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XPedo GFX Review

An all-mountain, downhill worthy contender that is ideal for those riding in soft rubber clipless shoes
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XPedo GFX Review
Credit: XPedo
Price:  $195 List
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Manufacturer:   Xpedo
By Joshua Hutchens ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Jun 22, 2017
73
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#10 of 21
  • Ease of Exit - 25% 7.0
  • Ease of Entry - 20% 7.0
  • Adjustability - 20% 9.0
  • Weight - 15% 5.0
  • Platform - 10% 10.0
  • Mud Shedding Ability - 10% 6.0

Our Verdict

The most substantial pedal in our review, the Xpedo GFX is full-featured, burly, and low profile. Its rugged cage, traction pins, and adjustable tension provide the combination of features aggressive downhill riders seek. The GFX provided the best pedaling platform in this test. Its combination of traction and power transfer previously earned this pedal the Top Pick for Downhill and All-Mountain applications. Are its selling features enough to overcome its downsides?
REASONS TO BUY
Large platform
Downhill worthy
Great traction
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Potentially dangerous pins
Wider than most

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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line Enduro, downhill, or all-mountain worthy, this a great match with soft soled clipless shoesStable platform, highly adjustable, and available in a multitude of colorsShimano's latest enduro approved pedal grows up a bit and the refreshes are mostly welcomeA solid choice for those wanting next generation stability at an entry-level price pointSolid, stable and heavy, we found the control they offer top-notch
Rating Categories XPedo GFX HT Components T2 Shimano PD-M8120 XT... Shimano ME700 Shimano Saint SPD M820
Ease of Exit (25%)
7.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
Ease of Entry (20%)
7.0
9.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
Adjustability (20%)
9.0
10.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
Weight (15%)
5.0
8.0
7.0
5.0
3.0
Platform (10%)
10.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
10.0
Mud Shedding Ability (10%)
6.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
8.0
Specs XPedo GFX HT Components T2 Shimano PD-M8120 XT... Shimano ME700 Shimano Saint SPD M820
Weight per Pair (grams) 469g 380g 430g 482g 550g
Weight of Cleats and Bolts (grams) 65g 62g 51g 50g 50g
Cleat Type XPEDO XPT HT X1 cleats SPD mountain SPD mountain SPD mountain
Style platfrom mini-cage mini-cage mini-cage mini-cage
Platform Dimensions (lxw) 102 x 91mm 83.5 x 68mm 100 x 71mm 100 x 74mm 100 x 79mm
profile height 19mm 17mm 18mm 19mm 19mm
Q-Factor 62mm 56mm 55mm 55mm 57mm
Total Width from Crank Arm 101mm 90mm 92mm 93mm 95mm
Entry 2-sided 2-sided 2-sided 2-sided 2-sided
Adjustable Tension yes yes yes yes yes
Traction Pins 4/side 4/side 0 0 4/side
Bearings 3 Cartridge Bearings Stainless Steel sealed cartridge bearings dual angular contact, metal retainer dual angular contact, plastic retainer dual angular contact, metal retainer
Cage Material 6061 Aluminum extruded/CNC machined aluminum anodized and machined aluminum painted aluminum forged and machined aluminum
Pedal Wrench Type 8mm allen 8mm allen 8mm allen 6mm allen or 15mm open end 8mm allen

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Xpedo GFX is a wide-bodied clipless platform pedal with four traction pins on each side, built for the rigors of downhill racing. Its large platform design, widely spaced grub pins, and retracting engagement allow for a firm, confident feel while unclipped. This full feature pedal is the previous winner of our Top Pick for Downhill and Enduro riding, bested recently by the Shimano Saint M820. The largest in our test, they have a substantial surface area and provide excellent traction. They feature adjustable release tension, and the traction pins can be adjusted up and down. Their Chromoly steel axles ride on three precision sealed bearings, and they're available in five colors. Xpedo calls their spring-loaded retention system the Latitude entry system; it's a clever design that aids in engagement. While there are some technical differences in the clipless mechanism itself, the feel of engagement and float are very similar to the Shimano SPD.

Performance Comparison


The traction, feel, and adjustability of the Xpedo GFX were excellent. Their overall score, dragged down by their heft and below average mud performance, wasn't quite enough to overcome their advantages.

Ease of Entry


Getting into your pedals should be simple and a quick entry allows you to start putting the power down faster and get moving. The GFX's Latitude entry engagement mechanism is spring loaded so that the foremost part of the mechanism perches itself in an optimal position for clipping in. As such, they're quite easy to get into and if you miss, there's plenty of platform to catch you.


