With their iCLiC, Time hope to revolutionise clipless pedals. Instead of a metal spring to clamp your foot on engagement it uses a carbon blade. However, this isn’t what defines the iCLiC – what sets it apart is the engagement system itself.
With most clipless systems you have to force the cleat through the spring tension to engage. The iCLiC’s clamp is open and when the platform feels pressure from the cleat, it snaps closed – think ski binding. In use the iCLiC’s engagement is one of the easiest we’ve ever tried.
Engagement is so smooth that the first few times you use the pedal you think that you’ve not clipped in. Disengaging is simple and smooth too – and we’ve had little trouble using the iCLiCs on the strongest setting, which offers a secure attachment but is still easy to disengage.
The iCLiC looks very similar to Time’s RXS pedal but the platform is bigger for a more stable footing. The main body is a composite plastic that’s proved hardwearing and resilient to usual pedal scrapes, while the steel axle and the well-sealed oversized bearings keep the pedal bodies spinning super-smoothly.
We weighed them at 262g a pair – lighter than most other pedals at this price. The iCLiC is especially effective in the wet; because it’s the pedal and not your foot that has to do the work of clipping in, there’s less slipping.
The only downside we can see to the iCLiC system is also true of Time’s other road pedals – the cleat is susceptible to getting fouled by dirt, mud and grit. The new cleat shape has a few nooks and crannies that mud can sit in which can make it difficult to engage the cleat without first stamping out all of the gunk.
The only other issue is the price. For a system that would be of great benefit to those wanting to start using clipless systems, the base model iCLiC – the Fibreflex, with plastic rather than carbon blade – is over £80. Compared to entry-level models from Shimano, that’s just too expensive.
