Clipless Pedals

Perhaps you've seen people out riding in special shoes using funny-looking little pedals. Maybe you've seen them in your spin class. The pedals these riders are using are referred to as "clipless" pedals, and they are a great way to increase your speed and efficiency.

Clipless pedals work sort of like ski bindings. As you step down onto the pedal, a small cleat attatched to the bottom of the shoe snaps into the binding mechanism of the pedal, holding the foot in place. To release them, you merely twist your ankle outward. Scared of the idea of being "stuck" to your bike? Don't be! It is actually far easier to get in and out of a clipless pedal than it is a traditional pedal with a toeclip and strap. With just a little practice, clipping in and out of the pedals becomes second nature.

Clipless pedals are a great way to improve your pedaling efficiency. To start with, they hold your foot in the optimal position on the pedal, enabling maximum power transfer into your pedalstroke. Additionally, they allow you to not only get the standard downward push with your quadraceps, but let you use your hamstrings to pull up on the pedals as well. By pedaling with two muscle groups instead of one, you are splitting the workload, allowing your legs to stay fresh longer. Of course, by simultaneously pulling with one leg and pushing with the other, you are doubling the power you put into the pedalstroke, resulting in increased speed. This is especially helpful riding up a steep climb or into a stiff headwind.

As with bikes, there are a great deal of options when it comes to clipless pedals, and certain styles are better for certain applications.

Mountain Pedals

Mountain pedals are some of the most versatile clipless pedals made, and their use is by no means limited to off-road riding. Mountain bike pedals are generally dual-sided, meaning they have a binding mechanism on either side of the pedal. This allows the rider to clip into the pedal more quickly and easily, without having to kick the pedal over to get to the mechanism. Additionally, mountain pedals are usually designed to work well in wet, muddy conditions. Mountain bike pedals typically use a small metal cleat, which makes it much easier to walk while wearing bike shoes. They are designed this way because the rugged terrain of many mountain bike trails often makes it necessary to get off the bike and walk. It is also a great feature if you want to ride to the library, your afternoon lecture, or the coffee shop without changing your shoes. For more information regarding cycling shoes, check out the shoes section of our website.

Crank Brothers, Time, and Shimano make some of our most popular mountain pedals.

Road Pedals

As the name suggests, road pedals are designed specifically for road riding. Road pedals are typically single-sided. This is to save weight, and is based on the assumption that when riding a paved road or bicycle trail, the rider will not have to clip in and out too often. A road pedal tends to have a larger pedal platform for more efficient power transfer, and to help prevent "hot foot," a condition in which riders sometimes feel pain or numbness from having their weight concentrated on the small platform of some pedals. The cleats for many road pedals are made of plastic, and it is a good idea to replace them every year to keep your pedals in safe and compliant working condition.

Speedplay, Look, Time, Ritchey, and Shimano all make popular road pedals.

What's Float?

Many pedals make claims about their "float." "Float" is the amount of side-to-side foot movement the pedal allows. For example, a pedal claiming to have 4° of float allows the foot to move four degrees in either direction without disengaging the cleat. Generally speaking, the more float the pedal has, the lower the risk of repetitive-stress knee injury. The flipside is that this lateral movement can be seen as slop, or wasted movement that can reduce efficiency, so many racers choose to ride "zero-float" pedals. However, many people find these pedals irritate their knees. Many pedals offer adjustable float, or offer cleats that have differing degrees of float.

Caution: Some higher-end clipless pedals have rider weight limits. Be sure to ask so you can be sure there will be no problems with your desired pedal.