Watch: How to service your Shimano SPD SL pedals | Bike Flat Pedals

Taking that into account, the A600’s support platform is actually fairly wide. The four degrees of free float also feels rather, well, free — not quite as silky-smooth as a set of fresh and clean road pedals and cleats, mind you, but not too far off, either.

With that super stiff carbon fibre sole, you don’t want to do too much walking. For running up a muddy bank with a cyclocross bike over your shoulder, or pushing a gravel bike up a climb that is just too steep to ride, they’re okay. But for anything longer, a slightly less stiff soled shoe would probably be preferable. These are best for racing and fast riding, not an epic multi-day adventure into the wilderness.

I used to get lots of people telling me to “upgrade” my MTB to clipless, but that doesn’t happen now.

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The longest part of their commute is actually parking and walking in, since the standard Republic garage pass requires parking above the third floor, which takes basically forever because of the speed bumps (OK, not forever. Mary Jo Pitzl, a reporter here, says it’s about 7 minutes.)

The only issues I’ve witnessed is with two owners of SRAM etape systems who didn’t charge their batteries, so were stuck with limited years in the Pyrenees, but they could swap the front and rear mech batteries round, so low gears for the climbs and then big gears for the descents. Didn’t seem ideal.

I’ve been in the Vancouver bike club for 11 years. For 10 years, I rode carbon road bikes. Four months ago I bought an e-bike and I love it. I used to hate going up hills and getting dropped by the faster group. Now I can ride with anybody. Even though I don’t commute, it would be an outstanding way to commute because you don’t get all sweaty and you can climb hills in a breeze. You also can get the same workout you did on your other bike; you just keep it in the lower assist modes. A number of the older (60-plus) people in the club are switching to e-bikes, so they can still ride with the club and enjoy it. I’m 71.

I’ve 2 bikes with Di2, it’s faultless and you dontd need to buy brand new, most of my hardware is 2nd hand, and has been perfect.

Even better, the cartridge-style axle assembly is well sealed and very easy to service, with proper steel ball bearings throughout instead of plastic bushings that will wear out over time. The forged aluminum bodies have proven impressively tough, too. Whereas some carbon fiber or plastic pedal bodies would explode on even moderate impacts, these A600s have shrugged off a number of direct rock strikes.

One of the other advantages of clipless pedals is that you can get more power out of your legs by being able to pull up on the pedal stroke in addition to pushing down however, this highlights the disadvantage of multi-release cleats since if you pulled up on these your foot would come out of the pedal. 

Plus, in a way an inner tube is an even more meaningful gift, since when was the last time a sock saved you from being stranded 90 miles from home? (That was a rhetorical question, though please feel free to address your epic “How My Left Sock Saved My Life” pitch to Outside’s features department.)

+1 – although I took to the zero straight away. I have them on my aero and TT bikes. Spds for my MTB and commuter/CX/winter bike.