SRM and Q36.5 are set to launch a new pedal and shoe system that both brands claim will have the 'lowest stack height in the market'.
This system sounds a little like the Ekoi pedal and shoe system that launched this year.
This news arrived with us today, in the form of a kind of 'pre-launch' with an initial outline, which will be followed up on in one month with the full product launch. We think it better to keep our readers abreast of the latest tech developments, so here is what we know so far.
SRM founder Ulrich Schoberer and Luigi Bergamo, founder of high-end clothing brand Q36.5, have seemingly got together to create a new pedal and shoe system.
The brands' claim that the combo 'reduces stack height by over 8mm relative to existing systems' meaning the system’s will trump Speedplay in the stack height department, the current industry leader.
It sounds like Bergamo was convinced of the advantages that come with reduced pedal stack height and approached SRM to make things happen.
Schoberer even claimed that other manufacturers were 'totally ignoring' some of the gains that can come from reducing stack height.
Generally, benefits are said to include better power transfer and a more aerodynamic and efficient position, thanks to a lowering of seatpost height, not to mention improved cornering clearance that comes with an overall slimmer pedal body.
Given SRM is famed for its pioneering power meter technology and cycling power meter systems it's curious this new pedal doesn't have a power meter; the stack height seems to have been the focus, so potential customers will need to look at a crank-based, spider-based, or axle-based power measuring product.
The pedals have also been designed specifically with the Q36.5 Unique Pro shoes, Q36.5's flagship road shoe and some of the most expensive around, which I tested this summer. That model already champions low stack height and uses a very thin sole.
The pedal system will be available exclusively with the Unique Pro shoes. We assume a new cleat standard will be needed, and given the shoe's current RRP of £550 / $600 / €550, it's probably fair to expect a retail price for the system of at least another $100 on top of this. We will know for sure in one month.
