At a glance Not the lightest but excellent value and a very durable pedal ideal for any road cyclist on a budget
Tested by
Oliver Laverack, tester for The Bike List
Performance
On every pedal stroke, power from your legs is transferred through your shoes and pedals into the cranks which propel you forward. Given that you'll typically rotate the cranks several thousand times per hour you want each pedal stroke to be super efficient to transfer as much power as possible and minimise fatigue or discomfort.
I've been using Shimano's sleek 105 pedals in conjunction with
Shimano's R132 shoes which we reviewed earlier in the year and
have ridden them both hard on everything from 100 mile sportives to
35 mile club rides and 10 mile mini Triathlons. In particular it's
been interesting to use these pedals during mini
distance Triathlons as it's been a great test of how quick and easy
it is to engage the pedals with the cleats of your shoes when your
legs are trembling from the swim and every second counts.
Clipping in requires you to simultaneously line the pedal up so it sits horizontally whilst also pushing your foot downwards ensuring the front of the cleat is hooked into the gap at the front. It sounds more complicated that it is and it took me literally only a handful of times to get used to. Now I clip in without thinking about it but I do sometimes have to concentrate if I've stopped at the lights and there's a queue of cars waiting behind me. A very reassuring clunk signifies that you're securely fastened in and then off you go.
Releasing by flicking your heel out is also very easy and most importantly only happens when you want it to and not when you're pedalling hard or out of the saddle climbing. As with most clip in (also known as clipless) pedals, the tension of the springs that holds the cleat and therefore your shoes in place can be adjusted to match your level of confidence. If you're new to clip in pedals it's a good idea to keep the spring tension low as this will allow you to unclip with little effort and more importantly will help prevent a confidence damaging moment where you stop at traffic lights, forget you're clipped in and keel over in front of the stationary drivers.
Adjusting the spring tension couldn't
be easier, requiring just a 2.5mm Allen key to turn the bolt
clearly labelled 'Tension Adjustment' on the rear top side of the
pedal. Increasing the tension will increase the effort required to
release the cleats and vice versa. As well as plus and minus
symbols to indicate which way to turn the bolt for the desired
effect an indicator on the rear of the pedal helps you match the
tension on both sides and stops you going too far in either
direction. The last user friendly touch Shimano have included is an
audible click that accompanies each full turn of the bolt helping
you match the tension on each pedal with an event greater level of
accuracy.
This PD-5610 version of Shimano's 105 pedal uses a re-designed platform which offers a significantly larger pedal-to-cleat contact area than the previous 5600 model, 53% larger in fact. Shimano claim that this increased surface area allows for maximum foot-to-pedal stability and efficient pedalling. The wider platform does feel like it offers increased support and good power transfer especially when you're out of the saddle. The low profile design offers even more cornering clearance and the alloy body and stainless steel body cover make for a light yet super durable pedal. Sealed cartridge axle units should help ensure a low maintenance and trouble free life. So far I've covered close to close to 1500 miles using these pedals and they are still running as smoothly as when I first used them.
At £60 these Shimano's 105 pedals are aimed
at the beginner racer or the average club or sportive rider and are
good value for money, especially considering you can pay even less
online. They feature a very similar alloy body to that of the top
of the range Dura Ace model, only weigh 44 grams more at 325 grams
per pair and cost £140 less and are available in both black
and silver. Similar pedals from other manufacturers include Look's
KEO Classic pedals made from injected Polyamid which are a bit
lighter at 280g and Time's RXS First pedals whose composite body
construction makes them even lighter still at 260g a pair.
As with all Shimano SPD-SL pedals there are two types of cleat available which all attach to the base of your shoes via three bolts. In the box you'll get the standard yellow/black cleats that provide 3 degrees of float in each direction or alternatively you can buy the red/black fixed cleats with no float.
If you're thinking about buying your first pair of clipless road pedals or you're looking for a good value for money option then these Shimano 105's are well worth a look. They may not be the lightest pedals around but their solid, comfortable, reliable construction and easy to use cleat to pedal interface will mean they will continue to perform well for many miles.
Buy from www.chainreactioncycles.com
Shimano says:
Super lightweight SPD-SL road pedal for high performance road
racing.
Designed to match the 105 10-speed group. Wide lightweight alloy
body provides increased shoe contact area to maximize power
transfer and increase support. Ideal for all road disciplines.
- Super lightweight SPD-SL road pedal for high performance road racing
- Low profile design increases road clearance for increased confidence when slicing through corners
- Large binding target allows quick engagement while wide cleats provides more efficient pedalling
- Stainless steel pedal body plate for increased durability
- Open design allows for easy access and cleat adjustment
- Low maintenance sealed cartridge axle unit
- Two types of shoe cleat are available - fixed, or 3 degrees of float in each direction
- Weight: 325 grams per pair
- Use: Road, Tri, TT, Track
- Sole Fitment: 3 Bolt fitment
- Cleats Included: Yes
Find out more www.shimano.com
