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ritchey comp xc offroad pedals

i have two bicycles that i ride most regularly, despite personal embarrassment that the other bicycles that i possess tend to sit, unused, though still loved, in the bike shed. the cyclocross bike gets regular outings on saturdays, partly because i enjoy riding the dunes at uiskentuie, and partly because there's no need to keep up with anyone on a solo ride. it's also the bicycle that i employ if i have need of travelling anywhere on the island for work, such as drop-in events at the local gaelic centre, or slightly farther afield such as the recent opening of port ellen distillery.

the gaelic centre is not a problem as far as footfall is concerned, but when visiting any of the distilleries (more frequently than you'd like to think), there will always be stairs with which to contend, and often flooring that is distinctly not road-cleat friendly (all those who have taken a tour of port ellen maltings will no precisely of which i speak). therefore, the pedals on the 'cross bike and the compatible cleats, are of the offroad variety, which is exactly as you'd expect. but if not actually involved in racing, and devoid of the requirement to seriously sprint for the village sign at bruichladdich, there's really no good reason to fit pedals to my ritchey road bike that demand a set of three-point fixing cleats; the ones that make you walk like a duck.

for the traditionalists amongst us, and i would generally count myself midst their number, a proper pair of road shoes with those large three-bolt plastic cleats might be a prerequisite of considering yourself to be a fully-paid up roadie, but in many cases, they're hardly the most pragmatic choice. granted, everyone's kilometreage may vary, but our sunday parcours includes a substantial proportion of single-track roads that feature unkempt grass verges, including those which border the numerous passing places. if stopping to allow traffic to pass, road cleats can be an affront to velocipedinal health and safety; the smaller, recessed two-bolt cleats and offroad shoes are a great deal safer.

a few of the sunday peloton took account of this situation several years ago, and though i do not subscribe to being a dedicated follower of fashion, i cannot deny having felt a smidgeon of envy regarding their increased mobility in the face of adversity. so when ritchey offered a pair of their comp xc offroad pedals for review, it seemed not only rude to refuse, but the ideal opportunity to emulate my comrades in arms (or feet).

ritchey offer the pedals in black, red, or orange. based on the fact that everyone knows red is faster than either, red was my first colour choice. and given the sharp detail they have added to my ritchey logic, i'm intending to replace the bar tape with similarly coloured fabric when time comes to update. maybe i am a dedicated follower of fashion after all.

featuring a cast-alloy body, both inner and outer bearings are straightforward ball-bearings rolling smoothly on a cro-moly axle at an all up weight of 331g. as with the majority of offroad pedals, they're designed for double-sided entry using shimano spd compatible cleats that come with the pedals. though i've not tested the theory so far, i believe it ought to be possible to service the bearings if and when the need arises; i may have to get back to you on that one. and far be it from me to criticise, i do have to wonder why ritchey bother to paint the cleats black, given that, after only two rides, the paint had all but scraped off. it is, of course a mere cosmetic detail, but it does seem a tad pointless.

strangely enough, a problem that i've only previously experienced with ritchey pedals occurred during the second ride. several years ago, i reviewed a pair of ritchey micro-road pedals, a product no longer available. after a few months of use, the steel cleats started to squeak quite loudly in use, a noise that i singularly failed to get rid of. the same happened with these, though considerably quieter. that said, a subtle application of grease, has put paid to any further noise, even in the face of particularly adverse riding conditions.

fitted from new, the pedal spring tension is set midway along the scale between really loose and really tight. i confess that this aspect of fitting escaped my attention until unclipping prior to the start of a very windy sunday ride. this is not to aver that the tension was particularly onerous, but it was a bit tighter than that of the pedals the ritcheys replaced. at the end of the day's ride, i backed off the tension ready for the next outing, though it transpired i may have overdone it with the allen wrench. the tension of both sides of pedals is now set to my satisfaction, but it's worth my pointing out that even when the tension was almost non-existent, not once did my foot pull out, even when standing up to climb.

though the paint has worn off both cleats, that applied to the pedals seems of a far stronger constitution, for so far, despite the weather and my occasional foot-based incompetence, they remain every bit as colourfully shiny as when removed from the box. ritchey also offer a more expensive and lighter pair of similar pedals, featuring a mid-axle needle bearing, accompanying a sealed cartridge outer bearing and an inner bushing. these are only available in black.

i've likely only covered a few kilometres less than 500 on the pedals so far, but at present, i'm more than satisfied. there's every likelihood that there will be a follow up to this review when a few hundred more kilometres have been covered, but at a cost of £57.90, ritchey's comp xc pedals would appear to be a very practical and cost-effective addition to any bicycle, whether designed for road or offroad.

monday 15 april 2024