Review: Shimano GR7 vs GR9 Flat Pedal Shoes | Bike Self Locking Pedals

Now I couldn’t use anything else. They are just pheneomenal compared to the various Looks I usually use. They need broken in first of all as the spring is super stiff, but once done then it only takes a little force to clip in. Actually finding the insert point is a few weeks of muscle memory (I stuck them on the indoor trainer first which sped this process up).

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.

It can be more difficult with an electronic system. road.cc technical editor Dave Arthur had a Di2 battery fail while out on the road, for example (it stopped working entirely; it hadn’t just run out of charge). It took a while to get to the root of the issue and he was left with an unrideable bike until he’d sourced a new battery. That could be a big problem if you’re in the back of beyond.

HT’s PA03A pedals might not have the snappiest of names, but when it comes to getting boatloads of grip from a durable and comfortable platform at a bargain price, it’s a name worth remembering as they’re the ones to beat. They are pretty cheap and fairly light too at 351g for the pair. That makes it eminently easy to overlook any small flaws and if you’re into the whole colour matching thing, there’s a huge palette of finishes to choose from.

Sadly, we’ll never know if sandals are the ultimate cycling footwear as I have absolutely no intention of being caught dead or alive wearing these damn sandals outside the confines of our car park.

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.

We won’t touch on these shoes too much, suffice to say they are a ‘clip in’ shoe with a three bolt mount to fit road style cleats to. They are usually very stiff to offer good power transfer, they are hard to walk in and wouldn’t be used on a mountain or gravel bike. For more on road shoes, including the best ones to buy, head over to road.cc here and read their buyer’s guide to road shoes.

Cycling shoes come in various forms and as we have alluded to above, some are better for some riding disciplines than others. Starting with the very basics though, cycling shoes fall into three distinct types:

The A600’s standard Shimano SPD SH-51 cleat is positively tiny as compared to the road variants from Shimano, Look, or Time, though (and even Speedplay’s lollipop-like design has more cleat-to-pedal contact area than this). As a result, one might assume that the A600 would feel like a wobbly mess. However, Shimano gets around this by instead supporting the tread blocks on shoes with recessed two-bolt cleat pockets.

“Designed with Sam Hill and knocking around since late 2015, Nukeproof Horizon flats come in a plethora of options, ranging from very wallet-friendly plastic bodied editions in bright colours, to the ultra fancy Horizon Pro Ti edition with machined surfaces and lightweight axles (shedding almost 70 grams from the weight of the standard pair, which is 430g). We reviewed the mid-range Horizon Pro, with metal…” Read the full review here.

The Hellcats work fine, even with Eggbeater pedals. However, they feel even better with a clipless pedal with a bit more platform. photo: Leah Barber

Many flat pedals use commonly available steel M4 socket caps or grub screws, which makes replacing pins cheap and easy. Some companies are pushing at the limits of pin design though, tweaking them to maximise grip, lower weight, or sometimes to be less aggressive.