Spotlight: HT M1 & M1T Pedals Offer Mud Shedding, Color, Spindle & Cleat Options | Bike Self Locking Pedals

I run Time ATAC pedals on both hardtail and FS bikes, as I have for many years. I find they clear well in my local Cotswold mud. I wear stiff shoes with these: Sidi Dominators & Northwave GTX for winter.

In case you’re wondering why they’re called clipless pedals, it’s because pedals used to have metal cages, called toe clips, and leather straps to hold the show in place. Racing shoes had cleats that were slotted to fit the cage of the pedal. To get out, you had to loosen the strap. Falling over at traffic lights behind a busload of schoolkids was not unknown.

That difference is a factor in which system’s best for you. If you’re clipping and unclipping a lot — while commuting, for example — then the easier clip-in action of two-bolt systems means you won’t find yourself fumbling with the pedals as you set off from the lights.

“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.

When it comes to riding gravel, shoe and pedal choice is wide open (much like the places to ride). Road pedals and shoes remain for those who ride on smoother and better-kept gravel roads, ideally where putting a foot down isn’t likely. While cross-country mountain bike shoes and pedals (SPD style) are commonly the pick for unknown adventures. The smaller pedals offer a smaller cleat, and space for a surrounding tread on the shoe, meaning walking across rocks or over sketchy river crossings isn’t nearly as bad as if you were in road clogs.

Here at Canadian Cycling Magazine our editors are fortunate enough to get to test out a lot of different bikes, accessories, apparel, technology and more. We also grow attached to some of what comes through the doors and come to rely on gear on our riding throughout the year. Some of the gear we use and love the most is brand new while other things have been out for a while but we just keep coming back to them. So here are 12 pieces of gear that stood out to us in 2018:

Last year, David Hayward put together a brilliant introductory piece to flat pedals for those interested in those benefits. He also tested no fewer than 17 flat pedals to find out which were the grippiest, the toughest and the best value.

Staff at The Arizona Republic took on a carless commute to explore public transit options in the Phoenix area.

Nobody in their right mind assumes that batteries last forever, so they would assume that the battery(ies) would drain during use and at some point they risk getting a flat battery on a ride. Wouldn’t this be one of the first things you looked into if contemplating getting electronic shifting? How long do batteries last, how do I tell what charge they have remaining, how far can I get if charge is running low and how long do they take to charge up? Oh, and what happens if I have a flat battery (is there a backup/ reserve?)

While this isn’t the most recent Shimano XTR model, we reckon you can’t go wrong with this top of the line item. That high performance is reflected in the price, but we’ve found discounts to make the purchase a little more palatable.

Chances are that you won’t need to adjust an electronic shift system often so it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you never need to touch it at all. 

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.