Diamondback Arden 2 Endurance Bike | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

After quite a long spell riding with Shimano clipless, I’m giving Crank Bros pedals another try. Obviously for the added ‘float’ and not for the fact that they come in colours that closely match my bikes. I’ve got flat pedals on my pub bike and the tandem, but feel like a clown when riding them as I’m constantly lifting my feet off the platforms. Think it’s too late for me now, save yourselves.

Love your clipless pedals? Then by all means keep using them. After all, there’s no denying the thrill of that first "click" as you roll out on a cycling adventure. At the same time, don’t lose sight of what they can and can’t do. Clipless pedals won’t eliminate the dead spot from your pedal stroke, but flat pedals will eliminate the dead spot from your cycling enjoyment.

I’ve 2 bikes with Di2, it’s faultless and you dontd need to buy brand new, most of my hardware is 2nd hand, and has been perfect.

I currently use some carbon soled MTB shoes with M520s.  Would I honestly notice any difference if I switched to a road shoe/pedal system?

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.

The Shimano PD-5800 105s are affordable quality racing pedals that take many design and technology cues from their more expensive Ultegra and Dura-Ace siblings.

Five Ten Sam Hill Named after the formidable EWS Champ, these shoes are designed to stomp stages. The soles are so thick they look like short hiking boots from a distance and are likely just as durable. Claimed weight 549g. $160 USD.

Ten years ago, I commuted by bicycle from my St. Johns neighborhood home in Portland to downtown Vancouver. The highlight, if you want to call it that, was crossing the Interstate 5 Bridge.

I don’t notice any difference in power transfer with road pedals, but they are just more annoying to clip in / out and for walking. Having the same pedals on all type of bicycles is also an advantage.

Another option for shoe manufactures is to use Velcro straps, sometimes in combination with a ratchet strap or a Boa dial (see below) as on these Fizik M6B Donna shoes. There are usually two or three Velcro straps and these can be placed in an offset design to reduce pressure over the foot. Velcro is quick and easy to use and they hold the shoe firmly in place, but it is easy to overdo tightening one and end up feeling like part of your foot has been clamped, we found it hard to adjust the Velcro on the Giro Manta shoes we reviewed recently but this isn’t always the case, the Fizik shoe design worked well.

Rachael is happiest on two wheels, she’s been riding bikes for a good few years now after horses got too expensive! Partial to a race or two Rachael also likes getting out into the hills with a big bunch of mates. She’s been writing for a long as she’s been riding and is equally happy getting stuck into a kit review as she is creating stories. 

The Crankbrothers Mallet DH pedals are designed for downhill racing or riding with a wider q-factor and a larger platform than the similarly priced Mallet E’s. These aren’t to be limited to DH use though, the supportive pedal is equally at home on regular trails too. The only downsides are the expense (£150), the cleat mechanism is not adjustable and the pins are hard to adjust once clogged with mud. If you like the Crank Brothers cleat mechanism though, are happy to spend some time learning the knack of getting in and out of these pedals and enjoy the benefits of the flat and large platform, you’ll get on like a house on fire with the Mallet DH’s.