Pedals

[Doug Hansford]

I saw an interesting article about innovative pedal design and it got me to thinking. Why do I use the pedals that I use? I like platform pedals after using clipless for many years for both road riding and single track. My current are Shimano steel. Which pedals do you use and why? Link to the article below:

https://newatlas.com/bicycles/bike-pedals-unique/

Doug Hansford

[Chris L]

I use VP Harrier pedals (they have a safety recall and I haven't gotten around to trading them in for the newer version) because they are the largest (120 x 110) pedal I could find.  I have some kind of weird range of motion issue with my right knee or hip and I always end up with my right foot barely on the pedal.  Really wide pedals have mostly solved this. 

[Jeffery S]

I purchased VP Vice pedals for my Sam a four or five years ago and like them so much I got a second pair to replace clipless pedals on my BMC monstercross. I commute, tour, & hit the trail with them and have had no problems whatsoever. The pins grip great for riding in sneakers, but they will scratch your leg every once in a while. 

[Ray Evans]

I have been using these VP-831P Bauhaus pedals for 4 years now, after seeing them in a picture of rich@rivbike's Appaloosa. I love how sticky the grip tape is with any footwear I use, and I eliminate the problem I had with getting scratched up with studded pedals. I don't typically ride in rain or off road much, so can't speak from experience on how they work for that. But they just look very cool in a "bauhaus" kind of stealthy minimal way. The only problem is I think they are discontinued. I found a few on ebay UK awhile back, so it's worth a search if  they strike your fancy. 

http://www.vpcomponents.com/product/vp-831p/

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[Kent Peterson -- Eugene, Oregon]

Here's a pedal that I've found to be very comfortable:

https://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2011/07/sasquatch-pedals-ergon-pc2s.html

And, from eleven years ago, here's my long-winded take on the whole pedal question:

http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2009/03/which-pedals-should-i-buy.html

Keep those pedals turning,

Kent Peterson
Eugene, OR USA

[Steve Cole]

Doug,

As on so many things, I'm of two minds.  I want to be able to jump on my bike and run some errands without worrying about what shoes I'm wearing.  I find, however, for longer planned pleasure rides being clipped in gives me a sense of security.  I would also add that living in an urban area, SPDs allow me to not worry about starting up from a stop.  I simply don't need to make certain the pedal is in a specific location, e.g., 10 a.m..  

My answer has been to equip my bikes with pedals that give me the options I want, one side SPD, the other flat.  My favorite, although not cheap, is the Shimano XT PD-T8000.  Unlike every other pedal I've used, when I unclip, they rotate to vertical and allow me to easily switch to flats, which I do when I'm stopping, or continue with the SPDs.  Good luck on you search.

Steve Cole

Arlington, VA

[Patrick Moore]

All SPDs at this point, though I've tried too many kinds to count. XTs
or XTRs on the commuter and dirt road bike, Dura Ace SPDs on the
gofast.

I actually like clips 'n' straps 'n' slotted cleats, particularly with
the wonderfully well made MKS RX-1 pedals and their anniversary UBS
Lite (MKS has some very weird nomenclature; I had a pair of cheap but
very nice "Esprit" pedals) but since I ride even the gofast on the
occasional dirt road, the SPDs work better. I found that entry and
exit was considerably easier with slotted cleats and sem-tight straps
than with KEOs.

I find I need retention since I pull my foot off the pedal (or out of
the shoe back when I wore slip-ons and clips / straps).

I recall the early days of clipless pedals, when all sorts of new
designs were being tried -- Grafton, Sampson are 2 I used; that weird
one that consisted of a spindle with bearings and roller over the
spindle, and "claw" cleats to grip the roller. Lightest pedal on
market, though.

Patrick Moore, who is also on a second pair of very retro, 1980s
Shimano SPD shoes (thanks again to the donor!) -- most comfortable
I've worn.

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Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Jay Lonner]

I like platform pedals and to date the original Catalyst pedal by Pedaling Innovations is my hands-down favorite. Haven’t tried the Evo. 

https://pedalinginnovations.com/choose-your-pedals

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Jun 2, 2020, at 1:53 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:

All SPDs at this point, though I've tried too many kinds to count. XTs

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[Doug Hansford]

Steve,

I have tried the Shimano pedals with SPD on one side and flat on the other and could never get comfortable using them. The pedal always seemed to have the side I needed facing downward. Thanks for the feedback.

