Having already filled up one niche in the market with their cobble-specific Zero Pavé pedals, Speedplay have produced another set of task-specific pedals, this time filling that aerodynamic shaped hole in the market with the aptly-named Zero Aero.
The pedals were launched last year and already boast one impressive name on their resumé, having been Sir Bradley Wiggins’ pedal of choice when he broke the hour record in 2015. Stats-wise, they’re pretty tasty with a listed weight of just 158g, but it’s important to remember Speedplay’s cleats weigh more as well so you need to factor that into the whole system weight.
Speaking of cleats, that’s where the smart aero details happen. First off, they’re compatible with both three-hole shoes and Speedplay-specific four-hole shoes so you don’t need to worry about buying new footwear should you want to switch systems. The cleats themselves have a cover, and that cover has a u-shaped, contoured profile covered by golf ball-like dimples.
When you clip into the pedals, the bottom of the pedal fills the hole in the cleat to make one aerodynamic system, although Speedplay haven’t made any claims as to how many watts you might save by running these.