The stuff they never tell you about electronic shifting | Road Bike Clipless Pedals

Ten years ago, I commuted by bicycle from my St. Johns neighborhood home in Portland to downtown Vancouver. The highlight, if you want to call it that, was crossing the Interstate 5 Bridge.

The 34-minute light rail ride left me a 5-minute walk to work at @azcentral. Door to door: 90 minutes, including a really nice walk. All caught up on the news and my emails, too. #CarlessCommutepic.twitter.com/LLYkAFS53x

*as this is road cc should point out that "The Rules" need to be considered and then ignored as practicality overules unless you do actually race

SPD-SL pedals are much like Shimano’s groupsets: reliable, functional, easy to use, readily available, and without significant cost. As I’ve covered in my review of Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 pedals, Shimano is simply the best once you factor in all-out durability and dependability. They’re not the lightest or most adjustable, but they just work. Adding to their popularity is the fact that they’ve often been included as standard equipment on many entry-level road bikes.

First announced over a year ago at the Fort William World Cup alongside the new Saint flat and Saint SPD pedals, the PD-M8040 is the first ever flat pedal from Shimano to wear the Deore XT name.

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Long before either Look or Time became well known for their high-end frames, both French brands played pioneering roles in the evolution of clipless pedals. Look and Time have stayed true to their national heritage and still maintain pedal production of their products in France. While both the Look Keo Blade and Time Xpresso share the same goal of quality and performance, the way they function is very different.

They need to be plugged in and recharged every 35 to 100 miles. Also, they’re heavier than a regular bike. The battery and all the technology add about 20 pounds.

So how did the Pitbull system work? Short answer: Great — for a prototype. I rode on the pedals through and around Denver for a few hundred miles over the summer. In that time, I wrenched a few sprints from a dead stop and added in some 30-plus-mile weekend rides.

HT’s T1 clipless pedal is aimed at the trail and enduro ride, providing easy engagement with a positive action. They come in a wide choice of colours and there’s a lighter titanium spindle version if you’re feeling flush. The chromoly version here is lighter than Shimano’s XT Trail pedal, but they are more expensive even at discounted prices. There is good ground clearance but the cage doesn’t offer much support. The cleat mechanism takes some getting used to but they are a robust light pedal, that should last quite a while.

“It works for me,” he said. “I was tired of the driving commute. With the e-bike, it takes me a little longer to get to work, but I feel good about not driving and it saves a lot of gas.”

Reporter Paulina Pineda said it took her about an hour using a Grid bike, in part because it took her a while to figure out how to undock and dock the bike and adjust it. And she said she rode it pretty slowly.