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

I’m certainly no engineer, but from what I can tell the two damaged bores are located in the thinnest part of the whole body, so I’d like to see this area beefed up a touch. The pins could also have a longer insertion depth, since the current ones are quite shallow and don’t actually penetrate the entire thread of the bore. They do use a standard M4 thread pitch, so you could always replace them with longer M4 grub screws to provide more adjustability, and potentially better support for each pin as well.

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.

Light rail won. But that may have been more about an abundance of caution, and perhaps a hint of operator error.

Five Ten is known for its grippy flat shoes, particularly the Stealth rubber it incorporates on all of its models. The Maltese Falcon uses a Stealth S1 rubber compound sole that is stiff enough for riding yet flexible enough for walking on rocky trails. But this flat riding shoe also comes with an SPD cleat, giving you the option to clip in while still retaining a casual, relaxed look. A lace-up closure gives it a skate-style look, and a Velcro strap helps with mid-ride adjustability. Sitting between the company’s heavier and more downhill-oriented Hellcat and stiffer-soled, more race-oriented Kestrel, the Maltese Falcon is an all-around, comfortable mountain bike shoe. Soft padding throughout keeps your feet from getting too hot during the summer months but also keeps them warm all winter.

I can use SPDs comfortably, did for the first time on a road bike for a week on holiday, took to them quickly and didn’t fall off sideways once when stopping.

Everything was great except for that bit of squeaking I experienced. They’re simple to clip into, feel smooth and appear to be very durable.

For some, e-bikes are changing the way they perceive personal, in-town travel, said Steve Frothingham, editor of  Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.

We’ve mentioned a stand-out model or two of every major pedal design here, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the current systems. The one you choose will reflect your own personal requirements.

In general, women have narrower ankles than men and smaller feet. Women’s shoes are therefore a slightly different shape, and some models are available in smaller sizes than the 36 that’s usually the lower limit of men’s ranges. Women’s shoes are not always different in design to the men’s version though, sometimes it is just the colourway that changes so check before you buy. As with all shoes, it’s personal preference with regards to fit and just because you are female doesn’t necessarily mean you will be better off in a female style shoe. Try before you buy.

A good pair of cycling shoes can make or break a ride. They help keep your feet comfortable, improve power transfer, let air in to cool your feet on hot days or keep elements out during the winter. Mountain bike and gravel shoes have various features that make them better suited, or not so well suited, to different cycling disciplines. Here we run through the individual parts of the humble shoe to help you get the one that is right for you. 

The Shimano ME7 and Specialized 2FO shoes are a good examples of enduro or all mountain shoes, they’ve got chunky soles for walking in, a flatter sole profile for gripping pedals and are comfortable and rugged enough to be worn on big days out in the hills whilst still being stiff enough for an enduro race.

Mavic now sells wheel ‘systems’. If you buy a set of their wheels, they come equipped with matching tyres. It makes the shopping experience that much easier (pick some wheels, don’t worry about tyres) and, because Mavic puts as much effort into the tyres as the rest, the results are consistently good across such diverse disciplines as road, gravel and MTB. UST (Universal System Tubeless) is Mavic’s label for tubeless, both on road and off. The mountain bike side of UST has been around for many years, but the road versions are new.