Video: Types of Mountain Bike Pedals

The right mountain bike pedal can make all the difference. Learn how to choose clipless pedals for a mountain bike and use them for riding downhill trails in this free online video on mountain biking basics.

Video Transcript

Hi, my name is Debbie, and I’ve been teaching beginner mountain biking for over ten years. This clip will be about moving to clipless pedals. As a new rider, you’ve probably been riding with flat pedals or with pedals with toe straps. As you progress and get better and better at your riding at some point you’re going to be ready to change to clipless pedals. These are pedals with a clip, kind of like a ski binding, and you wear biking shoes that have a cleat in them, and the cleat attaches to the pedal. Basically you clip in then rotate your heel to come out. As a first time clipless rider, I highly recommend choosing a pedal that has a clip and a platform on each side. As a new to clipless rider you’re likely to be a little sketchy and a lot nervous about being locked in to your bike. With a pedal with a platform, you can clip in and be secure when you feel like it. When you get to that area of the trail that’s a little bit scary and you’re not sure, you can unclip and your foot is going to stay securely on this big pedal while you negotiate the obstacle. Once you’re past the obstacle, you can clip back in. This is a great starter clipless pedal. Once you get comfortable using this type of pedal, then you may want to choose to go to a smaller type clipless pedal to save weight. But again, when choosing your first clipless pedal, you want to consider the kind that has a platform for those times when you’re a little too sketchy to be clipped in. Clipless pedals come in a lot of styles. There’s Shimano, Crank Brother’s Candy, Time Pedals. There’s a lot of choice in clipless pedals and a lot of choice of clipless pedals with the platform. Again for a new rider going clipless for the first time, picking a pedal with a platform is a very good option. 3-6 months, maybe less, then you’ll be ready for a higher end clipless pedal.

Types of Mountain Bike Pedals

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