Folks get touchy about their grips and saddles, and there are over a hundred shapes of each to choose from. And that discernment makes sense. Those key touchpoints affect how the bike feels in the hand and seat.
However, when it comes to pedals, most of us clipless fans are happy to stick with the same SPD setup through decades, never looking to improve or change a thing. Look at a set of Shimano XT clipless pedals from fifteen years ago. They have changed very little because they work well, and there’s been no necessity to breed invention. I own a set that’s been rebuilt 10-12 times, and they’re running strong.
Wolf Tooth found a reason to improve the clipless mainstay witht their SHIFT Downhill Clipless Pedal. This platform completes the brand’s pedal lineup that now includes DH, trail, XC, and gravel models.
The standout feature of Wolf Tooth’s pedal lineup is its adjustable Q-Factor. The pedal body can be adjusted to a Q-factor of 51, 55, or 59mm to give your feet a wider or narrower stance. Simply remove the spindle bolt, slide the pedal body off, and move the spacers to the desired position. This way, you can keep the cleat in the center of your shoe for optimal mud shedding and minimal shoe/cleat interaction. You can also snag 2mm spacers that add 53 and 57mm positions.
I tried the pedals in their widest position, and they felt uncomfortable. Likely, one could grow accustomed and possibly reap the benefits of any pedal position, but I felt far better in the 55mm Q-factor that the pedals shipped with. It’s cool that riders can adjust for what works best for them, but these knees were happy with their known alignment.
The Wolf Tooth SHIFT pedal’s stainless steel spindle is wrapped in three cartridge bearings and one bushing, all quick and easy to swap out as they wear. They are spinning smoothly through the Bellingham winter, and I would comfortably bet that one annual bearing swap will do the trick for my muddy home trails.
The platform employs a tried-and-true SPD cleat and binding made of stainless steel, bolted to a thin 15mm alloy body. Overall, the pedal platform sheds mud fairly well. I find that the type of shoe I wear affects mud shedding almost as much as the pedal, and I rode these pedals with both hard-soled XC kicks and rubbery DH shoes. The softer gravity shoe squished around a bit more while clipping in, and, as usual, the harder-soled XC kicks shed mud better and clipped in faster.
Regardless of shoe selection, I occasionally wish I had flat pedals so I wouldn’t have to consider the mud. The SHIFT pedals have eight traction pins (four per side). The pins may be somewhat helpful in emergency moments when you’re not able to clip in, but they definitely won’t save the day. A few of mine fell out, so a little Locktite is likely helpful. With the centralized cleat binding, not much of your shoe actually engages the pins for grip.
Wolf Tooth’s 410g weight for the pair is accurate on my scale, with a retail price of $239.95. The SHIFT pedals come in black or ultraviolet colorways for now. If adjustable Q-factor, rebuildability, and US manufacturing are on your pedal priority list, give the SHIFT a longer look.
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