CHOOSING YOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE PEDALS
Find the perfect pedal for your riding style! Flat, clipless, magnetic... All this will soon hold no more secrets for you.
For mountain biking, just like for road cycling or gravel, you'll have a choice between several types of pedals depending on your riding style and/or your preferences.
Follow our guide to better understand the different models and choose the perfect pedals for you!
FLAT PEDALS
Comfort and simplicity
Flat pedals are the standard model found on all types of bikes. The foot is free, so they are naturally the easiest to use and require no specific learning.
If you choose these pedals for mountain biking, it is essential to use pins that will prevent you from slipping off the pedal during your more aggressive rides.
Flat pedals are therefore perfect for beginners who want to discover mountain biking without the hindrance of having to get used to riding clipped into the pedals, but also for other riders who are not specifically looking for performance and want to be able to put their foot down with ease.
CLIPLESS PEDALS
Performance priority
With clipless pedals (or clip-in pedals), the foot is attached to the pedal via a cleat fixed to the shoe, giving a feeling of being one with your machine, which greatly improves pedalling performance and handling on descents and fast corners.
They will require some adaptation time for a newcomer to understand the mechanism, but overall mountain bike pedals have a reputation for being easier to unclip than road pedals, for example, which is a good safety guarantee.
Some models called "cage" pedals (for example Crankbrothers Mallet 2 or Shimano Deore XT Trail ) also offer a large contact area to optimize the pushing force in the pedalling cycle.
Most mountain bike clipless pedals are double-sided, allowing engagement from both sides of the pedal and avoiding wasting time searching for the correct side, as is the case with road models.
An important parameter of these clipless pedals: each brand offers a different locking system; cleats and clipping mechanisms vary by manufacturer and are not compatible with each other. This is referred to as a "standard." The most common standards are those from
Shimano
(SPD for mountain biking, different from SPD-SL for road).
However,
mountain bike shoes
with cleats all offer the same cleat attachment system, and you will not encounter compatibility issues with the shoes.
These pedals are perfect for all mountain bikers, from intermediate to experienced. Cross-country enthusiasts will prefer the lightest models, while enduro riders, less dependent on the weight of their bike's components, will often choose a cage model for its large support surface.
SEMI-CLIPLESS PEDALS
The choice for versatility
Semi-clipless pedals are double-sided pedals where one side is clipless and the other is a flat pedal with pins. The most common is the EH 500 from Shimano .
These pedals are an ideal choice for riders who want to have their first experience with clipless pedals, but also for all those who want to benefit from the advantages of each type of pedal by alternating between the comfort and ease of use of flat pedals and the performance and efficiency of clipless pedals.
They can also be an excellent choice for your hybrid bike, which can be ridden more sportily with "clips" and more relaxed with the flat pedal side.
MAGNETIC PEDALS
The performance-simplicity compromise
Magnetic pedals are the new kids on the block in the world of bicycle pedals! The brand Magped offers various models adapted to different practices, including one specifically developed for enduro riding.
Magnetic pedals are a good compromise to combine the advantages of a flat pedal and a clipless pedal: they allow for smooth pedaling because the foot is integral with the pedal, but also offer greater ease of foot release than with a clipless pedal. Indeed, your foot will not be mechanically fixed to the pedal but placed on a magnet, which is still powerful enough to resist traction during pedaling.
These pedals will be very suitable for beginner to intermediate riders who seek more pedaling efficiency than with a flat pedal, without being clipped to the pedal, which can be a deterrent for some.
You now have all the information you need to equip your mountain bike with the pedals that best suit your riding style!
Ready to shop? Discover our range of mountain bike pedals on our website ;)
Find our article here to help you choose the ideal mountain bike for your practice .
Also discover our range of mountain bikes here, and also all our equipment offers !
Happy riding everyone ;)
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