FGF 392: Sticky shoes from Giro, flat pedals from Shimano, and a weird expanding tubeless foam thingamabob | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

Flats for everything. My first mountain bike (1988 Raleigh Dune dancer) came with toe clips which caused me all sorts of problems after being used to flat BMX pedals. Never felt the need to try and clip in since.

Weighing in at 430 grams, the Vault isn’t the lightest pedal out there, but the large platform, and thin profile make it a solid option for most riders. Measuring 105mm x 105mm wide with 17mm of concavity, they disappear under your feet when riding rough, technical terrain.

Usually a variant on one of two basic shapes: full-length axle and three-quarter (ish) axle. Full-length axle bodies have an end cap on the outer end, then a hole all the way through it to the crank end (the DMR, Superstar, and Spank pedals in this grouptest are examples of this). It’s a simple and time-tested design that’s typically, but not always, built around bigger and more long-lived moving components than thinner pedals have.

Place the cleat so that it engages with the pedal right where your foot naturally wants to sit. Usually this is just behind the ball of your foot, though some prefer it further back. From there, adjust the rotation and left-to-right placement of the cleat—the goal is for the final clipped-in position to feel natural and comfortable.

Roadies are a finicky bunch, however, and so the A600 has only been modestly successful from a commercial standpoint. Shimano hasn’t even bothered to update it since it debuted eight years ago. However, the rise of gravel riding has brought the idea back to the forefront since two-bolt pedals and walkable shoes are much friendlier in that environment than any of the usual road options.

Seirus Innovation Heatwave + Ascent Gloves bring some serious heat to your winter outdoor adventures.

There are also practical issues that come with wearing open-toed footwear on a bike: inclement weather, muddy terrain, and the odd errant bee that may want to lodge itself between your foot and the insole of the sandal are the main concerns for the sandal-toting cyclist.

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

That said – definitely not a beginnner setup. Tightening the cleat screws even .5nm too much and you can compress part of the housing enough to give you issues with the spring. Breaking in the spring must be a hell of a time for a light rider, and if the missus moves on to them (I have bought her some, but after realising the initial learning curve she lost interest), I’ll have to break the spring in for her. Also actually finding the pedal isn’t just step down and go – you have a few cm wide circle under you foot that you need to mount so like Keo’s etc, you still need to develop muscle memory.

The low weight is achieved by the use of every lightweight material you can think of: carbon-reinforced thermoplastic bodies; ceramic bearings; titanium axles; titanium bolts; and aluminium top plates. The cleats have been lightened too with carbon fiber replacing the plastic and aluminium fasteners instead of steel. They’re bonkers expensive, but you have to admire the fanaticism.

As a result of this resurgence, footwear brands are newly invested in flat-soled shoes. It’s even spawned some new companies, including Ride Concepts, which debuted its line of both clipless and flat shoes that incorporate 3DO material into the insoles and ankles for added protection on the trails. 3D0 flexes and feels soft to the touch, but the material immediately hardens upon impact.

A slightly more affordable version of the TIME Xpresso 15 pedals (which retail at a jaw dropping £400), the Xpresso 6’s are a little heavier (213g) but considerably more affordable.