Improve Your MTB Skills By Swapping to Flat Pedals

Some mountain bikers start riding with clipless pedals and never try flats, but there are a few reasons why riders of every level should consider making the switch—you don’t need do it for a whole season, but a few weeks riding flat pedals can greatly improve your technical abilities and riding economy on the trails.

“Flat pedals are an absolutely fantastic way to get better at riding. One hundred percent, people should learn to ride with flat pedals,” says Rab Wardell, founder of The Dirt School, which teaches mountain bike skills in-person and through an online app. Wardell says flats are especially great for identifying areas where you’re hiding problems. “People get used to cleats and progress too quickly, without foundational skills,” he says, but switching forces you to go back and learn correct technique.

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For example, “Riding clipped-in, you sometimes learn to stabilize the bike by pulling it up towards you, instead of dynamically weighting and unweighting” says Wardell. Flat pedals, by contrast, keep you from cheating, and teach you to move your body and your bike efficiently over anything. Dialing in those foundational skills can mean the difference between riding over a stick and hopping over a massive log: you can fake the stick, but the log is going to pose a much bigger problem if your body position isn’t correct.

Swapping to flats isn’t for the faint of heart; it means spending time focusing on skill rather than wattage, and that can scare some riders. The results, however, will be worth the work. "You have to want to do it, you have to want to improve. But it will make you a better rider,” Wardell promises. Here’s how switching to flat pedals can help beginner, intermediate and expert riders.

Beginners: Get Balanced

"A lot of people don’t balance well on a mountain bike; they ride rear-wheel-biased, with their weight too far back,” explains Wardell. This makes it difficult to maneuver, and can cause your front wheel to wash out in turns. "But if you can get into the habit of weighting the bike by dropping your heels, you’ll be more balanced, which keeps the bike really stable and gives you a great platform to stand on.” He recommends going somewhere really simple at first—even a parking lot—to practice getting your heels low. Think about riding smoothly with your legs straight, which is the stance you want on smooth terrain.

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Intermediate: Learn to Ride with Confidence

The great thing about flat pedals is that they offer a sense of security. Trials-rider-turned-skills-coach Ryan Leech says he loves flats because they’re “one less thing to think and worry about” when you start trying more technical trails. When you’re not clipped in it’s easier to put a foot down to avoid a crash, and you won’t have to worry about that slow tip-over when you can’t get clipped out. Plus, says Leech, “If you’re into jumping, it’s easier to eject off the bike if things go wrong!”

Experts: Embrace the Hard Work

Flat pedals are great for confidence and foundational skills, but they aren’t just for beginners. In fact, Wardell says, “We get experts to run flat pedals to learn to weight and unweight the bike dynamically. They’re harder work, but they can make you a lot smoother!” Says Wardell. “When we start our course, people are upset, but by the end, they understand why we did it. When they go back to clipless, it’s an advantage, not a necessity."

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Convinced you want to try it? Wardell says the key once you make the switch is to lower your seatpost slightly. When your seat is high, it gets in your way and you won’t have the range of movement to push enough. “You become a passenger on the bike,” says Wardell, and that’s not ideal. So when you swap, drop the saddle a bit, and focus on dropping your heels as you pedal to properly balance your weight.

Check out these five great options to get the most out of your flat pedal experience: