Canadian Cycling’s editors favourite gear of 2018 | Bike Flat Pedals

Stepping into the Saint SPD is like walking into your local pub that’s just hired a new top chef. It’s as familiar and inviting as it’s always been, but the quality has stepped up a notch. Engagement is more positive than Time and Crank Brothers, with a solid clunk that sounds like closing a luxury car door. It’s as sturdy and reliable as you’d expect of any Shimano clip-in pedal, but the action is smoother than all the other pedals on test.

Ride Concepts Hellion The Hellion’s fully-gusseted tongue prevents dirt and debris from getting into your shoe. Claimed weight 361g. $130 USD.

However, go too wide, and you may create issues with knee pain. The idea of two different Q-Factor options on the Vertic pedal is that you can match the right pedal to your own anatomy to prevent any untoward knee pain.

Even better, those attributes hold true throughout nearly the entire SPD-SL range. For example, the PD-R550 is simply the best budget road pedal going; spending more earns you lower weights and improved bearings, but essentially no difference in stability, security, or longevity. The top-end Dura-Ace pedal does offer a lower stack height and increased clearance angle, thanks to its slimmer bearing design, but it’s a minor advantage that not many will consider to be important.

Pearl Izumi X-Alp Launch Check out our review of the X-Alp by John Fisch here. 350g claimed weight, $150 USD.

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.

It’s too early to comment on long-term durability too, but my samples are still spinning smoothly — as you’d hope, considering the price. At 410g they’re decently light too, though a touch heavier than the (£54 pricier) Mallet E 11s.

The influence of the SPD sandal can also clearly be seen in Mavic’s skeletal €1,000 Comete Ultimate shoes. Perhaps with the obvious weight savings to be had, 2018 will go the other way and be the year of the performance cycling sandal?

Adidas Terrex Trail Cross SL If you really want to push away from something that looks like an MTB shoe, while maintaining tech features, give these a look. 565g claimed weight. $130 USD.

The 34-minute light rail ride left me a 5-minute walk to work at @azcentral. Door to door: 90 minutes, including a really nice walk. All caught up on the news and my emails, too. #CarlessCommutepic.twitter.com/LLYkAFS53x

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SH-56 – multi-release cleats that allow your shoe to be disengaged by rolling or twisting the foot in any direction and even release with sufficiently hard (and considerable) upward force. Good for beginners and supplied with some pedals.