Become a Better Mountain Biker with Flat Pedals | Bike Flat Pedals

And then, predictably, the rain starts back up. But even that can’t slake the enthusiasm. We’re all pretty much soaking wet from the water on the ground anyway – let’s be honest, water from the sky isn’t going to make much of a dent in our mud-encrusted carapaces. More climbs, a few more photo stops (which are normally incredibly dull, but serve to increase the camaraderie as we all egg each other on and take the mickey out of each others’ gnar-faces) and a couple of excellent descents lead us back to a pub, where we look with delight at the food we’re about to smush into our mouths, and with mounting horror out of the window at the deluge.

While his first preference is Shimano, James did throw in a suggestion for Time pedals. They’re very lightweight, the lower-priced options are very appealing in terms of value for the money, their unique retention system is especially easy to engage, the float is particularly smooth in feel and generous in range, and recent changes to the cleats have made them nearly as good to walk in as Shimano.

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I currently use some carbon soled MTB shoes with M520s.  Would I honestly notice any difference if I switched to a road shoe/pedal system?

If you prefer the Shimano ‘Trail’ design, the M530 pedal is the budget option for you. The cage design provides some impact protection whilst riding, as well as offering a little more support for your shoes when clipped in, or for those loose moments when you have to unclip.

The Shimano ME7 and Specialized 2FO shoes are a good examples of enduro or all mountain shoes, they’ve got chunky soles for walking in, a flatter sole profile for gripping pedals and are comfortable and rugged enough to be worn on big days out in the hills whilst still being stiff enough for an enduro race.

Mountain bike shoes do the job, but you can be sure a cycling discipline has reached mass appeal when big brands, such as Shimano, start offering product specific to the space. Joining the likes of Giro and Specialized, Shimano’s relatively new XC5 laced SPD shoe is just this, a mid-range shoe tailored to the gravel crowd, but one that can comfortably handle duty in touring, commuting, cyclocross and even mountain biking, too.

I also tried the Hellcats, sans cleats, with a set of platform pedals and they worked even better. In fact, this worked so well I thought I might like to just run the Hellcats without cleats. Unfortunately the backer plate inside the sole tends to move around when it’s not secured by a cleat. So to be clear, with the Hellcats, cleats are required.

With its large platform and slightly concave shape, the XT flat pedals provide excellent support and traction thanks to a ‘just right’ pin arrangement. They aren’t the most low-profile pedal, and that does mean they will come in the firing line more often – particularly if your bike has a low bottom bracket. I was bummed to have busted two pins and ovalised the thread bores, but this is mountain biking, and stuff breaks – especially when you whack it really hard into unyielding objects like rocks. That said, we’ve tested plenty of flat pedals over the years, and very rarely have we actually busted a pedal in such a way.

Once you’ve selected a pedal system, you’ll find yourself faced with more decisions: all pedal systems are available at a wide range pf price points.

I am using Shimano PD-T420 CLICK’R pedals on my road bike. Using my bike also for communting, I can easily pedal with my leather shoes for office on the flat side.

And so we set off. It’s very, very (very) moist, but thankfully not actually raining. Breath condenses in curlicues of cloud as we head up the drive that I sloshed my way down in the rain last night; we cross the main road, and then head over a field. It’s at this point, as the terrain dips downwards and speed picks up, that I realise two things – one, that it’s really rather bloody cold, and two, wet chalk is famously less grippy than Yorkshire grit. It’s actually rather greasier than an oiled ferret selling used cars. I make it down to the gate with my front wheel ahead of my back one more by luck than judgement, and giving silent thanks that I removed a couple of psi from the Maxxis Forekaster tyres.