Doug

[Benz, Sunnyvale, CA]

On Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 10:46:34 AM UTC-7, Doug Hansford wrote:

I saw an interesting article about innovative pedal design and it got me to thinking. Why do I use the pedals that I use? I like platform pedals after using clipless for many years for both road riding and single track. My current are Shimano steel. Which pedals do you use and why?  Link to the article below:

https://newatlas.com/bicycles/bike-pedals-unique/

I haven't tried too many different pedals, but I've settled on a few:

• If I'm going to get clipped in, and don't expect to be walking much, I use Time Impact or RXS pedals. I used to use Speedplay X series pedals, but a friend gave me a set of then top-of-the-line Impact Mg-Ti pedals, and I prefer their modest amounts of both lateral and rotational float. In addition, the cleats are fairly walkable (for a road cleat), are fairly inexpensive, and last quite a while. Having good experience with the Impact pedals, I bought the successor RXS pedals to try out (Impacts were discontinued then), and was pleasantly surprised that they feel similar to the Impacts. I also found out that newer Impact cleats can even be used on RXS pedals, which is nice.
• If I'm going to get clipped in, and suspect that there may be a bit of hike-a-bike, I use Shimano SPD pedals (mostly XTR) with the multi-release cleat. The best review I can give them is I don't worry about them.
• For my pedaling-free pedals, I have a mix of MKS RMX and Rivendell's el-cheapo Clem Smith pedals. I tried other MKS offerings including the "Grip King", but didn't like them. My feet prefer the wide, squarish, somewhat concave platforms. I would have preferred the roller/ball bearing setup of the Time pedals on these platform pedals, but I appreciate these are just optimizations that feed the geek/nerd mind more than actually making real-world differences.
• I still have a few Shimano "dual platform" PD-A530 pedals, but I found that they're not easy to flip to the correct side when starting off. I've since transitioned to full platforms for commuting and/or utility riding, so they are essentially abandoned now.

 The common theme I found with all these pedals is that they are reliable, and dependable. I seldom have to think about them, although I always lube+adjust new MKS pedals before putting them into service. For the clipless pedals, the cleats' failure mode is gradual, which gives me plenty of warning, contributes to them being dependable. Of course, Shimano multi-release and Time Impact/RXS cleats are still easily available.

[Joe Bernard]

I have these on all my bikes. Big and work great with the running shoes I use.

https://www.analogcycles.com/product/deity-black-kat-pedals/

[John Phillips]

  +1 for the Catalyst pedals. I had the original Catalyst pedals on 2 bikes, and replaced them with the new EVO Catalyst pedals. These are the most comfortable pedals I've ever used.

John

Bellingham, WA

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Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

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[Lynn Haas]

SPDs here, usually M520s, although right now I have some dual-sided ones because I had romantic visions of hopping on my bike to run short errands in sneakers. Turns out, I rarely run short errands via bike and switching shoes is not a problem. The flat side of the pedal is further down than the SPD side and makes me hyperextend my leg. I also rarely wear sneakers but that's another story.

I have a gimpy hip and the clipless pedals keep my leg from flopping around. We have lots of bikes with flat pedals at work, and I've learned the hard way to stay off of them if I want to be able to walk the next day. I'm glad (but also sad) to hear that other people ride clipless for the same reason.

Lynn

[Matthew P]

Glad to see this thread as this has been on my mind.

+1 for Lynn's desire to keep the foot in contact with the pedal.

I've been a flat pedal, casual rider through and through.

Then about 2 years ago I decided to set up a bike as a fixie (per recommendation from Sheldon Brown's site).

That prompted the velcro straps, which I also used on a tour or two (not fixed).

I've also used clips: toe clips/basket with a strap.

At some point I realized I was doing what the clipless pedal system does but just worse.

In my opinion, if any straps or clips are going to keep your foot completely stuck to the pedal, then you are probably limiting blood flow to the foot, and making it very difficult to get the foot out.

So I went clipless on the fixie, and now I'd like to do the same on my main/touring bike.

I've been using the MKS Sneakers (RMX) pedals. They're nice but I've had a foot slip off, and bike swerve, while riding loaded in the rain.

I don't want that to happen when the semi brushes by.

I've also been thinking/learning how I need good grip on my shoes because when the trail is too steep to climb on the bike, I have a hell of a time pushing the loaded bike up the trail in my sneakers...

....said sneakers which have all of their previously insufficient tread worn off from the pedals.

I found some shoes that look great for hike-a-biking, but why pay $100 just to have my pedals wear the shoes slick?

