Road Bike Pedals Selection Guide

How many cleat attachment points are located under your shoe?

Roughly speaking, there are two possibilities to attach your cleats to your shoe. By means of a 2-point attachment where the screws are next to each other or a 3-point attachment where the screws are in a triangle. A 2-point attachment is often found with mountain bike shoes. For example, Shimano SPD and Crankbrothers Premium cleats are placed on them. With a 3-point attachment, the screw holes are in a triangle and this is used for road bike shoes. On this mount you can mount Shimano SPD-SL and Look Kéo cleats for example.

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Road Bike Pedals | We specialise in bike pedals

Many road bikes come with standard pedals. So when you get a road bike, you don't have the pedals that you can clip your road bike shoes into yet. This is why you typically see people buying a new set of road bike pedals as well when they are buying a new road bike. We have a lot of road bike pedals in our assortment, which may make you wonder which ones are best for you. Read the frequently asked questions about this subject below and make the right choice!

Which cleats do I need for my road bike pedals?

The Shimano SPD SL pedals come with SPD-SL cleats; depending on the quality of the pedals you buy, you get matching cleats. Shimano has yellow cleats with 6° of float for anything lower than Ultegra. Ultegra pedals and Dura-Ace pedals come with blue cleats that have 2° of float. Look pedals come with grey Keo cleats with 4.5° of float. Time pedals come with Time iClic/Xpresso Non-Fixed cleats with 5° of float. Wahoo pedals come with Wahoo Speedplay Easy Tension cleats, which have 0-10° of freely adjustable float.

What is the meaning of float in road bike pedals?

Float is the freedom of movement your road cycling shoes have when the cleats are clipped into the pedals. Every brand is different in terms of this freedom of movement. The more freedom you have, the better it is for your knees. In some cases, however, more freedom comes at the expense of power transfer.
Do you have sensitive knees? Then it is best to choose cleats that offer a bit more freedom of movement. The release angle is actually half of the total float. When you turn your heel outward beyond the furthest angle, you will clip out of the pedal. If you would like to learn more about the different cleats, read this blog post.

What is the difference between road bike pedals and MTB pedals?

In most cases, road bike pedals can only be clipped into from one side (with the exception of Wahoo Speedplay). Road bike pedals are therefore primarily aimed at aerodynamics, low weight and sufficient stiffness and power transmission. Conversely, MTB pedals should be easy to clip into, even on muddy terrain. Thus, this entails an open system that is hardly influenced by the weather and will retain very little sand or mud.

Can you clip into road bike pedals from both sides?

You can clip into most road bike pedals from one side only. Some brands such as Wahoo Speedplay are an exception to this rule, as they offer pedal systems that have dual-side pedal entry. This makes it easier to clip in when you're setting off and prevents you from having to look for the clip-in side.

Will this road bike pedal fit my crank?

All road bike pedals in our webshop have the same fit and screw-thread, so they fit any crank set. You may find a different thread fit on crank sets that are on kids road bikes.

What should I take note of when mounting my bike pedals?

Cycling without pedals is impossible. They are the connection between your foot and the bike and very important in the best transmission of power. Do you want advice about pedals? Then you can read our advice on pedals here. Within the category of road bike pedals we have several brands of pedals. Furthermore, we have put together some tips for you:
  • Pay close attention to the different types of thread. The left pedal has a thread that turns counter-clockwise. Right pedal has a screw thread that turns clockwise.
  • Tighten the pedals to the correct torque. If the pedals are too loose, the thread will be damaged over time due to play.
  • Use grease on the threads. Grease reduces the tightening torque and makes sure the pedals do not get stuck in the crank arms.
Want to read more about how to best change your road bike pedals? Then read our blog.