Review: There’s no need for disco slippers when the Giro Chamber II shoes are so good | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

DMT E1 The E1 is one of the few flat pedal shoes we have found that uses a BOA closure system, making it quick to tighten while riding. Claimed weight 465g in size 41. €120. Also check out the Specialized 2FO ClipLite.

The Shimano M530 SPD pedals are an old favourite and such good value, we put another pair to the test to make sure Shimano are still on the right tracks where these budget busting workhorses are concerned. We’ve used both the M530′s and the more expensive XT SPD’s and we’d be lying if I told you we could tell the difference between the two without looking down. This test set have been used them on average five times a week, in all conditions, the sealed bearings have kept their promise and barred entry of water and mud, providing me with a durable pedal you can rely on. 

Apparently, not all my fellow cyclists share my affinity for the ambient delights of the great outdoors. In fact, a fair number of them seem to feel that a mountain bike ride is not complete without some sort of musical accompaniment. To that end, they score their outings by means of a playlist and any one of the various Bluetooth handlebar-mounted speakers currently available on the market.

The stack height is just 13.5mm, which makes you feel engaged with the pedals and able to eke out every ounce of power. There’s also plenty of float when you need it, but out of the saddle I didn’t sense any unwanted lateral movement. The float is courtesy of Time’s Bioposition technology, which allows for 15 degrees of frictionless lateral movement and some angular float that is designed to move with the natural movement of the ankle, knee and hip joints.

I found it extremely difficult to walk into the office or a coffee shop wearing the cleats. The cleats protrude quite far from the front of the foot, so you can’t even feign a normal gait.

Each side of the XT flat pedal gets 10 screw-in pins. The stock pins are very shallow and not particularly grippy with their smooth rounded heads. I’m guessing these are designed for recreational riders who want a quality flat pedal, but might be scared off by shin-chewing pins.

For years I struggled with the internal conflict of having a saddle bag strapped to my bike. Most of them are an eyesore and not nearly compact enough for my liking. VéloColour may be better known for their stunning paint jobs but their hand sewn in Toronto soft goods are well thought out and beautiful pieces. The Dynamite Roll has room for a tube, patches, a $20 bill in case of emergencies, a multitool and my favourite tire levers. There’s room for more but those are the essentials and I favour a mini-pump or my frame pump over CO2 every day of the week. Best of all, it looks great on my bike. I barely notice it and never wish it wasn’t there. Read the full review.

So, just in case you didn’t get the message, it’s definitely a small number of us who are experiencing the squeakiness! I tried them on multiple pairs of shoes to no avail, and the Teflon spray seemed to stop it for a while only for the noise to return a few days later. So my own anecdotal theory is that it’s something to do with excess friction exacerbated by my grinding pedalling action and low cadence putting extra pressure through them (and my super-huge power output, of course).

As an alternative to the standard Di2 junction boxes (i.e. the handlebar end or under the stem box), you can use the SC-MT800 (or SC-M9050/1): https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/deorext-m8050-di2/SC-MT…

This may blow your mind, but lots of people work really hard to make cycling better for the rest of us, and despite what you may have heard they’re not all underwritten by George Soros. Does your mountain biker support IMBA? Is your bike commuter a member of the local advocacy group? If not, make a modest donation on their behalf, or buy an item that benefits them. Bikes Not Bombs, World Bicycle Relief, Star Track, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association…there are all sorts of two-wheeled organizations dong all kinds of good work who need your support.

So again, calm down and accept that I, and several others on this thread now, bought Speedplay pedals and love them. 

A Shimano Di2 system runs on a single battery and each charge lasts several hundred miles (the exact distance depends on how often you shift and the temperature). You can check the charge status via the Junction A (which is either a box or a bar-end option).