Trek Releases 5 New Clipless Pedals

Oct 4, 2023 at 12:46
by Mike Kazimer  
photo

Trek may not be the first company that comes to mind when considering clipless pedals, but they've recently expanded their lineup, increasing the number of options from one to five. The pedals are SPD-compatible, and they run the gamut from a 336 gram XC-oriented model with a composite body to a trail-style pedal with a mid-size aluminum platform around the clip-in mechanism.

All of the pedals have 7-degrees of float, plus adjustable spring tension. The XC options receive the Kovee model name, and the larger-platformed trail pedals are under the Line model name. All of the pedals spin on sealed bearings and chromoly spindles.

My initial impressions are that the weights and prices are all in the reasonable realm, and my first few rides on the Line Elite pedals have been free of any surprises. The entry and exit is smooth, and I was able to find my ideal tension level without any fuss. I'll see how they hold up to a few months of sloppy conditions and report back.

photo
Kovee Pro, Kovee Elite, and Kovee Comp.


Kovee Pro
Composite body
336 grams
$150 USD
Kovee Elite
Forged body with anodized plates
390 grams
$110 USD
Kovee Comp
Diecast body
383 grams
$65 USD


photo
Line Elite, Line Comp

Line Elite
Forged body
450 grams
$110 USD
Line Comp
Diecast body
430 grams
$75 USD


photo

More info: trekbikes.com




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181 Comments
  • 140 0
 Looks like a pedal
  • 7 0
 Well done!
  • 37 1
 ......from a catalogue with Trek printed on.
  • 25 1
 The snozzberries taste like snozzberries!
  • 19 0
 @watchmen: Not kidding. VP Components finest work!
  • 10 0
 @fiatpolski: Wellgo!
  • 5 0
 @fiatpolski: more like Wellgo
  • 37 2
 Looks like a pedal you buy because they're all the shop has
  • 1 23
flag tacklingdummy (Oct 5, 2023 at 8:42) (Below Threshold)
 Wow, you are sharp. I wouldn't of guessed that.
  • 1 0
 @nickfranko: Pull over!
  • 6 0
 @mashrv1: I work at a trek dealer, you’re not wrong lmao
  • 4 0
 @Hyakian: Bike Nashbar returns!
  • 30 3
 I wonder when someone will make an SPD shoe that actually makes contact & gives support to the sole of the shoe.
  • 5 0
 Thats why I moved away from my XT pedals to Hopes. Those XTs are bombproof though and still live a very happy life on my road/gravel bike.
  • 1 0
 @mtmc99: Yeah I'm gonna go with Hopes, it's on my list of upgrades. Do they actually make contact with the shoe?
  • 6 0
 @curtiscycles: with the pins in: yes, I can feel the extra support.

