How Bikepacking Compares to Backpacking​ | Bike Self Locking Pedals

Most flat pedals run on a cromoly steel axle, though fancier ones may come with titanium ones. Between that axle and the body will be an assortment of bearings and bushings, plus a load of grease. Most modern flats run a combination of one bushing near the crank end and a bearing or two on the outside end. While there are exceptions, more expensive pedals tend to run fully on bearings, and cheaper ones might run entirely on bushings.

We’ve been testing the Deore XT flat pedals with several different shoe types, including Shimano GR7s, Bontrager Flatlines, and Five Ten Freerider Pros. All shoes have been size EU 43-45.

The benefit of Speedplay pedals is that they offer a huge amount of adjustability – cleat position is adjustable in three separate planes, and all can be fine-tuned independent of each other — bike fitters love them, particularly when setting up anyone with knee pain.

When you consider Nukeproof has World Champion downhiller, enduro racer and renowned flat pedal user Sam Hill on the payroll, it’s little surprise the Horizon pedals work superbly. At 430g for a pair, they’re not particularly light but they’re pretty similar to other designs of a similar size and price, such the DMR Vault. The Nukeproof Horizon pedals are amongst the very best flat pedals we’ve tested and they’re well worth investing in if your preferred riding style involves you getting your foot out while you’re going flat out.

Pitzl, who lives two miles from the newsroom, usually drives because she uses her car to get to assignments. 

There are two cleat options—free and fixed, with the free offering the traditional angular float, as well as lateral float. This is designed for most riders and minimizes the risk of knee injury from misaligned cleats. As the name implies, the fixed cleat offers no float and is designed for pure powermongers whose fit is dialed in and who think float is a bad word (it isn’t).

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. 

In the box you get 4° and 8° float cleat options. Release angle is 13° and they’re supplied with plastic shims, and metal shims for use with carbon soles. A nice touch is that HT includes an 8mm socket in the box so you can pull them apart for routine servicing. After a wet winter of abuse, I did just that. Five minutes and some fresh grease later, they were feeling nice and smooth again.

In how they feel, I’d liken the XC5s to Shimano’s endurance-focused RP road shoes, where the technology and style of a performance shoe is there, but with a relaxed fit designed for all-day comfort.

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Can you handle that? No-one here is saying Surly sucks and didn’t know how to use Speedplays. So don’t take offence. We’re not saying we’re more skilled than you, or more technical than you, or better riders than you. We just got on with them, you didn’t.

"I am an amateur bike rider and was pretty nervous about riding in the street," she said. "There aren’t dedicated bike lanes in this part of town and people do not respect riders, so I took the sidewalk almost the entire way."