First Look: Shimano SPD-SLR – A New Road Pedal, Cleat and Shoe System
Shimano’s New Road Pedal System Drops the Stack and Changes the Clip-In
Shimano has spent decades refining the interface between rider and bike, but its latest road development takes a slightly different approach. Rather than simply launching another pedal or shoe, Shimano has redesigned the whole road interface – shoe, cleat and pedal – and called it SPD-SLR.
The main change is stack height. Shimano says the new system brings the rider’s foot 2.3mm closer to the pedal axle, while also reducing cleat weight by up to 22 percent. There’s also a wider catch zone for clipping in, a new 10.5-degree engagement angle and more prominent alignment markings on the cleats. From what I can see, Shimano is chasing the same thing it always has at the sharp end of road riding: a more direct connection between rider and bike. The new system features two new pedals and two new road shoes, led by the flagship Dura-Ace pedals and the S-Phyre shoes.
Lower, lighter and easier to engage
The most significant change is underneath your foot with the lower stack height. It’s a big deal and does make a difference. I’ve experimented with this with other shoes and the difference is obvious. So, Shimano has reduced stack height by 2.3mm. The company says this creates a more stable pedalling platform and improves power transfer. I agree. The new cleats are also lighter, with the CL-SL100, CL-SL110 and CL-SL120 weighing up to 22 percent less than their SPD-SL counterparts.
Clip-in engagement has received attention too. Shimano has increased the ‘catch zone’ and reduced the engagement angle from 15.5 degrees on SPD-SL to 10.5 degrees on SPD-SLR. That should make getting clipped in easier when you’re accelerating away from a junction, restarting after a corner or trying to latch onto a bunch.
There are four cleat options. The red is fixed with zero float, while the yellow offers three degrees of rotational float. The blue provides one degree of float, while the grey is intended primarily for riders using non-Shimano three-bolt shoes with fixed-mount outsoles. The latter doesn’t get the full low-stack or weight-saving benefits of the new interface, but gives riders more adjustment options.
Dura-Ace PD-R9300 Pedals
At the top of the range is the new Dura-Ace pedal. Shimano has given it an extra-wide carbon-composite platform, an integrated stainless-steel contact plate and what the company describes as an ultra-low stack height with no gap between pedal and cleat.
The axle and bearing arrangement has also been revised. Shimano claims an 11 percent increase in stiffness compared with the current version, while rotational resistance is claimed to be reduced by 53 percent. Those are the sort of numbers that will inevitably be difficult to feel individually, however, marginal gains are what it’s all about…
What’s also cool is Ultegra gets the same treatment – Shimano has trickled the new architecture of SPD-SLR into the expert and semi-pro level, Ultegra pedal. It uses a carbon-composite body and stainless-steel contact plate, with the same new engagement characteristics and low-stack interface as the Dura-Ace option. For riders who aren’t chasing every last gram but still want race-level equipment, this is likely to be the more interesting option.
New S-PHYRE shoes
The new SPD-SLR system is rounded out with two new shoes. The flagship S-Phyre SH-RC910 gets a carbon heel cup with anti-twist stabilization, a Carbon Hollow Core midsole, Shimano’s DYNALAST 2.0 geometry and an updated upper designed to wrap more closely around the foot. There’s also additional ventilation and an expanded cleat adjustment range.
The SH-RC810 borrows plenty of that technology but uses dual BOA Li2 dials, an external heel stabilizer and a hollow-channel carbon midsole. The interesting part is that Shimano hasn’t treated the shoes as an isolated product, in fact they pretty much never have, but for this redesign the cleat position, sole and pedal have all been developed together.
There is one important detail for existing Shimano road shoe and pedal riders. The new SPD-SLR cleats will work with existing Shimano SPD-SL shoes, but the new SPD-SLR cleats are not compatible with SPD-SL pedals. To get the full benefits of the new low-stack interface, you’ll need to be using the new SPD-SLR shoes, cleats and pedals together. Kind of an ecosystem. Overall, SPD-SLR looks like more than a minor revision to Shimano’s established road system. We’ve a test pair on the way so stay tuned for more. //