WHEN SHOULD MY KID USE CLIPLESS PEDALS?
Before I dive into this article I just wanted to say that this isn’t a clipless vs. flat pedals debate. I want to make it clear that this is more about if you or your child has earned the right to try out clipless pedals, not which will be faster.
In the BMX world, the clipless pedal topic is on par with discussing religion, abortion, political views and Coke vs. Pepsi (Coke is the correct answer). But clipless pedals for young BMX racers need to be talked about. Too many people get into BMX and the minute their kid turns intermediate they slap on a pair of clipless pedals.
I really wish more parents would ask themselves…
When should my kid use clipless pedals?
Too many just assume it’s a necessity at the earliest age possible. It’s not.
I’m not sure if there is any one particular age in which it’s appropriate to switch over. But if I had my way, no one under 14 would be riding them.
Why 14? A lot of changes happen for kids around this point. Boys are typically well on their way to hitting puberty and girls are about a year or two ahead of the boys. Hormones change, strength develops, and fitness levels change.
All of this will affect the way they ride their bike. Kids are able to manhandle their bikes better as they get older. They have the strength to perform legit looking gate starts and manual over bigger jumps with better technique.
I know, most people are just faster on Clipless pedals and so parents rush to give them an advantage at an early age. Don’t forget that faster isn’t always better when we consider long term development.
If you’re compelled to put Clipless on your kid’s bike when they are young, I would urge you to have them spend as much time as possible on flats building skills and most importantly not building bad ones.
Before putting Clipless on a kid’s bike, they should be able to execute the following skills:
Balancing
This one seems so obvious. Thankfully novice riders can’t use clips anymore. Before this rule was implemented, you would see newish riders fumbling to get their foot in the pedal, stand up and tip over just before the cadence. Not only is this super embarrassing, it’s really dangerous for them and everyone on the gate.
This is a skill you really need to be good at before clipping in. I’ve been racing for over 20 years now and every once in awhile I still feel wobbly on the gate (could be from the night before). I can’t imagine what a small kid feels like that isn’t very good at balancing and they are trying Clipless for the first time.
Another helpful skill to have in your toolbox would be balancing on flat ground while stationary. Remember playing a game of foot down in empty parking lots?
Manual
This is a very difficult skill for young kids. Most kids turn a manual into a big pencil wheelie looking thing rather than staying low and powerful.
Balancing a manual is done by getting hips back, pushing into the pedals and adjusting hips forward and backwards. Most kids either don’t have the weight, strength or technique to use the hips in a manual. Often you will see a kid stay very tall on their bike while they extend their knees, pull up on the handlebars to create upward force rather than projecting the force of the back wheel into the ground.
Getting kids to understand the balance point usually takes hours and hours of attempts to understand. It’s best done without their feet strapped to the bike.
First show them how to get into a good hip hinge position. If they can’t do it off the bike how will they do it on the bike? This hinge position is where they will find their balance point, not by yanking up on the bars. Have them go from a neutral, centered riding position to a low hip hinge position (I show you how to hip hinge in the Bunny hop video down below) with your hips back over the rear wheel. Work up to getting the front wheel off the ground by shooting hips back and feet pushing into the pedals. You will modulate your balance point by extending and flexing your hips.
As their technique improves, challenge your kids to manual further with games. On flat ground pick a point just beyond the point that they can currently get too. See if they can keep their front tires up that far. As they get better you will move the line further and further.
Then after they get the hang of flat ground it’s time to move it to the track. On the track you will start by manualing 2 rollers well first, then move onto 3 or 4. As they get good, they will have the confidence to manual any rhythm section clipped in or not.
Bunnyhop
Before a kid learns to jump well, they must first learn to bunnyhop without just pulling up on the pedals. If your kid is ever going to learn to boost any huge jumps, they have to learn how to project their force into the jump at the right moment.
If you have ever done any mountain biking you will see riders that lack many of these basic skills. They run Clipless pedals because they don’t know how to get over a log any other way. The last thing you want to do is clip a tree branch as you’re pulling up with your feet.
Learn to load the pedals, pop the hips and pull on the bars at the right time to maximize your bunny hop height. Start with small, forgiving objects and work your way to more complex obstacles. You could set up a series of objects with weird spacing as a way to challenge their abilities.
Jumping
This is very similar to bunny hopping in the approach. Loading and unloading the bike at the right time takes a ton of practice. And if you need Clipless pedals to keep your feet attached to the bike, you need to go back and practice your bunny hop.
Turning
Going around corners and making moves probably isn’t given enough attention. Good cornering technique is all about shifting your weight around on the bike. You need to know where to put your weight to get the most grip out of your tires.
In my opinion, this is best learned at slow speeds on flat ground. The stakes are lower because the speed isn’t very high. You get a ton of feedback from your tires as you lean the bike over. Also if you perform a figure 8 drill you get a lot of reps in (repetition is key to learning). Figure 8 drill will give you a lot more reps than you would at a track.
So, are you good at these skills?
If not I urge you to take time at working on these basic things. Sure, slapping a pair of clips on a bike may make you quicker right now but it will possibly limit you as you go further with your riding. So when should you clip in? I would say that at least be proficient at the above skills. But that doesn’t mean you necessarily ever need to clip in. Many great riders won many pro titles on flat pedals.
The Perfect Flat Pedals For BMX
If you’re looking for some killer flat pedals, I have to suggest these from Pedaling Innovations. I’ve been using these for about 5 months now and they are by far the best flat pedals I’ve ever used. The difference is they are quite a bit bigger than normal flats which provides your foot with the surface area to help stiffen your pedal stroke. Before, to achieve this you would have to wear a shoe with a very stiff sole. The problem with this is you couldn’t feel your pedal very well. I found myself fumbling around trying to get my foot in place but with my new pedals, my foot feels stiff and I can still feel the pedal. Using more of your foot should help to produce a little more power in each pedal stroke.
Even though they’re quite large, they are still lightweight and very grippy! I seriously couldn’t recommend these pedals enough for BMXers. Especially if you have a difficult time keeping your feet on the pedals out of the gate.