I thought about the TR8, but not required for my riding. One thing, I used to ride cleats on my last 29er, but haven't bothered on this bike. Plus bikes have a wider chainstay to fit the tyre in. When I first rode it my heels knocked the frame a bit and it felt weird - probably due to the fact i ride a roady as well. Somewhere along the line my heels no longer hit and I didn't notice the change. I think cleats would require a bit of a think, but it's not that sort of bike and I find my upstroke is strong enough without them. I don't see myself ever riding less than 3" tyres offroad again.