Dura Ace-level components are as close to perfection as you'll find, that's no secret. It's the lovely place where price isn't a concern. Pure performance is priority #1, and as the well-heeled folks say "it costs what it costs." We had this exact sort of blissful experience with Shimano's 1st-generation Dura Ace 10-speed pedal -- known as the PD-7800. It was a spectacular improvement of its predecessor. It was adequately light, it held cleats in with nice grip, and it allowed for mindless unclipping at a moment's notice. The only drawback it consistently displayed was wear-and-tear at the cleat contact area. The body cover of the pedal at the cleat contact point was a replaceable (and inexpensive) plastic part -- but it required replacement too darn often. It wasn't a fatal flaw. But it was an annoyance.

It's no surprise, then, that Shimano's 2nd-generation Dura Ace 10-speed pedal addresses this issue head-on. It's known as the Dura Ace PD-7810, and in place of the plastic pedal body cover is a stainless steel one. Sure, it's hard to get excited about maintenance issues, but the net effect is that you'll ride the 7810's for a whole heck of a lot more miles before feeling the lateral slop that (unfortunately) reared its head fairly quickly with the 7800's. In short, you'll feel more stability and security with the 7810's. It's a sensation amplified by the fact that Shimano has added material to the sides of the 7810's to create an even wider platform. More shared space between the cleat and pedal means more stability as well.

The PD-7810 uses the same cleat system as the PD-7800, and has many of its design features including a 3-bearing axle system for uniform load distribution and adjustable entry and release tensions. Comes with a set of cleats and mounting hardware. 278g. MSRP $249.99.