Shimano M8000 XT Race vs M8020 XT Trail pedals: comparison and review | Carbon Fahrrad Umwerfer Installationssatz

Interestingly, the Look Keo cleat fitment is the most widely borrowed (copied) of all the systems on the market. If you’re looking at pedals with internal powermeters, they’ll more than likely use the Keo cleat. Likewise, road pedals from the likes of Wellgo, Exustar, HT and Ritchey all use the Keo cleat design too. Part of this wider usage is likely due to Shimano keeping a tight reign on its design, but it also sings praise for how popular the Look system is.

Also into my third year but with EPS. Haven’t regretted it for a second. Effortless and trouble free gear changing especially when braking. I’m thinking of replacing my touring bike and I hope I can get it fitted with triple electronic shifting.

With the tension adjustment left untouched for my first couple of rides, I found unclipping tricky. Even with the tension screw backed off completely, things still felt quite tight. Thankfully, after a few more days on the trails, the mechanism bedded in, things loosened up and clipping in and out became easier.

DMT E2 The E2 have a removable cleat cover to make the shoes clipless or flat as you prefer. Claimed weight 480g in size 41. €120.

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…

Those that try to justify wearing socks with the sandals as a way to get around these issues should get away with a light telling off, but I draw the line at the true degenerates who insist that wearing them with overshoes is in any way normal.

Many Speedplay users favour the modern aesthetics and low weight that such a minimalist pedal design provides. However, it is worth noting that as a complete system (including cleat), both Look and Time beat Speedplay’s lightest offering in the weight war (sorry Shimano, you come in last). And while on the topic of weight, Stewart Morton of bike fitting company RiderFit.cc warns that a common mistake riders make “is chasing the lightest and usually the most expensive pedal as part of a new bike build. The lighter pedals usually have a shorter spindle (to save weight) and this can have negative effects on knee tracking by creating a stance width that is too narrow for the rider. Common problems, as a result, can present as lateral foot pain, symptoms of iliotibial band syndrome, knee pain, and a lack of power.“

Durability has been really good. The shoes are reinforced in the key places to avoid the upper getting damaged when walking up an unrideable track or smashing your toe into an unseen rock. The rubber tread is showing little sign of wear and tear despite a reasonable amount of hike-a-bike and cyclocross racing, which is a good thing as it’s not replaceable.

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.

In how they feel, I’d liken the XC5s to Shimano’s endurance-focused RP road shoes, where the technology and style of a performance shoe is there, but with a relaxed fit designed for all-day comfort.

The Downs are essentially hewn from a large lump of limestone which stretches from Surrey to Kent, south of London. The stretch west of Dorking, where I’m busy parking the car and trying to find the least puddled bit of gravel to do so, is comprised of a startlingly profuse pile of woodland (I understand the technical term is forest but that’s much too dull) which is, in turn, rammed to the gunwhales with trails. It’s a little slice of heaven that people from the Big Smoke retreat to in times of stress (that’s all the time then) to relax, recuperate, and – naturally – ride mountain bikes.

As the inventor of the off-road clip-in pedal, Shimano is also responsible for the whole platform pedal movement. Most pedals in our group test feature designs that are barely a year or two old, but Shimano has been at it since 1996 when it released the iconic red DX M636 – a pedal that many mountain bikers still remember fondly today.