Clips Vs. Flats on Slickrock's Toughest Climb
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Like me, Alex has platform pedals, and he just can't keep his spin going on this steep climb. He pushes his way up, and then gets caught mid pedal stroke somewhere along the way. Brian sits atop the hill with a smug clipless grin. Despite the fact that he finds amusement in seeing Alex suffer, he takes a moment to save him from falling off a cliff.
Both Brian and Randall cleaned this steep climb on Slickrock trail. Aside from being good riders, they’re both clipped in. This is definitely the preferred setup for climbing. Among the many benefits of riding clipless is the ability to pull up on your pedals in addition to pushing down, maintaining power transfer through your entire pedal stroke. Side note for the newbs, clipless refers to being clipped in. I know it’s confusing.
As someone who runs platform pedals most of the time, I still can’t argue with the benefits of clipless. After adjusting such a setup, your shoes will always remain in the perfect position while riding. It’s also nice that on really bumpy terrain clipless pedals keep your feet where they’re supposed to be. So they’re secure, functional, and efficient.
Of course, platform pedals are not without their benefits either. Anyone who wants to throw some tricks into their riding should consider platform pedals, and if you take a lot of risks they may improve your chances of survival. For me, that’s the main selling point. Consider what could have happened to me here, or here if I couldn’t unclip on time. Add that to the fact that they’re better for jumping around, and platform pedals are definitely for me. Still, I’m making tradeoffs in other areas.
Brian is scheming. As Alexander catches his breath, Brian runs down the hill to execute the ultimate one upper-showing up Alex on his own bike. So, let me get this straight; the rider wearing SPD shoes is going to do this climb on platform pedals? You can see Brian using his heels to avoid slipping on his cleats.
It’s ironic that the clipless rider actually proved the climb could be done on platforms. I do think riding clipless can teach you how to spin better, and spinning is what you should be doing, not mashing. You can see how Brian keeps the pedals moving fluidly throughout the climb.
Alex could take no more. With fire in his eyes, Alex set out to put this climb behind him. He finally cleaned it.
It’s clear to see how with proper technique you can, in fact climb just about anything on platform pedals, and it doesn’t always take 35 tries. I did this climb first try on platform pedals, although I took a slightly different line. Another rider on the trail, Sarah, did it head on as her friends cheered. We then saw quite a few other riders owning this climb on platforms.
I think every rider should try platform and clipless setups in that order. Each pedal type teaches you something different, and they both come in handy for different types of riding. Since pedals are so easy to change, they can be swapped before rides. Look at these pedal types not as opposing sides, but different weapons in your mountain biking arsenal.
For the rest of the day, Alex nailed every climb he encountered. It was a matter of spinning, and technique, not pedals and shoes. Alex didn’t blame his failure on gear-that would have been a cop out. Instead he took responsibility for botching this climb and committed to making it right. Having cleaned it, he became a better rider on the spot, and that my friends, is what mountain biking dreams are made of.
Subscribe to Brian's Channel: / @bkxc
Subscribe to Alexander's Channel: / @the_sampler
Looks down at a 200 foot drop that could have easily killed him
"Oh man that woulda sucked"
Yeah lol
200? 😆
I know...it's not 200ft but I was like "He could have died!"
Agree with the above, not even close to 200 but i guess its better to overestimate than underestimate
That's the spirit! Seeing the danger, acknowleding it, but not getting freaked over it. ;)
Alex: almost falling of a cliff faces certain death
Seth: that would have sucked
I can say without a doubt that I had never sessioned a climb this many times before! I think it goes to show that there is always something that we can improve on..... and of course, that PLATFORM PEDALS RULE!!!! :D
- Alex aka The Singletrack Sampler
The Singletrack Sampler yea man flats!
🤘 flats for life baby 🤘
Damn, you wanted that satisfaction of the climb so bad! Props to you for pushing yourself to get it. Flats all day long!!!
The Singletrack Sampler time for a plus ebike!
watch out there man...just be careful
I always assumed "clipless" meant "secured to the pedal without toe clips (cages)".