So I finally got a pair of Shimano SH-MT22 shoes in my size.

The current plan is to go clipless with those on trips.

(I'll still commute in sneakers).

But to also put microspikes on my shoes that are compatible with clipless pedals & shoes, when on trails.

Like one of the options here: https://www.gearx.com/accessories/winter-traction-devices

It seems to be a matter of having one of those with no spikes where the pedal axle is and a clipless pedal with a bit of a platform to clear whatever bit of chain is where the axle lies.

Perhaps a bad idea, but a bad idea I'm going to pursue.

And the SH-MT22's were only like $30 off ebay and the microspikes $30-70 and perhaps I have a system that works and lasts.

Does anyone have any Shimano/SPD pedals they recommend for this or in general (I'll refer back to what has already been recommended in this thread) or want to sell?

Flats all my life and now overcomplicating things, again,

-Matthew in San Diego

P.S. Kent, I'll read your blogpost soon.  Looks substantial.

[Nick Payne]

I like clipless MTB pedals, and now have Speedplay Syzr pedals on all my bikes, as I dislike float in pedals, and the adjustment screws in the Syzr cleats allow me to lock out all float on them. It's also extremely easy to re-grease the pedals - undo a small grubscrew at the outboard end of the pedal body and use a needle grease gun to pump more grease in until excess appears past the seal at the inboard end.

Unfortunately the availability of Speedplay products is up in the air at the moment - since Wahoo bought the company last year, the Speedplay web page for the pedal says "This product is currently not available. At this time, future availability has not been determined." However, I've been using Syzr pedals on my bikes for the past three years or so, since they first appeared on the market, and the cleats for them look like they're going to last many years, as they're still more or less completely unworn. When it looked like the pedals and cleats were going to disappear off the market, I went out and bought three or four spare pairs of pedals with cleats, as I figure that should keep me going for the next 20 years or so, by which time I'll be almost 90...

Nick

[Kiley Demond]

My pedal of choice is the Velo Orange Grand Cru Sabot. I gave up clipless (Shimano dualies) because I unclipped on the wrong side one too many times (hemispheric reversal: I know which direction, but my brain sends the instructions to the opposite side). The MKS pedals hurt, I could feel those spikey things through the soles of most of my shoes, only my Keen bike sandals shielded my foot. I have metatarsalgia, a fancy name for a frequent result of flat feet, such that the ball of the foot has very little padding, so the pressure of pedaling is placed on unpadded bone. Orthotics make walking fine, but there aren't orthotics for pedaling which utilizes only a portion of the foot. The Sabot also accommodates a foot strike that comes down slightly off the geometry-presumed target for whatever reason, a few of which could be feet that are on the edges of the bell-shaped foot-size curve, hips that are wider resulting in an outside edge strike, or unusually long or short femurs resulting in a natural strike fore or aft of center. 

And they are freakin' gorgeous.

[Kiley Demond]

Thank you for the link. I love all things magnetic and these pedals are very interesting; the clipless pedal twist requires muscle-memory that can be challenging for some. Magnets would allow for a simple lift-off, which the brain already knows. The bio-mechanics inspired pedals are very interesting as pedaling into my 60s has brought some attention to my knees. I shall investigate these further ;-). 

[Kiley Demond]

Doug, I too found that the side I wanted was always facing down (perhaps a switchable plug-in weight that screws in on the opposite side of the one you want to use? Oh, make it magnetic...). The last time I used these pedals was when I fell avoiding a rock (on my Raleigh RX1 cyclocross bike), and the teeth gashed my ankle. I was outraged. I couldn't believe pedals like this were even allowed on the market! I was all set to write my congressperson and leave scathing reviews everywhere, but eventually, I reset to owning my s#*t, and let it and the pedals go.

[Paul Brodek]

VP Harriers are my favorite wide pedal. They are flat all the way to the crankarm, which some big/wide patform pedals are not. Just sold off a pair of Spank Spike pedals for that reason. Some big/wide platforms put a very large bearing/bushing next to the crankarm, and do away with a protruding axle with pedal flats. Which may make them more durable for downhill thrashing, but it usually puts a bulge in the platform at the crank side, so your feet can't sit as close to the crankarm. If you like wide Q, fine; if not, no bueno. Find a side view of the Spank, or check this 'sploded view:
https://spank-ind.com/apps/help-center#!how-often-should-i-service-my-spank-pedals-what-service-is-necessary

There are other pedals with similar designs out there, so watch out for that if you like a narrow pedal stance.