Edit: should have said I dont get that "ice skating" feeling like I used to with the XTs when moving my foot through the float.
  • 6 0
 I have found some Shimano shoes do make contact with the SPD pedals. For me that got rid of all the float and made it more difficult to get of them so I took a razor knife and cut away some of the sole so that the shoe was no longer in contact with the pedals.
  • 6 0
 No, because it's about the pedal. Many clip shoes are the same sole shape as the flat version. But the clip pedals don't, and you don't want them to, have good contact because then unclipping is much harder unless you can unweight to release the shoe to rotate, which is tough to do while you're crashing.
  • 8 0
 @curtiscycles saints?
  • 11 1
 Why would you even want that? Seems like it would just make it harder to clip out for no real benefit.
  • 3 0
 The SPD cleat does all of that for you. The sides of the cleat rest on those little steel wings you see that extend diagonally aft onto the pedal body from the toe-side mechanism. If you want the sole of the shoe to contact the pedal to provide support, then you have to have this fine balancing act between the force between the shoe/pedal interface and the cleat/retention interface that you have to get right, and that changes as both the sole and cleat wear. Compare to the annoyance of getting a crankbrothers pedal to interface with the shoe solidly, where you have under-cleat spacers to get the cleat/sole distance right and plastic barrels to fine-tune the diameter of the pedal body where the sole rests on it.
  • 27 5
 Get a stiffer sole, the pedal shouldn't support the shoe, the shoe should be so stiff it supports the foot. Clipless shoes shouldnt flex, they aren't for walking.
  • 1 0
 I was thinking the same exact thing when I looked at the pedals. The cage really does nothing on the enduro-like caged pedals and the only main contact points with the shoes are left and right of the clip. But, the amount of contact your shoes makes with the pedal a lot is dependent on the shoes. I have some shoes that are more solid with the contact points on the pedals and some that move more freely in the float. Perhaps pedal companies or shoes companies could have a system where riders can adjust the level of the contact points on the pedals to the rider's preferences. I have thought about epoxy-ing thin pieces of rubber to my shoe to increase the contact with pedals.
  • 3 2
 My wife has been using Shimano DX pedals for years and hasn’t found anything she prefers yet. The plastic platform seems to shrug off damage compared to the Mallets and Fancier Shimano pedals with an alloy platform.
  • 4 0
 @jonemyers: the advantage with most Shimano shoes over other brands is you can Dremmel the slots much further back to replicate a flat pedal position. Most other clipless shoes still seem to have the clear slots much further than people run their flats.
  • 3 2
 Yep! After years of trying to convert and spending months on clips its why I always find myself back on flats. Just can't replicate that feeling of shoe sitting into the pedal like a lazy great dane slobbed out on a lazyboy
  • 6 3
 @tacklingdummy: The benefit of the cage is having more platform when you're clipped out. It helps a lot in those sketchy moments where you lose a pedal and are trying to get back in. Having your shoe contact the pedal while clipped in would just interfere with the clipless mechanism.
  • 2 2
 @ranchitup: weight distribution across your foot, SPDs with no support just feel like your stood ontop of a 5cm piece of metal lego its not very comfortable. I've been trying to find that middle ground between a flat shoe and a clip, I'd ride flats if I could but I've ridden spd for so long I just can't get the hang of flats again it's far too dangerous I don't fancy a hospital stay.
  • 7 2
 Support from extra material is a gimmick. Doesn't do anything, just looks enduro.
  • 7 4
 @warmerdamj: are you a roadie? Pedal and shoe contact is hella important on a enduro/dh bike.
  • 2 0
 thats why i moved to Time Special 12 with 2FO's
  • 2 0
 @ranchitup: The reasons that you don't like the shoe contacting the pedal is exactly why I do like the shoe contacting the pedal. I like my clipless pedals tighter because I don't like accidental pedal releases. I have had more sketchy situations when I had a pedal accidentally release in really technical chop than situations where I could not get out of my pedals.
  • 3 1
 Get a stiffer shoe that is actually designed for clipless and not some skate style shoe that has to be forced into clipless cause you are too scared to wear something cause of how it looks.
  • 3 4
 @HeatedRotor: this is about clipless pedals, so no it doesn't matter. The cleat holds your shoe/foot where it needs to be, not contact with the pedal body, that's why a lot of clipless pedals have no body. This has nothing to do with your fear of roadies.
  • 1 0
 @keen515: while I generally agree, but the at least with a Crank Brothers style pedal the platform provides support when you're not clipped in, and enough room to ride unclipped (if you so choose) when riding over skinnies, etc.
  • 7 1
 @warmerdamj: No, We are talking about Pedal and shoe support.
all you need to look at is why shimano DH racers use CB mallet DH...
It's been heavily talked about before that Big platform Clip pedals are better than relying on an XC style pedal.

