Which MTB pedal fits best to me?

With clipless pedals, you are firmly connected to the pedal via a click system on the shoe. To do this, you need both special cycling shoes with holes in the sole and matching cleats. The cleats are screwed tightly to the holes in the sole of the shoe. To click in, you have to step on the clipless pedal with a purposeful movement. Turning your heel outwards releases this connection and you can take your foot off the pedal again. For beginners in particular, it makes sense to practise clicking in and out by leaning against a wall, door frame, etc. before taking your first ride with the mountain bike click systems.

Thanks to the firm connection between shoe and clipless pedal, your feet always remain in the same position. The foot position can be individually adjusted before clicking in and that allows you to maintain an ergonomic foot position. Depending on your needs, you can adjust the positioning of the cleats yourself in just a few steps until you have found your optimal foot position.

Clipless pedals ensure secure footing. Due to the firm connection between the shoe and the cleat, you won’t slip off the pedals.

However, the biggest advantage of clipless pedals is the power transmission. The fixed connection ensures that you can not only pedal downwards but also pull the pedals upwards. This allows you to exert your power even better on the pedal and on the entire crank revolution.

Despite the firm connection between the shoes and the pedals, you have a certain degree of mobility when biking thanks to the float angle. So you can achieve maximum performance on adventurous off-road trails or steep climbs.

• Float angle:            
  This angle describes how far you can rotate your foot inwards or outwards while you are clicked into the pedal. In other words, the freedom of movement when clicked in.

• Release tension:           
  Indicates how much force is needed to release the shoe from the pedal. On many models, this can be adjusted individually. For beginners, a low release tension is recommended so you can quickly take the foot off the pedal in tricky situations. 

• Release angle:           
  This is the angle you need to turn your foot outwards to come off the pedal. For beginners, a lower release angle is recommended to practise clicking out. The adjustment of the release depends on the click system and cleat used and is not always adjustable. 

• Contact surface:           
  Indicates how much space you have on the pedal to place your foot. The larger the contact area, the better the power transmission

Flexibility and versatility - a duo pedal, also called combination pedal, can be ridden on one side like a clipless pedal and on the other side like a platform pedal. So you don't have to commit yourself right away and can adapt the pedal according to your needs.

A duo pedal is the right choice for you if you want to benefit from both the advantages of a clipless pedal and the advantages of a platform pedal. It allows you to widen the range of use of your bike, as you can use it with normal street or fitness shoes as well as with mountain bike shoes.

You don't need any special equipment for the platform pedal side of the duo pedal. No matter if street shoes or other shoes - the platform side can handle it all. This is particularly practical if you want to take your foot off the pedal quickly, because you are still unsure of your bike or if you are only covering a short distance. 

The click side of your pedal has a large contact surface and is compatible with cleats that have a two-hole standard. These special metal plates are the connecting piece between pedal and shoe. They are mounted in the two parallel holes on the sole of the cycling shoe and lock into place when light pressure is applied to the pedals. To unclip, simply turn your heel outwards and the cleat will release from the pedal. How much force is required to click out can usually be adjusted individually on the pedals. For beginners, a low "release tension" is recommended so they can click out quickly. 

Duo pedals are particularly suitable for beginners to familiarise themselves with clipless pedals. We also recommend that beginners first practise using click systems while standing (e.g. leaning against a wall or door frame) before their first ride with these type of pedals.

Flexibility and freedom of movement - flat pedals (also called platform pedals) are popular for trail and dirt rides, especially in combination with matching shoes. Both beginners and more experienced mountain bikers use this type of pedal.

Flat pedals allow you to get quickly your foot off the pedal and onto the floor.

They offer you a large standing surface studded with metal pins, resulting in a good grip with the right shoes, even on uneven terrain.

You can also ride platform pedals with street or fitness shoes, but special flat pedal shoes are recommended. These have a robust sole made of a soft and grippy rubber compound that adheres particularly well to the platform and pins. Not only do they offer significantly more grip, but they also withstand the load much longer than street shoes.