The VP Harrier recall is only for 1st-gen pedals which _do  not_ have an axle retention nut. First-gen Harriers used a flat-head cap screw for axle retention, and that's the design that failed. VP's website doesn't mention the difference, but Giant's and the CPSC's do. Giant OE'd Harriers, Giant-branded, so they were also involved with the recall. I bought all my Harriers at least 5-6yrs ago, and they were already all v2 nut-end. I never knew there was an earlier version until I started looking into the recall. So if you got yours recently, should be no worries. And a very quick visual inspection makes the difference very clear.
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/vp-harrier-and-giant-pinner-bicycle-pedals-recalled-due-to-fall-and-injury-hazards-made

My favorite weight-weenie pinned platform is the Xpedo Spry. Very light at maybe 260g/pr, supportive, good/sharp shin-shredding pins.
https://xpedo.com/product/pedals/flats/spry/

This is a product category that has significantly widened over the past few years, and I latched onto the Harrier and Spry when there weren't as many alternative available. I'm sure there are plenty out there equally good, maybe a couple/few better somehow, but I like the Harrier/Spry enough that I'm not tempted to dip my toe back into the waters. Well, maybe now that the topic's been raised, I'll look at lighter alternatives to the Harrier?

And the Catalyst pedals do look interesting, though even with Harriers I don't find myself comfortable with arch pedaling. I understand the Catalyst is more supportive for that, but I haven't been motivated to give them a try yet.

Paul Brodek
Hillsdale, NJ USA

[Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY]

I also like the Harriers a lot. To toss another pedal in the mix, these Fookers have been great so far, and they're humongous (and very very very (:slightly offputtingly:) inexpensive).
-Kai

[Steven Sweedler]

I have been riding on Blackspire   Robusta  pedals, so far have been flawless. I was touring on a set of VP pedals this past winter, and one of them came apart, I sent in pictures and was told that particular model did not qualify for the recall, it seemed  to have failed the same way. Steve

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Steven Sweedler
Plymouth, New Hampshire

[Patrick Moore]

I started with bare pedals, added clips without straps, added straps, added slotted cleats, switched to various sorts of clipless, notably Speedplays and KEOs for road, the on a perverse whim went back to clips and straps and very nice, ballet-slipper-like leather Rivats with slotted cleats on my Riv Road fixed gear gofast. I would pull the strap tight enough to keep my foot in place while pulling up and back, but not so tight that they were uncomfortable, and had no problem reaching down to loosen when needed. Of course, I never did 110% sprints, and toe strap buttons helped a great deal in grabbing the strap with a fixed drivetrain. But better even than this, I found a sweet spot for the straps that required no adjustment: Just tight enough to hold your foot in place while torquing hard, but just loose enough to pull your foot up and out, and then stick it down and in, with a bit of a twist to work the toe into the loop and the slot over the pedal cagae. And, the odd thing, I found it considerably easier to get into and out of the RX-1s + Christophe clips + nice laminated straps kept semi-tight, than I did with the damned slippery all-plastic KEO pedals and cleats. I am even today tempted to go back to clips and straps, with slotted cleats for longer rides, and street shoes for errand rides, but SPDs are just too convenient. 76" gear, so I do have to stand and pull hard.

On Wed, Jun 3, 2020 at 11:05 PM Matthew P <matthewpe...@gmail.com> wrote:  ... In my opinion, if any straps or clips are going to keep your foot completely stuck to the pedal, then you are probably limiting blood flow to the foot, and making it very difficult to get the foot out.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[EricP]

Funny this subject came up now. Yesterday swapped out the MKS sneaker pedals on the Hillborne for an old set of VP pedals that have been on and off a couple of bikes over the years. Not sure which model. They do need to be mounted with an allen wrench and not a regular pedal wrench. They are big and wide. The downside to them has been they sometimes stick too well to both the Keens I like wearing and my shins. MKS sneakers end up giving me a hot foot on the right after about 20 miles. Hoping the extra surface area of the VP minimizes this. It's an old problem and one that has gotten worse after a knee surgery a few years ago. 

For the upcoming Clem, already have a set of the Clem pedals. Will try those first before any others.

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

[Joe Bernard]

Eric, I had that problem (too sticky) with the VPs Riv sell/sold. I'm not sure how it's so different, but the Deity Black Kats I use now with spikes don't do it so much. Maybe there's fewer of them and spread over a bigger platform?