The best cheap bike pedals for mountain biking, road and casual riding
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The best cheap bike pedals for mountain biking, road and casual riding

Seven affordable bike pedals that are worth your hard-earned cash

Published: June 5, 2023 at 8:00 am

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 PA03A flat pedals offer good performance for a fair price.
HT's PA03A flat pedals are cheap and cheerful.
  • 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.

Shimano M520 SPD

Shimano M520 SPD right hand pedal in silver
The trusty M520 SPDs mean you can travel to work without having to change your footwear. - Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
  • 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.

Nukeproof Neutron Evo (Electron)

NukeProof Electron flat pedals in yellow
Cheap, cheerful and colourful, the Electrons are a top pick. - Our Media
  • 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 Comp XC gravel pedals
A marker helps set equal entry and release tension on each side. - Katherine Moore / Our Media
  • 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.

Shimano M530 SPD

shimano m530 spd pedals
The M530 SPD offers superior stability and durability over the cageless M520s. - 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.

Look Keo Classic 3

Cheap bike pedals
Look's Keo Classic 3 road bike pedal is a good commuter choice. - BikeRadar / Immediate Media
  • 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.

Shimano PD-ME700

Shimano PD-ME700 gravel pedals
The platform is similar to that on flat mountain bike pedals, but with dual-sided entry. - Katherine Moore / Our Media
  • 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.