Conor McGregor training on a road bike for UFC 229 with Attaquer and FiftyOne Bikes | Bike Flat Pedals

"I would also expect to see an uptick in a smaller platform pedal that has a higher quality to it," he said. "Currently platform pedal trends are for large platforms but this rule affects younger riders who will have smaller feet and won’t need an extra-large platform pedal. They will still want the traction of modern pedals so I would expect to see a few size options there."

Ride Concepts Hellion Another sweet flat pedal shoe with very few stitches to wear out, and some solid vibration dampening. Claimed weight 421g. $130.

While this isn’t the most recent Shimano XTR model, we reckon you can’t go wrong with this top of the line item. That high performance is reflected in the price, but we’ve found discounts to make the purchase a little more palatable.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Clipless pedals are popular because they provide a firm, secure connection between bike and rider that’s easier to release than the previous system of straps and slotted cleats. But which of the many systems is best for you?

One more note on adjustability: The major difference between AeroLite and the Pitbull system, Lohmeyer claims, is the addition of float. The AeroLite system receives criticism from some cyclists for its lack of float. Lohmeyer worked with his partner to engineer float, which he demonstrated in a prototype here.

After a summer of exclusive testing, GearJunkie got a sneak peek at a wild new clipless pedal design for road bikes.

Dan Bendiksen rides his e-bike along the Columbia River as part of his commute from his Salmon Creek-neighborhood home to his job at HTG Inc. in Vancouver. 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();

That said, Di2 is customisable. You could reconfigure the system and make the button that’s hidden at the top of each hood perform upshifts, for example, to sidestep any problem.

Shimano’s PD-T400 Click’R pedals have a mechanism that’s incredibly light, so it’s very easy to release your shoes from the pedals. They’re a useful option for cyclists keen to try clipless pedals for the first time.

There are two types of clipless pedal. Pedals for road racing follow the original concept introduced by Look in 1984. The cleat stands proud of the sole and is attached by three bolts. This allows an uncomplicated, very rigid sole, but is awkward to walk in. The pedals only have a mechanism on one side, so to clip in you have to catch the nose of the pedal just right, which takes a while to learn.

‘Flat pedals are for beginners’, goes an insult I’ve only rarely heard. People can get staunchly tribal about it, pointing all the way up the leader boards to justify their stance. It used to be that downhill World Cup podiums were dominated by flat pedals, but, it seems, no longer, with more riders nowadays running clipless (Sam Hill being a notable exception). At the same time, bike geometry has become more aggressive, and cross-country courses, mostly dominated by clipless riders, have become more extreme than they used to be. In the midst of all that there seem to be plenty of recreational riders who prefer flats.