It also gives a much better feel if you cant get clipped in, I was like you lad untill i spent so much money on SPD and CB pedals 100% the pedal support is needed. a stiff shoe is also not the answer, tried that, just end up with sore feet and legs.
  • 3 5
 @HeatedRotor: Well maybe it matters at a high level DH racers level. I'm not that and very few are. I use the same platform free SPD pedals on my road, gravel, xc, trail and park bikes with the same stiffest xc race shoe I can get and have never felt under supported or fatigued from it. IMO a stiff shoe is ample support. I respect your need to have a platform.
  • 5 2
 @warmerdamj: All those DH/enduro racers must really suck without their XC pedals. wonder why they dont use them. lmao.
  • 6 1
 @warmerdamj: this may come as a shock to you but what you find comfortable and what someone else does can be polar opposites.
  • 1 0
 @warmerdamj: I wear Shimano MW5s & ME702.
  • 1 0
 @curtiscycles: I'm not saying it's comfortable, just implying a stiff sole creates a stable pedal platform.
  • 1 0
 @CustardCountry: I have a wife with the same preference
  • 1 0
 I'm listening.....
  • 1 1
 @tacklingdummy: Of you have spd you adjust that with the clear tension. It’s not cb 1 tension only
  • 1 0
 @tacklingdummy: There are ways to accomplish that without having the shoe contact the pedal body. Run higher tension or run pedals with more float like Time's.
  • 1 0
 I'm going to re-visit this comment section in the future. you'll see Wink
  • 1 0
 @chrismac70 @ranchitup: Not sure I'm verbalizing what I mean well. No matter how much your tension your SPD pedals, there is still is float. I don't like the feeling of much float and like the shoe having some contact with the pedals to reduce the float. Obviously, you don't want the shoe locked on the contact points where you can't get out of your pedals. However, the shoe contacting the pedal is about controlling the float. I think the float affects your control while riding and can affect the pedal releasing.
  • 1 3
 @ranchitup: I never understood this argument about unclipped support because the clip part always stands proud of the platform, so if you're not clipped in it's going to be interfering with the cleat or the sole, platform isn't even in the picture.
  • 1 4
 @tacklingdummy: then you need to ride flats for a while and learn better technique, get your heels down. If you're blowing off so often then you're obviously relying on the clips, and that's a bad idea, gonna really f*ck you someday.
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: You are assuming the shoe does not flex at all and is always held perfectly flat. Go ride a M520 without clipless shoes and then a M8120 and let me know if it's the same experience.
  • 1 0
 DMR v twin. Even have shims to adjust the pedal to make contact. Can add pins too.
  • 1 1
 @ranchitup: why would anybody ever ride clipless without a shoe at like 8-10+ stiffness? We're riding, not walking!
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: I have ridden flats. Not against them, but clipless is more secure in technical chop. That is why pretty much all the DH and Enduro pros use clipless. There is only a handful of pros that are using flats. I have a shoe/pedal combo that is good right now, but it is not easy to find.
  • 2 1
 @warmerdamj: I agree. I've tried all kinds of shoes from the skater looking ones to the full carbon sole XC shoes. The stiff shoes always felt better as they support my feet the best. When clipped in...I don't feel any lack of support from my pedals (XTR m9100 on a Following).
  • 2 0
 @tacklingdummy: that's what Crankbrothers do
  • 1 0
 @jaytdubs: That's fair. I guess "Support from extra material while clipped in is a gimmick" would be more accurate.
  • 2 0
 I have the Hopetech union gravity pedals. In front of the clip mech installed with a support plate and in the rear I have the retention pins installed ( there is à choice between pins and/ or support plate or mixed). This works ideal for me, instinctive clip in/out movement and grip and support when unclipped.
  • 2 1
 @tacklingdummy: I didn't say they're not more secure. I'm saying that if you're regularly relying on them being max tightness, you're asking for trouble.

Racers use them because blowing a foot when going 110% through the biggest, baddest, literal "world-class", technical chop can cost them part of a paycheck. But they also have great technique already, they're not relying on the clip, it's just backup, extra security.
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: I never said I rely or like my clipless tension at max tightness. I said I prefer my clipless tighter with the shoe connected more to the pedal to feel less float. I like a more solid and planted feeling on the pedals. You really think my pedals are locked and I can't get out of them? Lol. The pros don't want to lose a pedal because of a crash and paycheck.
  • 1 1
 @tacklingdummy: you said you like them tighter, can't get any tighter than max tight.

And if you need it tight so you don't blow off or to feel more connected, that's relying on it, because both of those things can be done with technique.

I didn't say anything about being stuck in.

Yes, I already mentioned racers wanting the backup because of paychecks.
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: Now you are just trolling.
  • 14 1
 Rebadged Wellgo pedals that cost as much as Shimanos and won’t work quite as well.

