Tested: Shimano XT M785 Trail Pedals

Shimano XT M785 Trail Pedal

MSRP: $149

Weight: 410g

Shimano has long been known for their SPD clipless pedal design, for 2011 they introduced a new Trail style SPD pedal in their XT level pedals. With its refined larger platform design the trail pedals offer riders a greater amount of contact between pedal and shoe while maintaining a lightweight design.

With more riders pedaling 5-6” travel bikes as their primary bikes, Shimano has found that making a few tweaks to key components provide these types of riders with more functional options for trail style riding.

Shimano’s XT M785 trail pedals combine the tried and true SPD clipless pedal technology with a much more durable and functional design. Offering adjustable retention, these pedals offer a very secure feeling no matter how tight or loose you prefer to run your pedals. With the increased platform the trail pedals offer added confidence over the traditional style XT pedals while only adding about 50g.

Shimano pedals have been bolted to each of my bikes for the past few years, but the improvements to the new trail pedal are noticeable. Riding them for almost all types of off road riding proves to be beneficial. For longer endurance oriented XC rides, the added platform offers a much more comfortable interface between shoe and pedal.

At 410g the M785 trail pedals weigh only about 12 grams more than the XTR version while ringing up at $50 less. After 3 months of abuse on a variety of bikes, our XT trail pedals show little sign of wear despite plowing in to numerous rocks on each ride. These are a great option for riders looking for an extremely durable and functional pedal that provides a larger platform than most while still keeping weight conscious trail riders satisfied.