Clipless Alternatives – do you really need to be locked in?
Updated 15 Feb 2022 to include the newly released Aveta magnetic road pedals
For many new to cycling, getting their first set of clipless pedals (sounds like a misnomer, but has historical reasons) is scary; the fear of being unable to step out quickly enough and fall while still clipped in is real. This fear is reasonable, too, as the more experienced cyclist will tell you that you fall a couple of times, then you get better at unclipping, and it becomes second nature.
Considering that even a fall at low speed can be painful at least and lead to a more severe injury at worst, is it worth going through this learning curve? The answer is more complex, and we need to look at the benefits of clipless systems over flat pedals to understand why.
There are five main benefits:
- The foot is set in a fixed, presumably optimal, position
- The foot can float (rotate horizontally) on the pedal
- The foot can’t slide off the pedal
- The leg can not only press down but also pull up at the other side of the pedal stroke.
Especially this last claim about the leg aiding on the upstroke seems to carry the most weight, but it is contested. Research has shown that this upward pull is only significant in maximum efforts, such as sprinting or hill climbing while standing and again at close to maximum effort. In all other cases, the average cyclist is already good if they properly unweight the leg on the upstroke, thus helping the other leg on the downward stroke and maintaining a smooth, fluid pedaling style. So if you are cycling competitively or like to put in hard sprint efforts, clipless is your choice. However, you might not need clipless if you are a triathlete, commuter, casual cyclist, or the diesel-engine type that seldom sprints.
Several companies have come to the same conclusion. They are trying to fill the gap by providing you with most of the benefits of a clipless system but without the drawback of a clip-in / clip-out process that requires you to perform an unintuitive movement.
The alternative pedals they developed can be categorized as cleat/pedal interface (magnetic or not) and use case (mountain or road). These pedals are also great if you have problems twisting your leg due to hip/knee/ankle mobility issues.
Below are five brands that offer such pedals:
Bythlon
I have previously written about the Bythlon pedals here.
These pedals are the only ones on the list that do not employ magnets. They provide cut-out sections in the pedal, in which you step in with matching cleats. These pedals are meant for road cycling, and the cleats attach to any regular 3-hole road cycling shoe. Mountain bike cleats are in the making (I saw a prototype at Eurobike in September), but there is no word about when they will be out. They are by far the lightest system at 144g for the pedal and 43g for the cleat (since they do not have any magnets) and have 10 degrees of float. The Bythlon pedals are dual-sided so that you can step in from both sides of the pedals. They cost USD 139 for both pedals and cleats.
Here’s the link to their webshop: Bythlon
Magped
Magped pedals are arguably the best known among the magnetic pedals. Over time they have expanded their offering to include four models, Sport2 (for gravel/cross/trail), Enduro (for enduro, all-mountain, downhill), Road (for road, cyclocross, gravel), and Ultra2 (for gravel, cross country, trail, all-mountain). The weight of the pedals ranges from 270g (Road) to 530g (Enduro). The plate that attaches to the shoe weighs around 100g. Since they employ a magnet, they have a pulling force of between 100N and 200N, depending on the choice of magnets (they have three different strength levels). When buying the pedals, you choose the strength you prefer, but you can purchase magnets in other strengths later for between USD 10 and USD 20. Since your foot can rotate freely on the magnet, your float is “nearly unlimited). The pedals are not dual-sided, except for the Enduro version.
The pedals cost between USD 115.00 and 208.00, depending on the model.
Here is the link to their website.
J-Pedals
Besides Magped, J-Pedals is the other brand with mountain and road cycling solutions. Unlike Magped, here it is not a different pedal. Instead, you get a “cleat base” between the metal plate and the shoe to adjust for the curved shape of the underside of road shoes. The J-Pedals employ two magnets with a total of 355N pulling force. Their weight is 368g per pedal and 100-13g per plate. These pedals provide 7 degrees of float and are dual-sided. The J-Pedals cost USD 172 (mountain) – USD 195 (road).