As in…..if I bought a bike (that I wanted clip in pedals on) that came with these pedals, I’d keep them. But if I bought a Trek without pedals, I’d buy Shimano all day.

That said, Bontrager plastic flats are one of the few options that rival the mythical performance of Deftraps. Farley came with a pair-and they’re still on there three years later.
  • 1 0
 A few years back, Wellgo manufactured 80% of the pedals on the market.
  • 3 1
 Why are you saying these don't work as well? The preliminary reviewer seemed to suggest that they worked exactly as one would expect from an SPD.
  • 6 0
 I really like my Bontrager plastic flats.
  • 6 0
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: I like turtles.
  • 1 0
 These bindings don't look like anything in Wellgo's catalog, but they do resemble the bindings on some other pedals out there... Developing a new binding system is pretty complex, so it makes sense for brands to borrow proven designs instead of starting from scratch. It's faster, cheaper, and more likely to perform well. I have not tried these pedals, but I've used some with similar looking bindings and I can say that those feel just as good as any SPD pedal I've ridden. Much better than Wellgo.
  • 2 0
 Same feeling. Put them on your bikes, and people might actually like them enough to buy more. Leaving pedals off is a cheap move to me. Seats are super personal, more than pedals almost, grips too. So why not sell a complete bike with pedals too?
  • 2 0
 @KJP1230: minor differences make for a large performance difference. I’ve used a bunch of Wellgo stuff over 20 years, and it’s never been quiiiiiiye as good as the real deal SPDs.

All the bikes with clip ins I have (road, track, gravel) are on Shimano pedals because their bearings are the best and they clip in and out the most smoothly and consistently.

Then again, on my trail bike it’s Deftraps for life…..or until someone makes a better flat pedal.
  • 1 0
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: I have a set and they’re surprisingly good.
  • 15 1
 They look exactly like look pedals.
  • 2 0
 indeed
  • 1 0
 They appear to be similar but a close look at the images of the cleats and the cleat binding parts shows some differences so I don't think they are just a rebadge. I would not be surprised if they were from the same factory.
  • 5 1
 Title should read : "Trek Releases 5 New Shimano Clip In Pedals"!
  • 2 0
 are they look a like look pedals?
  • 9 1
 LOOK at the TIME!!!!!!!
  • 4 0
 Why would one pay more for a forged pedal body that is heavier than the cast one (Kovee elite vs comp)? Sure, forged parts are stronger, but has anyone ever broken a small clipless pedal body? Maybe you get some scratches on it, but all of the parts that matter for function are steel.
  • 1 0
 buddy of mine clipped a rock and snapped an XT body clean in half, was gnarly!
  • 7 0
 I find it interesting that these are Trek not Bontrager...
  • 3 0
 They have already dropped the Bontrager branding from the clothing line and helmets.
  • 1 0
 @watchmen: Interesting move.
  • 3 0
 @bmied31: Your average Trek customer does'nt know or care what Bontrager is. They know what Trek is because there is a massive sign above the door and they are told by staff that Trek is the market leader in whatever they are looking at.
  • 1 0
 @watchmen: yup makes sense
  • 5 0
 Slowly getting closer to an all trek brand bike. More than 50% must be trek/trek affiliated company now, right?
  • 7 9
 Give it 5 years and the entirety of mountain biking will be owned by trek
  • 4 1
 I think they are pretty close to Giant or Hope with their "trying to own everything that is on your bike" train. Specialized is not far behind tho
  • 4 7
 @somewhatprorider: I find trek bikes to be very.....Trek..if that makes sense. I do wonder though, lets say Trek owns lots of brands like a PON holding. If they were to simply supply funds for operations and R&D while letting the brands operate independently, could that be a way for brands like GG or Turner to stay alive and innovative? Imagine a brand like Nicolai or GG with the seemingly unlimited budget of a brand like Trek.

