There are so many questions about Peloton bike pedals. I mean, hundreds. I’ve had readers write to me asking questions as varied as “Why are my pedals clicking?” to “Can I ride my Peloton wearing sneakers?” to “How do I unclip my Peloton shoes from the pedals?”
And it makes sense. If you’re new to spinning, the Peloton bike pedals may seem weird and intimidating.
I know that when our bike arrived in 2016, I tried to ride on the regular Peloton pedals while balancing in my sneakers. Bad idea. The pedals themselves are so small that I kept falling off. I’m lucking I didn’t hurt myself.
It is important to state that I was not new to spinning. I’d taken cycling classes at my gym for years.
Pedals on spin bikes
At the gym, the bikes were all fitted with SPD pedals. That’s one kind of “clip” or “cleat” that you can attach to the bottom of a spin shoes. The other kind is called Look Delta, for its triangle shape.
Even so, when I’d done spinning before, I’d always worn my sneakers. That’s because the gym bikes all had shoe or toe cages attached to the pedals. Those are the kinds where you slip your shoe into the cage or strap versus clipping into the pedal itself. Even my outdoor bike always had a cage.
Answers to questions about the Peloton bike pedals
But enough about me and my experience with spin class at the gym. Chances are you landed on this blog post because you have many unanswered questions about the Peloton pedals. Below, I’ve highlighted the most common questions blog readers have asked about the Peloton pedals.
I’m hoping that this post will be a work in progress. That is, as more people end up here, they’ll ask new and different questions about the Peloton pedals. And then I can continue to build on this post.
For now, though, I hope you do, in fact, find the best answers to all of your questions about the Peloton pedals. You’ll find answers to 30+ common questions below.
What kind of pedal does a Peloton bike have?
When your bike arrives, you may notice that it has pedals that look nothing like a regular outdoor bike. Of course, if you’re a road rider outside, you know all about pedals that you’re supposed to clip into and clip out of.
The Peloton has what’s called Look Delta pedals. In that the shoes you wear to clip in and clip out feature Look Delta pedals. They are usually red–at least they’re red on the bottom of the Peloton brand shoes. Also, they are shaped like a triangle. Thus, the Delta name.
How to clip into Peloton?
Here is how you clip in to your Peloton.
First, stand on the floor, straddling your bike. Second, take one foot and point the “nose” of the foot into the side of the pedal that kind of bends upwards.
Third, push so that the Look Delta cleat clicks or clips into that upwards-bent part of the pedal. Fourth, do the same with your other foot.
You may fit it easier, once one foot is clipped in, to sit on the seat and then get your second foot clipped in.
How do I clip out of the Peloton pedal?
Clipping out is a bit different than clipping in. So many people have trouble with this. Maybe you ended up here because you were searching Google for the answer to how to unclip your Peloton shoes
Start by staying seated on the bike. Next, push down on the resistance knob and keep pushing down.
While still pushing down, turn the heel of one of your shoes away from the Peloton bike frame. You may have to lift your heel a bit to unclip.
Release the resistance knob. Once you unclip your shoes from the Peloton, step the unclipped foot onto the floor. Repeat the same as above on your second foot.
Why can’t I get my shoes off the Peloton pedal?
As we’ve just established, many people have a hard time unclipping their shoes from the Peloton. So, they just end up leaving their shoes in the Peloton pedals when they dismount.
This is a fine way of dealing with the Peloton pedals and your inability to clip out, if you’re the only person riding the bike.
However, it is good practice learning to unclip your shoes from the Peloton. As mentioned above, there are two key tricks to unclipping, especially if your shoes are new or you’ve just tightened your cleats.
One trick: push down on the resistance knob while trying to unclip.
Second trick: while pushing down on the resistance knob, turn the heel of your shoes away from the Peloton bike.
I’ve noticed that in a couple of Ally Love post-ride stretch classes, she’ll start the class on the bike. And before you get off the bike to stretch, she’ll go through the easiest way to unclip. This is good instruction so watch it carefully if you find yourself in one of these classes.
