Pedals for road bikes: Look, Speedplay, Shimano & Co - Twelve road bike pedals in the test

The market for road bike pedals is manageable. The market leader is Look. A plastic plate with three holes is placed under the shoe. To get on, the plate is threaded into the pedal with the toe; by lowering the heel, the plate is locked to the pedal with a swivelling flap. The spring tension of this flap, which is usually adjustable, is used to determine the force required to get out (specified in Newton metres in the table). There are rigid plates and those that give the heel some lateral freedom of movement. A number of companies make pedals that are compatible with Look cleats. We have three examples in the test. Time, which has also been in business for a long time, was unable to deliver its new series on time and is therefore missing from this comparison.

Shimano uses a similar-looking plastic plate that is attached to the three identical holes, but is otherwise not compatible with Look. The Japanese plate is easier to walk with, it is adjustable over a wider range, the screws are better and it lasts longer. And standing on the pedal is less wobbly than with Look. On the other hand, the Shimano cleats are tougher on the pedals.

Perfect, angle-adjustable freedom of rotation is the domain of Speedplay pedals from the USA. From a biomechanical point of view, this is excellent, as are all the other details. The locking mechanism is integrated into the pedal plate, the foot is very close to the pedal axle - in shoes that have the special four-hole drilling for Speedplay plates as standard, it is only nine millimetres. However, such shoes are rare, they are available from Bont, for example; Northwave uses a 0.5 millimetre thin adapter plate. The adapter for adapting to the curved soles according to the Look standard adds three millimetres. Even with this, the foot is still closer to the pedal axle than with Look & Co. (15-18 millimetres). Speedplay pedals are available with different axle lengths made of steel, stainless steel or titanium, and with compensation plates in case the left and right leg are different lengths. Bike fitters therefore love Speedplay.

Among our twelve test samples, the cheap Contec Roadster stands out negatively, the axle is difficult to turn, clicks and wobbles. This prompted us to find out how much pedalling power such a pedal actually "swallows". In the laboratory, we determined losses amounting to 0.15 per cent of the pedalling power. That's more than ten times as much as the best in class, but less than we feared. The inexpensive Btwin 500 also rubs more than necessary because the main bearing is only a plain bearing; a tiny ball bearing mainly absorbs axial forces. Apart from that, the cheap pedals work no worse than those six times more expensive.

The test winner is Speedplay's minimalist, but extremely expensive Pavé model (approx. 500 euros) with a titanium axle; ultimately, however, the function of all Speedplay Zero models is identical. We wouldn't necessarily advise beginners to start with Speedplay. The system requires a bit of adjustment and is not ideal for first click experiences. When it comes to three-bolt plate systems, Shimano is ahead in terms of function due to the refinements around the plate. Look is able to counter this with favourable prices, a great finish and fine bearings. A tip on the side: If you want to run with cycling shoes more often, you should look at mountain bike pedals. In combination with a cross-country shoe with a stiff sole, this is walking-friendly and still perfectly suitable for racing bikes.

The pedals in the test:

Speedplay Aero Stainless
Competition pedal with golf ball design. Can only be walked on from one side

Speedplay Zero Pavé Titanium test winner
Adjustable freedom of rotation, minimal overall height, lightweight

Speedplay Zero CrMo
Classic. Here with CrMo axle.

Shimano Dura-Ace PD-R 9100 > available here
Best pedal with three-hole plate, balanced, wide adjustment range

Shimano Ultegra PD-R 8000 > available here
Good in function, the storage is worse than the top model

Shimano PD-R540
Favourable and good, usable bearings, wide adjustment range

Kéo Blade Carbon > available here
Leaf spring catch. Engages very crisply. Very good storage

Kéo 2max > available here
Good adjustment range, good bearing. Stainless steel wear zone

Kéo Classic 3 (price-performance tip) > available here
Good and favourable. Top bearings, softly adjustable. Ideal for beginners

Ritchey Echelon Carbon
Light and flat, but plate higher than Kéo. High release resistance

BTWIN Road Auto 500
Plain bearing rubbing heavily under load; otherwise works perfectly

Contec Roadster
Very inferior and eggy storage. Not recommended