You are correct. Without toe clips and straps is indeed the origin. But clipless pedals require one to "clip in," or engage the cleat, so confusion ensues. And today, most people think of clipless pedals as being dangerously attached to the bike, whereas their design was to address that very issue: to allow the foot to release in a crash, akin to ski bindings (Look ski bindings was the originator). So what was intended to reduce fear and injury ended up inducing fear. Totally contradictory, I know.
I struggled with cleated mountain bike shoes and double toe straps for a long time. I simply could not get enough attachment. To keep my feet in place meant toe straps so tight that my feet went numb. Not good. So when Shimano released SPD, I jumped aboard right away (which was about two years after racing Look pedals and loving clipless pedals on the road). Don't think I'll ever go back.
@@dudeonbike800 Perhaps "snap on" is appropriate?
I agree with the SPD choice. The system is very tolerant of dirt, too. I recently get some CrankBros Mallet pedals, for what I think is a perfect combination of clipless and platform. I prefer to snap in for the uphills and platform downhills. The platform option is great for jumping on for a quick trip around the neighborhood and short street errands.
I personally prefer flats but I use clipless every now and then
That assumption is correct...
Sometimes you need a bad guy to push MTB Jesus to his full potential!
You're a villain!
Damn it feels good to be a gangster.
MTB Jesus! LOL! That climb totally reminds me of a climb i've tried who knows how many times and I've never been able to clean it. It's on the San Tan trail in Arizona. Its desert, super sandy, super steep, and incredibly tough. This vid makes me want to go try that climb again over and over and over... like MTB Jesus! :) There's a reason the strava segment is called "Men from the Boys." www.strava.com/segments/6856175
haha you were just the villain I needed at just the right time, and I loved it. You better believe that seeing you clean that on my bike and on my flats lit a massive fire under me.
HAHAHA mtb Jesus!!! love it
Kudos to Alex for his determination on that climb. A lesser person would leave and go eat cheez itz.
hahaha thanks dude! I will say (as you can see from end clip) it took everything I had.... but i never gave up, and that's what matters!
@@The_Sampler there is no shame in staying alive, standing at the edge of a killing fall. There are better things to live for another day. I don't know. I am not sure it is worth it to try to break bones. I am not saying I don't ride, but I ride with a margin of error because if I don't get injured, I get to ride more the next day
Cobra Kyle hey... cheez itz are amazing
True on the determination. Great job mate! :)
i learned 2 things in this video.
first: brian/bk-xc has the stamina of a race horse
second: alex/beard bro/mtb jesus/ single track sample is always awesone no matter what he do.. ergo content gold..
dont forget to sub/like and share to these guys channel. they are good humans
ilikewasabe yep
guys..... much
haha my channel name potential is just growing and growing... much like my beard.
ilikewasabe jhchfguvyfud
ilikewasabe
Brian, a horse? More like a goddamn hyena. Dude goes fast and keeps going, his stamina is measured in _days._ It's crazy.
Now as for MTB Geebus, you nailed it. He's a fun watch at any time.
When I crash the first thing I think is oh shit I'm clipped in this is going to hert but they always magically come out.
Same here :D. But I do have my SPDs on the lowest unclip force
Yeah except when you leave it too late falling over sideways, it's pretty hard to get that downhill foot out
I had a bad crash where my left foot came out but my right stuck, and that hurt, ended up tangled up in the bike with a bad impact on the thigh
@@OliverBatchelor this happens to me all the time
Well tuned unclip force is no magic but essential bike tuning. ;)
They were called clipless because the basket add-on to pedals in the 80's were also called "clip and strap". The clip being a plastic piece that came off the pedal front and wrapped up and over your toes. We called them clipless because the basket disappeared. It's unfortunate people kept the "clipped in" saying.
You are correct that the pedals are called clip less because the pedal no longer has a clip attached. But you're wrong in thinking it incorrect to call it clipped in. The clip is still there it is just that it was moved to the shoe. The clip on the shoe clips into the pedal.
@@TimothyFish he didn't say it was wrong, he said it was unfortunate .
@@futsalkeegan The unfortunate is who came up with the term clipless back then. It should have called strapless. 😉
Similar bad naming was USB full-speed for example, where the high-speed were faster than the full-speed.