Love Ally Love? Check out my post on the best Peloton instructor quotes. Yes or Yes!
Can you change pedals on the Peloton bike?
Yes, you can absolutely change the pedals on your bike. You may want to do this for a number of reasons.
Firstly, you may want to install pedals that take a different kind of cycling shoe cleat, such as SPD. Secondly, you may want to install pedals with a toe cage attached to them so you can wear sneakers or regular shoes while you ride. Thirdly, you may want to put all new pedals on your bike all together.
What size is the Peloton pedal?
Here is the most important thing to remember when changing pedals: the Peloton crank shift or crank gear or whatever you call the arm that holds the pedal has a certain size hole.
According to the Peloton support website, “The Peloton Bike uses a standard 9/16″ pedal connection.” So, you want to find a pedal with a 9/16″ screw size, if you will.
FYI, when searching for pedals on TrekBikes.com, I noticed that there is a metric conversion for the 9/16-inch size. It is 15 millimeters or 15mm. This 15mm often refers to the tool size you’ll need for installing new pedals.
Looking for troubleshooting tips to solve Peloton problems? Check out this blog post.
Does Peloton sell toe cages?
Peloton used to sell pedals with toe cages attached. In fact, when we bought our bike in 2016, we were given the opportunity to buy a second set of pedals with toe cages attached. Unfortunately, that is no longer an option.
FYI, toe cages or shoe cages come with straps that your regular sneakers or tennis shoes slip into. You may have used them at your gym or a hotel workout facility.
What kind of pedals do hotels with Peloton bikes have?
Many of the Peloton hotels or hotels with Peloton bikes have toe or shoe cages or pedals with straps. Often, these pedals are doublesided.
So, on the other side is usually a SPD pedal. That means that if you have spin shoes with the SPD cleat on them, you can bring them and clip in to the hotel bike that way.
Here’s my post on the hundreds of hotels with Peloton bikes in their gyms.
Can you get Peloton bike pedals with straps?
Yes, you can buy pedals from Peloton with straps on them–for about $35. However, according to Peloton users on Reddit, those pedals are not made to be used with the Delta Look, triangle-shaped cleats that you have on your Peloton shoes and use with Peloton pedals. Instead, they are designed to be used in hotels or gyms that have Peloton bikes in them.
Online bicycle speciality retailers like Performance Bike sell toe clips straps that you can attach to your pedals.
Peloton Shoe Cages and Toe Clips
While Peloton no longer sells pedals with toe cages or shoe clips attached, there are other retailers that do sell these pedal straps. Then, you can add them to your existing Peloton pedals. Here are a few options, including those available on eBay.
Can you swap out Peloton bike pedals for SPD pedals?
Yes, you can absolutely swap out Delta Look pedals for SPD pedals. One of my readers informed me that you can, in fact, ride a Peloton bike with SPD shoes. You just have to change the pedals on your Peloton bike to do so.
Where do you buy SPD pedals? Your local bike shop, Amazon.com has SPD pedals and so do specialty online retailers, such as these:
Is there any reason not to switch your Peloton pedals to SPD?
Well, one of the best reasons to swap out your pedals for SPD compatible ones is if you already have cycling shoes with SPD cleats on them. SPD cleats, by the way, use two holes on the bottom of your cycling shoes. Look Delta cleats, which Peloton uses, comes with three holes when attaching to the bottom of your shoes.
So, this can help you save money on the shoes and make your old spin shoes your Peloton spin shoes. But chances are you could be voiding your Peloton’s warranty when you do this–change the pedals. So keep that in mind before swapping out the original Peloton pedals.
Are there pedals that can handle multiple cleat types?
One of the reasons you may be wondering about changing the Peloton pedals is because you have different cycling shoes. You may have the Look Delta cleat on yours, but someone else in your household has SPD shoes
Well, good news. I’ve just learned about a company called Fit 5 that has created a pedal that can accommodate three kinds of cleats: Delta (Look), Shimano (SPD) and KEO.
