Talk to me about pedals: Bikefanclub.com

The choice of pedals is as much a personal preference as the choice of saddle. That being the case, there are many, many products on the market that all appeal to one kind of rider or another. Here is my take on how to make sense of it all:

There are three things to look for in a road pedal:

1. You should like the way it feels to clip in and out of the pedal.
2. The pedal should provide a large supportive platform.
3. The pedal should allow your foot to sit as close to the pedal axle as possible. (This is referred to as the "stack height", and a low stack height is considered more stable and biomechanically efficient.)

(There are other considerations as well. For instance, the pedals shouldn't cause any pain in your knees or ankles. Some riders find that pedals with lots of "float" eliminate joint pain, while other riders find float will cause joint pain. Since joint pain is something that you may only discover after a few thousand miles, there is always an element of trial and error associated with trying out new pedals that cannot be eliminated.)

As you are probably already aware, while clipping in and out of SPD's (ie: mountain pedals) is fairly straightforward, they provide a very small platform, and the stack height is very large. Some road riders use SPD's because the recessed cleats are more "walkable". However, unless you do a lot of hiking during your rides, most of the modern road cleats are sufficiently walkable that this is not a concern. Many roadies find the improvement in "feel" associated with road pedals far outweigh the slight reduction in walkability.

Among the most popular pedals, there are really only 3 choices: Look (and "Look style"), Time, and Speedplay:

1. As mentioned in another post, the "Look style" pedals include those from Look, as well as Campy, Shimano, and others. I have not ridden any of these pedals, but on paper it sure looks like Shimano's new Look-style "Lance Pedal" is now the best of these. Shimano has taken the Look-style pedal and refined it to near perfection. Look-style pedals tend to offer a large platform. However, stack height is relatively large, because the cleat retention mechanism consists of a large hook at the back of the pedal that extends *above* the pedal platform. This hook limits how close the rider's foot can get to the pedal axle. Clipping in and out tends to be straightforward with most of the Look-style pedals.
2. Time has their own method of cleat retention. On Time pedals, the cleat retention hook has been moved *below* the pedal platform, and as a result Time pedals are known for having extremely low stack height. Also, Time pedals offer a large supportive platform. Some riders complain that clipping in and out isn't as easy with Time pedals compared to Look-style pedals, however. (Note these comments apply to the newer Time "Impact" pedals, and not older Time pedals.)
3. Speedplay has a completely different method of cleat retention, that allows smooth, unconstrained side-to-side "float" of the rider's foot on the pedal. Some riders love this and others hate it. The stack height is almost as low as Time's, but some riders complain that Speedplay pedals do not provide a large enough platform. Clipping in and out of Speedplay's is supposed to be extremely easy, and one of the things most Speedplay users love about them.

There are also very compelling offerings from smaller manufacturer's, such as Coombe, Bebop and Eggbeater. Each of these pedals has its own strengths and weaknesses, and is unique in design. However, if you go with any of these smaller vendors, ensure that you can easily obtain replacement cleats and parts as needed, since these brands aren't carried by every LBS.

Edited by DGauthier (06/10/04 11:12 PM)