Seven affordable bike pedals that are worth your hard-earned cash
Every bike needs pedals and thankfully they don’t have to cost the earth. Here, we’ve chosen a selection of cheap bike pedals for those on a budget.
We’ve included cheap road bike pedals, as well as cheap pedals for mountain biking, and affordable flat-pedal options for almost everything else.
Although the best road bike pedals and the best mountain bike pedals cost up to £180, there are bargains to be had for as little as £30.
Cheap bike pedals: our favourites for 2023
HT PA03A
!["HT]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/04/ht-pa03a-pedals-01-1513250872187-180l2oyxcfozu-aef3dc2-e1685547670669.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ht-pa03a-pedals-01-1513250872187-180l2oyxcfozu-aef3dc2\"")
- Use: mountain biking, commuting, leisure riding
- £35/$69/AU$70 as tested
HT’s PA03A pedals might have a silly name, but they prove perfectly that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get some top-performing pedals. They’re cheap, strong, light and reliable with superb levels of grip.
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Shimano M520 SPD
!["Shimano]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/dscf3297-1499857713634-jiju0146s8l9-c19105f-e1685547703570.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Shimano")
- Use: mountain biking, gravel riding, commuting, leisure riding, cyclocross, touring
- £36.99/$45/AU$65.99 as tested
Shimano’s legendary M520 SPD pedals are as tough as they are cheap.
Their double-sided entry and resistance to clogging with mud means they’re immensely versatile too. Plenty of us in the BikeRadar office have used them for everything from commuting and gravel riding to cyclocross and mountain biking.
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Nukeproof Neutron Evo (Electron)
!["NukeProof]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1314972510472-56wmlp43n77i-790339c-e1561632329545.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Nukeproof")
- Use: mountain biking, commuting, leisure riding
- £35/$58 as tested
Another top-quality pair of affordable plastic-bodied flats are the Neutron Evo (formerly the Electron) pedals from Nukeproof. Their generous platforms and smooth-running bearings were enough for us to score them 4.5 stars out of five back in 2011.
Ritchey Comp XC
!["Ritchey]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2022/07/Ritchey-Comp-XC-02-02dc32e.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Ritchey")
- Use: mountain biking, gravel riding, commuting, leisure riding, cyclocross, touring
- £55/$69.95/€73
Similar to Shimano’s SPD pedals and using the same cleat design, Ritchey’s Comp XC pedals perform well, offering a lightweight clipless pedal at a low price.
Featuring ball bearings, the Comp XC pedals are fully serviceable, but require the upgraded WCS pedals service kit.
The pedals are easy to set up, with adjustable entry and release tension that can be set with an Allen key.
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Shimano M530 SPD
!["shimano]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1299000302166-1nrdn2kmbwexh-07ab80e-e1685547747130.jpg?quality=90&resize=610%2C406" "\"shimano")
- Use: mountain biking, commuting, touring
- £40/$55/AU$65
For trail riders who want a little more support than that offered by the cageless M520s, there’s the M530 SPD pedals from Shimano. Although a touch heavier, they remain dependable with an engagement that feels great and plenty of reliability.
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Look Keo Classic 3
!["Cheap]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/look-keo-classic-1551953931525-k3i4dkl0wdjx-1000-100-6153c4a-e1570180182589.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Cheap")
- Use: road cycling, commuting
- £59.99/$119.95 as tested
Look’s entry-level Keos offer impressive performance with no real gripes. They’re also easy to use and remain relatively light due to their composite construction. Be sure not to forget to buy a set of dedicated cleats to pair with these because they aren’t the same as Shimano’s SPD-SL variety.
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Shimano PD-ME700
!["Shimano]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2022/07/Shimano-PD-ME700-04-9eb730e.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Shimano")
- Use: mountain biking, commuting, touring
- £55 as tested
Providing more support than cageless SPD pedals, the PD-ME700 pedals offer a great introduction to clipless systems. The cage improves shoe-to-pedal contact, but they don’t feel overly secure on rough singletrack and could be further improved. As with most Shimano pedals, the PD-ME700s are fully serviceable.