Best women’s cycling shoes for 2018 | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

Would be great to see size ranges listed too. I wear 14EE so bike shoes are always a pain (literally).

“With a claimed weight of just 298 grams, Gamut’s Podium flat pedals are the lightest we have on test. They’re also the thinnest, with the slenderest part at just under 9mm, average at the edges around 10mm, and axle housing at the centre of the body still only 13.5mm. That’s not much space to pack moving parts in, but they’ve managed…” Read the full review here.

Using an extruded and CNC-machined body, the Vault pedals by DMR make a statement straight out of the box.

I didn’t see any brands making flats specifically for riders with wide feet while doing this research, but I will certainly keep an eye out. I have tried some ION shoes that were too wide for my feet, and maybe they would work well.

Granted, Ultegra Di2 shifters are slightly cheaper than the mechanical ones (£289.98 versus 319.99), but that’s unusual.

At the top of the pile sits Shimano Dura Ace. If you need the best that money can buy, then this is the option for you. Thankfully we’ve also managed to find a bit of a discount.

The open architecture allows the system to still be fully functional when caked with mud, snow, and debris, which definitely isn’t the case with traditional road pedal systems.

As a result of this resurgence, footwear brands are newly invested in flat-soled shoes. It’s even spawned some new companies, including Ride Concepts, which debuted its line of both clipless and flat shoes that incorporate 3DO material into the insoles and ankles for added protection on the trails. 3D0 flexes and feels soft to the touch, but the material immediately hardens upon impact.

It’s an issue also reported by James, and one that he has remedied in the past by changing to aftermarket cleats from Exustar.

Disagree with the Speedplay comments above. I moved to them this year and yes I hated them for a few weeks and was considering eBaying them.

All of the above. SPD SL pedals on the road bike. XT trail SPDs and Shimano shoes on the short travel FS Bike which tends to get used for mile munching rather than very tech rides. DMR Vault flats for the big bike and DH riding. I like the efficiency of being clipped in but think I descend better on flats which I much prefer for more technical trails. I believe that’s down to foot and heel position which try as I might I can’t seem to quite reproduce on SPDs.

I’ve ridden clipless for so long, I can unclip fairly naturally now, so unexpected dismounts are a non-issue. I seem to be able to bail just as fast as with flats while DH riding.