Love Mud Distortion pedals – a mid-price pedal that’s not too budget, not too bling | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

So, just in case you didn’t get the message, it’s definitely a small number of us who are experiencing the squeakiness! I tried them on multiple pairs of shoes to no avail, and the Teflon spray seemed to stop it for a while only for the noise to return a few days later. So my own anecdotal theory is that it’s something to do with excess friction exacerbated by my grinding pedalling action and low cadence putting extra pressure through them (and my super-huge power output, of course).

Personally, my favorite pedals in this group are the Chromag Scarabs.  Between the performance and reliability, the Scarabs lead the pack by far, and they look pretty bad ass too.  The nearly infinite level of pin customization also makes them the top choice when looking for a good flat pedal.

My understanding of current thinking is that you should not be trying to pull up (damaging to knees being the reason) only "getting your feet out of the way" during the up stroke. You should still be actively kicking forward at the top of the stroke and pulling your foot back at the bottom – these would be sensible reasons why a cleat would seem to be an advantage over flat pedals. Having said that good flat pedals with decent raised grips (the little bolt style ones especially) used with flat rubber-soled shoes are nearly as good for kicking  forward and pulling back.

First off, these are not the super-lightweight option core racers seek. But at about 4.5 ounces (127.5 grams) per pedal, they’re not overwhelmingly heavy either. For comparison, these are nearly 100 grams heavier than the lightest AeroLite option. But they’re still about 100 grams lighter than the Shimano Ultegra carbon-steel pedal.

Not so with the 3-bolt designs, where the cleat is specific to the pedal brand, if not the specific pedal.

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.

Clip-in shoes and clipless pedals mean your feet are attached to the pedals, they are good for keeping the feet on pedals over rocky terrain and can help with pedalling efficiency too, it’s personal preference though. Cross country and gravel riders will nearly always use clipless pedals, the are pretty common on race scenes from cross county to downhill and many trail riders inbetween.

Shimano’s cheapest carbon-bodied pedals have an old-school steel spring for the retention plate, but are nevertheless reasonably light. The SPD-SL design provides tension adjustment so you can make it harder or easier to release, and like the Look Keo it has a large, broad contact patch with the cleat for stability.

Shimano’s cheapest double-sided pedals can be had for less than the cost of a cheap night out. The excellent PD-M520 pedals are supposed to be £37, but can sometimes be found for as little as £20. The only thing they give up to more expensive versions is a bit of weight.

But the music thing is different. You may want to pretend your ride is that sick-ass YouTube edit you’ve been watching in your cubicle all week, but that doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone else within earshot. And while you’re certainly under no obligation to appreciate the blissful sounds of nature, that doesn’t mean you get to fuck it up for everyone else. Hey, I’m not religious, but I can assure you I at least have the decency to refrain from audibly farting in your house of worship.

Shimano’s SPD-SL system has remained fundamentally unchanged for many years. Each new generation of pedals typically only receives minor improvements, often to slightly reduce weight.

Measuring in at 114mm x 111mm, the Stamps are pretty huge. Using the same sealed bearings and Igus LL-glide bushings found on their other pedals, they spin insanely smooth.