Produced in Taiwan by FPD for Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op, the Revolution Contacts are dual sided Ritchey copies (or maybe homages) with as much to offer road fixers and tourists as the ‘cross and mountain bike fraternities.
Smooth, sealed cartridge bearings turn on solid Cro-moly axles and with basic care shouldn’t demand overhaul for a good few seasons. Repeated entry and exit around town hasn’t done anything to mar the smart powder coated alloy bodies, although they could be stripped and polished should they look tired.
Being Shimano pattern, it follows that Shimano cleats are compatible but curiously, other imitators such as Wellgo, Vp, Exustar and Winwood appear to perform better. Like most, there’s the standard float to keep knees happy and their smaller mass is much less inclined to ground out when cornering hard-especially on a fixed. Being dual sided also ensures speedy getaways at the traffic light grand prix.
Release tension is adjusted via a 3mm Allen wrench (Clockwise to increase, counter-clockwise to slacken) and whilst not enjoying the mud shedding prowess of Egg Beater and ATAC designs, submerging them in thick Blackwater mud hasn’t persuaded them to turn bandit. The bottom line is stick with Big S if you’re venturing to the back of beyond-parts are pretty much universally available but if you wanted to save a fiver and thirty odd grams into the bargain, the contacts make a great alternative.
Verdict
Excellent budget alternative to Shimano pedals
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Revolution Contact Clipless Pedals
Price: 29.31
Weight: 356g
Size tested: N/A
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
The Contacts are primarily aimed at the off road fraternity, enjoying the advantages of Shimano compatibility but with lower weight and pricing. I largely agree with this statement, although marketing them as off-road specific sells them short.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Solid, Cro-moly axles turn on remarkably smooth, sealed cartridge bearings, Powder coated alloy bodies closely resemble Ritchey design.
Powder coating looks both tasteful and durable, although could be stripped and left bare should they become tatty. Bearings feel marginally smoother than lower end Shimano to boot.
Performance is generally excellent, although mud shedding qualities not quite on a par with Time ATAC or egg-beaters.Work well with Shimano cleats but interestingly, work better with other brands of pattern cleat. Smaller profile means they're unlikely to ground out when carving into corners.
Build quality seems impressive-no immediate or obvious weaknesses.
Shaves a few grams off comparable Shimano (356g pair)
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, smooth entry/exit in all conditions,clunk clip every trip bathed in mud or getting away at the lights.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Build quality and price
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 1m 81 Weight: 70 kilos
I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)