Things to never say

In a discussion about the relative benefits of clips vs. flats, Five Tens vs. some other sticky shoe, or running a chainguide vs. not, please don't ever say:

"I never slip a foot with flat pedals, so I don't need clips."

"I never slip a foot with xyz brand flat pedal shoe, so I don't need Five Tens."

"I never drop a chain with my narrow wide (or X-Sync) chainring, so I don't need a chainguide."

By sharing that with us you haven't proven anything about the relative benefit of your favored product, you've only proven to me that you are slow and you suck.



People who ride hard drop chains when they run a narrow wide ring. They drop chains when they run a chainguide. They even drop chains when they run a chainguide and a narrow wide ring. They drop chains or have chain suck because they ride hard. Some solutions will result in fewer dropped chains, but if you're riding hard it's going to happen. The question we want to resolve is which configuration will strike the best compromise between competing goals, ie light weight, low pedaling resistance, and chain retention.

It's like all the adults were having a nice conversation, weighing their preferred method of chain retention over dinner together, perhaps enjoying wines and cheeses, comparing notes and sharing charming anecdotes, and then you scooched the kids table up to our pleasant meal and started yelling across the table, spraying half eaten Goldfish crackers, "BUT I NEVER DROP CHAINS WITH MY NARROW WIDE RING!!"

You haven't changed the conversation we were enjoying without you. You've only delayed it and inconvenienced us.


Sam Hill runs the OG Five Ten, the army boot with stealth rubber, and he runs razor blade 1-inch pins sticking out of his pedals. He still slips feet from time to time.

If you never slip your pedal when you run Vans slip-ons, it's because you're going slow.

If you never drop a chain, it's because you suck.