Shimano
Shimano
Shimano, in their indomitable way, helped redefine road pedal systems with the introduction of the ubiquitous SPD-SL selection of road pedals.
Although they tend to run a little heavier across the range compared with LOOK pedals, Shimano make up for any weight deficiencies by providing a reliable and eminently user friendly platform on which to pound the roads. Cloned to resemble each other across the range, the look and quality of Shimano pedals can be hard to determine until you pick them up to compare weights and bearings.
Shimano, also being wizards of marketing, equate each level of SPD-SL pedal to one of their groupsets, so you can expect the ever-popular 105 and Ultegra groupsets to have their own relative pedal with similar component finish and so on. Float options are again taken care of by a series of colour coded cleats: Red 0° Blue 2° and the ever popular Yellow cleats offering a knee-friendly 6° of float.
Perched above the Ultegra pedals sit the bike candy specials of Shimano’s flagship range: Dura-Ace. The wide carbon body spins easily on three sets of bearings, and at 248g a pair, weight conscious riders will appreciate their lack of mass. Of course, lightweight quality pedals don’t come cheap, so shop around to get a true and effective upgrade.
Shimano pedals find favour with cycle mechanics due to the user-friendly nature and serviceability against other brands of pedals. But don’t wait until your pedals start to creak, service them at regular intervals along with the rest of your bike to prolong their often abused lifespan.