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Are these 30g pedals the lightest ever made? AeroLite Alpha TT-Ceramic pedals are for the weightweenies

Details are a little scarce but we think they might be the lightest pedals in the world

A small American company, AeroLite has claimed that its Alpha TT-Ceramic pedals are the “lightest on the market” at just 30g per pedal.

Right then, Weightweenies, you’re going to want to listen up. AeroLite has a pedal that uses a titanium axle with ceramic bearings and drilled-out pedal bodies to create a pair of pedals that weigh a claimed 60g, or just 30g per pedal.

While we’ve seen some incredibly lightweight pedal designs over the years, we’re not sure that we’ve seen anything quite this light before.

Inside the pedals, AeroLite uses “Turcite for the bearing surfaces of its pedals. Turcite is used wherever a clean, maintenance-free, long-wearing bearing surface is required. It requires no lubrication and works well when wet.”

The cleats that come with the pedals are “aerodynamic” and slide onto the pedal body towards the crank.

Those cleats are made using Dupont Zytel ST Nylon. This is “injection moulded into a form that creates the spring tension that grips the pedal. This ultralight material is sufficiently durable that the AeroLite clips need be replaced only every two to three years”

AeroLite says that it uses a “Physical Vapor Deposit (PVD) to reduce the friction” of the pedals. AeroLite goes on to explain that “the PVD is applied to the pedal spindle in a vacuum kiln at 800° F. The PVD gives our pedals a surface that is 40X harder and smoother than polishing.”

Stupidly lightweight pedals are nothing new in the bike world and we are occasionally treated to the latest ‘world’s lightest pedal’. Back in 2012 American company, Ultralite launched a pedal at weighed an impressive 72g.

The AeroLite Pedals are made in the Spokane Valley Washington, USA and they could be a little tricky to get hold of if you are outside of the States. That said, if you fancy a set, they’re $369USD.

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17 comments

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ROADEAGL | 3 years ago
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The PVD coating is "alpha" according to their website. Since the pedals are gold, one can guess the coating is titanium nitride [TiN]. In high-temperature metalcutting operations, TiN supplies lubricity. Under the conditions seen by bike pedals, it only makes them look pretty-at a price. The choice is yours.

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adamrice | 3 years ago
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Aerolite pedals have been around for as long as Look pedals, and were the first clipless pedal system I ever used.

Mounting them is a pain—originally you needed to screw them directly into the sole with drywall screws, so no second chances. Eventually they came out with Look adapters…so you needed to screw them directly into the Look adapter, and if you ever needed to adjust the fit, you needed to remove them because they overlapped the Look bolts.

They also, visibly, have zero float. Maybe some people prefer that.

All that said, I never had a problem clipping in or out with them, and never had a mechanical problem with them. They are admirably simple.

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MiserableBastard | 3 years ago
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Aerolite pedals have been around for literally decades. The linked article about Ultralite even references them. This is just the Drillium version.

The problem with pedal systems where the cleat effectively just grabs the axle by dint of its shape, rather than by using a spring-loaded mechanism, is that they're incredibly sensitive to anything getting in the way of a good fit between cleat and pedal. Any sort of crud in there and they just don't work. There are also reports of the Aerolite cleat simply sliding off the end of the pedal.

It looks like the cleat only fits to a three-hole shoe using the back two mounting holes. That's going to put the spindle a centimetre or two further back on the shoe than any regular three-bolt system. If you want the cleats anywhere else you're going to have to drill your shoes for new mounting nuts or use what appear to be four self-tapping screws to attach them to the carbon fibre soles of your shoes. Yeah, no thanks.

The four-hole cleat pattern is nothing like Speedplay's BTW.

But if anyone is feeling both recklessly experimental and rich, you can get Aerolite titanium pedals from Fairwheel Bikes. And, as the late great Dave Allen used to say, may your God go with you.

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rookybiker | 3 years ago
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I have been using these pedals and their non-vapour coated cousins for many years. Given the many questions being asked here it may be useful to give some feedback:

a) regarding durability they are excellent, with very low friction and low pedal wear. Unexpectedly for such a small operation customer service is good too, although delivery will be slow to anyone abroad as stuff has to be mailed from the US.

b) pedal entry requires more deliberation than with your average Time or Look pedal. The difficulty is not in the movement or the force needed but in the precision, as one must align the clip slot with the top of the pedal and then push down. Exit is easy and intuitive by rotating the knee outwards. Retention is fine, it will not release however much you pull upwards.

c) the clip attachment is what will put most people off. These pedals have their roots in research done before clipless pedals and shoes where invented, so the standard method of attachment is distinctly old fashioned, direct to the shoe soles. Sacrilege I know, but it actually works quite well after you wrap your head around the ideia of driving screws into your expensive carbon soles.

