In this article I’m going to provide you with an overview of the best lightweight road bike clipless pedals.
Creating an article such as this one is pretty straightforward. There are just a handful of brands making clipless road bike pedals I deem worthy for review, and picking their lightest options is something anyone can do. The lightest clipless road bike pedals are also the most expensive ones.
That’s because the go-to way of decreasing weight in a pedal is to put a titanium axle in it, which is incredibly expensive. When you take into account that the difference between the heaviest pedal and lightest pedal is about 150 grams but the price difference is a factor 6, you immediately understand you pay a hefty premium to shed a few grams.
So I’ve chosen to also include significantly cheaper options that might only add 10 to 20 grams, but can still be considered lightweight enough to warrant a place on this list.
Obviously expensive pedals are more than just lightweight ways to connect your foot to your bike. And with that out of the way, let’s head over to my list of the best lightweight road bike clipless pedals.
Time XPRO 10
Time makes some of the very best clipless road bike pedals worth your money, and the Time XPRO 10 is a more than excellent choice for any ambitious cyclist.
Apart from having some of the best looks as far as pedals are concerned, the large platform using the proprietary ICLIC system ensures an easy way of getting the pedal in the correct place for entering.
Because of the large platform the pedals offer a near perfect power transition from rider to the bike. And dual cleats are available. Besides the standard cleat offering 10° of float, there’s also the fixed 0° option. The large amount of float is less stressful on the knees and offers a lot of freedom, which doesn’t detract from the overall stability on the platform.
Time pedals are pretty lightweight in general and 226 grams is indeed very light for a clipless road bike pedal. And that lightweight package holds a carbon body onto a chromoly axle with a cartridge bearing and bushing letting it spin freely.
The elongated body of the pedal offers an excellent platform to transfer the rider’s power. And dual cleats are available. Besides the standard cleat offering 10° of float, there’s also the fixed 0° option. The large amount of float is less stressful on the knees and offers a lot of freedom, which doesn’t detract from the overall stability on the platform.
- Great power transfer, easy engagement, lightweight option. Lots of float to offer a comfortable ride. One of the best premium pedals
- None
Time XPRO 12
The Time XPRO 12 is a good example of how fast things can get out of control price-wise with pedal products.
The XPRO 12 is basically the same as the XPRO 10 in every aspect, except for the axle, which is titanium instead of your standard chromoly. These pedals are however, far more expensive for a gain which can only be said to be marginal. Yes, they are extremely lightweight at 188 grams, but in the end that’s less than 40 grams lighter than the chromoly version.
You get the same body, the same great ICLIC system, same bearing setup, and same overall quality and functionality. I can relate that for a dream-build you might want to opt for these pedals, or if you’re a fanatic hillclimber. Otherwise stick with the XPRO 10.
- Great power transfer, easy engagement, lightweight option. Lots of float to offer a comfortable ride. One of the best premium pedals
- The titanium axle is the only difference for which you'll pay a pretty premium
Time XPresso 7
One of the few pedals dipping below 200 grams and the only carbon version of the XPresso lineup, the Time XPresso 7 is probably the best pedal for people looking for a somewhat affordable high-quality clipless road bike pedal.
With a fantastic looking design the XPresso 7 offers the ICLIC system ensuring easy entry. A low stack height, solid platform for power transfer and 16 degrees release angle make this a high quality pedal. The carbon spring-leaf design which is pre-opened makes the ICLIC system one of the most user-friendly, even for a pedal which is single-sided and pretty large.
They’re also known for their high level of float. Whether that’s something you like is of course a very personal thing, but in general the large amount of float appeals to many riders who prefer a bit more flexibility in the saddle and a lessened risk of knee injuries.
The bearing setup is the same as the XPRO series, with a single cartridge bearing and bushing, in this case, sitting on a hollow steel axle.
- Great value for money in one of the best clipless road bike pedals there is.
- None
Shimano Ultegra R8000
If you want flawless performance in a road bike pedal, the Shimano Ultegra R8000 might very well be the best pedals there are.
These pedals haven’t changed for years and offer one of the best bearing setups on a chromoly spindle for clipless pedals, ensuring long-lasting life and very little maintenance.
