What to wear on a mountain bike ride: off-road cycle clothing guide | Bike Flat Pedals

The speed I can clip in now off the lights is wicked. Actually feels a bit show-offy it’s that smooth and fast. I also rub a little lube on the cleat spring every weekend, that makes it super smooth to clip in too now.

For years I struggled with the internal conflict of having a saddle bag strapped to my bike. Most of them are an eyesore and not nearly compact enough for my liking. VéloColour may be better known for their stunning paint jobs but their hand sewn in Toronto soft goods are well thought out and beautiful pieces. The Dynamite Roll has room for a tube, patches, a $20 bill in case of emergencies, a multitool and my favourite tire levers. There’s room for more but those are the essentials and I favour a mini-pump or my frame pump over CO2 every day of the week. Best of all, it looks great on my bike. I barely notice it and never wish it wasn’t there. Read the full review.

Road.cc buyer’s guides are maintained and updated by John Stevenson. Email John with comments, corrections or queries.

Furthermore, consider that the sort of person who plays a Bluetooth speaker while mountain biking has almost certainly driven to the ride, which means they’ve had all that time at home getting ready, plus the drive itself, to pump themselves up by listening to some band that sounds like every member has a braided goatee. Given this, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal for them to take a break from it while they ride their bikes and then fire it back up on the sound-system in the Chevy Avalanche for the drive home. I mean: Why not at least try listening to the sounds of nature while you ride? Taking a shitty bike speaker into the woods with you is like bringing one of those small cans of Pringles to a Michelin-starred restaurant.

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It’s also a little disappointing that, unlike on Shimano’s more recent upper-end pedals, the A600 does without stainless steel wear plates on the platform; the shoe tread instead sits directly on the painted aluminum surface. That will wear over time, degrading the quality of the pedal-to-shoe fit (and, subsequently, the stability of the system). The fit quality will also degrade as the shoe tread wears. My advice would be to choose your shoes wisely — look for harder-durometer rubber around the cleat pocket — and then tread lightly.

I really dislike the look of the current crop of flat-pedal-specific footwear. They either resemble ugly bowling/golf shoes, or clown shoes. Give me a sweet pair of Vans any day. Better designs, better feel/comfort, a lot less expensive, and just plain cooler.

ION RAID AMP II The Amp II sole features dedicated pedal and walking zones. Claimed weight 440g in size 42. €130.

Add in the relatively low price, widespread availability, and decent durability of the large plastic cleat, and Shimano also set the benchmark for running costs. The cleat’s generously wide platform and softer co-molded contact points even make it far better to walk in than you’d expect, even decent to walk in, even on those dreaded tiled cafe floors. Other makes have sought to catch up in this regard, but SPD-SL still remains the best option in that respect.

+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.

With a relaxed heel hold, these feel more like a cross-trainer sneaker, albeit with a stiffer sole. The sole offers a carbon plate that starts at the toes and ends just before the heel, enough to offer suitable stiffness at pedal contact. Walking reveals enough flex in the right places to nearly get around like a normal person, especially with the pliable rubber tread.

The M424 pedals are excellent for commuting. Because you don’t actually need to be clipped in to use them, you can simply stamp on the pedals as the lights go green and then clip in when you are up to speed.