A love letter to the Shimano SD5 SPD Sandal | Bike Flat Pedals

The HT X2 pedals fall into the ‘snappy and secure’ category, which won’t work for everyone – especially those new to clip-in pedals. However, it’s their combination of platform shape, cleat options, adjustability, and the robust clip mechanism that saw the X2s take top honours here.

Flat pedals can also work as an educational tool. If you’ve ridden clipless pedals long enough, you know you can simply pull up on them to get you and your bike over an obstacle. Switching back to flat pedals forces a rider to learn how to actually bunny-hop in a controlled manner, without the clipped-in crutch.

Compared to Shimano’s popular XTR Trail pedals, the Saint uses a more robust forged alloy body that measures 78.1mm wide and 91mm long. This adds weight, with the pair of pedals coming in at 535g (sans cleats). Q-factor is the same at 55mm, but there’s more usable surface area on each side of the SPD mechanism, making the Saint feel bigger underfoot with less rocking and wiggle. The flatter overall shape doesn’t quite cup your shoes like the concave platform of the Nukeproof, HT and Crank Brothers pedals, but the flip side is greater compatibility with different shoes and tread designs.

You can adjust the tension too. I ran a shade under half, which prevented my feet from lifting out without adding too much lateral restraint on top of that provided by the pins.

“Heiruspecs is an unusual name for a flat pedal, as it seems to be entirely derived from a Minnesota hip hop band. What these pedals have to do with hip hop, I don’t know, but 45NRTH do also come from the same US state, and they get plenty of snow there, which these pedals are specifically designed for. Bearing that in mind, I gave the pedals a little…” Read the full review here.

Not that I’m in the market for light pedals myself, as I’m quite happy with my SPD’s for commute/CX duties and my Shimano 105 SPD-SL pedals on the road bike. Hard to beat when it comes to performace/durability/cost considerations.

Nice roundup! I have to give a shoutout to the Specialized 2Fo Flat 1.0. I went to these from some FiveTens and I was blown away. Phenomenal grip, in fact I found myself twisting my foot subconsciously as I dismounted from my bike (my feet thought they clipped in, I suppose). They are also super lightweight, and the neoprene sleeve keeps crap out.

While it may not seem like it at first glance, the platform width of the Shimano PD-A600 is actually better than many dedicated road systems out there. There isn’t much support lengthwise, though, so it’s still important to pair these pedals with stiff carbon-soled shoes.

“With the largest platform of any flat pedal I’ve ever used before, the Catalyst from Pedaling Innovations is unlike anything else on the market. I’ll admit I was extremely sceptical when these arrived, but read up on and diligently practiced the technique and foot position you’re meant to use. After the first few rides in Calderdale, I wasn’t really…” Read the full review here.

Shimano’s PD-A600 SPD road pedals have never managed to be much more than a niche product, but the rise in gravel riding is making them more relevant than ever.

The Shimano PD-5800 105s are affordable quality racing pedals that take many design and technology cues from their more expensive Ultegra and Dura-Ace siblings.

That secret is simple: Shimano multi-release cleats. To help you understand what that means, a bit of background.