Face Off: The Best Clipless Pedals

If you like riding with your feet attached to your bike, you’re likely well aware that many variables affect this union. It’s more complicated than how a flat pedal and shoe interact. Not only do you have the contact patch of the sole and pedal, but there are also different cleat styles, cleat height and channel depth, pedal mechanism height relative to the pedal body, and on and on.

The cleat style and pedal mechanism interface are probably the main factors someone considers when deciding which clipless pedal to choose. Most long-time users have a preferred style. For new users, it can be confusing deciding what you like. Hopefully, this article will help experienced and new clipless users alike find the pedal that best suits their needs.

Skip ahead to individual pedal performance and overview

Clipless Pedal 101

• There are two key components of a clipless pedal: the cleat and the mechanism.
• The cleat mounts to the sole of the shoe in a channel and clicks into the receiving mechanism on the pedal.
• Once the cleat is engaged with the pedal mechanism, there is a predetermined amount of left-right movement that the foot can make while remaining engaged. This is called ‘Float.’
• To release the shoe from the pedal, you must twist your foot (usually in an outward motion) beyond the float zone, causing the mechanism to release and the shoe to detach from the pedal.

three photo carousel - (photo of cleat on shoe in channel/photo of clip mechanism/photo of cleat clipped into pedal)

Let's break down the three most common cleat and pedal brand interfaces:

• Shimano Pedaling Dynamics (SPD): Introduced in 2000, this is the most commonly recognized system, with many brands beyond Shimano utilizing the design. It uses a fixed two-sided entry mechanism and a steel cleat. Tension is adjustable, and there is a very distinguishable engagement and disengagement feel, usually accompanied by an audible click. Once the cleat is engaged into the mechanism, you can achieve different levels of float by using third-party SPD cleats.
• Time ATAC system: Introduced around 1995 and used exclusively by Time, it features a fixed, two-sided entry mechanism and a brass cleat. Tension is adjustable, and engagement is a bit less distinct than an SPD system. Once engaged, you can choose between a 10 °, 13 °, or 17° release angle depending on cleat orientation. This will also affect the amount of float.
• Crankbrothers Eggbeater Technology: Introduced around 2001 and used exclusively by Crankbrothers, its popularity stems from the mechanism's ability to shed mud and provide a seamless entry and release. It uses a rotating 4-sided entry mechanism and a brass cleat. It does not have an adjustable mechanism; instead, it relies on pedal body and shoe sole friction to create tension. Crankbrothers offers two cleat models that require 10° or 15° of outward rotation to disengage the mechanism. Float is determined by cleat orientation, with the option of 0° or 6°. Crankbrothers explains the difference in release angle and float between its Standard and Easy cleats in this video.

^^add photos of each mechanism. 

How We Tested

To keep things as consistent as possible, we tested all pedals with the same shoes. When testing SPD pedals, we also opted for Shimano cleats as a starting point.

The Fox Union Boa in size 9.5 / 42.5 was the shoe of choice, providing the desired shank stiffness and ample cleat channel and adjustability. At the time of this article, we’ve logged roughly 450 miles collectively on these initial six pedals. The trails ridden included a variety of low-angle mellow singletrack and flow trails, as well as steeper technical trails. Testing began in February, with conditions ranging from cold, wet, and muddy to warm and dry. Classic PNW weather.

Setting out to test several pedals and systems was a really enlightening experience, and we learned quite a bit about the nuances of each design. We focused on the overall feel of each pedal versus highly technical minutia. The SPD pedals were also ridden consecutively before moving to another system.

We will use the term ‘locating’ as a regular reference point to indicate how natural it is to find and achieve proper engagement with the pedal in a less-than-ideal scenario. For example, after unclipping to put a foot out through a corner, how easily can you clip back in as you continue down the trail? This is a critical element of a clipless pedal and cleat system. There isn’t really a scientific method for measuring this. It’s more of a feeling.

(photo of a few cleats on the bottom of the shoe to show how cleat placement was mirrored for each pedal)

Different shoes have different cleat channel dimensions and sole characteristics. All of which affect the interface with a clipless pedal. So, depending on the shoes you use, your results may differ from ours. We attempted to control as many variables as possible between our Fox Union BOA shoes and pedals. Cleats were installed in the same position on the shoe channel: centered, aligned as close to 0 ° as possible, and roughly ¾ of the way rearward in the cleat channel (our preference). Cleat spacers or shields were not used unless our initial step-in test indicated they were necessary to achieve proper pedal-to-sole contact.

We tried to use the pedals as supplied. With two exceptions:

1. We adjusted the pedal mechanism tension to achieve a consistent release feel across the board.
2. If pre-installed pins restricted the initial step-in engagement, the corresponding pins were either adjusted or removed until the desired engagement was achieved.

The jury is out on clipless pedal pins. While pins on a clipless pedal can provide traction when not clipped in and the foot is on the pedal, they can also prevent locating. Additionally, as you clip in and out and your foot floats when engaged, the pins will slowly cut a channel into your outsole, rendering their grip irrelevant except when your foot is perched on the pedal, not clipped in. During these stressful moments, we rarely find the pins provide enough traction to ride unclipped, and every ounce of our mental capacity is rather focused on locating and clipping in as quickly as possible.

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