Shimano isn’t really known for making super-lightweight products, and these pedals sit at 248 grams. Shimano’s only design splurge is the carbon composite body, making the pedal very stiff while keeping an excessive weight at bay. 3 stainless steel plates further increase the platform’s durability.
Shimano offers less float than many other brands at 6 degrees, which is the maximum of 3 different cleat options. The other options offer 2 and 0 float. But the dual spring setup has always been very user-friendly. Since the weight sits at the back of the pedal a forward motion of the foot always places the platform in the correct position.
A single allen key is needed to increase the release tension of the pedal, which you can crank up to pro-level bear trap tightness. And the platform has just the perfect size offering stability and great power transfer in this high quality pedal.
Only if you want more float should you buy another pedal (probably a Time), because the quality and longevity of these Ultegra pedals has yet to be beaten.
- Unrivaled quality and longevity
- None
Shimano Dura-ace PD-R9100
The difference between Dura-Ace and Ultegra has always been extremely minimal, with usually a little weight gain.
The same can be said for the Shimano Dura-ace PD-R9100 and its Ultegra counterpart. There’s a 20 grams weight difference in an otherwise pretty similar setup.
Of course the technology is exactly the same, with the same release mechanism, overall body design, and body composition made from a carbon composite.
Shimano’s expert level bearing quality reaches its pinnacle with two cup-and-cone bearings and a needle bearing, which makes the Dura-Ace clipless pedals having the overall best quality bearing setup of any pedal out there.
Aftermarket titanium spindles are available should you want to shave off those last couple of grams and obtain a sub-200 grams version of these otherwise expensive, but excellent pedals.
- The highest quality clipless road bike pedals on the market
- Pricey
Clipless Pedals Weight Rating
Saving weight is an ever important thing to strive for when buying bicycle products, and of course you want the lightest clipless pedals available. Yet there are a couple things to keep in mind. It’s very difficult to make strong yet lightweight products. The lightest pedals are usually also more expensive than heavier ones. And you have to ask yourself how much you’re willing to pay extra to save 50 to a 100 grams or more.
The lightest pedals like the Crankbrothers Eggbeater 11 and Time XPRO 15 use titanium spindles, and a titanium or carbon body. And in general clipless road bikes, cross country and/or gravel pedals are lighter, simply because they either have a small platform, or no platform at all to add weight.
In the following graph you can find all the pedals mentioned here and their weight ranking. A ranking of 0% means you’re looking at the heaviest pedal. A ranking of 100% means it’s the lightest.
Clipless Pedals Bearing Rating
An important aspect of pedals is their internals and bearing setup. Almost all pedal manufacturers sell bearing kits, and it’s nice that you can rebuild your pedal internals if you need to.
What’s even better is that the quality of the bearings are of such a nature that you either don’t have to rebuild the internals at all, or after years of service. This saves you both time and money, and you simply enjoy your pedals more.
High-end Shimano pedals are known for their longevity and according to my personal experience pedals from Hope are at least just as good if not even better.
In the following graph you can find the bearing ratings in relation to the highest quality setup. The bearing rating is calculated based on the bearing setup and the maximum load it can endure. It’s an approximation of the quality of the setup that does not take into account how well the internals are sealed from outside elements. The setup deemed best receives a 100 percent rating.
Specifications lightweight road bike clipless pedals
Name | Price | Weight | Height | Body | Spindle | Bearings and bushings | Pins | float | release | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time XPRO 10 | 185 USD | 226 | 13.5 mm | carbon | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | none | 0° – 10° | 16° | |
Time XPRO 12 | 317 USD | 188 | 13.5 mm | carbon | titanium | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | none | 0° – 10° | 16° | |
Time XPresso 7 | 132 USD | 198 | 13.5 mm | carbon | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | none | 0° – 10° | 15° | |
Shimano Ultegra R8000 | 160 USD | 248 | 15.8 mm | carbon composite | Cr-Mo | 2 cup and cone bearings, 1 bushing | none | 0° – 6° | ||
Shimano Dura-ace PD-R9100 | 228 USD | 228 | 15.6 mm | carbon composite | Cr-Mo | 2 cup and cone bearings, 1 bushing | none | 0° – 6° |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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