Last year, Wolf Tooth introduced an all-new clip pedal lineup with the CTRL, ALT, and DEL pedals aimed at trail, XC, and gravel riders. Those pedals were well-received and impressed us enough that both Zach and I included them in our best of 2025 lists. With exquisite machining, thin pedal bodies, easy serviceability, and adjustable Q-factor, the lineup is well-made and thoughtfully designed. And with the smoothest SPD binding mechanism I’ve ever used, my Wolf Tooth pedals continue to impress me on a daily basis.
But despite their stellar performance, one thing has been missing — a gravity-oriented version with a larger platform. Well, not anymore, because today, Wolf Tooth is introducing its new SHIFT Gravity Pedals. The SHIFT is built around the same SPD-compatible binding mechanism and internals as its siblings, but has a larger platform extending both front and rear, along with four optional pins per side.
Wolf Tooth SHIFT Gravity Pedals Details
Wolf Tooth says the new SHIFT pedals have been “optimized for downhill, enduro, and trail riding” with a larger pedal body that provides “extra grip in the front and rear for exceptional control and connectedness.” The extended parts of the pedal body in the front and back are the only visible difference between the SHIFT and CTRL (trail) pedals. Wolf Tooth states that the SHIFT’s platform area is 1,201 mm2, compared to the CTRL’s 941 mm2.
While the exact dimensions of the platform were not provided, I measured my test pair at 91mm long x 79mm wide (not accounting for the tapered leading edges). At the front and rear corners of the SHIFT’s platform, Wolf Tooth has drilled holes for optional pedal pins. There are four backloading steel pins per side that riders can choose to install or leave out to optimize the sole interface or provide grip when clipped out.
Like the CTRL and ALT pedals, the SHIFT has a pedal body thickness of just 15mm, giving it a thin profile for ground clearance. For comparison, the OneUp Clip Pedal claims to be the thinnest available at 14.4mm, which is really splitting hairs. Including the binding, which stands proud of the pedal body, I measured the total thickness of the SHIFT pedals at just under 28mm.
SPD-Compatible
Like Wolf Tooth’s other clip pedals, the SHIFT is built around the brand’s own SPD-compatible binding mechanism. It allows up to 5 degrees of float and has a 12-degree release angle. Like most SPD bindings, it has a wide range of adjustable release tension to dial them in to your liking.
The pedals come with Wolf Tooth’s own SPD cleats, which look nearly identical to Shimano’s latest MT001 cleats. In my experience, all of the Wolf Toth pedals I’ve tried work fine with Shimano SPD cleats or clones from other brands, including Look and OneUp.
Adjustable Q-Factor
As with the other clip pedals in the Wolf Tooth lineup, the SHIFT shares its internals with the brand’s Waveform flat pedals. That includes the stainless steel axle, three low-friction cartridge bearings, a custom Igus bushing, and a radial seal to keep out the elements.
What sets Wolf Tooth’s clip pedals apart from the competition is the user-adjustable Q-factor design. They come in the neutral and relatively standard 55mm position, but by shifting the position of the bearings and spacers, the Q-factor can be changed to 51mm or 59mm. And with the 2mm spacer set, riders can fine-tune the Q-factor in 2mm increments to achieve 53mm or 57mm. This adjustment can be done at home with common tools and takes just a few minutes.
Right to Repair
The SHIFT and Wolf Tooth’s other pedals are easy to service at home to keep them running smoothly. The new SHIFT pedals are also part of Wolf Tooth’s Right to Repair program, which means that replacement parts and service guides are available. This way, riders can keep their Wolf Tooth products in service for longer and get the most out of their investment.
Actual Weight
Wolf Tooth claims the set of SHIFT pedals with pins installed weighs 410 grams. I weighed my test pair without pins, because that’s how I ride them, and they came in at 394 grams. Since you can’t ride them without cleats, I added the pair of cleats (and hardware) and pedal washers, which brought the system weight to 449 grams.
