When it comes to clipless pedals for road bikes, it's important that they be lightweight and easy to engage. Tourelly's Road Ceramic Ti pedals boast both features, thanks to a unique design that is claimed to make them "the lightest in their class."
Manufactured by Austria's Tourelly Cycling, the pedals look almost as if they're nothing but axle. The cleat retention mechanism is just a small cylindrical device that wraps around the outboard end of the pedal, where it engages a ring-shaped cleat which is mounted on the underside of the cyclist's SPD-compatible shoe.
So, how does the mechanism actually work?
"On both the left and right sides of the pedal body, there is a groove," Tourelly CEO Philip Schwarzenecker tells us. "When the pedal is centered in the cleat opening, the chamfers on the pedal press against the spring noses inside the cleat, pushing them apart. Once you press down further, these noses snap into the grooves on the pedal body, left and right."
This 360º-entry design allows users to just step straight down onto the pedal at any time, without having to first check that it's facing right-side-up relative to their shoe. Disengaging is simply a matter of pronating the heel outward to twist the foot out.
The pedals themselves reportedly weigh just 58 g (2 oz) each, and feature a titanium axle, stainless steel mechanism body, and ceramic bearings. Their Q-factor (stance width) can be adjusted from 52 to 55 mm in 1-mm increments, while their float angle can be adjusted from 0º to 20º.
The first batch of 300 pairs of pedals will ship with a single set of springs that are preset to a release tension "that most riders are used to." That said, plans call for subsequent runs to come with three sets of user-interchangeable springs which are each set to different tensions (8, 10 and 12 Newtons).
If you'd like to get in on that first batch – for a discounted price of €200 to €220 (about US$233 to $257) a set – you can register your interest now via the company website. The pedals should ship next May. Schwarzenecker says that they will ultimately retail for €295 ($344). A more expensive model with a built-in power meter is in the works, as is a less-costly model with a steel axle.
And for all you bicycle-gear historians out there, this isn't the first "nothing-but-an-axle"-looking lightweight pedal that we've seen. The now-defunct Ultralite pedal was similar in appearance, although it utilized cylindrical cleats which protruded out from the underside of the shoe.
Source: Tourelly Cycling
