First Look: Ritchey WCS XC Clipless Pedal: Wider & Lower | Carbon Fahrrad Umwerfer Installationssatz

Not the cheapest or the lightest flat pedal, but the grip and durability on offer make the Specialized Boomslang’s well worth the trade-off. At 439g a pair, they’re not the lightest pedal in the playground, but who cares when they’re this good. Strength and durability come at a price, £125 to be precise. But for that, you get a durable pedal with spare pins carried in the pedal itself too, they’re ‘weathering’ well too we are happy to say. 

Both the Look and Time systems are based on the three-bolt triangular-style cleat but result in different experiences. While both rely on carbon springs to maintain tension and release, the Time cleats have a few added features when it comes to setup. Your Q-factor will change depending on which cleat you install on which shoe. This can be an added value when trying to fit your bike. Also, when installing the Times, it was very easy to align them straight no matter if the shoe had alignment markers or not.

I have been a fan of mountain tubeless tyres for years. But after only one ride on road tubeless, I was sold. I had a real sense of smoothness. The Yksion UST tyres (at 90psi) rode over rough roads very well. Despite being soft enough to absorb bumps they were supportive enough to make high speed corners feel good. The more I ride these tyres and wheels, the more I like them!

Installation was simple. I had been using the wheels for last issue’s racing tyre buyer’s guide testing, so I had to install the valves as a first step. UST rims work fine with tubes, but changing is more difficult than it needs to be because of the tyre retention ledges in the rim. After doing it more than 10 times, it became easier but it never got to be as fast as a non-tubeless rim.

I didn’t see any brands making flats specifically for riders with wide feet while doing this research, but I will certainly keep an eye out. I have tried some ION shoes that were too wide for my feet, and maybe they would work well.

At the same time, a lot of the reason I use clipless is simply habit and mindless adherence to custom, because some of these advantages are also drawbacks. Cycling shoes are great for riding bikes, but they suck for everything else, whereas flat pedals offer you an infinite choice of footwear. Oh, sure, you can get SPD-compatible sneakers, but why? And while that secure clipless connection can be great on technical terrain, it quickly turns against you when you get hung up on something and fall down a gully with your bike still attached to your feet.

The UCI’s decision was apparently driven by safety concerns, although it’s not clear that the organization has date showing the frequency of injuries caused by clipless pedals. Anecdotally some BMX fans have seen small riders stuck in their pedals.

Angel Mendoza, a Republic social media and breaking-news producer, had by far the most entertaining experience, for everyone but him.

Also, at 470 grams they were the heaviest pedals. In use, neither the weight nor thickness affected my ride at all. I was mainly impressed with the smooth bearings, wide platform, and solid ride.

Lauren Aguirre, a Republic digital producer, moved here from Dallas in May and she’s never owned a car. She lives near the light rail in north-central Phoenix and uses it to get to work every day.

It’s no great revelation that electronic shift systems are more expensive than mechanical equivalents but don’t forget that as well as the initial outlay you need to consider the cost of replacement parts.

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