Review: Bontrager Flatline Flat Pedal Shoes | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

decathlon do a good value version of the spd one side / normal other side pedal which is SPD compatable as well 

I hope there is a solution. I don’t have a problem with the expense but I have not found the info. on the Shimano web site that says it will work. I have seen the XTR Di2 derailleurs but I couldn’t find the information that said Di2 road shifters would work a triple and the info seems to restrict the front derailleur to 40T. What size is your largest chainring?

They may not have the glitz and glamour of higher-end models, but the R540 pedals are almost indistinguishable from their pricier sibling when in use. The engagement is not quite as refined, and the alloy body adds a bit weight, but at this bargain price it would be hard to complain!

After cobbling together a few hundred quid during his student days off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story), Jack bought his first road bike at the age of 20 and has been hooked ever since.  He joined road.cc in 2017, having previously worked for 220 Triathlon magazine. Jack’s preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking (the latter being another long story), and on Sunday afternoons he can often be found on an M5 service station indulging in his favourite post-race meal of 20 chicken nuggets, a sausage roll, caramel shortbread and a large strawberry milkshake. 

The wheels felt quite good in the aero sense. Not as fast as my own wheels with 60mm deep rims, but they held high speeds easily. They were laterally stiff. No rubbing or other issues to report (and at 90kg, I tend to induce such behaviour in susceptible wheels).

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For the upcoming issue of Singletrack Magazine, we’ve been testing eight of these new-school platform clip-in pedals, including options from Crank Brothers, HT Components, DMR and Shimano. Each one uses a clip mechanism that locks onto a cleat that bolts onto your shoe – the idea being that when you’re clipped in, your foot is located in the same position every time, so you can optimise your saddle height to provide the most efficient position possible. And for riding rough terrain, the clip helps you to stay stuck to the bike.

You notice their lack of weight when pedalling, but what really grabs your attention is the impressive power transfer. Stamp hard on the pedals and there’s no hint of flex. The shoes are super stable too when you’re pushing on the pedals. It’s very positive and rewards those cyclists that like to push hard on the pedals all the time. 

On paper, Shimano pedals aren’t the best at any one thing. However, they’ve proven their place in the real world.

Sounds like a bit of creative accounting occurred before the sale, with a load of “assets” now written off

All of the above. SPD SL pedals on the road bike. XT trail SPDs and Shimano shoes on the short travel FS Bike which tends to get used for mile munching rather than very tech rides. DMR Vault flats for the big bike and DH riding. I like the efficiency of being clipped in but think I descend better on flats which I much prefer for more technical trails. I believe that’s down to foot and heel position which try as I might I can’t seem to quite reproduce on SPDs.