BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
More senior bike traders may remember that it was in 1990 that Shimano introduced the M737 pedal and the M100 shoe – a pedal and shoe combination called ‘Shimano Pedalling Dynamics’ or SPD.
In celebration of its 25th Anniversary Shimano will bring to market a series of promotional activities to dealers and consumers including some special limited edition products.
Naturally the last two and a half decades have seen design refinements, making them lighter, offering greater mud clearance and introducing the ’Pop-up’ mechanism for easy and fast entry. There are now SPD pedals specific to each kind of riding style, from professional athlete to commuter.
Likewise, shoe designs have also evolved. Shimano was one of the first companies to use a buckle for the closure and introduce carbon fibre in the outsoles. Proprietary Shimano technologies Custom-Fit, Dynalast and Torbal were first developed for professional riders, ensuring comfortable feet with each pedal revolution. Riders are able to choose from seven different lasts to customise fit to their feet and riding style. However the SPD’s reliable cleat itself has remained unchanged over the last 25 years.
