Bontrager Comp Road Pedals

The Bontrager Comp Road Pedals are hardwearing, offer plenty of adjustment and work with Look's durable Keo cleats. They're a good choice if you want a decent set of road pedals on a budget.

One thing that riders are wary of when trying out clipless pedals for the first time is being able to disengage quickly without falling over; that isn't an issue here. A small screw on the bottom controls the level of tension needed to clip in and clip out, and on its lightest setting you can get your cleat out with just a minimal amount of pressure.

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If you're a powerful rider or a sprinter then you are covered too: wind the screw all the way in and you'll be suitably locked in with no accidental unclips at a crucial moment. I found a setup somewhere near the middle worked fine for me – enough tension to keep me in contact while being able to clip out quickly in traffic.

The cleats in the box are unbranded versions of Look's Keo and offer 6 degrees of float (the amount of angle you can twist your foot without disengaging the cleat from the pedal) which should be knee-friendly enough for the majority of riders.

> How to set up your shoe cleats

The wear rates are good too, going from experience with similar cleats that came with other test pedals. And when they do wear out you can get similar offerings for just over a fiver online. They are a bit slippery to walk in compared to Shimano's SPD-SL, but that is about their only failing.

In use the pedals and cleats work well together, giving a solid, secure feeling when fully engaged. It's not the same click as you get from SPD-SL, but you certainly know exactly when you are connected.

The sealed cartridge bearings ran smoothly straight out of the box and continued to do so in what started out as quite a wet test period. It's early days yet but if they show up any signs of grumbling, I'll be back to let you know.

Bontrager has specced a chromoly spindle and an aluminium body, and the pedals don't do too badly in the weight department at 257g excluding cleats and bolts.

Stiffness is impressive, too, when you are really giving it the beans.

My only complaint is that the paint doesn't stand up to much abuse. The main body picked up plenty of scuffs and scratches quickly, and the painted finish of the central paint wears quickly from the clicking in/out motion, leaving the Comps looking scruffy.

It's not a major issue as it can't be seen when you are riding, but a polished plate might have been a better option – like that found on the more expensive Elite version.

At £54.99 the Comps aren't a bad price when it's not unheard of to find pedals nudging £300, but there are some cheaper options – like the dependable Look Keo Classic 3s which come with a composite body and are a little heavier but cost just £39.99.

> Buyer’s Guide: 11 of the best clipless pedals

Shimano's entry-level RS550s are the same price as the Bontragers, and for a fiver more, the similarly feeling iSSi Road pedals that I tested nearly six years ago are pretty much the same weight, even though they get a carbon composite body rather than an aluminium one.

Overall, apart from the paint issues I'm pretty impressed with the Bontrager Comp pedals. They are stiff, reliable and relatively cheap plus you get plenty of tension adjustment.

Verdict

Simple but effective road pedals that offer plenty of tension adjustment and stiffness