One of the most important contact points you have with your bike, the pedals have an important job of inspiring confidence whilst also being lightweight and robust enough to transfer the power to get you going.
With the endless amounts of MTB clipless pedals on the market today we have complied our list of the Best MTB Clipless Pedals so you don’t have to go looking for the best.
Any mountain bike needs pedals, but there are many different types, sizes, and styles available. The best option for you depends on where and how you ride, but you must first decide whether flats or clipless are better for you.
Best MTB Clipless Pedals 2022:
- Ritchey Comp Trail Pedal – Best bang for your buck
- Shimano XT M8100 Pedal – Best clipless MTB pedals for racers
- Nukeproof Horizon CS CrMo Trail Clipless Pedals – Best small platform trail clipless pedals
- DMR Versa Pedal – Best of both worlds
- Look X-Track En-Rage Plus MTB Clipless Pedals – Best for those looking superior durability
What are MTB clipless pedals?
You can excuse the confusion surrounding clipless pedals because when they initially arrived, their main selling point was that they allowed riders to do away with the uncomfortable toe clips and straps they had been using.
In simple terms, clipless pedals use a special mechanical setup on the pedal which clips in to a cleat which is fitted to the sole of your shoe.
Due to the impression of increased pedalling efficiency and security provided by clipless pedals, some cyclists prefer riding with cleats. The confidence you acquire from knowing your feet will stay exactly where you want them across difficult terrain is the first benefit. The connection to the bike also makes it a little bit simpler to hop over obstacles or glide lightly over roots.
Our Best Clipless Mountain Bike Pedals
There is a huge range of mountain bike clipless pedals on the market today; it can be confusing to try and filter though the endless jargon to find which pair will be best suited to you. We have picked five of the best MTB clipless pedals on the market so you don’t have to go searching.
We’ve taken into consideration price, specification and that riding feel to bring you the best MTB clipless mountain bike pedals!
Watch our MTB Clipless round up:
Ritchey Comp Trail Pedal
Ritchey’s Comp trail pedals have a large platform to increase contact with your shoes, ensuring you’ve got ultimate stability no matter how rough the trail gets. They also have a slim profile that ensures a low axle cleat height, meaning efficient engagement and optimum power transfer.
The Comp trails ultra smooth burnished ball bearings ensure optimum friction free performance.
- Weight: 402g (pair)
- Price: £52.49
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Extremely affordable ✅ Quality bearings | 🔧 Paint quality not the highest |
Verdict: Best bang for your buck
Shimano XT M8100 Pedal
The Shimano XT M8100 Pedal are a hugely popular pedal. They’re durable, long-lasting and allow you to clip in and out with ease. They’re exceptionally lightweight offering you enhanced pedaling power and are built to prevent mud and dirt building up, ensuring you have a cleaner contact area.
Shimano’s usual high quality build and durability comes as standard.
- Weight: 342g (Pair)
- Price: £114.99
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Double sided ✅ Shimano’s high quality | 🔧 Small surface area for support |
Verdict: Best clipless MTB pedals for racers
Nukeproof Horizon CS CrMo Trail Pedals
Nukeproof Horizon CS Trail Pedals have bagged industry awards from the likes of MBUK magazine and MBR, so come highly recommended.
They offer the optimum balance of impact strength, fatigue resistance and low weight and have been designed with input from professional racers too, so they’re built to win races as well as industry awards.
Built with a wide platform to ensure support for your feet, the pins provide extra traction and it’s easy to locate, engage and release the clips too.
- Weight: 432g
- Price: £109.99
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Durable construction ✅ Ease of clipping in/out | 🔧 Smaller platform gives less support |
Verdict: Best small platform trail clipless pedals
DMR Versa Pedal
A hybrid of both flat and clipless pedals, the DMR Versa pedal features a clip in mechanism on one side and a flat platform on the other so you can winch up hill clipped in and have the freedom of flat pedals on the way down.
Ready for adventurous off-road challenges, this sleek component features a tough aluminium platform body. This allows it to handle all the abuse that comes with boisterous descents while its CNC-machining keeps its weight reduced.
- Weight: 485g (pair)
- Price: £135.00
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Ease of clipping in/out ✅ Premium finish and quality | 🔧 Expensive price tag 🔧 Clipless mechanism exposed to impact |
Verdict: Best for those wanting both flat and clipless pedals
Look X-Track En-Rage Plus MTB Pedals
The Look X-Track En-Rage Plus MTB Pedals offer a confident and comfortable clipped in experience as you take on your ride. Made using a sturdy forged aluminum body and a smooth spinning CrMo spindle, these pedals are dependently durable and tough.
They come with their own cleats for precision engagement and have pins to grip into if you become disengaged at any point.
- Weight: 495g (pair with cleats)
- Price: £99.90
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ SPD cleat compatibility ✅ Perfect platform size | 🔧 Heaviest pair on our list |
Verdict: Best for those looking superior durability
Check out some of our other relevant articles!
Still not found the perfect pair of MTB clipless pedals? Why not head to our store and see our full range:
I’m looking forward to trying out some of these pedals!