> All of them attempt to address the same requirement, and make different tradeoffs depending on use-case and environment.
All road shoes/pedals interface have the same requirements. All XC ones have the same ones, All Dh ones, same.
> Same as for shifters: the braking compound and design for a race road bike will be really different to what a DH race bike requires.
Regardless if we are talking shifters, breaks or pedals interface among a specific line (road, gravel, xc, DH) the requirements stay the same and more importantly those formats/shapes/interface almost never vary accross price point:
All mtb shifters from a given manufacturer and amount of gears available are usually interchangeable. A deore shifter can operate an XTR derailleur. Same SPD cleats accross all MTB pedals from Shimano. Same brake pad shape is used accross all lines for a given number of pistons. More importantly pads and calipers are usually interchangeable between road and mtb for a given manufacturer. Conpound, requirements and price point as little to do with it as manufacturers release pads with different compound but same shape.
What makes all these formats not standards is because every manufacturer wants to have its own for 2 reasons:
1) think it knows better
2) aim to capture a market and become a monopoly (through cleats format)
Only rarely they discuss between each others or release a standard and don't ask for royalties. Same as proprietary software vendors.
The open source fragmentation only really comes from reason 1.
All road shoes/pedals interface have the same requirements. All XC ones have the same ones, All Dh ones, same.
> Same as for shifters: the braking compound and design for a race road bike will be really different to what a DH race bike requires.
Regardless if we are talking shifters, breaks or pedals interface among a specific line (road, gravel, xc, DH) the requirements stay the same and more importantly those formats/shapes/interface almost never vary accross price point:
All mtb shifters from a given manufacturer and amount of gears available are usually interchangeable. A deore shifter can operate an XTR derailleur. Same SPD cleats accross all MTB pedals from Shimano. Same brake pad shape is used accross all lines for a given number of pistons. More importantly pads and calipers are usually interchangeable between road and mtb for a given manufacturer. Conpound, requirements and price point as little to do with it as manufacturers release pads with different compound but same shape.
What makes all these formats not standards is because every manufacturer wants to have its own for 2 reasons: 1) think it knows better 2) aim to capture a market and become a monopoly (through cleats format)
Only rarely they discuss between each others or release a standard and don't ask for royalties. Same as proprietary software vendors.
The open source fragmentation only really comes from reason 1.