Five mountain biking myths that just aren’t true | Spd Pedals

Entry and exit is positive and easy, tension adjustment is simple and you can use them for everything from commuting to cyclo-cross.

They are quite wide though, and that’s particularly noticeable if you have narrower hips and run your feet closer to the crank arms. This leaves an exposed edge on the outside of each foot, which I’ve managed to catch (evident by the gouges in the photos) on the many ruts and rocks that line our rough and natural valley trails in Calderdale.

SH-56 – multi-release cleats that allow your shoe to be disengaged by rolling or twisting the foot in any direction and even release with sufficiently hard (and considerable) upward force. Good for beginners and supplied with some pedals.

The simplicity and double-sided nature also mean they’re easy to get into and they’re light, too.

Finally, FiveTen has done a good job with the cleat recess on the Hellcats. Walking across concrete in a pair of clipless mountain bike pedals tends to sound like a tap-dance routine, but I find the Hellcats to be quite stealthy. That’s because the cleats — at least the Crankbrothers ones I run — are at precisely the same level as the sole (or maybe just a hair lower).

With its hybrid mechanism, the X2 combines the snappiness of an SPD pedal with the smoothness of Time’s ATAC system. The high tension level can be intimidating to begin with, but get your cleats and pins dialled in and you’ll be rewarded with confidence-boosting grip and speed-friendly stability.

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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.

Mountain bike shoes need to need a fairly stiff insole, particularly those designed for clipless pedals. The FiveTen Hellcats feature a suitably stiff sole — stiffer than one would think just looking at the shoe — but they’re still quite comfortable for hike-a-bike. Power transfer feels great, and nearly on par with a more traditional clipless pedal shoe.

Specialized 2F0 Flat 1.0 The 2FO Flat 1.0 has an elastic Lacelock to keep the laces away from your chainring. Claimed weight 347g in size 42. $150 USD.

Ostensibly, this allows riders to engage more naturally, pushing the foot forward with the pedal stroke and engaging at the same time.

Today has been a salutary lesson in a variety of things – but key among them is that mountain bikes are brilliant, ace trails are ace even if they’re not massively technical, and friends, new and old, are even acer – even if occasionally the weather isn’t.