KEO pedals are almost like flat pedals. They’re called clipless because it looks like you can use them on a bike or a Peloton without special shoes.
How do you change the Peloton pedals?
It is rather easy to change the Peloton pedals. First, you’ll need a 15mm tool for loosening the original pedals so you can remove them. Second, you must get a pedal with a 9/16″ or 15mm size.
Also, keep this important part in mind: the right and left pedals are attached slightly differently. That is, their threading is opposite from one another so that you don’t unknowingly loosen your pedal while riding.
Differences between left and right Peloton pedals
So, when you’re ready to change the Peloton pedal, you’ll need to turn counter-clockwise or to the left to remove the right pedal. Conversely, you’ll need to turn clockwise or to the right to remove the left pedal.
Once the pedal is out, your just repeat the steps above, but in the opposite direction.
Hopefully, your pedals are labels as left or right. If not, you’ll know you’ve done it backwards if you turn and turn and turn and nothing tightens.
What is the Peloton conversion kit?
The Peloton conversion kit is a set of new pedals that it sells to convert them from Look Delta to something else. When we got our bike in 2016, the conversion kit we got was with a new set of pedals that had toe cages already clipped into them.
These days, from what I’ve read on Reddit, the conversion kit is exclusively for commercial Peloton bikes. That is, hotels that stock Pelotons in their fitness centers get these new pedals so that they can have toe cages on one side and SPD cleat-compatible pedals on the other side.
Where can you buy Peloton toe cages?
You can buy toe cages for any pedal, as long as the pedal is the right size. Peloton pedals are 9/16″ so if you’re buying a pedal with a toe cage already attached, make sure you get this size.
Another option is to buy toe cages that you can attach to your existing pedals. I can’t speak from first-hand knowledge how well (or poorly) this works. But I can tell you places you can go online to buy toe straps or shoe cages.
Options for Peloton shoe or toe cages
Where to Buy Peloton Toe Cages
Here are some options for toe cages that you can use on your Peloton bike. Some come already attached to the bike pedals.
What are the best toe cages for Peloton?
I don’t have a ton of experience with different brands of toes cages to tell you which one is the best. However, in researching this blog post, I came across some well-known brand names repeatedly. They were Marque, Shimano and Schwinn. Hey, Schwinn is a bicycling brand I think nearly everyone can identify and have a positive opinion about.
How do you attach toe cages to Peloton?
Unlike a “regular” outdoor bike, where you might thread a toe cage through the pedal, that’s not how it works with the Peloton toe cages. To attach a toe cage to a Peloton, you actually need to buy a new pedal.
This new pedal will have the toe cage already attached to it. So, you’ll unscrew your original Peloton pedal and screw in the new pedal with the toe cage already attached.
One important thing to remember, as mentioned earlier: Peloton pedals use a 9/16-inch pedal connection or screw size. So, if you decide to buy new pedals, with toe cages attached to them, make sure you choose the 9/16″ option.
What toe cages are compatible with Peloton?
When we wanted pedals with toe cages that were compatible with our Peloton, we got the kind that was already attached to the pedals. Then, all we had to do was unscrew the old pedal and screw in the new one with the toe cages.
However, in this blog post, I’ve offered some options that are not pedal-dependent. These are the kid that might attach to the crankshaft of the pedal or the pedal itself. I am assuming they will be compatible for Peloton. If I’m wrong about this, please let me know.
Can you use regular shoes with Peloton pedals?
The only way you can use regular shoes with Peloton pedals–and by regular shoes I’m assuming you mean sneakers or tennis shoes–is if you get toe or shoe cages, as I’ve explained above.
If by regular shoes you mean regular cycling shoes, well, yes and no. Yes, if your cycling shoes already have Look Delta cleats on the bottom. Those are the triangle shaped ones that have three holes to attach to the bottom of your shoe.
No, if your cycling shoes have SPD cleat on the bottom of them. SPD cleats have two holes for attaching to the bottom of your shoes. Many outdoor cyclists have SPD pedals on their outdoor bikes so end up swapping out the Peloton pedals for SPD pedals so they don’t have to buy new shoes.
