The best road bike pedals tend to focus on aiding power delivery. They carry a performance focus with attention paid to overall weight, stack height, and platform size. Road pedals usually use a three-bolt mounting system to mount to the sole of your 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:cycling shoes, whereas the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best gravel bike pedals use a different two-bolt mounting pattern.
It's probably fair to say most riders tend to find a pedal system they are happy with and stick with it, unless they are battling biomechanical issues and want to switch to a different system. Pedals also tend to last years if looked after. However, it💛's important to make sure your shoe cleats don't wear too✃ much. Worn cleats can lead to accelerated pedal wear and pedals are definitely the more expensive of the two items.
Our overall winner in the guide is the Shimano Ultegra R8000 pedals. They offer almost Dura-Ace performance levels 𝐆for a bit less cash. Don't forget all pedals will wear out eventually; they are consumable items so Ultegra represents a nice balance. Shimano cleats are also very stable to walk in and offer decent grip underfoot.
The Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic pedals use a carbon fibre 💫blade spring to control the pedal engagement tension. There are three different blade tensions to choose from.
We last updated this guide in April 2024. Since it was originally written, both Look and Time have updated their pedal ranges. We'veꦓ indicated where a pedal model has been updated or superseded, although since we haven't reviewed the newer pedals and the updates are minor, we haven't yet replaced the older pedal models in this guide.
105 offers 95 per cent of the performance at an even cheaper price
Ultegra components are sign𒀰ificantly cheaper than top-end Dura-Ace but offer most of the same performance benefits, and the R8000 road bike pedals are no exceptio꧟n. They borrow heavily from the Dura-Ace pedals and feature a wide composite body for a stable and supportive pedalling platform. With a stack height of 10mm, they are 0.7mm lower than their predecessors and gone is the removable stainless steel plate; instead, you get three stainless steel pads bonded onto the pedal body to prevent wear.
Tipping the scales 37g lighter than the 105 version, the R8000 pedals are supplied with six-degree-float yellow cleats and standard mounting hardware. They spin on a stainless steel axle and two bearings, rather than the three you'd get with Du🅷ra-Ace, which nearly always settle the right way up for clipping in. As introduced with the previous 6800 version, the Ultegra pedals are also available in a +4mm axle version if your hips and knees need a bit of extra distance away from the crank.
As mentioned above, you're getting near Dura-Ace performance for a cheaper pricꦉe. As all pedals wear out eventually Ultegra represent our top pick in cost vs. perforꦯmance.
Super smooth, reliable and easy retention adjustment
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Perfect balance means they're easy to clip into
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Worldwide availability of spares
Reasons to avoid
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No aero claims
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SRAM and Campagnolo groupset owners mightn't want the Shimano 'clash'
On their own, t🉐he Dura-Ace pedals aren't the lightest around at 234g a pair. However, once you factor in the cleat too, Shimano's top-tier pedals become a real eyecatcher for weight weenies at 272g combined, while Wahoo Speedplay tumbles down the table with a combined heft of 332g.
It's not all about the weight, though. Based on a moulded comp🅘osite body, the old screw-on stainless steel plate is replaced with three smaller plates that are bonded on (as with Ultegra). The Dura-Ace pedals also get an extra needle bearing to provide better support and long-term durability. This also results in a super smooth bearing and an improved balance, which means they always hang the correct way up, making the Dura-Ace pedals consistently easy to clip into.
What's more, the stack height is roughly 2mm lower than the R8000 Ultegra version, and the Dura-Ace pedals come in the standard and +4mm axle for those wh🦂o need a slightly larger Q factor.
It is worth mentioning that the top-end Shimano pedals come wi🐽th the brand's blue cleats and lightened bolts as standard. The blue cleats only offer two degrees of float instead of six, although if you've paid the Dura-Ace price for your pedals, you're unlikely to baulk at the price of a set of yellow cleats. Dura-Ace also gets an extended warranty of three years, as opposed to two years on other Shimano goods.
