Budget road pedals compared: Shimano vs. Look vs. Time | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

No. I was confident with them on the first time I took them onto the road. When I said I hated them for a few weeks I simply meant that the first few times I stuck them on the trainer to play around with them the spring was stiff. Nothing more, nothing less. I was exaggerating anyway, I didn’t actually hate them. Confidence however will vary with any pedal system depending on the person, so it’s irrational to try and argue that ‘it takes a long time before you can use them with confidence’. My confidence on the road has increased since I bought them – my final bugbear on the bike was being able to clip in and out without thought, as hard or as fast as I wanted. And I’ve solved that, for 80 quid. 

My understanding of current thinking is that you should not be trying to pull up (damaging to knees being the reason) only "getting your feet out of the way" during the up stroke. You should still be actively kicking forward at the top of the stroke and pulling your foot back at the bottom – these would be sensible reasons why a cleat would seem to be an advantage over flat pedals. Having said that good flat pedals with decent raised grips (the little bolt style ones especially) used with flat rubber-soled shoes are nearly as good for kicking  forward and pulling back.

You don’t see HT pedals around that much, though their popularity is steadily growing. Launched in 2005 by parent company Hsing Ta Industrial, HT Components is still young. With over half a century’s worth of manufacturing experience in bicycle pedals behind it, however, it certainly isn’t lacking in experience. And thanks to high-profile sponsorship of the likes of Aaron Gwin, Jared Graves and Jerome Clementz, the brand is getting plenty of attention.

I’m quite relaxed – and calm, its a long weekend after all - and I promise I have a very firm grip. Although I am confused why you get to slate things but I don’t, and by the way your responses drift into ad hominem attacks. I don’t care that you think I suck (you’ll be unsurprised to learn that you aren’t alone). I’m relaxed that you don’t think I know how to use speedplays. You are probably more skilled/more technical/a better rider than me (you certainly aren’t unique in that regard).  I still think speedplays are shit (and you still think they are great) and because it’s the internet I get to say so (and so do you) and neither of us are forced to change our views. 

Dan Herrigstad rides his e-bike across the Interstate 5 Bridge as part of his morning commute from his east Vancouver home to the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center near the Oregon Health and Science University campus. Photos by Nathan Howard/The Columbian var objLink = new myC_Remote.BuyLink(); objLink.LinkContent = "<span" class="btn btn-warning btn-xs pull-right btn-buyphoto">Buy this photo"; objLink.IsAboveImage = false; objLink.LinkTarget = "_blank"; objLink.Render();

In case you’re wondering why they’re called clipless pedals, it’s because pedals used to have metal cages, called toe clips, and leather straps to hold the shoe in place. Racing shoes had cleats that were slotted to fit the cage of the pedal. To get out, you had to loosen the strap. Falling over at traffic lights behind a busload of schoolkids was not unknown.

As the M530 is to the M520, the M8020 is to the M8000. Incomprehensible Shimano numbers aside, the XT Trail pedal adds a metal cage to provide your foot with more support, and additional purchase area if you find yourself hurtling down the trail with a foot unclipped.

But Abe Kwok, a Republic editor, found that taking the light rail took about as long as his typical car commute, 18 to 20 minutes. He lives near 44th Street and Osborn Road.

Been running these for a while. They are really nicely made but if your shoes are remotely stiff then the pins are pretty pointless. I’ve replaced mine with longer M4 screws.

Specialized 2Fo Flat 1.0 SlipNot 2.0 rubber compound is the softest and tackiest Specialized has made to date, guaranteeing good grip on the pedals. Claimed weight 315g in size 42. $120 USD.

One of the coolest features is the full-length chromoly-steel spindle. This makes the pedals feel incredibly stable, and should prove beneficial for heavier riders. The only downside is this adds weight and thickness to the pedals. At 18mm thick, the Stomps are the thickest pedals I tested by far.

"Nobody wants to get stuck with product that is no longer viable," said Jason Kilroy at Ciclista-America, the distributor of Sidi shoes in the U.S. Although Sidi doesn’t make BMX-specific shoe models, it does make its mountain bike shoes available in small sizes that are used by many BMXers. Kilroy said it is a very small part of the company’s business.