Bicycle pedal with automatic attachment and detachment

A bicycle pedal with automatic engagement and disengagement, comprising a body mounted so that said body rotates on a spindle with:

• a frontal stop means configured to collaborate with a mating stop surface provided on a cleat fixed under a shoe sole;
• a retaining member mounted to rotate about an axis parallel to the pedal spindle, is pressed by an elastic return means against the cleat in order to attach the cleat to the pedal,
• the elastic return means comprising a flex element immobilized at one end in the pedal body, a mean longitudinal direction of which is orthogonal to the pedal spindle and an opposite end of the flex element rests against the retaining member,
• wherein:
• the retaining member comprises a U-shaped bow having two radially directed branches connected by a central part,
• the body comprises bores on each side of the body, the bores sharing a geometric axis, each branch of the bow comprising an orifice positioned facing one of the bores of the body, for articulation around the geometric axis of the respective bore, wherein articulation between the bow and the pedal body is supported by two pivot pins, each pivot pin being inserted into one of the bores and extending into one of the orifices, a length of each pin being limited to a depth of the respective bore plus a thickness of the respective branch of the bow through which each pin passes, and wherein a space along the geometric axis of the bores between interior ends of the pivot pins remains unobstructed,
• and the flex element comprises a flex plate of which the opposite end, other than the end immobilized in the body, rests against the central part of the bow at a distance from the spindle which is greater than a distance between the pins from the spindle.