Best pedals for a hybrid bike: start with your shoes
Choose hybrid bike pedals by your shoes first. The pedal has to work with whatever is on your feet on a Tuesday morning, not just on a weekend ride.
| What you ride in |
Best pedal type |
Example |
| Sneakers or work shoes, always |
Wide flat platform |
MKS Allways |
| Everyday shoes, but want foot retention |
Cage pedal plus straps |
Power Grips on a metal cage pedal |
| Cycling shoes some days, sneakers others |
Clip on one side, flat on the other |
Shimano PD-M324 |
| Walkable 2-bolt cycling shoes, always |
Double-sided SPD |
See double-sided clipless pedals |
| Shoes that must stay smart |
Platform with short or fewer pins |
MKS Allways with a few pins removed |
| Everyday shoes, lots of riding after dark |
City platform plus pedal reflectors |
Shimano PD-EF205 with SM-PD69 reflectors |
If you are not sure, the dual-function pedal is the low-risk choice. It works with every shoe you own, and it lets you try clipping in without committing to it.
Clip on one side, flat on the other
Dual-function pedals put a clipless mechanism on one face and a flat platform on the other. They are the most popular upgrade for hybrid commuters, and our hub for single-sided clipless pedals with a platform compares the main options.
There are two main families, and their cleats do not swap:
- Shimano SPD: the PD-M324 takes any Shimano SPD cleat. It comes with the SM-SH56 multi-release cleat, which lets you unclip by twisting either way or lifting the heel. Spring tension is adjustable with a screw, so you can start light.
- Crankbrothers: the Double Shot 2 uses Crankbrothers’ own 2-bolt brass cleats. There is no tension screw; to make release easier, fit the Easy Release cleat, which lets go at 10° instead of 15° or 20°.
Both bolt to the same 2-bolt shoes, so a recessed-cleat commuter or touring shoe works with either.
The one habit to learn is the flip. Tap the back edge of the pedal with your toe to rotate it, then find the clip side. It becomes automatic within a week or two.
If you never wear cycling shoes, skip clipless entirely and buy a good flat pedal. The stock pedals on most hybrids are small resin platforms that get slippery when wet and wear out quickly.
Look for:
- A platform long enough for your foot. The MKS Allways is listed at 84 x 110 mm, roomy for a city pedal.
- Double-sided bodies, so either face works.
- Sealed bearings or serviceable bushings that survive wet winters.
- Replaceable pins, so a bent or lost pin is a cheap fix.
Our platform pedals guide covers nylon vs aluminum bodies and more models.
Grip in the rain
Pins give the most reliable grip in the wet. Smooth resin and plastic pedals are the ones that let a wet shoe skate off at a junction.
- Pinned platforms grip almost any sole, wet or dry.
- Short or fewer pins suit office shoes and soft soles. Many pinned pedals let you remove a few or fit shorter ones.
- Molded tread is gentler on good shoes but gives up some wet grip.
- Keep it clean. Grit packed around the pins makes any pedal slippery.
A dual-function pedal does not have to mean a slippery fallback side: the PD-M324’s flat side is a wide alloy platform, and the older PD-EH500 (if you can still find one) has eight replaceable pins.
Reflectors and riding after dark
Pedal reflectors are worth having on a commuter bike. They move with your feet, which makes them stand out to drivers more than a fixed reflector does. Some countries, including the UK, require pedal reflectors for riding after dark.
Many mountain-bike flats and clipless pedals have no reflectors, so check before you buy. Pedals designed for city use often have them built in or offer a clip-on set; Shimano’s PD-EF205 and PD-M324 take optional reflectors. The Ergon PC2, which had reflectors built into its edges, is discontinued, so look for the PD-EF205 instead. If your pedals do not have reflectors, reflective ankle bands or shoes with reflective trim do a similar job.
Straps hold your foot in place without cleats, so you can wear any shoe and still pull through the pedal stroke.
- Power Grips use one diagonal strap per pedal. Slide your foot in at an angle, straighten it to lock, and roll your heel out to leave. They need metal cage pedals that accept toe clips and straps.
- Toe clips and straps are the traditional version, holding the toe in a cage. They suit touring and fixed-gear riders but take practice to get in and out of.
- Platform straps wrap over flat pedals without clips.
Compare them all in toe clips and straps, and see cage pedals for pedals that take them.
Folding and removable pedals for storage
A pedal sticking out of the crank is often what stops a hybrid from fitting flat against a hallway wall, in a car or on a crowded train. Two designs solve it:
- Hinged folding pedals fold the platform flat against the crank and stay on the bike, so there is nothing to lose.
- Removable pedals such as MKS’s Ezy system leave an adapter in the crank. Pull back the collar and the pedal slides off by hand. MKS warns that the stopper ring must always be refitted, or the pedal can come off.
Many riders only make the left pedal removable, since that is the side that sticks out when the bike leans against a wall. Our folding pedals guide covers both types.
Thread and fitting
Almost every hybrid and commuter bike takes a 9/16” x 20 TPI pedal, so any pedal on this page will fit. The left pedal is reverse threaded; turn the wrench toward the back of the bike to loosen either side.
Grease the threads before fitting so the pedals do not seize, which is common on bikes ridden through winter. Full steps are in which pedal is reverse threaded. Older or budget bikes with one-piece cranks are the exception; see pedal thread sizes.
Pedals for e-bikes
E-bike commuters can use any of these pedal types. Nearly all e-bike cranks take standard 9/16” pedals.
- A large pinned platform suits a heavy bike you often stop and start on, because you can put a foot down without unclipping.
- A dual-function SPD pedal suits longer commutes where you like being clipped in.
- Tighten firmly and re-check. The motor adds load through the crank, and a pedal that works loose damages the crank threads.
Many folding e-bikes already come with a folding left pedal. If you replace it, match the type so the bike still folds as small as before.