The first entry for the Wahoo Spe🌄edplay range, the Aero pedals are the only model in Speedplay's line-up to not feature dual-sided entry. Instead, the underside has a dimpled surface like a golf ball to improve airflow over the underside of the pedal (although Speedplay doesn't actually provide any evidence that the pedals are more aero than its standard pedals).
Since Wahoo's acquisition of Speedplay and the relaunch of the Speedplay pedal range, it was always expected that the new line-up would come with updated technology and the Wahoo touch. The Speedplay Aero pedals, according to our reviewer, are ver🅠y purposefully designed with performance in mind. Their low stack height of 11.5mm and increased steel surface area resulted in an incredibly efficient and long-wearing piece of kit.
While we obviously weren't able to put all the aero claims to the test, it's always worth noting that Dan Bigham used them to break Sir Bradley Wiggins' British hour record time, and since Bigham is known to be meticulous in his attention to aerodynamic detail, his choice to use Wahoo's Speedplay Aero pedals in this attempt speaks volumes in favour of them🎐.
The XPRO 12 pedals from Time are the lighꦉtest in our guide; thanks to a carbon fibꦚre body and titanium pedal axle they tip the scales at 183 grams per pair and 280 grams for the complete pedal system, including cleats and the mounting hardware. If you chase every last gram that's a 25-gram saving over the Dura-Ace system and a 95-gram saving over the Speedplay Aero system.
The superlight construction and titanium axle do mean howev🌜er that Time stipulates a rider weight limit of 90 kilograms for the pedals.
Like the Xpresso 7 pedals that are also included in this guide, the XPR0 12 pedals come with floating cleats included. Time also recommends installing all its road pedals with a pedal washer installed on the pedal axle. You can read about this and mode♊l servicing in the The washer was not included with our test pedals so if your bike's cranks didn't come with a washer you may need to purchase one separately.
In early 2024, Time 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:upgraded its pedal range for the first time since it was 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:purchased by Sram back in 2021. The main change to the XPRO 12 is the option to choose between three spindle lengths to match your stance width. There🐽's also a new tension adjuster for the carbon leaf spring, which allows you to make smaller changes without needing to replace the spring. There's a graphics update and the XPRO15 has become the XPRO12 SL, with a 259g a set claimed weight for pedals, cleats and mounting bolts.
The Centre stainless steel pad has been removed for the latest version
Shimano road bike pedals have become some of the most popular on the market for good reason; they are among the most us🦂er-friendly and reliable of the bunch, with plenty of adjustability to the release tension. The silky smooth bearings will spin for ages before they get crunchy, they're easily serviceable when they do, and the retention mechanism on the rear of the body me𝐆ans they usually hang right side up.
Using large plastic cleats available in 0, 2 or 6 degrees of float, Shimano 🌠SPD-SL road cleats are easy to walk in, don't break the bank, and last quite some time even without caféꦯ; covers.
When we are talking in terms of how we spend our hard-earned cash on bike components, for Shimano pedal users, the 105 pedals are the winning ticket because they borrow tech from the range-topping Dura-Ace pedals at a fraction of the cost. Yes, the higher-end models offer lower weight, increased ground clearance and an extra set of bearings, but these have little effect on stabilit𓃲y and security. You still get the same wide pedalling platform, stainless steel plates on the top of the pedal body to prevent premature wear and plenty of adjustability through the cleats and release tension, but get to keep more of your hard-earned cash.
With all the buzzwords of a premium cycling product, the Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic pedal ❀is only eclipsed at the top of the Fre𝔍nch brand's pedal hierarchy by the titanium axle version, which would give you a full house in Buzzword Bingo.
Look gave the Keo Blade an upgrade in early 2024, claiming that it's made the bodies more aero as well as improving durability. It's also introduced the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Keo Power power meter 🌱with the same shap𒉰e and stack height, which we've reviewed.
