The most important function of a pedal system is the secure connection between the foot and the crank mechanism. Although the old pedals with hooks and straps were already able to do this, releasing the strap to get off the pedal required a hand movement every time. Releasing the foot from the pedal at lightning speed to avoid a fall usually failed. The increase in safety that the first system pedal from Look brought in 1985 is now a matter of course and hardly an issue. The focus is now on other criteria: The pedal should be light, the entry and exit should work intuitively; lateral play for the heel protects the joints, yet the foot must rest securely on the pedal when sprinting and out of the saddle. The release hardness for getting out of the binding should be individually adjustable, the pedal plates should last as long as possible and, of course, the pedal axle bearings should also last as long as possible.
The market for road bike pedals is essentially shared by four suppliers. For our comparison of the systems, we tested the top sellers from Look, Shimano, Speedplay and Time.
SHORT AND SHORT
The prices of the pedals tested range from 60 to 270 euros, with the price reflecting less the function than the low weight and elegant appearance. Look, Time and Shimano have come extremely close in terms of technology, with only Speedplay taking an interesting special path. Shimano's new "Ultegra-SL" pedals offer the best value for money in this test.
You can find these models in the PDF download:
Look Kéo Carbon
Look Kéo Sprint
Shimano Dura-Ace SL
Shimano Ultegra SL
Speedplay Light Action
Speedplay Zero CrMo
Time RXS Ulteam Ti.Carbon
Time Xen E
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