Find them here: J-Pedals
MagLOCK
Maglock offers pedals exclusively for mountain bikers. The original Fort Knox model, which is heavier and for more aggressive mountain biking (such as enduro or downhill), is currently sold out. Their Stealth model is available, which is lighter and has slightly weaker magnets. The weight per pedal is 320 g for the Stealth model and 100g for the metal shoe plate. Similar to The Magped pedals, the float is “nearly unlimited.” Since each pedal holds six magnets, the pulling force can be adjusted by removing or adding magnets. The pulling force with all magnets in is 311N for the Fort Knox model and 244N for the Stealth model. The out-of-stock Fort Know model costs USD 179.99, while the Stealth model is cheaper at USD 109.99. Find the company here.
Hustle
The Avery REMtech pedal from Hustle is a new entrant and unavailable yet (market entry has been delayed a few times and is now quoted as “end of winter 2021 -2022”). The pedal is similar to the MagLock as it is MTB only and similar to the Magped mountain bike pedal offerings, using centrally placed magnets. The weight is 375g for the pedal, there are no words on the weight of the plate, but it is fair to assume that this would be around 100g, just like plates from the other brands. The pulling force of the magnets is the strongest out of all, with 445N. This pulling force can be adjusted by removing or adding pins (as this changes the foot’s distance to the pedal). The price, once it is available, will be USD 219.00. Here’s the link to their site.
Aveta
The latest company to offer magnetic pedals is the Taiwanese company Aveta, with their Aveta ETC pedals. These road pedals look very similar tole pedals, which might be vital if you prefer a SPD or Look stystealthy look and fewer questions from fellow cyclists. Two versions are available, with either 8.5kg (83N) magnetic force or 10kg (98N). This is the lowest magnetic force offered by any of the pedal makers. However, I believe the appropriate force depends on the pedal design, and comparisons between different pedals are difficult. Overall the pedals seem well constructed, and being Taiwanese-owned and made can be a good sign. When you purchase the pedals and cleats, you also get a plate that transforms the pedals into flat pedals, which can be useful if you sometimes use your road bike to run errands as I do.
Summary
All the above pedals fulfill the first three product benefits of clipless pedals as listed above. The pedals with magnets stay attached to your feet during the pull with different pulling forces. If you are a road cyclist, and this is important to you, then you can choose between the Magped Road and the J-Pedals. If you are a roadie/commuter/triathlete, and this is not important to you, then the Bythlon pedals are an excellent choice.
Below I put together a product comparison table.
| Bythlon | J-Pedals | Magped | MagLOCK | Hustle | Aveta | |
| mechanism | step in | magnet | magnet | magnet | magnet | magnet |
| float | 10 deg | 7 deg | “nearly unlimited” | “nearly unlimited” | “nearly infinite” | 4 deg |
| dualsided | yes | yes | no (road), yes (enduro) | yes | yes | no |
| shoe interface | plastic cleat | metal plate | metal plate | metal plate | metal plate | SPD style cleat with metal |
| attractive force | n/a | 355N | 100N – 200N | 244N – 311N | 445N | 83N – 98N |
| att. force adjustable | n/a | N | yes (choice of magnets) | yes (remove/add magnets) | yes (change number of pins) | select with pedal purchase |
| weight (per side) | 144g / 43g cleat | 368g / 100g -113g shoe plate | 270G (Road)-530g (Enduro) / 100g shoe plate | 320g – 488g / 100g shoe plate | 375g / ??g shoe plate | 361g / 115g cleat |
| road pedal (3-hole shoe) | yes | yes | yes | no | no | yes |
| mountain pedal (2-hole shoe) | no (planned) | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| price | USD 139.00 | USD 172.00 – USD 195.00 | USD 115.00 – USD 208.00 | USD 109.00 – USD 174.99 | USD 219.00 | USD 165 – USD 175 |
| availability | available | available | available | only Stealth model | “winter 2021-2022) | available |
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