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Amplified Efficiency and Power Transfer - Flat pedals are far and away the least efficient method of commuter cycling. With flat pedals, there is only one section of the pedal rotation in which you are able to apply pressure to the drivetrain: the down stroke. This uses the same leg muscle over and over causing the muscle, and you as the rider to fatigue more quickly. I know this may come across as some fixie nonsense, but the best part of clipless riding is the firm connection that the rider gains with their bicycle’s drive train.

At some point in your bike-riding life, you’ll be climbing a steep hill, or hopping over a pothole, or hitting the road with a faster crew, thinking to yourself, “What is it I’m doing wrong? Why can’t I keep up?”

85% of it is your legs. Ride more, push harder, challenge yourself. You’ll get faster, more skillful.  For that last 15% though, your equipment has to be up to snuff. And 10% of that equipment is going to be your pedals. Are they clipless?  If not, that right there is going to be the extra ‘umph’ you need to beast over that hill, hop over that obstacle, and keep up with your friends and rivals.  If you don’t believe me, try it! My hand to god, if you get back and tell me I’m wrong, I’ll eat my shoes.

“But Maaarrrk, I want to just ride my bike around and not have to wear those silly shoes that I see all the srs bikers clicking and clacking around in all damn day!”  Well, duh, you’re on the DZR blog! That’s what these shoes do best! I work on my feet in these sumbitches all day long, and forget I’m even wearing bike shoes until I hop on and ride.

When it comes to clipless pedals, there are a slew of choices; enough to make your head spin if you don’t know exactly what you want.  That’s why DZR has tasked me with breaking down the three most common pedals you’ll encounter:...

I was a tad late after realizing, once in my garage, I had to switch pedals out from my polo bike to my Trek since it was dry and most of the salt was gone to rock the DZR Marcos (with custom green board paint splatter). I was gonna need all the gears I could get fighting this Nor’easter. I met Christian for the first time, the photographer for this, outside Blackbird for the (mis)adventure we were embarking on. We had a goal of reaching 10 bars. I’ll be honest we only made it to 8. I could have added a few more bars to this report that people who ride bikes frequent and that incentivize showing up by bike. Don’t get me wrong, more bars could be more bike friendly, as the city itself could. Overall though each year I see more riders I don’t know in the streets and more support from bar owners to cater to those who choose to ride there. These are my personal highly rated ones. Have one to suggest or disagree with me? Go to your favorite bike friendly bar, buy a drink and let them know you rode and appreciate their support. Or politely suggest to them how to improve. From out of town? This is a good guide to get you started.

When people think of Minneapolis it's usually about our weather. Not about how perfect we have it in the spring, summer and fall, but about the brutal cold we endure anywhere from 4-6 months of the year. Even with that we still manage to get on with our normal lives. We're constantly in a battle for Best Cycling City in the country with Portland and Austin, and with all that cycling comes drinking. When the weather is nice we like to grab a 6-pack and go down to the nearest lake or park and enjoy the warmth, but when the cold comes back we head indoors for some brews. Here are some of the places we like to ride to the most.

Oh, you was all reading up on this site and thought our expertise only went as far as dope shoes? Wrong. We also know a lot about drinking. There's a slew of rad spots all over the Bay and we've been to every single one (that we can remember!). Still, our favorite spots are the ones we hit up over and over after a gravy shift, an alleycat, or a night of hard-fought polo matches. Most of all, these are the places where we know we're going to run into friends both old and new. Here are a few of our all-time favorite watering holes to hitch our horses up at. Next time you find yourself in town, refer to this if you're looking to link up with our kind.