I know that's very wishful thinking, and more than likely it would just lead to brands being watered down for the masses, but a man can dream.
  • 1 1
 @grnmachine02: and zerode
  • 10 4
 @grnmachine02: They did. They own Gary Fisher, Klein, Lemond, Bontrager. And they sysematically ran them into the ground, just shuttered them (because the biggest cheat i9n cycling history told them to do it) or in the case of Bontrager (whicjh they seem in the progress of dismantling) turned it into a branding exercise for over priced catalogue parts.
They sell repackaged Swissstop pads and SRAM Udh's for 50% mark up.
(Full disclosure-I worked for Trek and despise them-bikes are ok though)
  • 5 23
flag jesse-effing-edwards (Oct 5, 2023 at 6:39) (Below Threshold)
 I'd rather SantaCruz owned everything, if there had to be a company to do so. Trek and Giant are some of the least exciting bikes on the market, not that they are bad or anything. Just so middle of the road. I find Spec way cooler for a big brand, although, not overly cool. SantaCruz still keeps to stay cool.
  • 5 9
flag pargolf8 (Oct 5, 2023 at 6:41) (Below Threshold)
 @watchmen: nah the bikes suck too
  • 1 0
 @watchmen: Oh. I knew about Gary Fisher, but I assumed Bontrager had always just been an in house brand. Today I learned.
  • 10 0
 @watchmen: Not sure ran them into the ground is correct. The LA hate towards LeMond thing is 100% true. They kept Gary on board for quite awhile...his schick ran it's course. Keith Bontrager was brought in for his design skill as much as his brand. It's not like they were ever competing for market share with is frames, which were super sweet back in the day.
  • 4 0
 @watchmen: Former employee here as well , everything you say is true. Bikes are still great
  • 1 1
 @grnmachine02: literally what sram does
  • 6 0
 @jesse-effing-edwards: You do like the cool-aid.
  • 1 0
 @kizzard-ling: One of those brands is not like the other two. Can you guess which one it is?
  • 6 0
 @jesse-effing-edwards: Santa Cruz is owned by a huge conglomerate where bikes are probably just a minority part of their business: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pon_Holdings
  • 1 0
 @grnmachine02: Light,strong,cheap. Pick two- Keith Bontrager. Look up Gary Klein Bikes aswell whilst you are at it, it'll blow your mind!!
  • 4 2
 What? 50% of what?

50% of a bike? Many bike brands have house-brand parts for almost everything except drivetrain and suspension, even small to medium ones.
  • 4 4
 Interesting to me that this has happened as Trek has moved away from making anything. Bikes as cheap as $600 used to be US made out of US made tubing (True Temper steel or Easton aluminum). Matrix rims were also made in-house by Trek.

Now, they’re just a design and marketing firm but they’re trying to offer every product with a house brand logo on it. I guess it works for Specialized (although Specialized is 49% owned by Merida, which makes all of their bikes, which muddies those waters).

I think Trek’s current offerings across the board are really good, and the aluminum framed “8” options are awesome, from the Emonda to the Slash.

But…….kind of a bummer they outsourced an entire factory and supply chain.
  • 7 0
 @watchmen: they tried a GM strategy, separating categories by brand. It wasn’t a great option. Lemond bikes just didn’t sell as well when the tour was being “won” by Postal. Gary Klein got shuttered because he kept incurring EPA fines for stuff like dumping paint in the Chehalis River even after Trek acquired him. Keith Bontrager saw that the skinny tubed steel bikes he was known for weren’t viable or relevant anymore, and focused on engineering. Fisher stuck around longer, but eventually there was no reason to separate the engineering teams designing Fisher and Trek stuff anymore (especially full suspension platforms).

