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With the thread being a standard size though, I was able to test the Saints with some steel M4 grub screws. These gave more bite at the rear of the platform, providing good hold when your heels are dropped on steep descents. Because the front of the platform sits off the shoe sole though, the two pins at the front are largely ineffective when you’re clipped in. Instead, those pins are there for when you’re not clipped in and need to stick a foot down temporarily. Here the Saints aren’t quite as grippy as the HT or Crank Brothers, but they’re miles better than Shimano’s existing Trail pedals.

GCN tested this in the lab in a recent YouTube video and found that clipless did not increase power – they seemed a bit shocked that the common precept that clipless are better for power and efficiency could was not proven in testing.

The flatulence analogy is particularly apt because the musical tastes of the typical Bluetooth speaker user are predictably toxic. Certainly there exists music that draws inspiration from nature and can therefore serve as a complement it, but nobody’s firing up Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, or a morning raga, or whichever of The Four Seasons is most appropriate that month in order to imbue their ride with some added mysticism. Instead it’s invariably some strain of douchetastic brö-metal that sounds like what would happen if four cans of Monster Energy started a band and added a DJ for some reason.

As you explore, you’ll find that shoe stickiness, sole stiffness, pedal shape, pin length and pin shape all contribute to (or detract from) grip. Extreme combinations of pins and shoes can create so much grip that you can’t even reposition your foot without lifting it, and preference on this varies between riders. Particularly if you’re practising tricks, when you may find you want to get off the bike faster than an extreme pedal-shoe combo allows.

But transitioning a car commuter or two or 20 or 300 to an e-bike can’t hurt, right? Bicycling advocates in the U.S. see e-bikes as an opening for increased cycling participation. E-bikes are a minuscule part of overall U.S. bike sales, but the e-bike sales are the only segment in the industry showing robust growth. Advocates point to the growing popularity and acceptance of e-bikes in Europe, helping relieve pressure on their car-congested urban centers. Other signs of mainstream acceptance: General Motors’ exploration of e-bike production as well as endorsements of e-cycling by Oprah Winfrey and William Shatner.

In that context, the Shimano A600 offers a tough-to-beat package that combines a sleek appearance, relatively low weight, outstanding bearing durability, and a very approachable price point.

Aside from the bent pins, the XT pedals have largely been trouble-free. The bearings have spun nice and smooth throughout testing, though more recently I did notice a small amount of play between the body and the axle, so I got my hands on Shimano’s plastic TL40 tool to pull the pedals apart and take a gander at the insides.

I’ve found platform clip-in pedals ruin my knees. They can effectively remove the free rotation in the clip-in pedal because the sole is in contact with the platform. How good a grip the pedal has on the shoe depends on the combination. I learnt to avoid them many years ago… YMMV

Each pedal consists of a stainless steel bar with an inner flange and slight taper at the outside edge. The pedal is a little wider than the cleat, so there’s some fudge room to clip in. But I found the strongest bite when the cleat butted up against the flange.

The video above should help demystify clipless pedals for a beginner like me, or help you clip in faster and more smoothly if you already kind of know how to do it. Here are the key tips to take away:

What is it about the extremities of cyclists that causes such heat?  Helmets, and now, apparently, cleats.

The speed I can clip in now off the lights is wicked. Actually feels a bit show-offy it’s that smooth and fast. I also rub a little lube on the cleat spring every weekend, that makes it super smooth to clip in too now.