Wolf Tooth Components CTRL clipless pedal review

The CTRL clipless pedal is Wolf Tooth Components’ unique take on the SPD platform, and well, it’s shattered my preconceptions. With its somewhat quirky shape, it delivers support where it’s needed, and sheds weight where it’s not. The adjustable spindle length is an awesome feature, too. Although it’s an excellent pedal, it is pricier than other very competitive options, and a few pins would boost its capability.

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Wolf Tooth Components CTRL clipless pedals – Technical details

Wolf Tooth says that the CTRL pedal is designed for ‘unparalleled control,’ and it essentially takes the standard SPD pedal shape and makes it wider and a little larger. With its wider but still rather minimal platform, the brand reckons that the shoe contacts the full pedal body for a boost in support.

However, the brand hasn’t gone full size, or at least what we usually expect of a platformed trail pedal. In that, the Wolf Tooth has managed to save weight. The brand says that a pair weighs 326g while my test pair weighs 327, which certainly isn’t shabby for a trail pedal by any stretch. For example, Shimano’s latest XTR Trail Wide pedals weigh 446g.

2026 wolf tooth cntl logo.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Built with a stainless steel mechanism, the CTRL should stave off corrosion, and its aluminium platform is cut to shed mud and debris that can get caught around it. Wolf Tooth then says that the SPD mechanism is compatible with all SPD cleats, and there’s a pair included in the box.

Where the pedal gets really interesting, for me at least, is in its adjustable q-factor, or really, axle length. By changing the arrangement of the internal spacers and cartridge bearings, the CTRL’s axle length can be as short as 51mm, and as long as 59mm. If that’s not enough, the brand offers narrower spacers that allow for smaller adjustments in between those figures. That axle is machined from stainless steel, too, and there’s an additional igus bearing with a custom radial seal to keep crud out.

Wolf Tooth Components CTRL clipless pedals – Performance

Before getting into how the pedal performs, I’ve been very impressed with how simple adjusting the spindle length is. I like quite a long spindle, and setting the CTRL to its longest setting was merely a case of undoing a couple of nuts, moving some bearings and spacers about, and tightening everything back together. Admittedly, it will likely be a one-and-done process, but it’s a very useful feature that few other pedals offer, aside from the odd brand that offers longer spindle versions of existing products, or long axle conversion kits for more money.

f2026 wolf tooth cntl front.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Now, this pedal just looks like a wider version of your bog standard SPD pedal, so I came into this test not expecting all that much in terms of support, but wow, was I wrong? As the platform is fairly wide, it adds support along the lateral plane of a foot’s movement, then relies on the stiffness typical of clipless shoes to provide support along the fore and aft planes.

Although it looks considerably smaller than the larger platformed clipless pedals that are so common in trail and enduro mountain biking these days, the CTRL really doesn’t ride like it is, because of how it dishes out its support. Yes, with flexier soles, the foot can bend around the pedal, but with stiffer shoes – and that’s most clipless shoes – I never felt any discomfort or premature fatigue caused by my foot wrapping around the pedal. Additionally, there’s not all that much space between the pedal’s platform and the sole of the shoe, which really makes the pedal offer more support than it might seem.

That said, this is still a smaller pedal than what we’d expect of a platformed clipless pedal, so while the CTRL’s support is more than expected, it doesn’t provide the all-out stability that a larger platform provides.

2026 wolf tooth cntl adj.jpg, by Liam Mercer

While I spend most of my time riding the CTRL on a trail mountain bike, I did have a stint on a pair with a gravel bike, and that lateral support really impressed. It brings a new level of control that you wouldn’t get on regular-sized SPD pedals. When leaning the bike, I could weight the inner and outer of the pedal more, leveraging the pedals to manipulate the bike in a way that I never had with more common SPDs. With that, I’ve become a big fan of what it can offer, whether I’m looking to shed weight against other trail pedals or looking for a little more platform for gravel jaunts.

With the elephant addressed, the CTRL performs exactly as a pedal of this price should. Its engagement is positive and definite, and I’d go as far as to say that it’s a more confident engagement than that of other SPD pedals, and disengaging from the mechanism comes with absolutely no issues. The stainless steel mechanism shows no signs of wear, while the CNC-machined alloy body has picked up a few scratches, naturally. Importantly, the bearings are still running perfectly after a good few months of riding through the winter.

2026 wolf tooth cntl profile.jpg, by Liam Mercer

My only hangup in the performance department is that Wolf Tooth hasn’t built any pins into the pedal’s platform. Because of that, it provides incredibly little traction during those times when I’ve not been clipped in, but needed to stand on a pedal. When riding clipless pedals, this isn’t the most common occurrence, but just a couple of pins would add a very useful level of grip for those moments, where things can get rather insecure.

Wolf Tooth Components CTRL clipless pedals – Verdict

With pedals like OneUp’s Clipless Pedals costing £143, Hope’s Union TC pedals costing £160, and Shimano’s XTR PD-M9120 costing £140, the CTRL’s £189 is certainly a taller order, especially as the build quality of Hope’s pedals is very similar. However, it offers features that those options don’t. It’s lighter than all of those pedals, for one, and the adjustable axle length is a considerable string to its bow. 

Another pedal to look at is Crankbrothers’ Mallet E LS. It’s a long spindle version of the trail/enduro pedal, and it’s become a favourite. Its eggbeater mechanism is more of an acquired taste, and it goes without saying that the pedal is heavier, but if it’s a longer spindle you’re after, this pedal provides that for similar money as the CTRL. You just get a more supportive platform, though it’s not a pedal I would choose to mount onto a gravel/cross-country/down-country bike.

However, there’s a strong argument for fuller platform pedals as they just offer more support to a greater area of the shoe. But then, it all depends on where your priorities lie. If you ride both MTB and gravel, and want one pedal to swap between each bike, that performs very well on both, the CTRL is a great shout. If you’re more of a gravity persuasion, you might benefit from the greater support of a fuller pedal body.

The Wolf Tooth Components CTRL clipless pedal has come as a real surprise, and it’s one I’ve grown very fond of. Its axle length adjustment is as simple as it is useful, and it provides a lot more support than it looks. It’s attractive, durable, and despite its looks, it’s all the pedal many riders will ever need. However, pins in the platform would bring a welcome boost to performance, and of course, over other excellent offerings, it requires something of an investment. Some may also still be left wanting for the heft of support that larger pedal bodies offer.

• www.wolftoothcomponents.com
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