I’m more mad that they chose to slowly shutter all of their manufacturing in Wisconsin and become a design house instead of a bicycle manufacturer. They had the scale and internal expertise to keep at least some of those jobs in the US.
  • 2 0
 @wyorider: Gary Klein was using press fit BBs before it was even a thing...
Also used those stupid rear facing dropouts.
  • 1 0
 @ReformedRoadie: One piece bar/stem, oversized cartridge bearing headsets and internal cable routing. So not all good!
  • 3 0
 @wyorider: They Trek/Fisher thing was more basic than that, Trek wanted to offer 29ers and Fisher was all in on 29ers from the get-go. Trek didn't want to compete with another brand in their envelope, so they combined the two for around three-four years and then phased out the Fisher name. (I had a Trek by Fisher back in 2010) Interesting enough, they still use a couple of the Fisher names, Super Caliber and Wahoo come directly to mind, and those bikes still have some of the Fisher easter eggs on them, although that may change with GF leaving Trek last year.
  • 3 0
 @ReformedRoadie: Fisher had press-fit BBs back in the 90's as well. The crank spindles were garbage and broke pretty regularly.
  • 5 0
 @watchmen: If only he had routed the cables thru those oversized HS bearings, he'd still be around...LOL
  • 3 0
 @watchmen: Don't forget inner tubes for $30 plus your full name, email, phone number, and home address.
  • 1 1
 @pargolf8: i suppose you think the botique bikes are better huh? lmao
  • 1 0
 @ReformedRoadie: and yet, one of my favorite road bikes I ever raced on was a Q Carbon. Already made by Trek, did have the rear facing dropouts (actually a non issue). Rode really well-like better than a second gen Madone.
  • 1 0
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: both comps had 29ers. Fisher had pushed for longer to tubes (“Genesis Geometry”). And then that proved to be how both brands would do geometry.

Trek was paying to develop two complete lines of full suspension bikes with unique geometries, suspension designs and shock tunes. That was redundant, so they killed the Fisher brand.
  • 2 0
 @kizzard-ling: except Giant is massively vertically integrated. They own aluminum mines. They buy carbon by the spool instead of prepreg sheets. They manufacture their own hubs (or hub shells) and rims, bars, stems and seatposts in-house.

Companies like Trek and Specialized are just design firms at this point.
  • 1 0
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: Trek / Fisher goes back further than that, into the 90's, even. The Trek Y bikes also had their Fisher cousins. In the days of 26" wheels, no less.
  • 1 1
 @jonemyers: yeah, I know, which if you read my comment doesn't dispute it, I just think for a big company they make cooler bikes & products.
  • 2 0
 @jonemyers: Pon is a big holding but it's different from some of the private equity firms squeezing alk the assets out of companies and then dumping them.
Their modus operandi is generally to buy the company as an investment and let them do their thing pretty much independently.
Not saying PON is a great company or anything, but more that whether or not Santa Cruz does cool stuff isn't much influenced by the ownership.
Fun fact:PON got big by importing cars, but they started out as an LBS.
  • 2 2
 @ak-77: It still feels like SC is owned by riders. Trek and Spec and Giant, less so. Little things, like being slow to take on new geo trends even when they are common amongst their peers make it seem like some is more concerned numbers than getting rad. Just my take. I actually don't think about any of these companies much.
  • 2 0
 @jesse-effing-edwards: Sc have probably been the most conservative when it comes to geometry for a long time. Reach and SA are still fairly middling. The only thing they've been ahead of the scale on is stack- which is to be expected when your demographic is mainly overweight middle aged blokes.
  • 2 0
 @jesse-effing-edwards: Ironically, SC is owned by Pon (a big holding company) and Trek is owned by the same family that started the company.
  • 4 0
 @jesse-effing-edwards: SC might be run by bikers. But, after they booted out founder Rob Robskopp this past year, I think we are going to start to see the soul leave the company as the corporate holding company digs in deeper.
  • 5 1
 Wow pricing is not bad. It'll be interesting to see how they hold up compared to the similar offerings from Shimano. Looking forward to a long-term review/comparison.
  • 2 0
 Who wants to wait on a 5 year review?
  • 8 0
 XT trail spds last for ever. When the world ends all that will be left are ants and these pedals
  • 4 0
 Save your money and get one of the non-ti Look S Track often on sale for $60. Better than even XT. Use your old SH51 cleats.
  • 1 0
 These look pedals are pretty good. I unintentionally clip out on shimano pedals and then can't get out in rock gardens when I need to. These are the opposite. No surprise clip outs, but I swear you can exit straight sideways without twist as a last ditch while going down. Downside, bearings only last about 3k miles. So I buy the base 60 dollar version twice a year.
  • 3 0
 In 2001, I worked the Wellgo booth at InterBike in Vegas. These look suspiciously like their product. Just sayin'.
  • 1 1
 Wellgo makes almost every pedal on every bike. Just like Velo makes almost every saddle. If you know the supply chain, you know how few actual choices we have as consumers-for any product.
  • 6 0
 @AppleJack76, I believe these are manufactured by VP, not Wellgo.
  • 1 0
 I hit some capitalist fanbois in the feels there.
  • 1 0
 @wyorider: not my down vote, but 'made in the same factory ' doesn't mean so much to me. From what I understand these large manufacturers can deliver high end or low end product depending on what you ask and pay for.
  • 1 0
 @ak-77: they sure can, but every pair of “high end” Wellgo or VP pedals is just about identical to every other pair.