Marketing dept. always messes things up. 🤦♂️
0:55 is no one gonna talk about the clipless sandals?
We need clipless crocs
11 people are clipped in reddit guys
+Josh Blanchette they are quite the vocal minority
your comments on the last bit nailed it!! its about technique , not pedals and shoes.. I must adit I am a member of the clipped in guys but thats just me... what gets you up the mountain is your skill and not the bike; or the tech that comes with it.
i hate those fucks, who insult others that have different preferences
Thank you Alex for your relentless efforts (and Seth for post it) after watching this a few times I'm finally conquering technical, punchy climbs. I've been sharing this with some of my other flat peddle friends too, good job!
Brian-xc
Seth-bmx/street
Alex-enduro
Phil-DH
😂😂👍
Macaskill-God mode
Hotel-trivago
Ken Doug lmao
Your Moab trip brings back some memories. Last time I was there was 2010. Remembered that climb as one where I made it easily. Looks like a matter of technique; ran the trail on a hard tail with fat tires. What really stands out on my trip was a solo female tourist from France tagged along with my group halfway, and cleared everything from the farthest point of that trail back to the trailhead on a custom titanium mountain/touring bike (narrow tire, bar ends, and pannier racks) with tall gearing from an internal Rohloff hub!
I actually cheered when he made it up the climb.
Gr8 video. Having clipless pedals does indeed train you to maximize your pedal stroke, but as you point out, your technique is just as important.
I was afraid for my life during the whole video
Me too 🙀
I can't tell you how much I love this video, its amazing. I loved seeing Brian push Alex and Alex not giving up until he got it! That yell of victory was awesome!
like the spirit of that guy, not giving up👍
I just love and kinda adore the fact that there's a full-on XC guy, complete with an XC kit, lycra, XC helmet and an XC bike hanging out together with trail people, it's cool in a way, a bit like a pure roadie in a group of gravel riders
Seth, I have been watching your videos for about a month and I am not going to lie they are good and helpful, I am buying a Giant Trance 3 2016 and I hope its going to be good.
Josh Blackburn it will be for sure!
Right on man! That's a nice bike, I'm sure you're going to love it
Seth's Bike Hacks Thanks Seth all the best!
Josh Blackburn A MONTH?? i went through all seth's video's in 3 days, i like his style. didn't regret re-watching a quarter of them, keep up the good work Seth!
I am glad you did not lie!
Heho, I really appreciate the series about Moab of Alex (The Single Track Sampler), BK-XC and you. I did watch some of our videos but never subscribe in the past. I found the series and ended up subscribing every single one of you. I appreciate the different styles and approaches you have to MTB. I hope you're gonna do something like that in the future again! Also.. Moab ist now on my MTB Bucket List for sure
The problem: Alex is too nice of a guy. He needs to incorporate some actual ANGER in his riding. That's what gets me over a lot of the time. :P
Hey Seth, love the videos. I've been off my mtb for several years now and am trying to get back into the sport. Your videos provide great tips and tricks to get me started again. So happy I found your channel.
flat pedals win medals
Yes sir!
The so-called myriad benefits of clipless pedals are subjective at best and some are just plain false and misleading. "Maintaining power throughout the stroke" is largely BS. I agree that a really steep tough climb could possibly be easier being clipped in because that's the one scenario where you are for sure pulling up while your other foot is pushing down. Pull up to hard and with bad timing, though, and you're liable to bring the back end up, lose traction and go down. You're also in a more precarious situation if you're clipped in on a steep climb and need to bail.
I rode with clips a decade ago and switched to clipless about 2.5 years ago, but rode them for barely over a season before I switched to flats. My riding started to improve almost immediately. As it turns out, many of the "benefits" of clips were actually letting me cheat my way through parts of my rides. Moving the bike around with you is a heck of a lot easier when something other than your hands is yanking it around.
Jack Newman and they are just more comfortable to ride with.
clipless pedals give you drive over top dead centre , in fact throughout the cycle , thats the benefit. Doing radical stuff ..platforms are better .horses for courses :-)
I love riding gravel trails and paths with lipless but cannot stand the worry as soon as I go off road/track I need flats to give me peace of mind.
