Being a long-time convert to clipless riding, my early mountain biking experiences featured a pair of much cherished Time Atac pedals, famed for their mud clearing properties. For the conditions I was riding in, these were clearly not the answer. The problem was not with the pedals but my shoes. Wet snow packed into the recess around the cleat, making it impossible to locate onto the pedal. Your experiences may of course differ, especially if the snow is drier.

Cold feet is another important issue. The metal cleat, bolts, and securing plate of the clipless system all act as conduits for the cold to creep into your shoe. For winter riding, it is recommended that you get shoes a couple of sizes too big, so that you can get a couple of insulating sock layers between your feet and the outside. That is all well and good when you can pick and choose, but when it comes to biking shoes I don’t seem to have that luxury. I don’t have particularly large or unusually broad feet in the general scheme of things, yet in the eyes of cycling-shoe manufacturers I appear to be something of an elephantine freak. Finding a pair that actually fits is in itself cause for celebration, but the prospect of getting a pair two sizes too large is a far distant dream.

The alternative school of thought goes down the flat pedal line, used in conjunction with regular winter boots. As I see it, there are a number of benefits in this system. Firstly, I can find well insulated and waterproof boots with no difficulty whatsoever. Secondly, there is no cleat to let the cold in. Thirdly, and most innovatively (in a reinventing the wheel style), I or anyone else can ride the bike with any footwear they chose.