In my opinion there are three brands of pedals that encompass the majority of use by triathletes and cyclists alike. The brands I am writing about probably won’t come as a surprise to you but I will also mention one brand that isn’t typically on the forefront of minds. The three brands I consider the main players are Speedplay, Shimano and Look with Time being the odd ball with little recognition.

Speedplay pedals are outstanding pedals and offer a dual sided entry, the only pedal that I am writing about that does. Speedplay offer three different models. Light action, X Series and Zero’s and they are each available with three different pedal spindle material, Chromeoly, Stainless Steel or Titanium.

Light Action like all Speedplay pedals offer dual sided entry and the biggest differentiation is that they offer a lighter entry and release cleat. Not that getting into or out of other model Speedplay is difficult, these are just easier. These could be considered the entry level pedal for the entry level rider who has yet to find the confidence in clipless pedals.

X series Speedplays are the originals. They have multiple degrees of float, offer the dual sided entry and have been extremely popular for many years. They are good for people who need mega amounts of float but often times fall. (like a new skater on ice skates… until you have gotten used to them.)

The Zero’s are my personal favorite of the Speedplay lineup, they offer the dual sided entry, adjustable float via the cleat.

With these Speedplay pedals the locking action comes from the cleat and this is one drawback especially if you enjoy walking around in your bike shoes. It is always possible to get junk stuck in the cleats rendering them almost useless. The Speedplay cleats also require more maintenance than other brands, as the springy cleats require lube and a very careful installation tightness of the screws, if the screws are too tight or the cleats are binding for any reason the pedal isn’t going to work very well.

Next up is the Shimano pedal system. Based off the LOOK design, these are very durable pedals and last a long time. They aren’t the lightest pedal out there but they are secure and reliable. For road riding and triathlon use there is really only one design option with three levels of quality. Performance across each level is very good and the only difference between the range topping DuraAce and the Ultegra and 105 versions, is an additional sealed bearing and different mounting method. The DuraAce pedal uses only an 8mm hex wrench to put on and off and the others use a pedal wrench. I guess this saves weight over the Ultegra and 105 pedals by using a bit less material in the spindle area. But truly this is a negligible difference.

The cleat for the Shimano system comes in two flotation levels “fixed” or “float”. Great pedals, not the lightest but they are low maintenance and very reliable.

LOOK pedals are truly the original clipless pedal and in my opinion have the best pedals available. The LOOK Keo pedals are offered in a few variations and those are each with a different weight.

At the top of the range is the KEO HMti which is an extremely lightweight pedal whose pedal body is High Modulus carbon and the spindle is titanium. Very light and very expensive.

Next is the Keo Carbonti. Titanium spindle with a standard carbon pedal body. Very light and pricey.

The KEO carbon is next with a Carbon body and Chromeoly pedal spindle. Still very lightweight but a bit more affordable.

Lying below these pedals are the KEO Sprint, Classic and the ELLE. These have plastic bodies and are bit heavier and more affordable.

Each of these KEO pedals has an adjustable tension on the pedal that can be adjusted to increase or decrease the effort needed to clip in or out. The KEO’s also have three choices of cleat, fixed, float 9 degrees, and float 4.5 degrees. They also have a nonslip option.

TIME pedals are very nice and similar to LOOK, offer many different models to choose from, each with 5 degrees of float with 2.5mm of lateral float. So not only will the heel of your foot be able to move in and out, but your foot will be able to move side to side. Not a big deal, but from a biomechanic standpoint offers an awful lot of freedom for your knees, feet, ankles and hips to move as they need to. Some folks like the TIME pedals some hate them and it all has to do with that pesky lateral float. I like them and have ridden them in the past with no issues.

You can see that each company offers a competitive pedal and who would have thought the pedal market was this competitive? Each company makes an outstanding pedal system and can make it difficult to choose. My advice is when you find a pedal you like, keep using that pedal, otherwise the constant switching of systems can cause more harm than good.