Flatland is tricky.. right? Throwing some tape on those slipper cranks is how the pros do it, right? I’ve been talking to some of the best flatlanders, trying to get to the bottom of the pros and cons of using griptape on your cranks for flatland.
Lets hear what these guys have to say,
Spencer Hochberg: I like it, otherwise cranks are pretty slippery. It’s kinda like the difference between riding on plastic pedals that you grind on vs newer ones, you can still ride on completely smooth pedals but its nicer to have some grip. I think with griptape its the same, it is not totally necessary but if the option is there I’d rather have more control and not slide off all the time.
The only disadvantage is that it makes the bottoms of your shoes wear out faster
Pedro Tejada: No!
For flat atleast no!… I like some moves like 180 body varials after rolling wraps and varial rolls, and my foot kinda slide a bit on the crank…
I would consider it for a competition, where I’m used to do simple moves…. But for everyday riding no.
Elias Pöham: No.
Because griptape destroys my shoes.
Bobousse: I don’t use griptape on my cranks beacause I like to be able to move my feet if needed…. and with griptape it’s harder.
Elliot Hofman: I have no opinion. I have never used griptape, sorry I couldn’t help.
As for me: I’m gonna have to leave Spencer in his own category. I used to be a big fan of griptape, it adds a level of confidence knowing you wont slip. However, money is tight these days, and shoe sponsors are not just dropping out of the sky.
After deciding that the extra grip was not worth the damage to shoes, I found a new world of movement. Riding tapeless allows you to spin twist and slide your foot around giving a bit more flexibility in the the over all range of motion.
The biggest plus for using griptape, IMO, is wet, or dusty conditions…
Looks like we settled this one with a 5 against and 1 for griptape… I guess there is no magic sticky grippy potion that is gonna make flat any easier. We are all just gonna have to put in the long grueling hours of practice.
Comment by
Sam Haber Reply:
October 29th, 2009 at 11:50 am
what a perfect world it is
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