Top 5 gravel pedals

The pedals are one of the 3 points of contact between the rider and the bike and are responsible for transferring the force of our legs to the cranks. In addition to their effectiveness in this task, a gravel pedal must have other characteristics for off-road use, such as a good capacity to expel mud. We have selected for you what we believe are the best options you can currently buy to equip your gravel bike.

You can't go wrong with these gravel pedals

The versatility that comes with gravel has meant that we have seen a great disparity of components between those coming from the road, such as SRAM groupsets, or those inherited directly from mountain bikes, such as dropper seatposts or tyres of this modality, especially in those who opt for the 27.5 wheel size.

Where there is hardly any discussion, except for some very road riders who face routes of no technical complexity, is in the use of mountain bike pedals, which with their double sided and optimised design to still have a good engagement and release capacity even after riding in mud, become the best option also for gravel bikes.

However, the more physical aspect of gravel means that the most recommended models are, on the one hand, competition-oriented models and, on the other hand, those that offer a larger support platform so that road cyclists can mitigate the sensations produced by the small mountain cleats as opposed to the large support surfaces of road pedals.

Here are some of the pedals that best fit this usage profile.

Shimano PD-ME700

In a selection of pedals for off-road use we could not miss a model from Shimano, the inventors of the SPD cleat system that today is used by the majority of pedals on the market. These pedals have the extra of the platform around the body of the pedal that allows to add stability to the foot improving the pedalling capacity and maintaining a good support when we don't manage to hit the cleat the first time. As usual in SPD pedals, they have hardness adjustment on both sides to customize its operation to our tastes and preferences.

• Price: 58.99 €
• Weight: 480 g/pair

Time ATAC XC4

The peculiar anchoring system of the Time pedals, with its great floatability, is very suitable for tackling very long gravel kilometres without our knees suffering. A feature that, however, is not to the satisfaction of all cyclists, with some complaining about the system's lack of support. On the other hand, their great advantage is the enormous lightness they show and the great capacity to evacuate mud. The adjustment aspect is solved by Time by putting at the disposal of the cyclist different cleats with which to achieve different hardness adjustments.

• Price: 70.99 €
• Weight: 291 g/pair

Garmin Rally XC

The most sporty riders will find in these pedals the incentive of integrating the Garmin power measurement system, so they can use the power data when quantifying our effort also on the gravel bike. They use Shimano's SPD anchoring system, so in this aspect we are guaranteed a correct operation in any circumstance, although these pedals are designed for XC mountain bike use, so they prioritise ease of engagement and disengagement over an optimum support platform.

These Garmin Rally pedals are available in a single or double leg version. Besides, the power measurement system, integrated in the pedal axle, is exactly the same as that of its road counterparts, offering the brand the possibility of acquiring the pedal body separately, either mountain or road, so that, only by changing the axle from one to the other, we can make use of the power meter in the mountains or on the road.

• Price: 699.99 € (simple measurement), 1.199.99 € (double measurement)
• Weight: 444 g

Look X-Track Race Carbon

You can't talk about clipless pedals without including Look, the brand that popularised their use after their irruption into the world of road pedals in the 80s and, currently, the most widely used system in the world of thin wheels. Their off-road pedals are uncomplicated, using the ever-present SPD. However, their strength lies in the pedal configuration, which manages to combine an oversized body that offers a very stable support with a great performance in muddy conditions, while maintaining a fairly contained weight.

• Price: 119.99 €
• Weight: 340 g/pair

Crankbrothers Candy 1

When Crankbrothers launched their Eggbeatter a few years ago, they managed to challenge the hegemony of the SPD system thanks to their attractive four-sided design and enormous mud evacuation capacity that made the simplicity of their system possible. These Candy are one of the evolutions of that original model that solves the scarce support surface by adding a resin platform that improves the stability of the foot. In any case, they continue to maintain the simplicity that has made Crankbrothers pedals one of the most reliable systems on the market. They have the added bonus of being able to choose the colour of the body from the 4 available in the brand's catalogue.

• Price: 59.99 €
• Weight: 262 g/pair