Mike vs. Mike: The Clipless Pedal Debate – Video | Bike Self Locking Pedals

Also into my third year but with EPS. Haven’t regretted it for a second. Effortless and trouble free gear changing especially when braking. I’m thinking of replacing my touring bike and I hope I can get it fitted with triple electronic shifting.

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Moving up in the ranks, we get to Shimano 105 pedals. You can get the pedals to match the full 105 groupset and they’ll perform just as admirably as the rest of the drivetrain does.

Lauren Castle, a Republic reporter, faced a few hiccups as she tried a carless commute from her place in Scottsdale to downtown Phoenix.

It’s not often I get a product that’s so laissez-faire in its ways that I struggle to find a specific purpose for it. And this isn’t a bad thing — the XC5 proved to be a reliable (and comfortable) choice for just about any bike-related adventure.

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.

Stepping into the Saint SPD is like walking into your local pub that’s just hired a new top chef. It’s as familiar and inviting as it’s always been, but the quality has stepped up a notch. Engagement is more positive than Time and Crank Brothers, with a solid clunk that sounds like closing a luxury car door. It’s as sturdy and reliable as you’d expect of any Shimano clip-in pedal, but the action is smoother than all the other pedals on test.

That said – definitely not a beginnner setup. Tightening the cleat screws even .5nm too much and you can compress part of the housing enough to give you issues with the spring. Breaking in the spring must be a hell of a time for a light rider, and if the missus moves on to them (I have bought her some, but after realising the initial learning curve she lost interest), I’ll have to break the spring in for her. Also actually finding the pedal isn’t just step down and go – you have a few cm wide circle under you foot that you need to mount so like Keo’s etc, you still need to develop muscle memory.

Unlike Shimano’s old Saint and DX flat pedals though, the pins used on the XT body don’t thread in from the back. Instead, Shimano uses steel grub screws that thread directly into the pedal body. This presents an issue if you grind a pin against a rock, as you’re also grinding away the surface that you would insert a 2mm hex key into for installing or removing the pins. Once this happens, it’s a case of getting out the ‘negotiator’ (pliers) to remove those busted pins.

A lace enclosure is augmented with a strong, wide, velcro strap that is easy to cinch and keep tight. I’ve actually been quite pleased with how secure the strap feels, and it keeps my heel planted in the shoe through the upstroke. The velcro strap also keeps the ends of the laces lashed down and out of the way.

"I do think this new rule will encourage better fundamentals for younger riders, which in turn should make them better riders and racers. Hopefully this keeps them racing for much longer and if anything it should give them better skills for any other type of riding they end up doing later on in life," he said.

With the purpose-built tracks of coastal British Columbia at their behest, the team at Chromag Bikes is expected to create some super sweet goods. Currently featuring 8 hardtail bikes in the line, ranging from enduro to DJ, and a massive selection of quality components, Chromag has certainly set out to satisfy dirt riders’ desires.