Earlier this year I reviewed a set of Mousetrap Pedal Adapters for Shimano SPD pedals. (HERE) Redshift Sports promised other adapters for pedals, other than the ubiquitous Shimano SPD, would be produced. Well, today Redshift Sports has released Mousetrap Pedal Adapters for LOOK Keo and Shimano SPD-SL road pedals.
I have a set of the SPD-SL adapters, and this is what this article will focus on. My set came in around a month ago now and I have been using the SPD-SL Mousetraps for several weeks.
What They Are: The Mousetrap Pedal Adapter is an accessory which turns your clipless pedals into flat pedals. This allows you to ride any bicycle fitted with either the SPD, SPD-SL, or LOOK Keo pedals without having to wear specific cycling shoes.
The Mousetrap Pedal Adapter is a Nylon composite device with a magnet which attaches to the interface of your SPD-SL type pedal, giving it a flat platform which you then can safely and comfortably pedal on.
Measuring a healthy 80mm x 105mm, there is plenty of space for most feet. The surface is textured to provide some grip for street shoes. Stack height is a low 10mm, so they don't add much to the pedal.
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| Turn this into........... |
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| This! A pedal you can use without special shoes. |
Material: Glass-filled Nylon (Composite)
Weight: 170 gm SPD-SL (Tested), 160 gm LOOK Keo, 176 gm SPD (All weights for a pair of Mousetraps)
Dimensions: 80mm x 105mm x 10mm.
Colors: Black/Grey, Purple/Black, Teal/Pink, Blue/Orange
Compatibility: SPD-SL is compatible with Shimano SPD-SL road pedals and most SPD-SL compatible road pedals including Garmin and Favero. LOOK Keo compatible with LOOK Keo pedals. SPD compatible with Shimano SPD and most SPD compatible pedals. NOTE: Crank Brothers Mousetraps are coming in 2027.
Retail Pricing* $59.99 USD | £49.99 GPB | €59.99 EUR | $79.99 CAD | $99.99 AUD
* 25% Off at Launch as part of Redshift’s Early Black Friday Sale
Ride Review:
Normally I get into a set up/installation portion in a review before I start into the riding bits. I feel the Mousetrap Pedal Adapter is so easy to install it is not really worth time to cover. It takes very little time to snap one into a clipless pedal. It takes very little time to remove the adapter. Easy-peasy.
So, the riding part.... Well, it is simple, really. The Mousetrap just does the thing and you do not notice it. I will say that I have hours and hours of riding time on the SPD version. I did not stop riding with them when the review came out. I'll get into why that was in a bit. I just wanted to point out that I have a very good idea of what is possible on the Mousetrap Pedal Adapters.
They are not going to be very good at mountain biking, for instance. They wouldn't likely work great in mud. Snow? Maybe... No, these are really great on paved roads, great for urban riding, casual rides, and commuting. I did do a long gravel ride on these once and....yeah. They were fine. I would just say leave out any aggressive riding and these pedal adapters will most likely do well in drier situations.
There is a bit of a learning curve to getting rolling with the Mousetrap Pedal Adapters. Since they 'hang' upside down, you have to flip them to get rolling. Obviously your first pedal stroke is easy. Getting the second foot on the platform is a bit of a trick. I found by dragging my toe at just the right point behind the pedal I was able to flip the adapter upright and I could slide my foot on and pedal away.
In regard to the SPD-SL Mousetraps, I did notice the adapter platform had a very small bit of "float" in the pedal. I asked Redshift about this and they said they noted it as well in the Keo version. Some of this can be 'dialed out' by increasing the tension on the pedal retention mechanism, but I would not worry about this. It is very minimal and I hardly noticed any movement unless I focused on it intently. The SPD version does not have this 'float', by the way.
Here is the thing I find so notable about the Mousetrap Pedal Adapter range- The things are just so darn useful. I use them all the time. Now, when I first looked at the Mousetrap idea I was a little dismissive. "Neat idea, Redshift, but I don't know how useful it is".
Well, I learned a lot over the past months using the SPD version. I used them a lot while setting up a new component on a bike. Gotta do a test ride? Slap in the Mousetrap and get it done. No need to work on your bike in your clipless shoes. No need to hope you don't slip off your SPD-SL's while wearing your Crocs. Not that I have Crocs..... I don't. Just saying....
I can see the value in having the Mousetraps along for a trip to an event. They would allow you to ride your bike to an event expo, registration/packet pickup, a pre-ride meeting, or post ride beers. All without having to clank around in your clipless shoes. Wear your sandals, PF Flyers, cow boy boots.....whatever.
Personally, I found the most use for the Mousetraps as a commuter/errand device allowing me to ride any bike I have. This worked great since I am an SPD pedal junkie. In fact, I had to borrow the SPD-SL's for this test since I do not own a road bike, and if I did I'd probably put SPD's on it! But regardless, the fact I could enjoy any of my bikes for commuting, bombing around the neighborhood, or whatever, at any time I wanted without having to put on cycling-specific shoes, was liberating. It doesn't matter if you have SPD-SL's, LOOK Keo pedals, or SPDS, the Mousetraps open up your bike for spontaneous uses, purposeful casual rides, or whenever you are not wanting to wear cycling shoes.
So, why not just put flat pedals on all your bikes. Well.....then you wouldn't have clipless pedals and their advantages. (I'll let you decide what those advantages might be) Meanwhile, get some Mousetrap Pedal Adapters. You won't be sorry you did.
The Redshift Mousetrap Pedal Adapter range can be seen on Redshift Sports site HERE.
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