For comparison, the claimed weight of the OneUp Clip pedals (including pins but without cleats) is 410 grams, which is identical to the claimed weight of the SHIFT with pins. These two pedals have nearly identical dimensions as well. Shimano’s new XTR Trail pedals clock in just a bit heavier at a claimed 435 grams. For reference, Shimano’s longstanding Saint M821 gravity pedals weighed a whopping 538 grams.
Which is to say that the SHIFT pedals are very competitive in terms of weight in their category. Heck, they’re lighter than some “trail” pedals like the Shimano XT Trail M8120, which weigh ~430 grams. But not compared to Wolf Tooth’s own CTRL Trail pedals at 326 grams.
Colors, Pricing, Availability
The new SHIFT pedals are designed, machined, and assembled at Wolf Tooth’s headquarters in Minnesota. They retail for $240 and are available in black or ultraviolet purple, and Wolf Tooth tells us that more color options will be added later.
They are available now directly from Wolf Tooth through the brand’s website, your local Wolf Tooth dealer, or your favorite online retailer.
wolftoothcomponents.com
First Rides
I got my hands on a pair of the SHIFT pedals about a month ago and have been riding with them on and off ever since. Like the other Wolf Tooth pedals I’ve tried, they make a strong impression right out of the box with very nice machining and a picture-perfect finish. It seems like Wolf Tooth has very good quality control, which you’d hope for in a set of pedals that costs $240.
I weighed them, and promptly installed them on the Norco Sight VLT TQ eMTB that Ive been testing for a bit. This is the heaviest, longest-travel, and most aggressive bike that I have in the garage right now, and a perfect match for the SHIFT pedals. For reference, I’ve tried them with the Fox Union BOA Clipless, Ride Concepts Hellion Clip BOA, and the Crankbrothers Mallet Trail BOA shoes, all of which align with the SHIFT’s intended use as well.
Right out of the gate, I was greeted with the impossibly buttery and consistent entry and exit that I’ve already come to appreciate with Wolf Tooth’s other pedals. The smoothness of Wolf Tooth’s binding mechanism when clipping in and out is noteworthy and better than any other pedals that I’ve tried. And it works as well with old Shimano cleats as it does with a fresh set of Wolf Tooth’s. It is on another level, even better than Shimano pedals, which I have considered to be the benchmark for many years.
I’ve ridden quite a bit with Wolf Tooth’s CTRL Trail pedals, and the SHIFT provides a similarly positive shoe-pedal interface. There’s a lot of surface area on the pedal body on both sides of the clip mechanism, and that provides loads of sole contact, lateral support, and what I would call a very connected feel. That’s true with all the different shoes I’ve tried them with so far. There’s no slop or lateral movement, just support.
Like most clip pedals with larger platforms, the front portion of the platform on the SHIFT doesn’t make any contact with the sole. The rearward part of the platform, however, does provide a bit of support, and even more if your shoes have a flexible sole. Compared to the CTRL pedals, the front and rear portions of the platform also make it slightly easier to find and orient underfoot when clipping back in.
I’m already clipped in to these pedals and haven’t felt the need to increase that connection with the pedal pins, so I haven’t installed those and probably won’t, so I can’t comment on that. If I wanted grip from pedal pins, then I’d ride flat pedals, but the option is there for those who might want it. I personally don’t want pins interfering with my ability to unclip quickly when needed
I got the SHIFT pedals in black, and I think they look great. My only qualm is that the anodization is showing some signs of wear from regular use, and bigger scratches from rocks are quite obvious. That’s the case with any other anodized pedals as well, so not a knock on Wolf Tooth specifically. I guess it’s a good argument to make some in raw aluminum.
Otherwise, I’ve been very impressed by the performance of the new SHIFT pedals, and I think they’re a great new option for any aggressive trail or gravity riders seeking an SPD-compatible pedal with a larger platform. 10/10 would recommend.
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