Used extensively in the professional pe💫loton by riders such as Biniam Girmay, the Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic uses the same 67mm wide platform from the Keo Blade Carbon but adds ceramic bearings for an even smoother feel, and reduced weight.
The downside comes when adjusting the pedal tension away from the preset 16Nm. To do this, you'll need to replace the carbon leaf blade with either the included 12Nm or the optional extra 20Nm blade. It's easy enough to do, but not nearly as easy as turning an Allen key bolt as 🅠is the way with Shimano systems.
Sꦛpeedplay Zero pedals are commonly called lollipops because of their small circular pedal body. With dual-side entry, the big difference in this system is that the tension adjustment is located in the cleat rather than on the pedal. These pedals are ostensibly the same as the Speedplay Nano, but utilise less exotic materials (stainless steel, rather than titanium), and as such are heavie🤡r on the bike but a little lighter on the wallet.
Speedplay has been acquired by Wahoo, so there's now a 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:brand-new range of pedals. The design is more or less the same, with a couple of improved features, but there's also now the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Wahoo Powrlink Zero pedal power meter which sits alo🌳ngside the non-instrumented pedals.
Speedplay pedals stand out because of the amount of float adjustability, which can be altered from 0 to 15 degrees and separately for toe-in and toe-out float. The Zero is also the only Speedplay pedal which is available with multiple spindle lengths, four o🅷f them. The release tension, however, cannot be adjusted except by replacing the cleats, with Speedplay selling 'standard tension' or 'easy tension' cleat options.
The Keo 2 Max Carbon pedals follow the same design as the brand's higher-priced Keo Blade, but instead of a carbon leaf spring for cleat retention, you get a standard steel coil spring. While it adds a bit of weight and loses some cool factor, this system allows more release tension adju🧔stability without having to physically disassemble the pedal, as is the case with the Keo Blades. The added weight at the back of the pedal also helps the body♉ to settle in the right orientation for easy clip-ins.
It's available in carbon and non-carbon versions, the difference between them being about 10 grams - less than that extra emergency gel you always car🔥ry b♛ut never use.
They use the same cleats as the Keo Blades, available in 0, 4🍎.꧅5 and 9 degrees of float, and ship with the 4.5-degree option.
Finish feels a little more basic than some other brands models
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Sharp edges
Time's 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:pedal range updae in 2024 saw the Xpresso range shrink to the Xpresso 6 and the Xpresso 4, both with composite bodies. While the𓃲 former have steel wear plates and are closer to the Xpresso 7, the Xpresso 4 lacks these.
Though a more competitively priced option than the high-end XPRO 12 pedals, for the money the Xpresso 7 pedals from Time, are still very lightweight at 196 grams per pair. The second lightest complete pedal system in this guide in fact. Time Xpresso 7 pedals, like the Look Keo blades use a carbon leaf spring system to control pedal engagement tension and you can choose fro꧙m three different blade tension inserts to fine-tune the pedal feel.
The pedals come with cleats included which have 16 degrees of float, though Time does offer a fixed float version. Like the superli♒g💧ht XPRO 12 models the Xpresso 7s use Time ICLIC technology which pre-opens the pedal engagement system when you unclip, making it ready for clipping back into when you start pedalling again.
For the money the Xpresso 7 pedals will probably tick a lot of boxes f♓or people. They have carbon fibre construction elements, are amongst the lightest pedals on the market and come with a two or even three-year warranty if you register online with Time.
Cleat systems
On the right we have the Speedplay Aero cleat and base plate. Bottom are the yellow (6 degree float) and blue (two degr🤪ee float) Shimanಌo cleats and the top left and middle and Look and Time cleats respectively. (Image credit: Future / Tom Wieckowski)
The cleat systems from Shimano, Look, and Time in this guide are all similar and use a three-bolt shoe mounting pattern to🌠 affix to your cycling shoes.