Epic effort he had big balls for not quitting! Maybe that's what was hampering his climb in the first place lol. Thanks for giving a valuable lesson to all of us!
hahaha yea, totally, THAT'S my excuse ;)
2:16 he left you hanging 😂
No, he tried to stop him from falling
@@finleyyymtb5776 wooosh
Got my first mountain bike last month, spent £500 and it got stolen before i could even take it to the trails!!! Saw the video in my notification and it cheered me up!
I remember watching a clipless fall over when stopped at traffic lights 🤣
This is an awesome video! I love the narration and approach to answering the question. It's great to see Alex climb it in the end. I've discovered that riding with flats is something I need to practice, my bunny hops are so much better when I'm clipped in, it's easier to cheat and do a mostly english hop. For the last year I've been trying to get over it by swapping pedals more often and practicing hops and drops with flats, progress is happening but it's slow.
Another good one Seth. I feel like pedalling is only part of it though. Micro adjustments of your body weight front to back helps, Keeping the front down but weight and traction over the rear wheel. Feeling through your feet as the traction brakes is important as well. Then you can back of the power to stop the wheel spinning. Once it spins you'll struggle to keep going.
So I set out for info on this very topic, should have known you’d have a video to cover it. I’m a proud clipless rider, been using them since, well forever ago. I have seen the benefits of flats and I think I’m going to get a set to have on hand when the terrain dictates. Thanks for a great video.
I thought Brian was a mountain goat before. Now this confirms it! I have to give props to Alex though for his determination. I may have given up long before that point. LOL.
He did it AT LEAST 25 times. Doing it twice wiped me out. UNREAL effort.
They all are great climbers.
Absolutely on point. Do not get caught up in the tech argument about shoes & pedals. Take ownership of your technique. Awesome video.
3:13 I’m dying😂
Lmao thought no one else noticed
The determination of Alex is admirable. Not sure I would of kept trying, especially next to the drops like that.
Climbing on flats it's possible, but not efficient.. for fun, like you guys in this videos it's ok, but if you ride XC regularly, you will end up riding clipless. I do give you credit and your boys for completing that climb on flats. By the way, you're welcome to ride here in Puerto Rico anytime man, I usually hit south Florida trails once a year. this upcoming years we're going to Mulberry Gap Georgia, let us know if you guys are interested in riding with us. Peace mate, great videos.
You guys are great! NEEEVER give up - grunt - (Alex) lol - this is actually the most honest look at clipless vs platform - I have been switching between the two and agree - you learn from both. When I first switched to platforms I kept pulling up into thin air, but now I have learned you can push and pull = a lot more efficient. Also face planted on a crash a week before (on clipless) because my bloody bike wouldn't let go of my feet)....Good stuff keep them coming!
They're called clippless peddles because there isn't toe clips
Nicely stated- "not opposing arguments, different tools you can choose from". (and that climb is terrifying, what with the cliff right there! Holy smokes!)
Try Lock your suspension fork when climbing
Only if the climb is super flat. You might lose a teeny bit of power, but you want that fork to give when it hits bumps and ledges.
your videos are great seth, I enjoy them
Do a qna of personal life n stuff
Andrew Noronha ychzh
Great message! When buying my first bike a few years ago I was persuaded into a clipless setup. I rode with it for a year and climbed well but once I hit more technical trails I lost a lot of confidence and fell consistently. I made the switch to flats shortly thereafter and haven't looked back. I can't spin as well but I believe I pedal better on flats having known what it's like to spin on clipless. Thanks.
P.S. Love all the channel cross overs and colabs! It's like the Avenger's movies except your superpowers are riding bikes n stuff.
Could u do a walmart bmx video
Very cool demo. You guys definitely got me psyched to go clean some of my local climbs that I struggle on!
Everyone can come up with their rhymes, but when it comes down to it, it's all personal preference. Practice and proper techniques trump any clips, flats, new tech, more travel, etc.
I like your videos before I watch them because I know they are gonna be great. Keep up the good work.