For more about Peloton bike shoes, please read this review.
Can you switch or swap out pedals on a Peloton bike?
As I just mentioned, yes, you can switch the Peloton pedals. You may want to swap them for SPD pedals if you already own spin or cycling shoes with SPD cleats on them, such as if you use them on your outdoor bike.
Can you put regular pedals on a Peloton bike?
When you say regular pedals, I think about the flat pedals you might find on an outside bike like Pee Wee Herman would ride or Eliot and E.T in the movie “E.T.” That being said, there is no benefit to putting regular pedals on your Peloton. You’ll be so much more efficient at riding if your feet are attached to the pedal using a cleated shoe.
However, that being said, there is a way to achieve the effect of riding with regular pedals. And that would be to get toe cages to slide your shoes into. You may even have toe cages on your outdoor bike. I know I do.
There are toe cages that you can attach to the Peloton pedal. Also, there are toe cages that attach to a Delta Look cleat. These are the cleats you use on cycling shoes to attach the shoe to the pedal. You know, clipping in and clipping out. The toe cage on a cleat is likely a sturdier solution.
When should I replace my Peloton pedals?
This was a shocker to me. According to Peloton, you should be replacing your pedals every 12 months. Here is exactly what Peloton says on the support page about pedals:
“Pedals on any stationary bike should be replaced regularly to avoid failures that can result from wear and tear. We highly recommend replacing your pedals annually as part of routine maintenance to ensure that your Peloton Bike remains in proper working order.”
PELOTON SUPPORT
What brand of pedal should you look for?
Not having had first-hand experience in replacing my pedals, I can’t give you a first-hand answer to this question. What I can tell you is that the Shimano brand–maker of shoes compatible with Peloton, too–also has pedals. Shimano is a well-respected brand in the cycling world.
What pedals are compatible with Peloton?
As long as the pedals are the 9/16″ size, they will be compatible with your Peloton bike.
Are the Peloton shoes necessary with the Peloton pedals?
Here is another question where I have to answer both yes and no.
No, the Peloton brand shoes aren’t necessary to use with the Peloton pedals. Any brand of cycling shoe that takes the Look Delta triangle-shaped cleat will be compatible with the Peloton pedals.
On the hand, yes, you must wear cycling shoes with the Peloton pedals. So, make sure you get a pair that can take the aforementioned Look Delta cleats. More about Peloton shoes here.
Why is my Peloton pedal clicking?
A lot of Peloton riders complain about noise coming from their bike. Most often they say that their pedal is clicking and they want it to stop.
Firstly, it is likely that the cleat on the bottom of the shoes is the thing that is clicking. For example, I recently got new cycling shoes and had to attach a new pair of cleats to them. Unbeknownst to me, I hadn’t tightened the cleats as much as I could with the Allen wrench (aka hex wrench aka Allen key aka hex key) I was using. After unclipping, I tightened the cleats more and the clicking stopped.
So, if you think your pedal is clicking, check your cleats first.
After that, you can use a 15mm tool to tighten the pedals, if you think they may have come loose.
Finally, you can always wear headphones to mask the sound. From my experience clicking or noises are not indicative of a pedal getting ready to fall off or anything like that. That being said, if I’m wrong about that, please let me know.
Can you use sneakers on the Peloton?
The only way you can use sneakers on your Peloton is if you put toe straps or shoe cages on the pedals. See above about regular pedals on a Peloton.
Where can I buy replacement pedals for my Peloton bike?
You can buy replacement pedals at any cycling shop you’d like. If you don’t have a local one you can visit, I would recommend checking out these retailers below.
Finally, remember this: if you don’t want to change the shoes that came with your Peloton, if you do decide to purchase replacement pedals, make sure they are the kind that take the Look Delta cleat.
Why is the threading backwards on my Peloton pedals?
The threading actually isn’t backwards. It is standard for the right bike pedals and left bike pedals to thread differently. This is done so that as you’re pedaling forwards or backwards, you are not, unknowingly, unscrewing your pedal.