Almost every system ships pedals with the cleats with the most float, as generally, this will be the most user-friendly option for most riders. The only exception to thisꩵ rule is Dura-Ace which ships with its blue-coloured cleats which have 2 degrees of float (a red-coloured fixed version is also available). Dura-Ace is aimed at the racers who may want a more fixed cleat position from the off.
Speedplay cleats are dramatically different and have a couple of extra steps for setup. The Wahoo Speedplay pedals use a three-bolt mounting adaptor base plate which the four-bolt pedal cleat is then attached to (there are a small number of the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best cycling shoes which are available with four bolt holes, so you ca✱n omit the adapter and reduce the stack height even more). The Spไeedplay pedals can look so minimalist because a lot of the engagement system is located in the cleat itself.
Personally, I have found Shimano cleats to offer the best grip and feel when walking off the bike. The hard🔜 rubber-tipped corners of the cleat give a good feel on the floor that isn't slippery.
Cleat covers are also available for a wide range of pedal systems. The id💮ea is that you slip the covers o𓂃n over the cleat when walking to prolong its life and minimise wear and tear.
🥀It's also worth mentioning that staying on top of cleat wear is essential. It can help prevent injuries and extend the life of your pedals.
How to choose
What are clipless pedals?
The term "clipless" pedal can often seem confusing to newer cyclists as itꦕ seems contradictory to the pedal system it is describing. The "clipless" term comes from the change from the older style of metal toe clips and straps road cyclists used. Modern pedal systems don't use this toe clip or cage and are thus termed clipless.
These pedals allow you to 'clip' directly into the pedal for a mechanical connection between the pedal and a cleat, which is bolted to the underside of a purpose-built 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:cycling shoe. Most shoes designed for road cyc💮ling feature three bolt holes in the sole, while mountain bike or gravel shoes rely on two.
There are also four-bolt shoes explicitly designed for Speedplay cleats, which otherwise need an adapter plate between the four-bolt Speedplay cleat an𒁏d the three-bolt shoe.
While each pedal syst🌊em varies slightly, the mechanics are more or less the same; step down on the pedal platform to clip in, and twist at the ankle to unclip. Where they do vary is the release tension and adjustability, float, platform size, stack height and reliability.
Depending on your confidence and experience as a rider, what you're looking for in a pedal will vary slightly. You can buy ♉an "easy release" version of the major ꧃pedal systems, which may be a good pedal system for a beginner rider to choose.
Which cleats should I use?
You'll need to use cleats that are compatible with the road bike pedals you choose, so you should factor your cleat prefe🎃rences into your decision-making process. Most new pairs of pedal♐s will come with a set of cleats included.
Cleats come in differe🧔nt shapes and sizes, depending on the brand that makes them, as well as different mounting methods and adjustability. If you're new to clipless pedals, you might want to favour cleats with a good amount of adjustability so you can fine-tune your fit to help you get used to them.
Each brand uses a slightly different cleat system, with some offering more refined adjustments than others. For example with Shimano and Look-style༺ cleats, fore and aft, side-to-side and cleat angles are all adjusted at the same time, while Speedplay uses a s🐼eparate set of bolts to modify each axis.
What are the best road cycling pedals for beginners?
The best road cycling pedals for beginners will allow you to kick your foot out of a p🦩edal quickly. This is handy when you misjudge the timing of a traffic light and may help prevent an embarrassing topple. Conversely, the last thing you want when responding to an attack in a road race or in a bunch sprint is for your foot to unclip.
Most pedals that use an actual sprin꧋g will allow for the release tension to be adjusted with a pinch bolt, while others that use a carbon leaf spring for retention may offer some degree of adjustability, but often with a few extra steps. The release tension of Speedplay pedals can't be adjusted, although Wahoo Speedplay doꦗes sell Easy Tension cleats, which it ships with its entry-level Speedplay Comp pedals.
Your needs in🍸 this regard will🍬 dictate which are the best road bike pedals for you.
Does the size and shape of the pedal matter?
To a degree, yes, because it impacts thꦏe amount of surface area you have to lay you☂r power into when you pedal.
