Gravel Bike Pedale

Gravel riding is trendy and we're totally fine with it, because the gravel bike enables a wide variety of experiences on the bike, such as bike trips, a brisk ride through the forest in the evening or long rides on different terrain to sharpen your fitness.

But a gravel bike is not a racing bike or a mountain bike, so which pedals and shoes should I use to have the best riding experience?

 

• Clipless pedals for gravel bikes
• Kombipedale am Gravel Bike - Hybrid Pedale
• Gravel pedals without clip - flat pedals

Shoes for gravel bikes

The first step in deciding on the right pedals begins with the choice of shoes and mountain bike shoes are ideal for 3 reasons:

1. Compared to road bike shoes, they offer more flexibility, especially when it comes to getting off and giving. In addition, the metal cleats are protected when walking, whereas the protruding plastic cleats on racing bike shoes wear out quickly off-road.
2. MTB shoes are more stable, less sensitive to dirt and simply better suited to off-road terrain.
3. There is a large selection of different models of mountain bike shoes, from very light cross country shoes with carbon soles for weight and speed enthusiasts (e.g. from Specialized or Giro), to SPD sneakers for good protection, a casual look and comfortable walking ( e.g. from Shimano or Vaude). Every gravel biker can find the right model here.

Pedals for gravel bikes

As described, in most cases MTB shoes are better for gravel riding than racing bike shoes and so it's a good thing that there are good reasons for the mountain bike version of the gravel pedal too. In addition to the basic questions of whether clipless pedals or combination pedals are better on a gravel bike, or whether flat pedals also make sense on a gravel bike, the following advantages of MTB pedals should be mentioned: 

1. When it comes to mountain bike pedals, great attention is paid to stability in both the choice of material and construction, which benefits off-road use. Road bike pedals use very light materials and thin walls, which speaks against harsher off-road use.
2. Mountain bike pedals are significantly less sensitive to dirt.
3. As with shoes, there are many different versions of MTB pedals for different purposes.

But what requirements should gravel bikers place on their pedals?

Clipless pedals on gravel are a good choice

When comparing gravel bike pedals directly with the pedals on road bikes, it becomes clear that efficiency is important in addition to stability and dirt resistance. The large contact area between pedal and shoe, which ensures optimal power transmission on road bike pedals, is also very important for gravel pedals . It is therefore advisable to choose a pedal with a generous contact area with the shoe , which creates a similar feeling to road bike pedals. It is important that the pedal is light yet compact in order to minimize the overall weight and avoid contact with the ground.

Combination pedals for gravel riding

Hybrid pedals or combination pedals play a special role, ideal for gravel bikers who move on rough terrain and sometimes use their feet for support or want to use the bike in everyday life. The combination pedals are characterized by their versatility, which offers a pedal with a click on one side and a flat pedal on the other side. The flat pedal side should be large enough, have enough pins and be designed in such a way that the cleat has no metallic contact with the pedal, as this significantly reduces the grip.

Flatpedale am Gravel Bike

Gravel bikes can of course also be equipped with pedals without clips, i.e. with flat pedals. For those who get along well with flat pedals on their mountain bike or do not want to switch to clipless pedals, there are definitely flats that are very suitable for gravel use . A slightly smaller and weight-saving platform should be chosen. To ensure that the pedal pressure can be transferred well, shoes with good grip and a stable sole construction are recommended, such as the Crankbrother Freerider Pro, a classic among flat MTB shoes.

  

Conclusion Requirements in comparison

In summary, a gravel pedal should be dirt-resistant, easy to walk and efficient to ensure the optimal riding experience. A low weight and solid storage complete the requirements and enable you to have casual adventures on your gravel bike.

Here are our recommendations for gravel pedals:

Klickpedal:

MC-FLY with steel axle or in the high-end version with titanium axle - the particularly light gravel pedals

"The TATZE MC-FLY clipless pedals impress with their easy entry and great adjustment range. If you want the closest possible connection between shoe and pedal, this is the right place for you. The wide platform offers plenty of contact surface and provides support even during hard sprints which is only used on racing bike pedals. The offset inside means that the shoe sits directly on the pedal and does not hang wobbly on the pedal. The jury did not have any problems with any of the shoes four optional pins that can be screwed in around the click mechanism. Depending on the screw-in depth, you can meticulously adjust the contact pressure between the shoe and the pedal. TATZE actually designed the MC-FLY for demanding MTB use with the enduro bike and is therefore very valuable placed on a secure hold and click mechanism, but thanks to their low weight of 304 g in the version with a titanium axle, they are also extremely popular in XC and gravel circles. This makes the TATZE MC-FLY the perfect all-rounder for all shoes with an SPD system!"
Those: Jury DI-Award 2021

Combi pedal:

TWO-FACE with steel axle or in the high-end version with titanium axle - the particularly light combination pedals for gravel bikes ( this might also interest you )

"The TWO-FACE pedals are great and have exceeded my expectations 🤩 The first hybrid pedals that have good grip and a very good click."
Source: Johannes / Customer feedback

Flat pedal - pedal without click

: CONTACT CNC Small – our recommendation for flat pedals on gravel bikes .