Pearl Izumi X-Alp Launch SPD shoes review | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

Mountain bike, bikepacking and gravel bikes. Reviews, buying advice and news. off-road.cc is dedicated to bringing you the best coverage of all off-road riding

As the first clip-in pedal to wear the coveted Saint name, the Saint uses a fixed mechanism that allows it to take a thinner 20.5mm profile, with a robust construction that’s designed to see off plenty of whacks and scrapes. The classic dual-sided SPD mechanism remains, and so do the twin-bolt cleats with their 4° of float. Tension is adjusted via a 3mm hex key, and each side gets removable traction pins.

If you’re more of a trail rider, but want the best of the best, this is the pedal for you. It’s the previous generation, but that shouldn’t have any impact on the performance.

VeloClub is CyclingTips’ membership program which brings us closer to our members, and connects likeminded cycling enthusiasts.

No. I was confident with them on the first time I took them onto the road. When I said I hated them for a few weeks I simply meant that the first few times I stuck them on the trainer to play around with them the spring was stiff. Nothing more, nothing less. I was exaggerating anyway, I didn’t actually hate them. Confidence however will vary with any pedal system depending on the person, so it’s irrational to try and argue that ‘it takes a long time before you can use them with confidence’. My confidence on the road has increased since I bought them – my final bugbear on the bike was being able to clip in and out without thought, as hard or as fast as I wanted. And I’ve solved that, for 80 quid. 

The Yksion UST tyres use a rubber compound called Storm11. This is the same compound that Hutchinson uses on their top racing tyres – and it turns out that Hutchinson makes the Mavic UST tyres. Unlike the Hutchinson tyres, the Mavics have quite an extensive tread. And unlike Mavic’s tube-specific tyres, the front and rear are the same tyre (though the directional arrows encourage you to run them in opposite directions).

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.

The M324 is a solidly built and dependable commuting pedal for riders who want to switch easily between cleats and flats. If you’re a big mile commuter or tourer they won’t disappoint.

But as a staunch commuter and road cyclist, I responded, curious what innovation a cabinet-maker — Mike Lohmeyer — could provide an industry plagued by stagnation. Turns out, Lohmeyer and “Frank” engineered — and possibly perfected — a modern take on the AeroLite pedal that dates back to the ’70s.

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

Tech writer Dave Rome has been spinning circles with a pair since September last year, using them for everything from bunch rides to commuting to gravel rides and trail riding.

Shimano GR7 The GR7 has a stretch mesh ankle collar that offers additional debris protection. Claimed weight 349g in size 40. $113 USD.