When it comes to the best pedals for road bikes, each brand makes claims about its system offering the biggest pedalling platform or surface area. It is an essential factor to take into account, as a pedal with a larger surface area will distribute your pedalling force over a bigger section of your foot. This might mean that five hours into your all-day epic, you might not get those uncomfortable hot spots in your feet, although the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best cycling shoes will have stiff soles to help distribute pressure more evenly and increase pedalling eඣfficiency.
Ekoi has taken this to extremes with a 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:pedal system which broke cover in early 2024, with an enormous but skeletal pedal body, presumably pa♏ired with an equally enormous cleat or some alternative shoe connection.
What is pedal float?
Float refers to how many degrees your heel can move side to side when clipped into the pedal. Depending on your pedal brand of choice, yo𝔍u can buy fixed cleatꦦs with zero degrees of float all the way up to 15 degrees with Speedplay (which can also be adjusted).
While some pro riders talk about the benefits of being 'locked in' with a zero float cleat, the m🃏ajority of people's joints benefit from some degree of movement. Most pedal systems will have a bit of friction built into the float while others such as Speedplay have a resistance-free feel to them — which is right for you will depend on your personal preference, but the best pedals for road bikes will come with cleats that offer a middle-of-the-road float.
What stack height should my pedals have?
Stack height refe🐎rs to the distance between the pedal axle and the bottom of your foot. Ideally, you want your foot as close as possible because as the crank goes around it's easier to stay on top of the axle the smaller the distance, and it also reduces the loss of energy to twisting. It als♉o sets you up for a lower overall position, aiding aerodynamics.
It's also essential to note stack height if you're swapping pedal systems because you🃏 may have to adjust your saddle height by a few millim𒅌etres as well.
Which road bike pedals are the most reliable?
Pedals are often the most neglected and least maintained part of a bike by a lot of riders but they will need maintenance too from time to time. Wear often happens in the bushings and bearings♛ and composite pedal bodies. Some only require an application of grease here and there, while others need to be fully disassembled with some purpose-built tools and rebuilt. You can check the manufacturer's recommended maintenance intervals and procedures for most pedals.
It's important to stay on top of cleat wear and ensure you replace your cleats before they become too worn. Worn cleats can accelera𓆉te pedal body wear, lead ൩to injuries and incorrect foot placement or even cause a crash if you pull your foot out of the pedal at the wrong moment.
Consider the correct pedal system for your needs if you think you will be walking a lot in your shoes. A pair of the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best gravel shoes with a two bolt cleat and two-sided 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:gravel bike pedals will be much easier to walk in and wear less than a three bolt cleat and road cycling shoes. Alternatively, you can invest in a set of cleat covers which can protect your road cycling cleats when w🌟alking off the bike.
How we test road bike pedals
Upon receipt of each pai🐎r of road bike pedals, we first take them out the box, making a note of the amount of plastic used to assess environmental friendliness. We weigh them (with and without cleats), photograph them, make notes of any build quality concerns and check for how bearings are serviced and retention is adjusted where necessary. We then have a brief r𒅌ead of the instructions for recommended torque levels, before fitting them to a bike and fitting the cleats to our shoes.
♏In testing, we usually spend a few days riding them 'blind', noting our experience, likes and dislikes before we read any of the marketing m📖aterials. This is so our feelings and opinions aren't subconsciously affected by the marketing claims. Upon reading the product descriptions, we then ride with them some more.
For this guide, we acquired three pairs of Specialized shoes, onto which we fitted Look, Shimano and Wahoo cleats, so that we could not only compare the stack heights, but also so that we could quickly swap from one pedal system to another to get a feel for how they compare. Given pedals comes in pairs, in some instances we also split them up and rode competitor pedals at the same time - where stack heights allowed - to try to note any minor differences. We also spent time attempting to service the pedal bearings, adjust ♊the retention and any other adjustments that were possible, to see how difficult a process it is.
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent runnin﷽g an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
