Shimano M8000 XT Race vs M8020 XT Trail pedals: comparison and review | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

I’ve found platform clip-in pedals ruin my knees. They can effectively remove the free rotation in the clip-in pedal because the sole is in contact with the platform. How good a grip the pedal has on the shoe depends on the combination. I learnt to avoid them many years ago… YMMV

You also win on battery life. In 3 years with EPS, I charged only every  2000 miles, & it wasn’t screaming to be charged even then. I’m currently running Di2 & you need to be much more vigilant as to the charge level. I get about 800 miles before I lose the front mech, which is my reminder!

Fortunately, it’s easy enough to swap out pedals and give flats a try. You’ll be able to find a comfortable, natural position on the pedals, though you’ll also have to pay close attention to your pedal stroke to ensure you’re not lifting your shoe’s soles off the pedal platform. (One could argue this is both an advantage and a disadvantage.) It’s a good way to learn more about your biomechanics, and your shortcomings as a dirt rider.

Flats for everything. My first mountain bike (1988 Raleigh Dune dancer) came with toe clips which caused me all sorts of problems after being used to flat BMX pedals. Never felt the need to try and clip in since.

You can buy cheaper pedals, but the £40 RRP is a really good price, especially bearing in mind that they are genuine Look units. Overall the Classic 3s are really good pedals. They look good on the bike, perform well and have a good contact area for better power transfer. 

On both pedals however, I’ve also managed to fatally bend the most forward and central pin that hangs underneath the pedal while you’re riding. In each case, I’ve managed to not only bend the pin, but actually ovalise the bore in the pedal body as well, rendering that particular thread useless for fitting a replacement pin.

 I raced for  some time at Cat 1 level, and for a couple of years did all my riding and racing on spds as I only needed one pair of shoes then. Used to get shit about it in the peloton, but it didn’t seem to affect my results. Only downside is if you have dodgy knees, as spd’s have less lateral support.

 Clearly you’re triggered by my positive reaction and descended into some maddened state ranting about damascene, puns and post-purchase-rationalisations. 

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When I opened the email titled “Patented Bike Pedal,” I was surprised and a little skeptical of the author’s credentials. A cabinet-maker by trade, Mike Lohmeyer said he and his “partner in crime, Frank,” had developed a clipless road pedal and cleat that could make waves in the cycling industry.

Because they hold your feet in the right place on the pedals and keep them there, clipless pedals are more efficient than regular shoes and flat pedals. They’re also much easier to get out of than the clip and strap pedals enthusiast riders and racers used before the 1980s

They are indeed the way to go. I use XT pedals for commuting on the crosser, Saints on my MTB and XT caged pedals on the Cervelo too (the latter does earn me some looks of disgust though)!