Shimano MO57 Boot

Advantages: Cost, Reliability, Looks etc
Disadvantages: None

...to last, which this will. This is a 9 speed model, meaning it'll work on a bike with anything up to 27 gears, but will also work fine with 24 or 21 speed systems (from my experience anyway). Once properly set up with a compatible shifter such as one of Shimano's own (there is also an LX 9 speed shifter, which is just as good value) and a half decent cable shifting is smooth, quick and accurate - you put the shifter in a gear and the mech follows properly. Apart from the more-expensive-than-it-actually-is looks, this mechs main features are its light weight (only 288g), 9 speed compatability, and a number of small but useful things that you usually only see on more expensive models, such as rubber boots to keep dirt out of the cable to keep shifting smooth. The mech can cope with up to a 34 tooth cassette, and right down to 11. The majority... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Robust, Shifts cleanly
Disadvantages: Might be a little tricky for novice mechanics to install

...For all the non-cyclists reading this, I bet your first question is going to be "What's a rear mech?" A rear mech is the doobery-wottsit that hangs down at the rear of the bike and moves the chain between different gears, also known as a rear derailleur, although this term isn't used much because nobody ever seems to be able to spell derraileur correctly two times in a row! This one in particular comes from Shimano, who are pretty much the Microsoft of the bicycling (and fishing) world, with most bikes out there having at least one bit of Shimano kit on them these days. Deore LX is what Shimano class as their MTB Enthusiast range, which seems to fit somewhere in the middle of all their kit. I didn't actually buy myself this mech, it came with a bike I bought in 2000. Although this is now two years old, Shimano don't update... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Very well priced entry to SPD pedalling.
Disadvantages: Cumbersome, heavy and insensitive for road bking.

...These boots are made for ..... 1 People who like to wear big sizes. *************************************** There are, I am sure, people who have shoe sizes that are miniscule, and who long to have a pair of shoes which fit well, but bear a number much higher than the reality. This is your answer. Shimano have sized the pair I have at 48 ! - maybe they are thinking of ages rather than foot sizes. Even when I am trying to get shoes that have plenty of space for my leg extensions, I never go above a UK size of 12 - or 46 in these euro sizes. But Shimano require me to go for 48! And this issue with Shimano is well documented. So if you are a diminutive person with size 4 shoes and long to be able to tell folk that you wear a size 40, these could be ideal. 2 For people who will be hiking through thick mud on Irish bogs... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful