Favorite Platform Pedals

[A CT Cyclist]

Just like the subject implies, what are your favorite platform pedals and why?

[lum gim fong]

MKS Sylvan Touring.
Silver color.
Spins great.
Regal looking design, compliments Rivendell bike design.
Wide so foot doesn't roll off edge, yet no strike issues for 53 and 55 Bleriot, 52 Blue Sam, 54. 650bx42 Blue Rambouillet.
So far great.
Longest I rode in them was 129 miles at one time.
Comfy on centuries, too.
I ride on paved roads and some easy trails.

[Jay in Tel Aviv]

I like the vp001 "thin gripsters"
No problems after 1000s of miles
Look good
Don't fall apart like the MKS gripsters did
Don't slip when wet
Spikes don't bite me as often as the MKS ones

They're pedals. They work.

[William R.]

Really happy with the VP "Push N2" aka VP-539 pedals that came stock on my Appaloosa. They are super grippy with 10 spikes per side. Nice and thin like the more expensive gripsters, but they also have reflectors. I liked them so much that I bought a couple pairs online (Riv does not sell them) for $26 each. But the originals are still going strong after thousands of miles of heavy (me!) use. My son has a pair on his cross check and likes them a lot. And I still have a new back up pair. They are black if that is an issue. The main platforms are some kind of super tough plastic.

Bill in Westchester, NY

[Jeremy Tavan]

I love these pedals, except for the dust caps that fall off if you don't Loctite them, and then the pedal develops lateral play and you have to keep re-tightening them. I have three or four pairs, and have started to loctite all the dust caps that haven't fallen off and gotten lost yet. 

/Jeremy

[Surlyprof]

+1 for the thin gripsters.  I really like them.  Only one or two pedal strikes in deep turns or on a rutted trail.  No problems with very little maintenance (maybe none).  Initially I thought the spikes were too "spikey" but got used to it quickly and now really like them.  I almost bought some Blue Lug "Panda Pedals" but then decided it was a want, not a need (https://store.bluelug.com/blue-lug-panda-pedal-foot.html).  I also had the Grip King sneaker pedals and liked them, too.  https://www.rivbike.com/collections/pedals/products/pedal-spikes-32?variant=23336517569) I was going to add some of these spikes Riv sells but sold that bike before I got around to it.  

John

[Carla Waugh]

Speed play brass knuckles in silver and VP thin gripsters.

[Deacon Patrick]

VP Vice. Longer axel than VP's Rivendell offers, and thus seems beefier, in theory.  Love the spikes. Now that I ride in sandals (or boots in winter) I keep all spikes in, but I used to take out the spikes on one side and that works great for riding barefoot (an uncommon need, but if you have it VERY hard to find a good pedal that works for 100+ mile days). Flat rather than the faddish concave, so allows for mid-foot pedaling, which I prefer for climbing. Can be found for $45.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Mojo]

I have chosen VP Vice over the Thin Gripsters due to it's longer axle and slightly larger. Plus you can find the Vice for $45. Same rebuild-ability, same ease of spike replacement.

I have seen another pedal that looks interesting and is made right here in my home of Grand Junction Colorado. http://pedalinginnovations.com
It has a slightly narrower but much longer platform. I haven't tried them yet.

[Clayton.sf]

Canfield crampon ultimate. convex pedal platform shape is so much more comfortable for me than the usual bowl shaped or flat shaped platforms.

Clayton Scott
SF, CA

[Dave Small]

V-O Sabot.  Reasons:  1) They're silver; 2) They're very well made and durable; 3) They're grippy without being so grippy that they chew up the soles of my feet (although they're not as grippy in rain as I'd like them to be); and 4) The platform is among the largest I've seen with a platform pedal.  I also like the others that have been mentioned, but the Sabots are my favorite.  

[Jay Connolly]

I have big, wide feet and suffer from intense hot foot (nerve pain from metatarsals squeezing together, I'm told). I like Chromag Scarabs for their massive platforms and Shimano Saints for the length of the spindle. I have one set of the huge Pedalling Innovations pedals and have become a fan. Rode four hours at a stretch this morning with zero pain. For shorter rides I use rather heavy aluminum flats, but they work for me because they have no concave. Concave exacerbates the hotfoot.

Jay

[Ron Mc]

I've been through a bunch of platform pedals, and have some I specific complaints, including VP001.  What I don't like about them is the pedal is wider than your footprint on the pedal (wider than it needs to be), giving it poor clearance and carving the side of your calf as you're walking beside your bike.  The two below are my favorites, which I'll be sticking with (no pun intended)  

The thinnest and biggest footprint if you want to spring for the cost are Raceface Atlas.  Aside from their thinness, what I like about them best is their 114mm front-to-back length, which is great for riding in the lightest-weight running shoes - i.e., they don't require stiff shanks.  I had to rebuild mine once when it was still under warranty, and Raceface was good about providing the needed parts - it's also a simple procedure.  

Next best are Blackspire Sub4, (and Big Slim) and what I like about them is their 94mm width, which gives better clearance than wider pedals.  Blackspire also rebuilds their pedals for the cost of return (from Canada) priority postage, which essentially makes them lifetime warranty.  They list the rebuild service at $22, but my purchase of one rebuild cleared at $16US.  

They also come in silver, and look great.  

If you want really narrow for maximum clearance, Blackspire El Gordo are only 74mm wide.  

[Tim Butterfield]

The pedals were one thing I kept when selling my prior bike to get my Homer.  They are the RaceFace Aeffect pedals.  They are similar to the VP Thin Gripster, though priced a bit higher.  I had picked them up locally at an REI store.  They work great with the sandals I like wearing.  A possible advantage over the Thin Gripsters may be the bottom loading pins where dirt buildup from footwear is less likely to hinder future pin removal.  There is also a grease port for on-bike maintenance.

https://www.raceface.com/products/details/aeffect-pedals

Tim

[David Person]

I second Patrick.  Got them on all my bikes.

[A CT Cyclist]

Those Speedplay Brass Knuckles look nice but they are rather pricey!  $175 for this beautifully polished pedal, too bad it won't stay pretty for long.

[Benz, Sunnyvale, CA]

I don't really have that much experience with many models of platform pedals, because I found out early on that MKS RMXes work well for me, and so I accumulated a stash. The RMXes are secure, comfortable, serviceable, and look fine. I do find the MKS Sylvan more attractive (I have 2 pairs) but they never work as well as the RMXes for me. Finally, I have a lone pair of Specialized P.Series platforms; although they feel similar to the RMX, I believe they are not serviceable so I won't be adding to that pool.

[Ann L]

MKS King Grips.  I used clip in pedals for years and liked the feeling of being locked and loaded :)

I decided to get out of my comfort range for my new bike.  I have been using these for a month and love them.  My feet don't slip at all so I still feel locked in.  But I can ride in any shoes (including dress sandals and flip flops).  The rain doesn't seem to affect them at all, no slippage. 

If the Thin Gripsters had been available when I was building my bike, I might have gone with them.  I do think the look of the Kings works better with the look of my bike.

[Ian A]

What size and width feet do you have Ron? The pedals you reference sound good for my feet.

IanA

[Ron Mc]

Hi Ian, my ice-skate feet with tall arches measured out once at 13A, but I'm comfortable in most size 12D shoes.  My favorite walking shoes are Merrells, and they're also my favorite platform pedal shoes

Regards, Ron .  

[Mike Packard]

I've been using the same set of $20 Odyssey pedals daily for about 3 years and haven't really found a pair I like better.

[lconley]

Barefoot: No question - Phil Wood, smooth surface, no spikes. Back when I was young and could afford bike parts, but not shoes, the Phil Woods were a wonder after years of Lyotard rat traps and Campagnolo Records. I have a pair that still spin smooth.
Bang for the buck: MKS sneaker pedals, but these may not be considered platform pedals by some.
Shoes: Shimano Saint, these win over the Thin Gripsters (VP001) because the edges of the VPs are sharp and have drawn blood several times. I have filed the edges of several VPs to prevent cuts, but it kind of ruins the esthetics.
If you have to have silver: Velo Orange Sabot. Note that I do not consider MKS Touring to be platform pedals. They are classic rat traps, and the best rat traps due to their width but they are not platforms.
Honorable mention: Lyotard platform pedals - too bad they are too narrow for me. I have them in French and English threads. White Industries and MKS both make copies of these in alloy as opposed to the original steel.

[Clayton]

Canfield crampons in Silver. After getting them I discovered I really like having a very thin pedal with desert moccasins (from Crazycrow), which I have glued on a  thin layer of rubberish sole material to protect the soles from the pins. I am back to clipless on all my bikes, but if the smoke ever clears here in Bend, it will be my setup for bike camping. I am stuck inside as the smoke is officially hazardous. Cough...cough. 

Clayton (Bendite)

[Eric Norris]

I remember a guy here in NorCal back in the 80s who rode barefoot on Phil Wood pedals—and did some hugely difficult rides that way!

--Eric Norris
campyo...@me.com

@CampyOnlyguy (Twitter/Instagram)

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[ChrisB]

Hi All, I have wide feet and prefer a thin, flat sole in my shoes. The RMX pedal that Riv sells is good but the best I've found is the Hope F20 Flat Pedal. It's well made (the bearings seem fantastic), thin and light for such a large pedal (100mm wide and 110mm front to rear). It has a very shallow curve (almost flat), no right angles to dig into soles, and the machined ridges work well in wet weather without pins (never put them in through many wet commutes). Overhaul kits are available and, to my eye, in the silver-anodised color, they look as good as any pedal out there. Like most good things, though, they aren't cheap. Regards, Chris

[Bill in Roswell GA]

Happened across the Wellgo M-111 last winter while turning an old Trek drop bar to a city flat bar. The M-111 in silver looks proper with the bike, is a two sided flat, and has decent street shoe grip. More of a show pedal than performance riding but is well made, has quality bearings well adjusted. The ones I received don't have reflectors, but the black ones Jensen sells do have reflectors. Easy to add clips but there is no place for straps on this pedal design. .

Cheers,

Bill in Roswell, GA

On Sunday, September 3, 2017 at 11:31:41 AM UTC-4, A CT Cyclist wrote: