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

My bike is actually a recumbent, three-wheeled cycle. When I joined the bicycle club about 14 years ago, I was a two-wheel cyclist. However, after 29 years with Parkinson’s disease, I finally lost my privilege to drive a motor vehicle. Although I have been retired on disability for about eight years, it was only during the last two years that I switched to a recumbent cycle and then added battery assist. While battery capacity (I have two batteries) limit the distance and time I can ride, they elevate using a heavier but more stable recumbent cycle to a legitimate alternative to Uber or public transportation for booth commuting and everyday transportation.

Mat has worked for loads of bike magazines over 20+ years, and been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. He’s been road.cc technical editor for eight years, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a past winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer.

The pedals also have clean, chamfered edges which prevent rock strikes and maximize clearance. They weigh a respectable 430 grams, and come in six different colors. The Scarabs cost $147, but you can also get a composite version, the Synth for $65.

I generally have Shimano M540 or Ultegra SPD-SL – I favour Shimano as they’re cheap, reliable, pretty much fool proof and fully servicable.

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I installed the tyres the same way I install tubeless mountain bike tyres: install one bead fully and then the second one most of the way around. This leaves a small gap into which the sealant can be poured without having to squeeze it through the valve stem (with the valve removed). I am glad I did it this way because the Mavic sealant is aggressive at blocking leakages. I couldn’t get much sealant out of the bottle before the sealant sealed the bottle. With around 30ml of sealant in the tyre, I carefully installed the remaining bead – which is much easier without a tube inside.

Only problems I’ve had are with springs breaking – probably due to me not lubing the cleats enough. As for clipping in – my first couple were a nightmare, since then I’ve never had a problem with a fresh set and I weigh around 63kg

I’ve only ever used flats so can’t comment on a comparison. I haven’t seen a compelling enough reason to spend more on new shoes and pedals.

Watch the video below to learn our mechanic Al’s top tips on clipless pedal installation and removal.

”Technical issues can be difficult to diagnose”. Really? It’s not a complex electronic schematic with hundreds of components. With Di2 you run the app and it communicates with your system showing a simple schematic. You can make adjustments to settings simply and diagnose problems. If you have a faulty component you just need to swap it out – individual components aren’t really user repairable, so just like a modern car you swop the component. May be expensive, but not really difficult. How many cyclists have had shifting issues with cable operated components which are annoying as hell, just won’t cure and ultimately end up in swapping components such as cable inners, outers and eventually shifters due to something like a worn spool in the shifter itself? I know I have.

As you go up in the Shimano hierarchy things get a little more refined and a little lighter. These pedals wouldn’t be out of place on an XC racer, but can be turned to much more than just that.

Each of the derailleurs of a SRAM Red eTap system has its own rechargeable battery that lasts for over 1,000km (625 miles) of typical riding. A green indicator light on each component turns on after each shift. Once the battery charge is below 25%, that light turns red and below 15% the light starts to flash red.