As with the Crankbrothers Mallet E, the traction (or grub) pins can hang up on softer shoes, complicating engagement. This is the trade-off for being able to stand on these pedals without being clipped in. The traction pins are adjustable, however, allowing the rider to fine-tune their feel and minimize hangups on their particular shoes. Our testers found the GFX was easy to engage, it didn't have the magnetic attraction feel of the Shimano XTR M9120 but clipping in didn't require much thought. Moisture had little effect on the engagement feel of the pedal, as entry felt smooth but not quite slippery. They weren't the most resistant to mud clogging and occasionally required a swift kick to clear the debris, that cost them a bit here.

xpedo gfx - the large platform on the xpedo gfx didn't require precise aim.
The large platform on the Xpedo GFX didn't require precise aim.
Credit: joshua hutchens

Ease of Exit


The GFX, with its big traction pins, isn't the easiest to get out of. While clipped in, they feel similar to a Shimano XT M8120. Once unclipped, the widely spaced traction pins provide grip and traction on our rubber-soled shoes. In harder soled XC shoes, the traction pins can be a bit disconcerting, as the shoe wants to fit around the pins rather than settling in, leaving the rider feeling a bit less secure.


Unlike the Shimano M530, the friction in the float didn't change much with moisture, as the shoe engages the roughly machined aluminum platform rather than the smooth painted surface on Shimano's entry-level mini-platform.

xpedo gfx - while the mechanism itself wasn't difficult to disengage, the grub...
While the mechanism itself wasn't difficult to disengage, the grub pins had a tendency to hang up on your shoes. Especially true with sticky rubber soles like those on the 5.10 Kestrel (above).
Credit: Michelle Powell

Adjustability


Featuring adjustable release tension and adjustable grub pins, the GFX became our top pick for adjustability. We were able to dramatically change its personality with a few twists of an Allen key. The GFX gives a reasonable 6 degrees of float using the 65-gram XPT cleats. The XPT cleats look slightly different than an SPD cleat with a wider brass center bar running horizontally through the cleat. Our testers noticed that the heavier Xpedo cleat was interchangeable with the far more prevalent Shimano SPD cleat which is honestly quite lovely. Using the Xpedo cleat created a firmer engagement feel and slightly increased the force needed for release.


Like the Shimano XT M8120, the pedals feature adjustable release tension. The Xpedo's also have traction pins with adjustable height. Unlike the Crankbrothers Mallet E, the engagement mechanism allows for a broad range of release tensions. Adjustment is made using a 3mm Allen, while the grub pins can be raised or lowered using a 1.5mm Allen. These factors combine to make a pretty versatile downhill/enduro pedal.

xpedo gfx - cleats from left to right, crankbrothers, time, xpedo and shimano spd.
Cleats from left to right, Crankbrothers, Time, Xpedo and Shimano SPD.
Credit: joshua hutchens

If you do manage to lose traction with the pedal, the grub pins are capable of leaving a lasting reminder to your shin or ankle.

xpedo gfx - while both pedals have traction pins, the gfx features adjustable...
While both pedals have traction pins, the GFX features adjustable release tension.
Credit: joshua hutchens

Weight


At 468 grams, they're one of the heaviest pedals in this test. However, this model is still a very reasonable weight for pedals with this many features. The Shimano M530 offers far less and only weighs 14 grams less.


Weight-conscious riders might not appreciate the extra heft, but if you're looking for that extra confidence when unclipped they felt more substantial than the Crankbrothers Mallet E. Their profile height was also 2mm lower at 19mm, which places the rider closer to the axle, and theoretically lessens the incidences of pedal strike. We say theoretically because the lower height is somewhat negated by the extra width and 62mm q-factor of this pedal, leaving you more prone to drag the edge through a corner.

Platform


Once disengaged, the large platform provided solid traction and real estate underfoot.


The Latitude spring-loaded engagement mechanism doesn't disappear completely underfoot, but it drops down to expose one of the thinnest pedals in our test at 19mm. The clipless mechanism is certainly present underfoot but felt less obtrusive than the Crankbrothers Mallet E or the Shimano XTR M9120.

xpedo gfx - quite a bit of pedal to interface with your shoe, the gfx is better...
Quite a bit of pedal to interface with your shoe, the GFX is better suited to sticky rubber soles than hard soled XC shoes.
Credit: Michelle Powell

Mud Shedding


We found them to be a bit less resistant to clogging with mud and debris than other pedals in the test. Their substantial surface area had plenty of places for mud to hang on and their clipless mechanism doesn't employ any of the fancy technology that Shimano uses to shed mud.


Even though they were no match for the Crankbrothers Mallet E in the trailside mud test, clogging of the pedal rarely happened in real-world circumstances. While we consider mud-shedding a major attribute, we never encountered anything that a single kick couldn't solve.

Value


The GFX pedals are on the higher end of the price spectrum for the models in this review. While we wouldn't exactly call them the best value, we do feel that they provide a solid all-around performance for the enduro and downhill crowd, and at a competitive weight.

xpedo gfx
Credit: michelle powell

Conclusion


This is a full-size pedal with very few compromises. It offers great traction, a wide, solid platform, and a clever clipless mechanism. The pedals seem quite durable and the three sealed bearings on the Chromoly steel axle is reassuring. They aren't ideal for excessively muddy conditions or hard-soled XC shoes. We wouldn't recommend them for cross country bikes, as the bulk and weight of these pedals leaves them better suited for the big travel bikes where platform is essential.

Recommended Pairing


This pedal is best paired with a free ride shoe like the Five Ten Hellcat Pro where the soft rubber sole can take advantage of the traction pins. If you're new to a pedal like this, you might also consider a pair of shin guards.

Joshua Hutchens