Road pedals are not just road pedals. They add grams to the overall bike weight and thus play a role in your overall performance. You might have read about my little experiment to find out how much extra weight costs on Alpe d’Huez, which shows that even small weight savings make a difference. Thus, it is worth considering bike components’ weights when you spend money next time.
There are many factors to consider when purchasing road pedals. One important consideration is weight. Pedals are available in a variety of weights, from lightweight models that are perfect for racing to heavier models that offer more stability and durability.
Another important factor to consider is price. Road pedals range in price from budget-friendly options that are perfect for beginners to high-end models that offer the ultimate in performance and features. When choosing road pedals, it is important to consider both weight and price in order to find the best option for your needs.
There are several things to consider, and two major concerns are prices and weights. There are some quite significant savings for your wallet and bike weight if you look at the scheme below:
| Weight | Price | |
| Shimano Dura Ace PD-7900 Carbon Pedal | 318g | $229 |
| Look KEO Blade Carbon Ti Pedal | 258g | $499 |
| Campagnolo Record Ti Pro Fit Plus Pedals | 336g | $300 |
| Speedplay X/1 Titanium Road Pedal | 234g | $329 |
| TIME RXS Titanium Carbon Pedals | 265g | $359 |
| Weight | Price | |
| Shimano Carbon Ultegra PD-6700C | 335g | $149 |
| Look KeO Sprint Pedals. White | 328g | $180 |
| Speedplay X/5 Road Pedal | 290g | $125 |
| Weight | Price | |
| Shimano 2010 105 SPD-SL Road | 392g | $89.95 |
| Look Keo Easy | 370g | $69.95 |
All listed weights are Total weight (Pedals incl. cleats).
Please note that the links above are all pointing at Amazon, which means that Training4cyclists.com receives a small payment if you click the links AND buy your cycling equipment through these links.
As I have written previously, every single gram saved is an advantage on the climbs. Naturally, it must not negatively affect the riding performance, but I have never heard of a rider having troubles with lightweight road pedals. Thus, if you have decided to reduce your bike’s weight, the above links could be an excellent place to begin.
For more inspiration on weight optimization, take a look at this interview with Matt Fitzgerald on how to achieve optimal racing weight.
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View Comments
Hi,
Nice article! Can you add a column for the cleat weight also? You need to add the two to get the most accurate weight for the combo - it may change a few of the above.
I agree about the cleat wts. My speedplay ss pedals (207g) w/ cleats weighed 331g.My zero cleats w screws wt 124g. Proclaimed wt. of keo cleats is 69g. Do the math. Pedal & cleat combo does change.
All this is very fine and definitely worth knowing, but what about us cyclists who are struggling with trying to lose weight. When talking about pedals, we are talking about a few grams. When it comes to body weight, you can be talking about many kilos. As someone struggling with the reality of shedding unwanted weight, a few grams weight-saving on pedals fades into insignificance. I am not looking for sympathy but, for those of us trying to get to any kind of competitive weight, slimming-down is a very realistic challenge and weight-saving on equipment is the least of our worries.
It may be instructive to consider cost per gramme. Buying Dura-Ace pedals instead of 105 costs an additional $199, that $4.52 per gramme. You might find better value elsewhere.
More importantly, as bikeman54 says, there is no doubt that saving weight off by far the heaviest part of the outfit - the rider - will make the most significant difference of all. Even for already healthy riders we are looking at multiple kilos rather than a few grammes. This requires a little information (plenty of that on the www) but most of all it requires discipline. If you want to shed weight then leave the credit card alone, HTFU and go for it.
As a Fitter and a racer, I am far more concerned with the function of the pedal over the weight! Like two others have stated I can lose more meaningful weight and save a boatload of money in the process. While I understand the need for a light bike, the minimal weight savings from a pair of high end pedals does not make up for the price difference. It would be wise to point out that some of these pedals have a rider weight restriction too. Lets focus people on lightening the rider.