Shimano XC5 multi-surface SPD shoe review | Bike Self Locking Pedals

Ride Concepts Wildcat The Wildcat model brings the medial collar to the outside of the foot as well, creating solid protection from a mid-height shoe. Claimed weight 418g. $120 USD.

The sky was grey, thick with low hanging clouds, rain was a virtual certainty. Normally I am one to beg off at the slightest hint of rain, find something else to do, preferably indoors. But it was the last day of a brief visit in the Italian Dolomites and no one wanted to waste it hanging around the hotel, not even me. So I stuffed the Idro jacket in my jersey, clipped in and set off. Sure enough, fat droplets started falling not 10mins into the ride, and stayed that way for the next three hours, as did the Idro on my back. Having owned plenty of rain jackets, all of which promise to be waterproof and breathable, but none of which quite delivered, I girded mentally to being soaked and chilled. But as we rode, a surprising thing happened, I stayed dry and comfortable. I didn’t need to take the Idro off on climbs and put it back on for the descents. It kept the rain from coming in and let my sweat out. I actually enjoyed myself, rather than suffering through what would have been misery. To me that’s the magic of the Idro and its Gore Shake Dry fabric, letting me ride when I otherwise couldn’t or wouldn’t. Sure, it’s eye wateringly expensive, but how much would you pay for extra ride days? Read the full review.

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Running out of battery power is a possibility if you have electronic shifting although, to be honest, you’ll have only yourself to blame! Like falling off at the traffic lights the first time you use clipless pedals, it’s the sort of thing you’ll do once and then make sure you never repeat. 

Looking for a more personal gift? Something special, perhaps even handmade? An elegant yet practical item that they’ll carry with them at all times and think of you whenever they use it? Well, if you were shopping for a normal person you might get them a wallet or a handbag. However, this is bikes we’re talking about, so the nearest equivalent is a really fine tool roll.

"We have heard of this issue before but only on a few occasions, and given how popular these pedals have proven to be it’s clear that it’s only affecting a small amount of customers. Time have been made aware and are investigating the issue to determine what is the root cause in these small amount of cases. However, from what we have found it would appear the noise is stemming from the interface between the cleats and the pedal body. Given the large platform area of the XPro pedals we feel that with some people’s riding style and shoe set-up it’s possible for the cleat and pedal platform to cause some friction causing the squeaking noise that you report. We have found that a small amount of Teflon spray to the main pedal platform can often resolve this issue. It’s important to stress that this does only seem to be affecting a small amount of users as you have found yourself."

You can of course adjust the grip levels by mixing and matching the short and long pins, but I just went full-length all round for maximum grip. And boy are these pedals grippy! Combined with the large platform and the concave shape, the steel pins hold onto your shoes with vicious traction, providing plenty of small edges to bite into soft shoe soles. The DMR Vaults are known for being one of the grippiest out there, but I’d say these XT pedals are at least on par with the Vaults.

The winter glove issue has been addressed by Shimano by increasing the paddle/ shifter button sizes, plus of course having the fully customisable options through e-Tube. So again, not really an issue eh? 

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For that, you get a relatively lightweight pedal that’s very easy to use, works reliably, and offers quick off-the-line engagement compared to other road options. And it will definitely receive looks and questions from fellow cyclists.

With a closed toe, the perforated synthetic leather upper is breathable, but not at all breezy. Arguably this is nice to keep your toes dry through stream crossings and puddles, but you’ll quickly get clammy socks on a hot summer’s day.

And then, predictably, the rain starts back up. But even that can’t slake the enthusiasm. We’re all pretty much soaking wet from the water on the ground anyway – let’s be honest, water from the sky isn’t going to make much of a dent in our mud-encrusted carapaces. More climbs, a few more photo stops (which are normally incredibly dull, but serve to increase the camaraderie as we all egg each other on and take the mickey out of each others’ gnar-faces) and a couple of excellent descents lead us back to a pub, where we look with delight at the food we’re about to smush into our mouths, and with mounting horror out of the window at the deluge.