City bike pedals: flat, hybrid and with lights
City bike pedals need to hold your foot in the rain, in everyday shoes. Choose a wide, grippy platform for riding in trainers, a dual-sided pedal if you sometimes wear cleated shoes, or a folding pedal or one with lights depending on how you ride, then check the thread of your cranks. Toe clips and pedals for every kind of riding complete the page.
What should you expect from a city bike pedal?
In town, you ride in everyday shoes, you set off often and you put a foot down at every set of lights. The pedal therefore needs a platform wide enough to spread the pressure, a surface that grips even when wet without damaging your soles, and smooth rotation, with no play. Screw-in pins or rubber surfaces hold your foot in the rain; reflectors make the pedal visible at night, with every turn of the crank.
In the UK, the Highway Code states that at night a bike must be fitted with amber pedal reflectors, unless it is a very old model, as well as lights and a red rear reflector; in the United States, the federal bicycle safety standard requires reflectors on the front and rear surfaces of each pedal. Rules vary from one country to another: check that the reflectors are there when you change your pedals.
Flat, dual-sided or clipless: it depends on your shoes
- Flat pedal: the simplest solution, compatible with all shoes, for short journeys and frequent stops.
- Dual-sided pedal: one flat side for trainers, one clipless side for shoes with two-bolt cleats; it suits riders who alternate daily commutes with longer rides.
- Clipless pedal: for cleated shoes only, it transfers your effort better over long distances; riders who commute on a sporty bike often keep it.
Folding, with lights, with toe clips: pedals designed for the city
A folding pedal folds flat against the crank: the bike takes up less room in a hallway, a bike store or on a train. Pedals with built-in lights add a moving light, clearly visible from the side, on top of the bike's own lighting. Toe clips, finally, hold the front of your foot on a flat pedal and let you pull up slightly on the upstroke, without special shoes; an adjustable strap sets how firmly they hold.
Materials, bearings and maintenance
Composite or resin pedals are light and resist corrosion well; aluminium pedals are stiffer and take screw-in pins. Inside, the axle turns on bearings or bushings. A creak with every turn, side-to-side play or a pedal that turns stiffly are signs that it needs servicing or replacing. When refitting, grease the thread: the pedal will come off without forcing next time.
Road, MTB and BMX pedals
If your bike is also used for sport, compare with road bike pedals, almost all clipless, mountain bike pedals, pinned flats or clipless with two-bolt cleats, and BMX pedals. All the pedals in our range are gathered in bike pedals. For the city bike, saddles and seatposts and city bike brakes also have their own page.
Which pedal brands should you choose for the city?
Look, the inventor of the clipless pedal, based in Nevers, developed the rubber of its Geo City flat pedals with Vibram, and fits the Geo City Vision with built-in lighting, rechargeable via USB-C.
VP Components, a Taiwanese pedal and component manufacturer based in Taichung, offers city and vintage-style pedals, kids' pedals and toe clips.
Contec, the brand of the German wholesaler Hartje, offers the 2Black, an aluminium flat pedal with replaceable pins and removable reflectors.
Funn, a mountain bike brand born from racing, offers the Mamba in a single-sided version, clipless on one side and flat on the other, SPD-compatible, as well as the Python, a thin, wide flat pedal.
crankbrothers, founded in a garage in Laguna Beach, California, offers the Double Shot, flat on one side and clipless on the other, and the Candy, a lightweight clipless pedal.
City bike pedals on sale
Pedals from past collections are offered in our urban clearance; those that have just arrived are in new arrivals. The winter sales are a good time to replace worn pedals before the fine weather returns.
Frequently asked questions
Which pedals for riding in trainers?
A wide flat pedal with a non-slip surface: short pins or grippy rubber hold the sole without damaging it. Avoid mountain bike pedals with long pins, which are hard on everyday shoes, and small pedals in smooth resin, which are slippery in the rain.
Is a clipless pedal suitable for the city?
For long journeys on a sporty bike, yes: the cleat transfers your effort better. In the city centre, with frequent stops, you have to unclip at every set of lights; a dual-sided pedal, flat on one side, then offers the best compromise.
How do you know if your pedals are worn?
Side-to-side play, a creak with every turn, and rotation that is stiff or, on the contrary, too loose are signs of tired bearings. A worn smooth surface that no longer holds the sole, or a broken reflector, also justifies a replacement.
What thread do bike pedals have?
Most pedals have a 9/16-inch thread, compared with 1/2 inch for those on one-piece cranks. On the left-hand side, the thread is reversed: look for the letter L or R engraved on the axle before fitting new pedals.
What are toe clips for?
They keep the front of your foot in the right place on a flat pedal and make pedalling smoother, with ordinary shoes. In town, leave the strap loose enough to take your foot out quickly when you stop.