Trek isn’t offering a unique product, they’re just badge engineering off the shelf stuff. The Trek logo means a markup, nothing more.

Knockoff SPDs aren’t bad. For a rider on a tight budget, nothing wrong with grabbing some VP or Wellgo pedals. But with the Trek logo (and markup) might as well go for real deal Shimano stuff.
  • 2 0
 @wyorider: real deal Shimano is actually a lot cheaper than this. In my experience, the pd-m530, which could be bought for 30euros including a set of cleats, are great pedals. They are obsolete now but I would bet the successor is similar in quality.
Of course Trek is just rebranding stuff. All these house brands are like that, some carry the name of the bike brand, others make up some other name. Do people actually expect otherwise?
  • 1 0
 @ak-77: if you get a deal on 530s, sometimes they’re cheaper than these Trek pedals. And they’re always better.
  • 1 0
 @ak-77: And I expect more than a rebrand. Most bike saddles are made by Velo, but shape and padding material/density vary a lot from brand to brand.

If you can’t offer something better, don’t bother. False choice isn’t a choice.
  • 1 0
 @wyorider: I really don't care about it, tbh. I can understand that for the owner of a Trek bike, a set of brand matching pedals looks nicer than the same pedals with 'VP' on them. I also understand that Trek wants to sell them. Nobody's forcing me to buy these, so I stick to my 530 and the also cheap-but-excellent 'Katana' (also a rebranding exercise I assume) flat pedals.
  • 3 3
 Really interesting to see the general "land grab" in biking - these pedals are an example.

Sram has more or less taken a dominant position across components - frankly, they managed to move through not only their AXS offering, but all the way into T-Type "transmission" and e-bike system, while also building really good suspension, wheel offerings, etc. If they came out with brakes that rivaled TRP, Trickstuff and Hope in terms of both modulation and power, you could truly build a "top shelf" bike with all Sram. All of this was done with almost zero response from their competitor in Shimano. This lack of market pressure in the component stack has to be worrying to bike OEMs. Short of a SRAM frame, they are starting to own the market.

Meanwhile, the bike OEMs have started to become defined as "only" the frames on which all the other components are hung, and their own brand recognition. This is why we'll see major efforts to continue to develop components that will be interesting and provide them a defensible market position in the future (e.g. better e-drive systems, other components, etc.) so that they don't become valued only based on their branding and marketing abilities. I expect to also see a major move toward connectivity, applications, "digital relationship" with the end customer, and ownership of the distribution channels (shops, etc.).
  • 4 0
 Wait, you guys are clipping your shoes to your pedals?
  • 2 0
 Are the weights flipped for the kovee comp and elite? Is the comp really cheaper and lighter?
  • 3 0
 Those weights are correct - the Comps are cheaper and lighter, but have a different construction.
  • 2 0
 It's die-cast, like hot wheels! Light but not strong. Forged body is a few grams heavier, better than extruded and CNC machined would be because the forging process is aligning the grain of the metal with the contour of the part, thus providing greater strength.
  • 3 0
 @uponcripplecreek: Depends on the alloy being used. Hot wheels are made of an alloy with a low melting temperature (zinc, aluminum, magnesium, copper iirc) as obviously that's what keeps the production costs low. But it is not mandatory for die-casting. One can obviously cast at much higher temperatures (hence use a stronger alloy) as long as the heat doesn't affect the mold. But you won't go anywhere near with a steel mold. The advantage of casting is the grain structure, which is more flat near the surface. This delays fatigue crack growth during the propagation phase. For people who ride/pose carefully and take care to not scratch their pedals, this is pretty irrelevant. Forging by itself isn't necessarily stronger than extrusion as extrusion also gets you a pretty grain structure near the surface. It obviously receives a good bit of post machining but both casting as well as forging need that too near the interfaces (which is exactly where they're being loaded by bearings etc). Maybe I'm lucky, but I've never seen a half decent extruded-then-machined platform pedal where the cage got destroyed.
  • 3 4
 "Trek uses its scale to make shimano pedals with their name stamped on 'em because tbey know they'll sell cuz, Trek".

