Running has spent 15 years arguing over minimalist shoes. Cycling has quietly gone the other way, chasing carbon-plate rigidity and tighter uppers, and there is a good biomechanical reason the barefoot movement has not crossed the aisle yet.
The new SPD-SLR platform lowers stack height by 2.3 mm, cuts cleat weight by 22%, drops the engagement angle from 15.5 degrees to 10.5, and refuses to talk to a single one of the SPD-SL cleats sitting in your workshop drawer.
Recent European Journal of Applied Physiology research on sleep-deprived cyclists produced a surprising result. Your 20-minute TT power holds up. Your Zone 2 endurance takes the hit. Here is what actually changes at the pedals.
