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And lightweight too! Summary of the best binding pedals for gravel bikes
Gravel bike binding pedals need to be chosen from a different perspective than road bikes. Moreover, it is a cosmetic customization because the choice of binding pedals can reduce the weight of a heavy gravel bike.
Modified at: 2023.10.26Posted at: 2022.10.12
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Tips for choosing binding pedals for gravel bikes.
Assume you’ll be putting your feet up.
When riding a road bike, you will only put your feet up when waiting at traffic lights or taking breaks, but when riding a gravel bike on gravel or other rough terrain, you may have to put your feet up to keep your balance depending on the terrain conditions.
Considering such situations, it is best to choose shoes that are easy to take off from the pedals, easy to walk in, and easy to put your feet on.
Pay attention to the weight!
Shimano SPD and other binding pedals with easy-to-walk-on cleats are often sturdy models, such as those for MTB, and are quite heavy, weighing around 400g for entry-level models.
Shimano SPD-SL pedals and LOOK’s KEO series for road use are in the 300g range for entry-level models and in the low 200g range for higher-end models, so the pedals alone are about 100g heavier than road pedals.
If you consider that you can reduce the weight of your bicycle by 100g by choosing lightweight binding pedals, it is a good cosmetic way to save weight.
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If you ride gravel, you should not use SPD-SL.
Shimano’s SPD-SL is the standard when it comes to road bike binding pedals, and the SPD-SL has the advantages of strong adhesion, a wide tread surface that transmits power well, and light weight.
However, when riding on gravel or other rough terrain, you may slip and lose your balance, lose your footing, or have to push or carry your bike up the trail. Considering this, too strong a sticking force is counterproductive.
SPD-SLs also have many disadvantages, such as cleats that are bare plastic, hard to walk on, and weak, so they clog with mud, slip, and the cleats wear out quickly.
Binding pedals for gravel bikes
Shimano PD-ES600 (279g)
Among Shimano’s SPD binding pedals, this is a road ULTEGRA grade model.
While most SPD pedals for MTB weigh around 400g, the PD-ES600 weighs 270g, which is as light as SPD-SL pedals for road, thanks to lightweight parts such as a single-sided catch.
The big advantage is that they are compatible with SPD cleats, so shoes are easy to walk on, yet they are still solidly lightweight and power-transmitting.
Shimano PD-A600 (286g)
Road ULTEGRA grade SPD binding pedal. It is slightly heavier than the higher-end model PD-ES600, but has an attractive cost performance that is about 30% cheaper than the PD-ES600.
The drawback is low availability, as it is now a discontinued model and you basically have to look for used ones.
Crank Brothers CANDY1 (294g)
This is the entry model of Crank Brothers’ binding pedals, which use a cleat similar to Shimano’s SPD, and is ideal for trail riding. Although slightly heavier, it is still a lightweight binding pedal weighing less than 300g.
One of the appealing features of these pedals is that they are available in a wide variety of colors and can be color-coordinated to match the color of your bike.
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