Nothing against Trek really but they have a tendency to pull that heavy capitalistic approach a bit too often.
  • 2 1
 What would you prefer, comrade?
  • 4 0
 @Bikesbecauserunningsucks: innovation, for one.
  • 1 0
 @pinkbert: We in the mountain bike community have a tendency to make noise when more standards show up, so using the SPD style makes the most sense, no?

The composite pedal body on the pro model is different at least. It’s a bit difficult to innovate when we honestly don’t seem to like innovation.
  • 1 0
 @Bikesbecauserunningsucks: Idk why you keep saying we lol. I literally said innovation and you keep saying we lol, f*ck you! i want innovation. I like it. I ride hope pedals and could give two shits they have their own standard. Idc what "we" thinks. That's MY opinion. Do you get it? You can have yours. Stop acting like different opinions are ihnernetly bad. Go to reddit if you want a demented echo chamber.
  • 1 0
 @pinkbert: Well that was a really aggressive response. If you detected aggression in my tone, realize that I meant none. I had no clue the term “we” could be so offensive.

For the record, I like innovation too. I use the term “we” because the purchasing decisions of the masses are always going to dictate what gets produced, whether I like it or not. I welcome your choice to buy Hope pedals. It’s nice to support the smaller guys. I’ll probably keep the SPDs, personally, even if that is the “heavily capitalistic approach”.
  • 1 0
 @Bikesbecauserunningsucks: I’d prefer actual choice-instead of false choice myself. But capitalism doesn’t actually do that…..
  • 1 0
 @wyorider: You can always choose to not live under capitalism. Let’s be real, none of us on this website are wondering where our next meal is coming from. Capitalism can be very brutal, but I have yet to find a better alternative.
  • 1 0
 so... wheres the trail pedals? i see roadie spd, XC spd and XC with cage but no trail. shame.(im talking about shoe to pedal contact)
  • 1 0
 you know.... one day soon, someone is going to make the exact pedal you're looking for... it's so close I can almost taste it... Razz
  • 3 0
 "Pro", "Elite" and "Comp", what is this, Specialized?
  • 1 0
 These look like my Look X-Tracks. I like the Looks better than the Shimanos because there is a wider range of adjustment on the Looks.
  • 1 0
 Not sure why trek is going away from Bontrager. Ill run bontrager stuff on my non trek bikes but running trek stuff on them eh.. nah
  • 2 0
 Why not branded Bontrager along with all of their other small bits...?
  • 2 0
 As a flats rider I see this as a absolute win
  • 1 0
 Spend $10-30 more and get Shimanos that will out survive you and your children, be lighter, and stronger.
  • 1 0
 Sounds like these might suck less than Treks Line dropper posts
  • 2 0
 I've got several years on several Line droppers without issues. They can be disassembled and regreassed in about five minutes. About three have come through our shop with a bad cartridge and Trek has provided a new cartridge at no cost.
  • 1 0
 The plastic ones are the most expensive ones! Flipping the script on us...
  • 2 0
 Looks like a shimano
  • 1 0
 Looks like the cheapest Shimano
  • 1 0
 Where does the battery go?
  • 2 0
 But why?
  • 1 0
 Will these work on my supercycle?
  • 1 0
 rebrand from what? wkwkwk
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