So mad just got my bike stolen from my shed
Ash Playz I feel for u
X1Y it's so annoying
Ash Playz i hope you'll get it back soon!
Mathijs Sparreboom thx dude
Ash Playz no problem
That is such a rad video! I ride both, except on my 2009 Specialized pitch which the pedals have weld themselves to my cranks... everything else gets switch out often. Kudos for to Alexander on not giving in!!!
He Lock the rear suspension?
NallePu83 smart
I did!
I see that you riding 1x10....11??? Those others is riding 2x10....???
Nah, everyone was on a 1X10 except Randall.
I was on a 1x11 and Brian was on a freaking Sram EAGLE! With that said, Brian did the climb on Alex's bike so it's a moot point...
Yes! Finally! Someone who doesn't think one is completely superior to the other! "Different weapons in your MTB arsenal." So true!!!
I tried riding clipped for a week or so and I really enjoyed having better acceleration and a slightly less tiring ride (at least that was my impression)... Then I decided falling of my bike every time I stopped wasn't funny
THIS.
And it makes you "cheat" on bunnyhops, AND it can get your ankles broken if you fall (and much more) and it's more expensive and you have to wear special shoes etc.
well, five ten shoes (or similar) and a good pair of pedals are pretty expensive tho
J. Gonzalez 5-10 shoes $190 race face pedals $200. I bought the pedals on sale for $120. I don't ride clipless because of the amount of times I bail. I'm just riding again after a concussion and a broken hand. If I was clipped in too it would of been so much worse.
I have not had a issue getting out of mine, even flipping forward they always seem to pop out . Was a big concern of when when i first started but a none issue now.
might grab some flats soon though and play with both this summer. Just hate catching the spikes to the shin.
TheBMallory Try PowerGrip straps. wear any shoe you want. Have the security of clip less. And the freedom of flats.
Nice Seth, best video I've seen thus far on the subject.
Pedal in circles
These video's are great guys! Looks like such an awesome trip! I hope to go sometime!
Clipped or not-
Its ALL
ABOUT
TECHNIQUE ;-)
Awesome video man! I’ve been testing it clipless for a couple weeks now and I am torn. You’re video helped me make up my mind. While I feel there are so many benefits from clipless, I like to ride enduro/dh mostly. I can’t shake the idea of safety. I don’t think I would be able to unclip in time to save myself from an endo or crash. Gonna stick with flats for the aggressive type riding
WHAT ! clipless for climbing? That's suicide. The GCN on youtube proved "scientifically" that there is no difference (even in efficiency). The guy who took 35 tries in my opinion was not positioned properly on the bike. He leans forward too much, unloading the rear wheel and causing him to slip. That's it
Mehran Mahdi lol
I'd bet you've never ridden Slickrock. The illusion of Alex leaning too far forward was partly poor camera angle, partly his freeride bike is setup farther back, making it hard to get forward, yet his front wheel clearly lifts off at :19 - hardly too far forward.
They didn't prove anything, if you've used both pedals you know clipless is more efficient, that is why they use them on road bikes 100%
Leaning forward can be necessary on steel climbs to keep your front wheel on the ground.
You're not supposed to pull hard... have you ever used them on the road even ? It makes a huge difference on long distances.
alex has improved sooooo much in such a short time his new videos he shreds dude
i only have i thing to say ''flat pedals win medals''
Lucas Augusto clipped in is a win!
Since the rhyme is on pedals.... "clipped pedals win medals" ;) heck, even "plastic pedals win medals" or "loose pedals win medals"
Lucas Augusto bs I made it up first time on this with clipless.
yeah because flat pedals are difficult
Yo singletrack sampler! I have this same type of problem at the end of one of my favorite rides, except the hill is loose and rocky. I have gotten so close to cleaning it and even spend hours trying to get it right. Respect to you for getting up that one.
first :D love your videos seth
thanks!
Seth's Bike Hacks Me too! i hired a mtb today and it was AWESOME!!
Mathijs Sparreboom you hired a mountain bike?
Kudos to his fitness to be able to keep trying on such a hill. After the second try, i would have had to wait til the next day and try again. Fitness and strength is also something these folks have acquired.
