Inventor of power meter turns their attention to new pedals and we tried them – Q36.5 and SRM unveil an ultra-low stack pedal and shoe system

Italian cycling apparel innovator Q36.5 has teamed up with industry-leading power meter manufacturer SRM to launch a revolutionary pedal and shoe system designed to deliver a claimed lowest stack height on the market and the most direct pedalling feel ever. Interestingly for SRM, it’s not a power meter.

The collaboration between Q36.5 founder Luigi Bergamo and SRM’s Ulrich Schoberer, inventor of the power meter, began with a late-night conversation about unlocking new performance gains through pedal design. “Wouldn’t it be possible,” Bergamo asked Schoberer, “to design a pedal that reduced stack height even further?” Bergamo had already experienced the benefits of reduced stack height through the ultra thin shoe soles of the Q36.5 Unique Pro shoes, and clever cleat attachment engineering.

The answer came quickly. “A few late nights and some napkin sketches later, and within six months, we had the first working prototype,” said Bergamo. Schoberer, who has long experimented with pedal mechanics, was able to bring Bergamo’s vision to life in a product designed for riders chasing every last watt of efficiency.

The new system, it says, is built for riders who are seeking an 'evolutionary leap in pedalling performance', reduces stack height by over 8mm compared with existing three-bolt pedal/shoe combinations. This translates it says, into more direct power transfer, a snappier race feel, and the potential for improved efficiency in every pedal stroke.

The all-new SRM pedal will be sold in a single version without an integrated power meter and will be paired exclusively with Q36.5’s Unique Pro Shoes. Together, they form a seamless system aimed at professional and serious amateur cyclists who demand the highest performance from their equipment.

“This isn’t just about shaving millimetres off the shoe,” Bergamo explained. “It’s about creating a complete pedalling ecosystem that maximises every ounce of power you put through the pedals.”

The limited-release pedal and shoe system will be available from selected retailers, with availability details to be announced. A follow-up preview will be shared ahead of the full market release on 4 December 2025.

First ride

I was fortunate enough to spend time using the new pedal and shoe interface over in Italy. The Q36.5 Unique Pro shoes I have reviewed already, and found them to be very comfortable and stiff, albeit very expensive. A few refinements have been made here, but the largest change is the new mounting interface, which uses a two-bolt mounting system to reduce the stack height, while the SRM cleat body itself is just 1mm thick.

Early ride feel indicates a very planted sensation with the pedal and shoe system, giving you a highly connected feel with the bike. More so than the Speedplay setup I currently use which requires an adaptor plate for 4-bolt to 3-bolt which increases stack height. In terms of out and out power transfer, doing some accelerations against Vincenzo Nibali up some rather nice Dolomite climbs did prove this new shoe and pedal system to have some impressive power transfer feel. I didn't beat him, you'll be surprised to hear.

I wasn’t able to do any specific testing with power or direct comparisons between other pedal systems, but that is something that I’ll look at longer term in a full review.

An interesting benefit of the lower stack height is the requirement to drop the saddle height down, which should reduce drag slightly. We’ll do a proper deep dive into the SRM x Q36.5 pedal/shoe system in a full review, as well as finding out the full retail price. But with the shoes being £450 themselves, we can expect a high price for the pedal x shoe system.