Pedals
Pedals
Leave your road pedals on your road bike, you need mountain bike pedals for cyclo-cross.
Cyclo-cross involveds mud – and lots of it – and mountain bike pedals are able to shed it to much greater effect. Mountain bike pedals also use a cleat which is recessed in the sole of the shoe, making it easier to run off the bike (more on that on the next page).
Cyclo-cross also involved getting on and off your bike far more than road riding – to clear manmade obstacles placed on a race course, for example – and double-sided mountain bike pedals can make it quicker to clip back in and get the power down.
Shimano offer a comprehensive range of SPD pedals, with the entry-level M520 a popular, no-fuss entry-level option, while two-time British cyclo-cross champion Ian Field uses the upscale XTR model from the groupset of the same name.
Time’s ATAC pedal provides a wide platform and increased float, a boon for riders with dodgy knees, while the minimalist design of Crank Brothers’ Eggbeater pedals helps keep them free of mud. They’re light, too, and offer four entry points, but some riders complain of poor bearing durability.