It is also possible to use SPD mounts (clips can be ordered with holes spaced for mountain SPD or for the rear pair of road SPD bolts) but this is not an option for most people who need some degree of toe-in or toe-out. People who need pedal float should also steer clear of these.

d) there is no getting around the price but the non-vapour coated models are cheaper. Clips last longer than one would imagine, especially if coming from the infamously fast-wearing Time iClics. Given the long life of the pedals the lifetime cost is comparable to Dura-Ace or other high-end pedals.

Hope this helps.

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biomac replied to rookybiker | 2 years ago
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@rookybiker you're right, Aerolite pedals are a class on its own. Superbly lightweight, minimalist stack height and no wobbling and sliding at all. Power transfer is also way better than anything I met before, so what's the problem with these pedals that they hardly make it on the bike of at least some tt specialists? I guess because they simply don't know what they're missing out on or don't know how to mount these cleats altogether. Ok, carbon boots need to be made from REAL carbon, not just some shiny deco layer on nylon and foam inside... With our boots they work excellent, so good we even print 3D adapters on demand for those who want their cleats mounted mid sole or 'mid foot' as some people call it. What is even better is that you can order them with SPD or DELTA holes, attach them by using these holes, align them exactly according to these guidelines and then, for a firm, secure attachment, drive a small drill through the four outer holes every AeroLite cleat comes with and use the manufacturer's PH bolts to attach his cleats FROM THE INSIDE! A fantastic option for all those who always wanted to modify their cleats further rearwards. For real weight weenies you can even finetune the cleat's shape in that sense that you sand them down according to the actual silhouette of your boots in the desired spot. Sure, it takes some time and patience, but have a look at my picture: even midsole WITHOUT the help of adapters is no longer a problem. The result: Lowest stack height, minimum weight of a rotating accessory and the lowest point of gravity and wind resistance according to your position possible - available since the early 80's of the last Century!

 

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EK Spinner | 3 years ago
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The cleats appear to have 4 holes in them, rather than the usual (for roadies) 3

I vaguely remember hearing about a pedal system before that used 4, is this a standard I'm not familiar with, can you get shoes or are just going to add weight back in by adding an adapter plate

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Nick T replied to EK Spinner | 3 years ago
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Speedplay uses 4 bolts, either with an adapter or Speedplay compatible shoes. Who knows if these are the same bolt pattern as Speedplay though

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Global Nomad | 3 years ago
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so does one slide in .....and then slide out.....? or is it still about pushing in and pulling out...?

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EK Spinner replied to Global Nomad | 3 years ago
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Pulling out has been advised by many before, not always successfully though  1 

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biomac replied to Global Nomad | 2 years ago
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@Global Nomad

All you do is follow your bike's crank pointing downward, the medial side of your cycling shoe (index toe) further down. Then you hit the cylinder and the cleat will open to let you gently slide onto the axle. Full stop. Disengaging is just the reverse procedure: supinate your foot and the cleat will open and give way to your shoe to put it on the soil. This mechanism proves a little tricky for those who never look after their gear: When you forget to tighten the bolts to the right extent, the cleats come loose and can make it a risky adventure to ride on cobble stones or sprint out of the saddle. To my knowledge that's the only downside of these smart pedals - apart from the investment of 300+ bucks and some time to mount them.

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boredinthe80s | 3 years ago
4 likes

Purely based on all those font choices on the image I have zero interest.

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leqin replied to boredinthe80s | 3 years ago
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boredinthe80s wrote:

Purely based on all those font choices on the image I have zero interest.

Should have used Comic Sans.

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Brauchsel replied to leqin | 3 years ago
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I think I spotted it on "Titanium", but my eyes were already bleeding quite badly by that point. 

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Blackthorne replied to boredinthe80s | 3 years ago
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Facetious

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mdavidford replied to Blackthorne | 3 years ago
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Font face tious? I'm not familiar with that one.

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pedalpowerDC | 3 years ago
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🤣 when are weenies gonna learn that ultralight, boutique stuff doesn't hold up and has terrible after-sales service?

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Jez Ash replied to pedalpowerDC | 3 years ago
3 likes

are you absolutely sure that they care?

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