Do I need clipless pedals to ride gravel?

We get this question or some version of it a lot! First off, the answer is no, you don’t “need” clipless pedals to ride gravel, so feel free to stop reading now 😊 But there are a lot of benefits to using them, so keep reading if you want to know more!

Now, a quick explainer about what it means to be “clipless” because the name “clipless” for something that you do actually clip-in to can be confusing. The name refers to pedals that don’t have toe clips, which are basket-like contraptions that mount to the front of the pedal and have straps to lock your foot in. They’re not as common nowadays, but you do still see them around.

So “clipless” literally means the absence of a toe-clip attached to the pedal. Clipless pedals lock into cleats on the bottom of your bike shoes, so you are in effect, clipped in with the bottom of your shoe attached to the pedal. There are a lot of different versions, from Shimano SPDs and XTRs, Crankbrothers, Speedplay, Look, etc. These are just a few I’ve tried on my gravel bike (and my commuter bike) over the years…

And lately, I’ve been riding with the Crankbrothers Eggbeaters, which are a lot lighter than all of the options above & are easy to get in and out of…

The various pedals differ slightly but have one thing in common: A quick kick out of your heel disengages your shoe from the pedal, so you can easily put your foot down when stopping. Some options are dual-sided (most of the ones in the first photo are dual-sided), meaning one side has the “receiver” end of the system your foot locks into, while the other is flat and can be used with regular tennis shoes. I had dual-sided pedals on my gravel bike for years b/c I also regularly rode it to work and didn’t always feel like wearing bike shoes or dealing with two pairs of shoes at work. These can be a good option if you want to try them out, but aren’t 100% committed to the concept.

So what are the benefits?

The main benefits of clipless pedals are better pedaling efficiency since your foot is always in the same place on the pedal and better power transfer since you can pull up while also pushing down with the other foot, thus making better use of the entire crank rotation. When you’re attached to your bike, you also really feel like you become one with the bike, which means you can focus on other aspects of riding while not having to ensure your feet don’t bounce off the pedals riding through rough terrain. This all translates to riding faster with more confidence.

Another great benefit of being clipped into your bike for gravel is the ability to sort of “bunny hop” over potholes, especially at high speeds. Now, I’m not talking about real mountain bike bunny hops… that’s a whole other thing. What I’m talking about is essentially unweighting your bike just before a pothole or small obstacle, so you just float over it as opposed to crashing through it. This skill also helps for small branches and debris in the road or trail that can catch you off guard. It takes some practice, but once you do it a few times it’ll become second nature. It’s also pretty fun! Maybe one day we’ll make a video tutorial ;)

So, why wouldn’t someone want to try clipless pedals if they can make you faster and improve your cycling? The main reason I hear from women is that they’re afraid of falling over or crashing because they couldn’t get their foot unclipped fast enough. But let me tell you… that will probably happen… actually it will probably happen more than once… but it’s OK! It’s kind of a rite of passage & happens to everyone at some point.

The first time I couldn’t get my foot out fast enough was probably in 2013 or so and I hadn’t been riding that long… I had been cruising around the city & was slowing down at a busy-ish intersection just a few blocks from my house. I thought it was clear so decided to keep going rather than coming to a full stop like I should have; then a car came flying around the corner, and my center of gravity was completely off when I grabbed the brakes, leading me to fall over on the side I don’t usually clip out on. I was probably going just a few mph’s, but ouch. Keeling over from that height & hitting the ground doesn’t feel great & I banged up my elbow a bit, but battle scars are cool, right?!

Even with the occasional mishap, I would never go back to flat pedals on my gravel bike, but a lot of it really depends on your bike handling skills and your comfort level while riding. I’ve only ever had flat pedals on my mountain bike because I’m not a super-skilled mountain biker & haven’t been doing it that long. But as soon as I do become more skilled, you can be sure I’m going to change the pedals!

Ready for clipless pedals?

If you think clipless pedals might be for you, then the next thing you’ll need to consider is which ones. Like I said earlier, there are a lot of different options from a lot of different brands, and honestly it doesn’t really matter which ones you go with.

Price is one consideration. As with everything bike-related, it’s easy to spend a lot of money pretty quickly, but for your first clipless pedals, the entry-level models are going to be just as good as the more expensive ones. You don’t need to go with the top-of-the-line options unless you just really want to.

Clipless pedals have corresponding cleats (don’t worry, they come with the pedals) that will need to be installed into the sole of your bike shoes, so you’ll need to confirm you have suitable shoes too. Some cleats are two-holed and some require three holes to be installed, so make sure you know what your shoes are compatible with.

Sometimes your preferred bike shoe might even dictate which pedals you end up with. Some people use road shoes for gravel, but I prefer a proper gravel shoe or even MTB shoe because they both tend to be easier to walk in since the cleat is more recessed up into the sole of the shoe.  Last year, I got the Fizik Terra Power Straps, and I highly recommend them! Again though, shoes are going to be really personal, so go to your bike shop or an REI, Dicks, etc and try on as many as you can.

Once you’re all set up watch this video and you’ll be ready to hit the road!

We hope this post was helpful! If you have any other questions or topics you’d like us to cover, drop them in the comments! Also, we’d love to hear about your clipless pedal mishaps!

Happy riding