Best road bike pedals - Road pedals that focus on power delivery and performance

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 tend to use a three-bolt mounting system to mount to the sole of your cycling shoes. Whereas the best gravel bike pedals tend to 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 winners in the guide are the Shimano Ultegra R8000 pedals. They offer almost Dura-Ace performance levels for 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. 

We have a group test of Shimano vs. Look vs. Wahoo Speedplay pedals, which are generally the three most popular and commonly used pedal systems for a road bike, as well as a breakdown of Shimano SPD pedals and an associated head-to-head of SPD and SPD-SL platforms. 

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Ultegra components are significantly cheaper than top-end Dura-Ace but offer most of the same performance benefits, and the R8000 road bike pedals are no exception. 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 Dura-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 price. As all pedal wear out eventually Ultegra represent our top pick in cost vs. performance. 

Check out our Shimano Ultegra pedals review if you want the full story.

Pro level performance

On their own, the 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 tumbles down the table with a combined heft of 332g. 

It's not all about the weight, though. Based on a moulded composite 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 who need a slightly larger Q factor. Along with the Ultegra R8000 pedals, they're the only pedal model to offer this, since the Wahoo Speedplays now only offer one spindle length.

It is worth mentioning that the top-end Shimano pedals come with the brand's blue cleats and lightened bolts as standard. The blue cleats only offer two degrees of a 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. 

Take a look at our full review of the Shimano Dura-Ace pedals for more details.

Built in aero

The first entry for Wahoo's Speedplay range, the Aero pedals are the only model in the 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 this summer, 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 very 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.

Want to wring every watt of aero out of your setup? Check out our Wahoo Speedplay Aero pedals review to find out more.

Featherweights

The XPRO 12 pedals from Time are the lightest in our guide; thanks to a carbon fibre 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 does mean however that Time stipulate 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 model servicing in the Time pedal manual 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. Plenty of Sram chainsets do come with pedal washers however and Time's pedal business was purchased by Sram back in 2021. 

Budget performance

Shimano road bike pedals have become some of the most popular on the market for good reason; they are some of the most user-friendly and reliable of the bunch. 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 means 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 café 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 stability 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.

Want to hear more as to why we rate them? Then read our Shimano 105 pedals review.

Carbon tension system

With all the buzzwords of a premium cycling product, the Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic pedal is only eclipsed at the top of the French brand's pedal hierarchy by the titanium axle version, which would give you a full house in Buzzword Bingo.

Used extensively in the professional peloton by riders such as Romain Bardet, 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. 

Want to know if ceramic bearings are worth it? Head to our Look Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic pedals review.

Also tested

Speedplay 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 heavier on the bike but much lighter on the wallet. They represent a lower barrier to entry to try the system out, without the additional weight that the lower tier cromoly 'Comp' version represents.

Speedplay has been acquired by Wahoo, so there's now a brand-new range of pedals. The design is more or less the same, with a couple of improved features. 

Speedplay pedals stand out because of the amount of float adjustability, which can be altered from 0 to 15 degrees. The release tension, however, cannot be adjusted except by replacing the cleats, with Speedplay selling 'standard tension' or 'easy tension' cleat options.  

See why we think these are the Goldilocks of the Speedplay range in our Wahoo Speedplay Zero pedals review.

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 adjustability 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 carry but 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.

Take a look at our full review of the Look Keo 2 Max Carbon pedals for more details.

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 fibre spring system to control pedal engagement tension and you can choose from 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 superlight XPRO 12 models the Xpresso 7's 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 for 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

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. 

Every system ships pedals with the cleats with the most float, as generally, this will be the most user-friendly option for the most amount of riders. The only exception to this 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. The Speedplay 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 idea is that you slipcovers on over the cleat when walking off the bike 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

How we test road bike pedals

Upon receipt of each pair of road bike pedals, we first take them out the box, making a note of the amount of plastic used for 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 read of the instructions for recommended torque levels, before fitting them to a bike, fitting the cleats to our shoes too. 

In testing, we usually spend a few days riding them 'blind', noting our experience, likes and dislikes before we read any of the marketing materials. 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 made available, to see how difficult a process it is.