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In this article, we have put together 3 best set of clipless pedals for beginners. They are very easy to use, affordable and offer the highest quality for the price.
Introduction
Cycling pedals come in many shapes, forms and applications. Some are made for mountain biking, while others are for commuting or urban riding. Clipless pedals are mostly used for road cycling. Originally they were designed for racing since they greatly enhanced performance, however, today clipless pedals are widely popular and used by almost every amateur cyclist.
In spite of what the name “clipless” suggests these pedals are meant to be clipped into your cycling shoes. They are also called clipped-in pedals and often referred to as road pedals.
Clipless pedals are only compatible with cycling specific shoes and cleats. You have to carefully check if your cycling shoes are compatible with the cleats and pedals you are about to buy. For example, some shoes might only work with 2-hole or 4-hole cleats so be extra careful.
As a beginner, we would suggest to keep things simple and inexpensive. Get yourself a pair of entry-level cycling shoes and beginner’s pedals and give it a go. If you are also looking for cycling-specific shoes check our article on best cycling shoes for men under 100 or best cycling shoes for women.
For many cyclists, even the most basic pedals are more than enough. It is at a point when you start to care about your performance that you might need to go for more advanced equipment.
Key Definitions
- Float means how much wiggle room you have while clipped in. For example, a 6° of float means that your feet can move sideways 3° in each direction. The higher the float the more sideways movement you have while clipped in. As a beginner we recommend going for a higher angle of float.
- Tension adjustability means that pedals have a mechanism to make clipping in easier or harder. As a beginner we recommend going for an easy release option. Once you get comfortable with clipless pedals you can tighten your pedals and clipping out will be harder, but your foot will be locked in more securely.
For more details check out our Cycling Shoes Buyers Guide, which provides a lot of information about cycling shoes and pedals.
Without further ado let’s dive into our selection of 3 best clipless pedals for beginners in 2021.
1. Look Keo Classic 3 Road Pedals
- Weight (1 pedal): 155g
- Float: black =0°, grey = 4.5°, red = 9°
- Bolt system: 3-hole
Positives
- Amazing price for the offered quality
- Tension adjustability mechanist
- Various cleats with different angels to choose from
- Quite light
Negatives
- Not much for a beginner
Look’s Keo Classic 3 road pedals is a great pair of pedals for beginners at an affordable price.
Look actually pioneered clipless pedals and produced the first pair in 1984. The design and clip-in logic were taken from ski bindings. This particular pair is an excellent buy for a beginner cyclist. It offers excellent quality, reliability and other great features for less money than some other comparable options.
We really like that these pedals include a tension adjustability technology so you can tiger or loosen them depending on how comfortable you are with clipless pedals.
They are one-sided, which is similar to SPD SLs and come with a 3-bolt design for attaching cleats. There are 3 types of Look cleats with different angles of float: black = 0°, grey = 4.5°, red = 9°. This particular pair comes with one set of grey (4.5° float) cleats. A good angle of float to start with.
Overall, Look’s Keo Classic 3 is an excellent choice for the money and any amateur cyclists will be more than happy with them.
2. Shimano PD-RS500 SPD-SL
- Weight (1 pedal): 160g
- Float: red = 0°, blue = 2°, yellow = 6°
- Bolt system: 3-hole
Positives
- Very durable
- Include tension adjustability mechanism
- Three options of cleats that offer different degree of float
- Cleats are widely available and easy to replace
- Wider surface area improves power transfer
Negatives
- A bit more expensive than some other beginner options
Shimano’s PD-RS500 is an excellent pair of pedals for a beginner cyclist and the one we can definitely recommend.
Shimano pedals are one of the most popular road cycling pedal brands and the majority of cyclists prefer this safe and reliable option. This particular pair is high quality, reliable, durable and a choice you will not regret.
We really like that these pedals include a tension adjustability technology so you can tiger or loosen them depending on how comfortable you are with clipless pedals.
In addition to tension adjustability, Shimano’s pedals are compatible with 3 options of cleats. Each color represents a different degree of float ( red = 0°, blue = 2°, yellow = 6°). This particular pair comes with a yellow cleat, which is an ideal option for a beginner.
Overall, Shimano PD-RS500 SPD-SL is an excellent choice of pedals for a beginner cyclist.
3. Time Xpresso 2 Road Pedals
- Weight (1 pedal): 115g
- Float: 10° (5° to each side)
- Bolt system: 3-hole
Positives
- Very light pedals
- Cleats are easier to walk in vs some other brands
- Super easy to clip in and unclip because of Iclick technology
- Affordable price
Negatives
- A bit harder to set up and manage for beginners
- No tension adjustability
Time’s Xpresso 2 is a great pair of clipless pedals especially if you need to walk in your cycling shoes.
Time introduced some new technologies and innovations with their Xpresso line. The most notable one is Iclic technology, which makes clipping in and out super easy. Also, Time changed pedals structure and introduced carbon flexion blades instead of commonly used steel springs. This innovation drastically reduced pedals’ weight. That’s why these clipless pedals are so light.
They are one-sided, which is similar to SPD SLs and come with a 3-bolt design for attaching cleats. Time actually offers only 1 cleat with a 10° float (5° to each side). The cleats are also easier to walk in than with some other brands.
In addition, these pedals allow Q-factor adjustments by 2.5mm, which is a bonus, however, for beginners this is more of a burden and most people will not use this function.
Overall, Time’s Xpresso 2 is an excellent choice for the money. They are super light, easy to clip in and out, but are a bit harder to operate and set up.
CONCLUSION
Clipless pedals are only compatible with cycling-specific shoes and help a rider to go further and faster. To help you choose an ideal option we narrowed down the list of clipless pedal brands and models to offer you a quick summary of the best options for beginners.
We hope you found this article helpful. Stay healthy, happy and active.
