MKS Grip King Monarch Pedals

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John Bokman

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Nov 23, 2019, 4:49:00 PM11/23/19
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Curious if anyone has the newer of the Grip Kings: the "Monarch". I've been riding VP Vice for a few years after weaning myself off Speedplay Frogs, and am rather annoyed at chewing up my shoes from the sharp pins. Also don't feel I need the width of the VPs. Always looking for ways to get Riv some money, I thought I might try these. However, I'm also curious about the MKS Allways  pedals....I'd prefer a low stack height, so VPs look to be the winner in that category....

The Snag

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Nov 23, 2019, 7:42:30 PM11/23/19
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I have the Monarch, the VPs, and the older style grip king. Out of the 3 I like the Monarch the best, they have a nice platform that my feet feet locked in on. If you're worried about tearing up your shoes you could take out the pins and I think they'd still be very supportive. If you're curious about them I'd say go for it, I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

John Bokman

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Nov 24, 2019, 6:03:30 PM11/24/19
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Thanks for the reply.
Do you notice a big diff with stack height between the Monarch and VP? I can't find info on the MKS site or elsewhere regarding height of the pedal.

The Snag

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Nov 24, 2019, 9:34:40 PM11/24/19
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I don't notice a huge difference but I also use the two bikes differently, the MKS are on a MTB rig so cornering is not as noticeable. I measure the main platform of the Monarch at 17mm, more like 22mm with the bumps but that's not going to affect how tight a turn you can make. VP's website calls theirs 16mm, but they taper a bit towards the edge. For reference, the original MKS grip king's platform is 22mm, they seem noticeably thicker than the Monarch. 

Again, out of the three I think that the Monarch is the superior pedal. Width, thickness, length, they just feel right. 

john Bokman

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Nov 24, 2019, 9:54:49 PM11/24/19
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Thanks for the stats.  They look pretty nice. May have to try some. Like everything Riv sells, I’m sure they will last, so even if I don’t take to them, I can throw them on my wife or kid’s bikes and be set for years.

On Nov 24, 2019, at 6:34 PM, The Snag <northcoa...@gmail.com> wrote:

I don't notice a huge difference but I also use the two bikes differently, the MKS are on a MTB rig so cornering is not as noticeable. I measure the main platform of the Monarch at 17mm, more like 22mm with the bumps but that's not going to affect how tight a turn you can make. VP's website calls theirs 16mm, but they taper a bit towards the edge. For reference, the original MKS grip king's platform is 22mm, they seem noticeably thicker than the Monarch. 

Again, out of the three I think that the Monarch is the superior pedal. Width, thickness, length, they just feel right. 

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Deacon Patrick

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Nov 24, 2019, 10:43:04 PM11/24/19
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And now for something completely different ... at least re the pedal question. My priority is the bearings and comfort underfoot at hight pressure. I'm hard on bearings. Rocks, roots, and stupid wet, muddy, snowy, freezing, sludgy riding will do that. VPs lasted me a matter of months and generally didn't repair well for me. MKS cone and bearing pedals last me a year and can be greased well for another year. But MKS cartridge pedals have lasted beautifully so far, beyond a year and counting, so they are my preference. My experience has been stack height is not a material factor. I personally do not like the feel of the pedal shape of the Grip Kings underfoot (my forefoot is my widest part of my foot, the narrowest part of the pedal, so the GK's have great fore/aft stability, minimal lateral stability for me). MKS All Ways pedals are a delight, as are their touring pedals. If riding in the snow, touring pedals win, as pressure on the pedal increases grip and discards snow, whereas most pedals it compresses the snow into ice and renders them unridable until chipped off ... not fun at temps near zero. Note: I ride fixed gear, no retention, on both All Ways and Touring pedals, and my Gus has some stupid amount of gears and I ride touring pedals for it. They just handle the bashing and crashing and freezing and thawing and muddy mucky wet wonderfully.

With abandon,
Patrick 

john Bokman

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Nov 25, 2019, 5:37:57 PM11/25/19
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Thanks for the thoughts.
I had thought of trying the Always pedals. They are significantly smaller than my VP Vice, but honestly, I don’t seem to need a super wide platform for my foot. I have size 10, not wide feet. More important than size of the pedal, I think, is that it match my foot.

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