Clipping in: 5 mistakes I made so you don’t have to | Bike Self Locking Pedals

Plus, in a way an inner tube is an even more meaningful gift, since when was the last time a sock saved you from being stranded 90 miles from home? (That was a rhetorical question, though please feel free to address your epic “How My Left Sock Saved My Life” pitch to Outside’s features department.)

Sealing is a crucial aspect of flat pedals for UK riders and, like a lot of bike components, this aspect tends to vary, perhaps according to where they were designed. Poor seals might not matter so much in sunny locales, but in UK filth you’ll only get so long before you hear a grinding noise pulverising your pedals from the inside out.

If possible, loosen the cleat retention mechanism on your pedals (again: read the manual!) so you can unclip super easily while you’re learning. Then, set your bike up on a trainer (or hold yourself up to stay stationary) and practice clipping in and out.

Funn’s latest clipless pedals were an immediate hit with me. The platform is wider than on many competitors’ offerings, with a shape akin to a flat pedal.

Tubeless provides perhaps the best of all choices in every regard. They have lower rolling resistance than even great clinchers (thanks to the lack of hysteresis between the tube and tyre found in clinchers). With sealant inside, they can repair small- to medium-sized punctures as you ride (sometimes you won’t even know you got a puncture).

I still believe that laces aren’t the best pick for trail riding, or cross country and cyclocross racing. They hold dirt, get caught on things and are finicky to get off when you see a leech enter your shoe (perhaps too specific of an example, but the event is still fresh).

Inflation of the tyre was trivially easy. A few strokes of the floor pump saw the tyre take up a good seal with the rim. A few more strokes brought on the first of (usually) four ‘pop’ noises as the bead moved onto the retention ledge. The final pop usually occurred at 70psi.

Another special feature of the Vertic Trail pedal is the selectable Q-Factor (distance from the centre of the pedal to the outer face of the crank arm) of 52.5mm or 58.5mm. A larger Q-Factor provides a wider stance over the bike, with more free space so you don’t, for example, rub the beautiful paint on the chainstays. To an extent, a wider Q-Factor can also give you more stability on the bike too – kind of like running wider handlebars.

Sounds like a bit of creative accounting occurred before the sale, with a load of “assets” now written off

Cambridgeshire cyclist films driver threatening him – but police say they can’t do anything

Many Speedplay users favour the modern aesthetics and low weight that such a minimalist pedal design provides. However, it is worth noting that as a complete system (including cleat), both Look and Time beat Speedplay’s lightest offering in the weight war (sorry Shimano, you come in last). And while on the topic of weight, Stewart Morton of bike fitting company RiderFit.cc warns that a common mistake riders make “is chasing the lightest and usually the most expensive pedal as part of a new bike build. The lighter pedals usually have a shorter spindle (to save weight) and this can have negative effects on knee tracking by creating a stance width that is too narrow for the rider. Common problems, as a result, can present as lateral foot pain, symptoms of iliotibial band syndrome, knee pain, and a lack of power.“

Apparently, not all my fellow cyclists share my affinity for the ambient delights of the great outdoors. In fact, a fair number of them seem to feel that a mountain bike ride is not complete without some sort of musical accompaniment. To that end, they score their outings by means of a playlist and any one of the various Bluetooth handlebar-mounted speakers currently available on the market.