TIME XPRO 12

£259.99 New top-end clip-ins from the French pedal pioneers

Xpro 12 is the new pedal from the other French clipless innovator Time (Look are more widely used), replacing their Xpresso range. The Xpro 12 sits between the Xpro 10 and 15, weighs just 94g per pedal and has a carbon body with titanium spindle. It’s still more expensive than both Shimano and Look’s top-end pedals, so we’re expecting no compromises.

The underside has a smooth carbon shell with three points of adjustment to alter engagement tension and, while the new beefedup Iclic cleats are labelled left and right, you can swap them round for an extra 3mm of pedal Q factor. It’s a familiar three-bolt scenario to fix the cleats to your shoes, and engagement is fantastically easy with a good firm click in and out.

A common complaint with Time cleats is wear, but we can report no such problems with the revamped versions after some heavy use. Time have increased the pedalling platform on the Xpros, with our feet feeling comfy over long distances, and you can really slam down during sprint efforts. Stack height is also low at 13.5mm, so no effort is wasted.Yet we did have to adapt to the weight distribution because the narrow and featherlight pedal body tends to tip back, which means you have to nudge it before clipping in.

While the price is hard to swallow, the Xpro is better in all of the places its predecessors fell short and the improvement to the cleats and adjustability – plus excellent power transfer – has made this Shimanofavouring tester consider switching to Time.