Setting up a first road bike or replacing a worn set of pedals from the same family is where the 105 tier tends to make the most sense—you get the SPD-SL platform Shimano runs top to bottom without paying Ultegra or Dura-Ace money. The Shimano 105 PD-R7000 SPD-SL Pedals use a carbon-composite body with a stainless steel body plate covering the wear surface, which is where Shimano puts the material to keep long-term durability in line with the higher-tier pedals. The wide platform and wide bearing placement distribute load evenly across the shoe, and the sealed cartridge axle keeps service intervals long.

Compared to the Dura-Ace and Ultegra versions, the tradeoff on the 105 pedal is stack height and axle options. The inner bearing sits under the platform rather than to the side, which raises the stack height to 16.5mm versus 14.6mm on Dura-Ace, and there's no longer-axle option for riders who need a wider stance—you're locked into the standard 53mm Q-factor. For the vast majority of riders, neither of those matters. If you know you need a wider stance width from a bike fit, that's the reason to step up to Ultegra or Dura-Ace.

The pedals ship with yellow SM-SH11 cleats, which give you 6 degrees of rotational float—the most forgiving option in the SPD-SL cleat lineup and a solid starting point for most riders. If you want to lock the foot down, the blue SM-SH12 cleats offer 2 degrees of float, and the red SM-SH10 cleats give you a fixed position. All three are cross-compatible with any SPD-SL pedal in the range, so cleat choice comes down to what your knees and hips want, not which pedal you bought.... Read More