Road or mountain bike pedals for gravel cycling? A few perspectives

Which is better for gravel: road shoes and pedals, or mountain-bike shoes and pedals? The answer, as for so much of cycling, is: it depends. Most riders go for MTB shoes, because they are easy to use in a range of conditions, and because they’re much better for walking around in than road shoes and cleats. For adventure gravel riding, MTB pedals are a no-brainer. For racing, some folks choose road set-ups for the lighter weight, the solid and familiar feel, and perhaps also for aerodynamics or even a small perceived power efficiency advantage over MTB options. And now we have gravel shoes, with an MTB-style lugged sole and pedal interface, but a lighter weight. In this video, I talk to some of the top male riders on the start line at Big Sugar, including winner Torbjørn Andre Røed, for what they use and why. I talk to Jim Miller, USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance and personal coach to Keegan Swenson, as Swenson has been winning pretty much every gravel race he shows up to - often while wearing lightweight road shoes. I also share some thoughts from Andy Lull, the creator of the Stages power meter and a guy who has thought a lot about power efficiencies. And I give you my take, based on my experience and preferences and what I’ve seen top riders using at dozens of events. -- The Ride is supported in 2023 by: Castelli clothing: https://www.castelli-cycling.com Giro helmets: https://www.giro.com Feedback Sports stands & tools: https://www.feedbacksports.com -- 00:00 intro 01:32 what pros use 03:09 expert perspective 09:45 weight comparisons 12:51 my take