first two are mild;
- Not wearing gloves; apparently, that whole "connection to the bars" thing is overrated. Besides, who sweats while riding?
-Riding in jeans. Too stupid for discussion. Again, who sweats while riding?
-My third and primary one is platform pedals. This fad is so big now, even long time riders, who should know better because they're well aware of the advantages of clipless, are even falling for it.
I've heard every excuse:
"It helps with extremely technical terrain" (No, it doesn't. It helps you to FALL in extremely technical terrain).
"It makes me a better rider to not rely on being clipped in." That one is my favorite and it's the one most often repeated by advanced riders going full-platform.
That's like saying learning how to drive a manual transmission makes you a better driver. Not if you drive an automatic. It's simply a different, unnecessary, skill-set (not a bad thing) but it doesn't add anything to your automatic transmission driving.
It's like saying, learning how to develop film makes you a better photographer. Not if digital is better than film. (caveat to this last example; I know nothing about photography and this is based on my limited understanding that most pros have switched to digital).
Having a real connection to the bike is essential to handling, especially in technical terrain. That's why platform riding requires that whole "front heel down, rear heel up" thing. It's an attempt to mimic clipless riding. Also important is getting the right foot placement on the pedal. With platforms no two pedal placements are the same. You know it. With clipless, dial the placement in and forget about it-it's now perfect every time.
I won't even get into the pedaling efficiency discussion as it's just too obvious.
A friend put it best, "Platforms are better if I fall. Clipless helps me to not fall".
Platform pedals are better than clipless in one, and only one, situation. It helps when you fall or dab. That's why they've always been in the beginner domain. Beginners have always started on platforms and graduated to clipless as their skills and confidence progressed.
They sure do look cool, though
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MTBers constantly choosing fashion over form, aka, fads.
It started with pro DHers who (documeneted by Farentino in a Grimy Handshake piece) requested a rule against spandex because they didn't want to wear it but didn't want to get beat by someone who would choose the racing benefits over the social horror.
There are a few fads I'm currently annoyed with. The first two are mild;
- Not wearing gloves; apparently, that whole "connection to the bars" thing is overrated. Besides, who sweats while riding?
-Riding in jeans. Too stupid for discussion. Again, who sweats while riding?
-My third and primary one is platform pedals. This fad is so big now, even long time riders, who should know better because they're well aware of the advantages of clipless, are even falling for it.
I've heard every excuse:
"It helps with extremely technical terrain" (No, it doesn't. It helps you to FALL in extremely technical terrain).
"It makes me a better rider to not rely on being clipped in." That one is my favorite and it's the one most often repeated by advanced riders going full-platform.
That's like saying learning how to drive a manual transmission makes you a better driver. Not if you drive an automatic. It's simply a different, unnecessary, skill-set (not a bad thing) but it doesn't add anything to your automatic transmission driving.
It's like saying, learning how to develop film makes you a better photographer. Not if digital is better than film. (caveat to this last example; I know nothing about photography and this is based on my limited understanding that most pros have switched to digital).
Having a real connection to the bike is essential to handling, especially in technical terrain. That's why platform riding requires that whole "front heel down, rear heel up" thing. It's an attempt to mimic clipless riding. Also important is getting the right foot placement on the pedal. With platforms no two pedal placements are the same. You know it. With clipless, dial the placement in and forget about it-it's now perfect every time.
I won't even get into the pedaling efficiency discussion as it's just too obvious.
A friend put it best, "Platforms are better if I fall. Clipless helps me to not fall".
Platform pedals are better than clipless in one, and only one, situation. It helps when you fall or dab. That's why they've always been in the beginner domain. Beginners have always started on platforms and graduated to clipless as their skills and confidence progressed.
They sure do look cool, though
...fanny packs are dumb it was dumb back in 1990 when I carried my weed and wallet around in one it didn't get any better
driving a stick does make you a better driver without a doubt
I wear spandex when riding a mtn bike becuase I like showing up my large package when standing around at the trail head
In some cases it may not make a damn bit of difference.
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