Redshift Mousetrap Pedal Adapter Review: SPD to Flat in a Snap – Nicholas Haig-Arack | The Radavist | A group of individuals who share a love of cycling and the outdoors.

You showed up for the group rides only to realize that you completely forgot to pack your bike shoes. Now you’re going to suffer through the ride wearing your comfy Crocs atop SPD pedals the size of postage stamps. If only a bicycle component company made a tool-free adapter to prevent such an atrocity! Thankfully, such a product does exist. But is it better than a spare pair of flat pedals? Nicholas Haig-Arack reviews the Mousetrap Pedal Adapter from Redshift Sports…

I’ll be the first to admit that it feels a little silly to write (or read) a pedal adapter review. But for some reason, I was incredibly excited to try this product out when the folks from Redshift contacted us – and you might be too. Instead of navel-gazing and pondering the importance of this review, let’s just dive right in.

What is Redshift?

The Mousetrap Pedal Adapters are the latest invention from Redshift Sports, a company best known for their suspension stems and seatpost, or perhaps their riser drop bars. My favorite product from Redshift is their Really Long Bar Tape, which is exactly what it sounds like: durable, rubbery 3 mm bar tape that comes in a long length to wrap even the widest bars. I think of Redshift as a solution-oriented, product-focused company that seeks to fill very specific niches with thoughtfully-designed offerings. The Mousetrap Pedal Adapters are exactly that: well-engineered and hyper-niche.

What is the Mousetrap?

You drove to the ride and forgot your bike shoes at home. We’ve all been there. Usually, you’d just suck it up and ride perched atop your tiny SPD pedals in your Vans – not bad for the first couple of miles, but incredibly painful on the balls of your feet after a while. Thankfully, you remembered to pack your Mousetrap Pedal Adapters, so today you can convert your SPD pedals into platforms and ride comfortably with your friends. Crisis averted, day saved.

The Mousetrap Pedal Adapters aren’t intended to replace proper flat pedals, nor should they be evaluated as such. If you’re looking for a true flat pedal, there are plenty of great options out there. The Mousetrap is best for situations when you want to ride your SPD-equipped bike in normal shoes without having to swap pedals.

The adapters are a nylon composite platform with a tool-free locking mechanism that secures them to an SPD pedal. They only work with standard SPDs – not road 3-bolt, Crankbrothers, or Look Keo systems (for now). The platform measures 80 mm x 105 mm and is 10 mm thick. Each platform weighs 85 g. Magnets inside allow each pair to snap together when not in use.

No tools are required to install or remove the Mousetrap – just flip up, insert, and flip down to lock the platform in place. It’s incredibly easy, and Redshift has done a good job making the design intuitive. Instructions aren’t even necessary. I love when a product’s form factor communicates how it should be used, and the Mousetrap does exactly that.

Ride Review

I installed the Mousetrap adapters onto PD-M8100 Deore XT pedals on my Sklar SuperSomething gravel bike and headed out for a mixed-terrain neighborhood loop. Installation was a breeze. The platform size works well for my size 11.5 Vans Era shoes – not as large as the MTB platform pedals I usually ride, but more than adequate in a pinch. The platform stays securely in place with no movement or flex, and the low-profile height meant I didn’t need to adjust my saddle at all – just install and go.

If you’ve ridden with clips and straps before, you’ll already have the muscle memory for flipping the Mousetrap platform, which naturally hangs upside-down, into position. If you’re not used to flipping pedals while moving, it might take a little practice. I found it easy, thanks to years on MKS pedals with steel toe clips and leather straps.

It had rained recently, so there was a fair bit of road spray, and I noticed some slippage – the knurled surface wasn’t gripping my waffle sole particularly well. It made me wonder if Redshift might improve the design with more MTB-inspired molded pins or removable pins. I wasn’t sliding all over the place, but I didn’t have the locked-in feeling I appreciate on a true flat pedal. It’s unfair to compare the Mousetrap directly to dedicated platforms like the RaceFace Chester on my cruiser or the Yoshimura Chilao on my mountain bike, but the slipperiness is worth noting. A minor quibble – not a dealbreaker – though it did have me wondering about adding grip tape.

Courses for Horses

Overall, this product is well thought-out and easy to use. I can see a few situations where the Mousetrap earns its place:

That “oh shit” moment when you realize you left your cycling shoes at home.
On a road trip, when you want to ride to town in casual shoes but don’t want to dig out the pedal wrench.
Post-race cruising the pits (or heading to the showers) on your race bike.

If any of those scenarios sound familiar, the Mousetrap Pedal Adapters are worth tossing in your go bag.

Final Takeaway

Personally, I don’t find swapping pedals to be a huge hassle, so I’d usually rather bring a pair of proper platforms and an 8 mm Allen key if I think I’ll want to ride in casual shoes. But I’m not here to debate why the Mousetrap exists – just to tell you whether it’s good at what it’s designed to do. And it is. I’m impressed by the deceptively simple design of the Mousetrap Pedal Adapters.