Pedalling: pedals, cleats and cranksets
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The Pedalling page for spare parts includes automatic and flat pedals, cleats, cranksets, crank arms, chainrings, bottom brackets, and power sensors, from Shimano, Look, Favero, Deity, Funn, Praxis, or P2R. Everything that connects the cyclist to their drivetrain, where the efficiency of each pedal stroke happens, whether on the road, on a mountain bike, or in the city.
The link between the foot and the drivetrain.
Clipless pedals: Look Keo, SPD-SL, or SPD
Clipless pedals lock the shoe in place using a cleat, allowing for pushing and pulling throughout the pedalling cycle. Look, a company from Nevers, launched the first clipless road pedal in 1984, and Bernard Hinault won the Tour de France in 1985 with this system. On the road, Look Keo, like the Keo Max, and Shimano SPD-SL use a large three-bolt cleat that distributes the pressure. For mountain biking, gravel, and urban cycling, the SPD system from Shimano uses a small metal cleat with two bolts, integrated into the sole's tread for normal walking; the Shimano PD-EH500, with a flat side and a clipless side, is suitable for city shoe rides.
Float and cleat colour: protecting your knees
Float refers to the rotation the cleat allows the heel once the foot is locked in. With Shimano SPD-SL, the red cleat is fixed, the blue one, like the SM-SH12, allows for about two degrees, and the yellow one, like the SM-SH11, about six degrees, the most forgiving for the knees. With Look, the Keo Grip comes in black for zero degrees, grey for four and a half degrees, and red for nine degrees. In SPD, the SM-SH51 releases in one direction, turning the heel outward, while the multi-directional SM-SH56 also frees the foot by pulling upwards, which is reassuring for beginners. A worn cleat should be replaced before releasing becomes unpredictable.
Crankset, crank arms, and chainrings: length and gearing
The crankset includes the crank arms, chainrings, and the axle that rotates inside the bottom bracket. The most common crank arm length ranges from 170 to 172.5 millimetres for adults, shorter for smaller frames, and more and more cyclists are choosing shortened crank arms that open the hip angle. The choice of chainrings fixes the gearing: a compact double setup of 50 and 34 teeth makes climbing easier, a semi-compact with 52 and 36 offers a good compromise, while a 53 and 39 aims for speed. The Shimano 105 and Ultegra chainrings, made of aluminium, fit on the crankset of their range, and the carbon crank Praxis lightens the setup without sacrificing stiffness.
The selection
The pedalling is organised by part:
The other parts, wheels, tyres, suspensions, components, tools, are on the spare parts page.
Bottom bracket and power sensors
The bottom bracket must match the frame: English BSA threading of 68 millimetres wide on many road bikes, or force-fitted bottom brackets, known as press-fit. The Shimano SM-BB52, for Hollowtech II cranksets with a 24-millimetre axle, screws in with a dedicated tool. The power sensors built into pedals, like the Favero Assioma, designed and manufactured in Italy, measure in watts the actual force exerted; the DUO version measures each leg separately, while a sensor placed on one side doubles the measured value. The Assioma PRO MX, compatible with SPD cleats, brings this measurement to mountain biking and gravel riding.
Frequently asked questions
How do you remove a bike crankset?
It depends on the standard: on a Hollowtech II crankset, loosen the two bolts on the left crank arm, then the preload cap, before pulling the axle out from the right. A square axle crankset requires a puller screwed into the crank arm.
Which way do the pedals unscrew?
The right pedal unscrews counterclockwise, and the left pedal unscrews clockwise, as its threading is reversed to prevent it from coming loose while riding. Grease the threading when reassembling.
Do you need to clip in to ride mountain bikes?
Not necessarily: flat pedals with pins, like the Deity TMAC or Flat Trak, let you place your foot down quickly and provide confidence on technical descents. Clipless pedals offer improved efficiency and hold on rolling trails after a learning period.
Why does my bike creak with each pedal stroke?
A regular creaking sound often comes from a bottom bracket with worn bearings, a pedal not tightened properly, or a worn cleat. Check the play in the crank arms and the tightness of the pedals, then replace the bottom bracket if the noise persists.
Is a power sensor useful for an amateur cyclist?
It provides an objective measurement of effort, independent of wind, slope, or fatigue, which helps to manage training sessions and climbs. A pedal-mounted model can be easily transferred from one bike to another in a few minutes.