To loosen your right pedal, you’ll turn the tool counter-clockwise or anti-clockwise or to the left. So, the old saying, Lefty Lucy works for the right pedal. Conversely, to tighten you would turn it to the right or clockwise. Or, Righty Tighty.
It’s the opposite for the left pedal.
To loosen your left pedal, you’ll turn the tool clockwise. To tighten the left pedal, you’ll turn the tool counter clockwise or anti clockwise or to the left.
How do you change the Peloton pedal?
To change the Peloton pedal, you need to loosen and remove the original pedal. Then, you’ll need to insert the new pedal and tighten.
Two important things to keep in mind.
Firstly, you must replace it with a 9/16″ pedal or it won’t fit. Secondly, keep in mind that the right and left pedals screw in and unscrew in different directions, as explained above.
What is a Peloton shoe basket?
A shoe basket is the same as shoe straps or toe cages. They are straps (usually nylon) or rubber cages that attach to the pedals and let you slip sneakers or tennis shoes into them. People use them in order to avoid buying cycling shoes.
Why are they called clipless pedals when I still have to clip in?
I actually had to look this one up because I found this question confusing. I mean, I know that when I get on to ride, I always am pushing my cleats into the pedals to clip in. So how are they clipless?
Turns out, here’s the answer. Back in the day bike pedals had medal “clips” that you pushed your shoes into to clip in. Think of these are a higher-tech version of the rubber toe or shoe cages I’d mentioned earlier.
Now that those “clips” are no more, we still call using cleats as clipping in. But the manufacturers refer to shoes with cleats and pedals that take cleats as being clipless.
What if I’m having trouble with my Peloton bike pedals?
If you have problems with your pedals, reach out to Peloton. You can call them or open a chat window on the website.
I should note that before I got my bike shoes for Peloton, I was riding using the Peloton pedal cages. Eventually, I had problems with the pedal cages, with the cages somehow compromising the pedals themselves.
That is, when we went to unscrew the pedals with the cages on them and mount the original pedals on the bike, they broke. Like sheared right off. Broke in half. However you want to describe it. They were left completely unusable.
We called Peloton and they sent Peloton replacement parts for free. That is, we got new Peloton pedals free of charge, and that fixed the problem. I’ve heard that a lot of people have had issues last year with pedals breaking off. I hope these suggestions help them find a solution to their pedal problem.
Final thoughts on Peloton bike pedals
So, did I miss answering any questions about the Peloton bike pedals? If so, post a comment below. I’ll see what I can do about finding you the answers you seek.
If I have a Peloton and I want to buy a new road bike. What kind of clip ins do I buy for my new road bike so I can use my Peloton shoes with the Look Delta Cleat? Thanks.
Bill
Actually, you should be able to change out your bike pedals so that they take Delta Look cleats. I would visit your local bike shop and have them go over all of this with you.
Also, replacing the pedals every year is crazy. I run pedals on my mountain bike for years and parts of them eventually get warn out (you can usually replace the parts if you want to) but it’s not as though they break off, and MTB pedals see a lot of abuse — way more than you could possibly dish out on a stationary bike. This is a total CYA (cover your ass) recommendation on the part of Peloton.
I agree about the CYA approach. We’ve had our bike since 2016 and never replaced the pedals for maintenance.
Leah
You’ve missed the easiest solution: The Peloton pedals actually have a tension adjustment screw on the bottom of the pedal. It’s marked with “+” for more tension and “-” for less tension. The tension is really high as they come out of the box — I’ve been cycling for decades and I would have trouble clipping out the way they’re set by default. Use a 3mm Allen wrench to turn the screw toward the “-” (counter clockwise, I believe) and try clipping in and out as you go. I turned the the setting screw on our Peloton about 6 times (it will click as you turn it) and it was definitely easier to clip out. If you loosen it to much, your shoe may come out of the pedal when you’re working hard, particularly when standing, but it’s easy to find the sweet spot through a little trial and error.