Review on Black Shimano PD-T421 CLICK'R Pop Up Mechanism Pedals by Patrick Lets

Almost a year ago, at the age of 71, I started road cycling and loved it! Last season I rode 2300 miles, rode my first century - and nobody could be more surprised by all of this than me. But for understandable reasons, safety (especially the freedom from falls!) is very important to me. So the thought of being strapped in was a little unsettling, so I decided to stick with flat pedals. Then I heard about the Shimano Click'R system. I was fascinated but still scared that I wouldn't be able to relax my legs when needed. After much reading (including Revain reviews) I decided to try the Click'R and bought a reversible PD-T421, installed them on my bike (with a pedal wrench, it's easy) and hesitantly set out. I couldn't believe it - I felt completely safe! My first "test drive" was a smooth 10 miles. around the neighborhood. I intentionally stopped and restarted over 80 times on that first ride, thinking it would be difficult to get the feel of it and would take a lot of practice. There was and wasn't. For the first time, not a single "incident" or even a hint of it. Shimano shoes (CT-500 men's casual shoes), Shimano multi-cleat cleats (SH56) and pedals are designed to work exceptionally well together - and they really do! The shoes fit naturally on the pedals. The cleats are fully embedded in the sole of the shoe (I don't think they protrude from the sole at all - at least I've never felt or heard anything to suggest they are) so you can walk in them with ease, boots and all. A slight pull on the pedal binding lets you get off the pedals very intuitively - almost without thinking about it. I've ridden the pedals about 75 miles now and haven't had a single issue with the pedals coming off. Zero. Nothing that could raise an alarm. In fact, I feel more stable than on flat pedals. I just adjusted the spring tension on the mounts a "click" higher than when delivered - and it's perfect. I am so confident in my belief that I have decided to replace the T421 pedals (flat on one side, clamped on the other side) with the T400 which has clamps on both sides. I like it even more because you don't have to look at the pedals every so often when starting off to make sure which side the pedal is "up" so you can snap in. Thing is, the Shimano system (pedals, cleats, shoes) works so well and so naturally that my fear of being pinned down and not being able to get out when needed is gone. I really couldn't be happier and more excited to finally and safely take the plunge! This "review" may sound too good to be true (I'm not getting paid for such a positive review, by the way!), but the system actually works as advertised and much better than I expected.