I gotta work on that.
Just start calling them "clips" it will eventually stick, stop with perpetuating this "clipless" BS
Call them "bear trapless"
Very true - my pedals are surely non refrigerated bear trapless
One year later and I can definitely say it's stuck. As a beginner, I initially found this very confusing.
My nukeproof pedals are bear traps when the smack me in the shin going otb
No why would someone call clipless clips they are called that for a reason and that is clips are something different u obviously don’t know what you’re talking about so don’t comment about stuff that makes no sense
Man Alex is a stubborn beast. He finally did it. Great depiction of benefits of both.
How do you feel about clipless on one side but platform on the other?
+ChamLeo lol
I have one year on MTB. And never get used to clipless, too many falls, my friends says that crankbros. Are not easy to unclip. But once a did spent the money and wanting to have more pedal efficiency I decided to go clipless only on the right side. And problem solved! It really works.
ChamLeo I never thought about this. , sounds like a great idea, something I would try
In case you don't know what I mean, I'm talking about on the pedal, not one one side of the bike itself
Something like shimano A530 SPD pedals
Ive had platform pedals for about 6 years and last year I got clipless pedals and omg I love them. btw great vid
#standwithscotty #getwellsoon
spread the message people!!
road2recovery.com/cause-view/scotty-cranmer/
#prayforscotty
And don't forget to shout out to Big Boy for holding it down!
yup #bigboyisbro
Seth's Bike Hacks I'm not sure if you will see the comment.. but it would be nice for you to make a video about what you think of dual platforms pedals...
Great job Alex! You're Mountainbike skils ESP your jumps are improving! 👍👍 always stay stoked my friends. There are no challenges in anything that you can't accomplish..
2:16
HİGH FİVE
;( ;( ;( ;( ;( ;( ;( ;( ;(;(
He was making sure he didn’t fall
Great videos, Alex. Very articulate and informative. Also very fun to watch. Hope to join the fun out there in Utah soon. I'm from California.
Go clips
Flat pedals win medals
Hey Seth! thanks for de vid, I been riding with platform for more than 10 years, I just switch to clipless and they climb beautyful, you are right in everything. But in mi short expirience of clipless (2 weeks) if you are good at jumping, clipless make you jump better, also the landing is more predictable cause the tail is attached to your feet. Nice vid! good luck
It is all about the SPIN! Although I do notice something interesting in this video. When I had an X-Calibur I could not stand and climb. Everytime my butt came off the seat my rear would slip out. My new Stache however... will climb anything no matter where I am on the bike. The 29+ helps, but I really feel it in the geometry of the bike. The shorter chainstay allows me to keep weight on the rear when my weight is in a different spot on the bike. But now I need to learn climbing all over again because now I have to stand.
In a nutshell what I am saying is, in my experience, you have to take all these factors into account to climb efficiently. Along with how your own body works through the climb. Great video Seth!
As a cat 1 XC racer. I can say that I ride clipless on EVERYTHING!! Once you become used to unclipping it's just natural, you don't even think about it. But the other HUGE advantage to clipless besides climbing is bike control and handling. You can maneuver the bike in many more ways because your feet will pull the bike with it and keep your feet from flying off.
In Bryan's video I said Alexander and Seth are beasts. I am compelled to say Bryan too is a beast and a badass.
I told you so! Now you see why?!
Beasts of a feather flock together!
I had to subcribe to all three channels after watching this. I got comedy, drama, action and documentary from this video. Formula for success if you ask me.
I ride Time ATAC pedals here in Colorado. I am not hardcore, but I like the feeling of being connected to my bike. Or, I should say, I used to. I bought my wife a set of really basic but good quality (Raceface Chester) platform pedals, and I don't feel any less connected when I take a spin on her bike. The more I dabble on her bike (a Specialized Safire FSR Expert that I got a KILLER deal on!) the more I recall all the times when I was approaching a stream crossing with one foot desperately trying to clip in, or trying to unclip on the exit.
