Hope Union Clip RC pedals
£160, hopetech.com
Hope springs eternal, said Alexander Pope. He wasn’t wrong. After supplying Team GB with its super-aerodynamic track bikes for the Tokyo Olympics, the Lancashire-based innovator went completely the other way and produced its first series of clip-in off-road pedals.
The RC – Race Clip – is the smallest and lightest of the range, weighing a claimed 324g thanks to its fully Cncmachined build and titanium axle. Both cleats and clips are stainless steel yet, while they might look similar, they aren’t Spd-compatible. Hope’s cleats offer 2mm of lateral float and come with two cleat options that either give 4° of free float and a 12° release angle, or 5° float and a 13° release.
The Union Clips are fully serviceable and rebuildable, not that they should need much maintenance. Hope says the pedals come with three cartridge bearings and an Igus plastic bush that doesn’t need lubrication, making them extra durable.
More importantly, the RC pedals come in six very cool colours.