A pro bike fitter's top 10 cycling products to make you faster and more comfortable on the bike (and one of them is free)

There are plenty of cycling products out there that cost a fortune, promise the world and then simply don’t deliver. To help you (and us) get to the bottom of which products do actually deliver on their promises of making you more comfortable and efficient on the bike, we got in touch with a professional bike fitter to see what cycling products get results most often, plus any other products or brands that cone highly recommended. 

2025 Bike fit riding (credit: road.cc)

> The things I learnt from a professional bike fit

Before we get into it, we should say that Luke Craddock from Synergy Performance is not on commission for any of the products or brands mentioned in this video. If your favourite product isn’t in the video, it doesn’t mean it’s not good! These are simply 10 products that Craddock uses regularly and have helped countless cyclists get more comfortable and efficient on the bike.

Right, in no particular order, let’s get in to it...

1. Wide fit shoes

2023 Lake CX333 shoe - 1 (credit: road.cc)

"The foot is the most important area on the bike, If you get your feet happy, working in the correct way and stabilised/connected to the stiff part of the shoe (the sole) then everything else becomes easier."

Craddock explained that the feet of the average Brit are rarely the same shape as what Italian designers imagine, so many of us will feel a benefit by switching to a wide fit shoe.

Before purchasing a new set of shoes, it's a good idea to take the insole out the shoe and stand on it, giving the foot a chance to splay out. There shouldn't be a large gap at the front, and neither should your foot spill over the sides. 

"Don't buy shoes based on marketing budgets, buy what works for your foot."

2. Orthotic insoles

2024 Bike fit off the shelf orthotic insole (credit: road.cc)

"The biggest bang for buck upgrade in cycling."

Orthotic insoles allow your foot to touch more of the sole of the shoe, which is great for comfort and power delivery. The foot has a dense structure of capillaries and nerves, and the thin foam insoles that are supplied with cycling shoes usually isn't optimal. 

"I wish shoes didn't come with any insoles, as then people would have to go out and buy ones with the right arch support." says Craddock. 

He went on to explain that when the nervous system is relaxed, pain and discomfort can disappear. There's a performance gain to be had just from having your foot contacting the shoes properly.

3. Wide axle pedals/pedal washers

2025 Bike fit pedal axle spacers q factor (credit: road.cc)

Humans are getting wider and bikes are getting narrower, which can often result in impinged hips. Wider axle pedals, such as Shimano Ultegra SL-E pedals (4mm wider than standard) or Wahoo's Speedplay long axle pedals can help to open up the hips and keep the knees tracking straight.

New pedals can be expensive, so unless you need some then you can also increase your Q-factor by using pedal washers. These cost just a few quid and go in-between the crank and pedal to move them further outboard. Just be careful not to add too many, ideally no more than 2 x 2mm washers per side for most pedal systems. 

4. Short cranks

2025 Bike fit 165mm cranks (credit: road.cc)

> Should you fit shorter cranks on your bike? 

It's all the rage right now, but Craddock reckons that the benefits of shorter crank arms are potentially even higher for us amateurs than they are for the pros.

Short cranks can help with hip mobility, and 160mm and 165mm cranks are fast becoming the norm for many who want to get more comfortable on the bike.

5. Non-integrated bars and stems

2025 Bike fit bar and stem (credit: road.cc)

When someone goes to Synergy Performance for a bike fit, Craddock tries to optimise comfort and performance by trialling different reach, bar width and stack measurements. Unfortunately, with the rapid uptake of integrated cockpits, this is becoming harder and harder.

"Integrated cockpits look brilliant, I've got one on my bike, but unless you know the exact measurement you need then integrated cockpits are not the way to go", he says.  

"There's not just one stem length that's going to work for you. You could run maybe +/-1cm and probably be fine, but the edge of that box is very firm".

2024 tdf tech trends - remco integrated sl8 cockpit roval rapide (credit: road.cc)

Craddock explains that outside of this margin it will be very hard to get comfortable, and changing an integrated cockpit can be massively expensive. In fact, he now wants to change the cockpit that he purchased on his bike, as he is now cycling less and struggles with the position he had when riding for 20+ hours a week. Bodies change, integrated cockpits do not!

6.  Saddles with pressure relief channels

2025-02 Boardman SLR 9.0 - saddle.jpg (credit: road.cc)

> Best bike saddles

Craddock reckons that saddles with cutouts or pressure relief channels are the way to go for the majority of riders. Bikes often come with more classic shaped saddles, as these offer a relative degree of comfort in many positions.

Some riders will have tried a saddle with a cutout and hated it, but Craddock reckons that this is more to do with the bike fit than the saddle design itself. He likens domed saddles without cutouts to a sticking plaster for a poor fit - they allow you to sit off to one side or sit in the wrong place, which can lead to issues and injuries further down the line.

7. Cleat wedges

2025 bike fit cleat wedge leg discrepency (credit: road.cc)

A cleat wedge is just a thin bit of plastic that goes in between the sole of the shoe and cleat. It's designed to reduce the effects of a leg length discrepancy.

A lot of cyclists have a variation in leg length, either structurally or at the very least functionally. Cleat wedges are "really effective at improving someone’s symmetry, improving how they connect with the bike and reducing single sided injuries."

8. Cleat adaption plates

2025 bike fit cleat adaption plate midfoot cycling (credit: road.cc)

In general, the further back a cleat is on a shoe, the more stability is gained. A cleat adaption plate, also known as midfoot cleat plates, allow the cleat to be positioned further rearwards.

Cleat adaption plates won't be for everyone, but Craddock does use them when the shoe doesn't allow for adequate cleat fitment. In general, the cleat bolts on cycling shoes are being positioned further back, but these plates allow you to replicate this position on older shoes, and shoes with cleat holes that are further forwards.

9. Grey and blue cleats

2025 Bike fit cleat position set up (credit: road.cc)

> How to get your shoe cleats set up right

Of course it's not about the colour, but what it denotes. Look's grey cleats offer 4.5 degree of float, and Shimano blue cleats 2 degree of float. Craddock says that these are the best option for the majority of riders.

Unless you're a track sprinter or are very confident that you can set them up with pinpoint precision, Craddock recommends steering clear of fixed degree float cleats, as any slight misalignment will result in potential damage to ligaments.

2024 Bike fit cleat location set up (credit: road.cc)

The issue with higher degrees of float is that as the pedal and cleat wear, they can cause instability of the foot on the pedal. This is most common on the side that you unclip from, and will allow the foot to shift about and move from side to side which is less than optimal. The mid degree of float cleat options help to balance the trade-off between being 'locked in' when everything is new, and too much movement as components wear.

10. Geometry Geeks

Geometry Table (Geometry Geeks) (credit: road.cc)

> 7 reasons why your bike doesn't fit you

Geometry geeks is a website that is a "really effective way of understanding roughly how different bikes will fit". If you're looking at purchasing a new bike, then you can put your current bike's details into the software and compare it to a new one, as no brand's sizes are the same.

Craddock suggests paying particular attention to the reach and stack measurements, as these can vary quite a lot between bike manufacturers, and to avoid getting a bike in a particular size just because "that's what you've always had".

Let us know if you've used any of these products in the comments below.