Great video. Love the channel. It's almost like when you find a new good show on Netflix, suddenly there's like 3 seasons to binge watch haha
Tried clipless for a season. Only have one bike and I like to goof around and jump everything, kept swapping pedals in the parking lot for some trails. The next year I went platform 100%. Better for me/more fun.
95%+ of the locals ride clipless, I stand out and they are always trying to convert me. Usually they think I'm new because most of the platform riders are.
I'm actually faster then the fastest locals though some stuff. I take big risks and hit turns faster (especially if its loose and flat). If my tires loose grip it doesn't matter to me, I just dab my inside foot down real quick and back on the bike like nothing happened. Its a learning experience to see what the limits are which makes me a better rider. I can also go faster though the roughest high speed areas.
Where they make the time up and then some is the climbs. I can pedal up everything but the clipless guys just blow me away speed wise having access to more power. Especially the shorter climbs where endurance is not a issue.
If I had a second bike I would probably try clipless again on one of them.
He was putting too much weight at the front of his bike, which caused his rear tires to slip. Better pedal technique is helpful, but it also put more of the rider's weight to the rear of the bike, which helped traction. Alex finally did that on his successful climb.
... But don't look at me... I readily admit I would not have the power or ability to do that climb! XD
Great video as always.
I've been to slick rock many times, and that section is a MOFO for sure. I'm amazed at how many times he tried to get up there, and then finally did. Kudos to Alex!!
For the record, I subscribed to Seth when I saw him rocking flats and Five Tens on XC rides. Dude knows what's up. He's got that BMX DNA.
Seth, Let me first start out by saying how much I really enjoy watching your channel. I can only imagine how much time and effort goes into filming and editing your videos. That's what kinda leads me to a suggestion I would really enjoy seeing you make. "An inside look to what is all involved in filming and editing your videos" I'm especially interested in the editing aspect of your videos as I also like to film my rides with my son, but I kinda fall short on the editing side of things. keep up the great work! Scott
Lol what, the thumbnail is so trippy, your work doesn't go unnoticed! :)
Another great video. Thanks.
Technique, strength and stamina are the key. Pedals not so much. The rider struggling up the climb has to work on one or more of these fundamental skills. And this video pretty clearly shows how pedal choice probably isn't the main issue. Now I'll admit that I'd HATE having to do Slickrock on flats. Having one's preferred pedals is important, but not crucial in this instance. 30 years riding clipless means I'm just too accustomed to the power transfer clipless affords me and my riding style. But that's my style. So I could ride Slickrock on flats (obviously), but I wouldn't enjoy it as much. And the reverse would be true for the flats rider - much more in many cases, given the fear-factor clipless pedals induce in technical situations.
I learned the "ankling" technique when I was 9 years old.
I was in a mass ride and falling behind when a cool dude hung back and taught me how to make use of my upstroke.
He also showed me how to cut a climb by zig-zagging, but sometimes you can't do that on a trail.
I fully believe that I became a better mountain bike rider after learning to road bike. Especially, important where long extended climbs of up around 10 percent. The only thing that you can do on a climb like that is sit down and spin. I personally feel that mountain bikers come out of the saddle to often on a climb. Sit down, drop to a lower gear and bring your pedal cadence as high as you can, preferably well over 70, and you can power up most anything. love the videos
I learned so much from this video. Thank you.
+ BKXC is a beast. Riding Alex' Enduro and and only using his HEELS which means less power .That is awesome!!!
Man you guys seem to have so much fun riding together :D
those white and orange specialized bikes look so good
This video was very informational, thanks Seth!
love your vids seth i ride when i can and love every minute of it.keep it up
Damn that Brian guy just made some boss moves. Strong work.
I don't have to choose. I ride both kinds of pedals but change my style accordingly. Clipped In for a fast paced +20 mile +3000ft ride and Flats for a 10 mile intense session. I personally like Flats for DH, but tons of riders prefer Clipless. People need to stop waisting their time choosing one or the other. Ride both, cause they both teach you lots.
Seth , your videos are always on point 👌🏽
Best of both worlds, crank bros mallet, you have the platform performance and a soft clip that will come out in a tough fall
Grats Alex! Nice footage and great info. Thank you!