The Ariel Atom 4 Has a Honda Civic Type R Powertrain | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

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.

In the world of cycling, it’s common knowledge that in order to engage in "serious" riding you need foot retention, which today means using some type of clipless pedal system.

“First introduced in 2012, Hope’s F20 flat pedals have been relatively unchanged in the past five years, with just a tweak to the pin shape changing the tips from slightly rounded, to a much sharper, pointier, hollow design. At 15mm these are among of the thinnest pedals we have on test, but the bodies are good wedges of aluminium with no horizontal cutouts, keeping them suitably tough while the weight sits below 400g…” Read the full review here.

This list of flat pedal kicks will lay out some defining features of each pair, and will include weight, price, and links to additional information. Some designers in the flat pedal shoe market seem to be focused on maintaining a particular aesthetic, while others are more focused on the technical and functional aspects of footwear. We have organized the shoes according to several factors including ankle height, gender, and closure system to make the pile easier to sort through.

Specialized 2F0 Flat 1.0 The 2FO Flat 1.0 has an elastic Lacelock to keep the laces away from your chainring. Claimed weight 347g in size 42. $150 USD.

“With the largest platform of any flat pedal I’ve ever used before, the Catalyst from Pedaling Innovations is unlike anything else on the market. I’ll admit I was extremely sceptical when these arrived, but read up on and diligently practiced the technique and foot position you’re meant to use. After the first few rides in Calderdale, I wasn’t really…” Read the full review here.

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Price-wise, as mentioned before the Xpro 10 is comparable to second tier pedals from the competition. Shimano’s latest Ultegra pedals come in at £149.99 (but can usually be found for much less) and Look’s Keo Carbon Blades with a chromoly axle have an rrp of £155.99.

Clipless pedals get their contradictory name, then, because they don’t have the metal clips of yore. Some favour the term "clip-in pedals" which has the advantage of making more sense, but a couple of quick Google searches shows "clipless pedals" is over four times more common. It looks like we’re stuck with it. 

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.

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.“

With a mechanical system you’ll almost certainly need to adjust the gear cable tension after the first few rides, and probably occasionally after that, but that’s not an issue with electronic shifting.