Flat pedals
 

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[Closed] Flat pedals

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What's the advantages of the newer style super thin flat pedals? Are you feet less likely to get boosted off or is it all about fewer pedal strikes?


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:01 am
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More the latter than the former. Also lowers your centre of gravity in theory although I wonder whether anyone would really notice.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:02 am
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Fashion.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:03 am
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-fewer pedal strikes
-lower cog
-wider is good more grip and thinner = less weight on a wider pedal cf a fat wide pedal


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:04 am
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So 'feel' has sod all to do with it then?

Think I'll keep the ones I've got.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:07 am
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Fashion.

Nob.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:11 am
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Quite accurate though.

I've had as many pedal strikes on my Vaults as I did on my Wellgos. The Wellgos didn't look half as nice though 😀


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:51 am
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I thought it was stability - your feet are more secure as they are closer to the spindle.

never even seen a pair of course! 😎


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:54 am
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duffmiver - Member

Fashion.

Nob.

It was a valid point.

Aaaaand it still is, going by your well thought out argumnet! 🙄


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 11:58 am
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how much thinner are the thin pedals?

does anyone yet make a matching flat shoe, with minimal sole?


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:04 pm
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If you want a well thought out argument:

lower centre of gravity
fewer pedal strikes

Is it really fashion? That's just a nobbish retort that people make without even thinking about it. Do you really notice pedals if you're checking out someone's bike?


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:05 pm
 flow
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Its to stop the pedal rolling/flipping under your foot


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:12 pm
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Fashion is just what happens when everyone else starts immitating something that has a perfectly valid reason for existing in the first place, without them knowing what that reason is.

It was the same story with:

Wide bars
Flat pedals
Adjustable compression and rebound settings
Freeride bikes
Uppy/downy posts
Super slack geometry on trail bikes
Heck even full suss bikes at one point!


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:14 pm
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I thought it was stability - your feet are more secure as they are closer to the spindle

That's the Theory, along with a margianl improvement in pedaling effeciency, but it's all a tad tenuous really. I don't think you'll reduce pedal strikes significantly with what2.5mm cinched off each paedal side? plus the platforms are still just as wide which will have more effect on the likelihood of strikes.

Interesting idea about thinner soled shoes, so long as you could maitain stiffness in the mid sole and of course grip, I reckon there might be something to gain...

Ultimately I doubt thin pedals make much difference to the IT Managment crowd but I doubt they do much harm either, the "Fly paper ones are my Favourites so far, now those are properly thin...


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:14 pm
 GW
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Do you really notice pedals if you're checking out someone's bike?
of course! other than something glaringly ugly/new pedals are probably the first part I look at but then shoes have always been the first item of clothing I check out when I clock someone for the first time. 😕


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:17 pm
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The pedal strikes and lower centre of gravity are a valid argument, so is weight saving and reducing pedal role, but you have got to look at the scale of the difference. Its almost negligible.

On the minus side the bearings are smaller so will be less efficient / strong.

So it’s a marketing driven thing in my books.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:20 pm
 flow
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Like I said, its to stop the pedal rolling under your foot. Shall I say it again?


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:26 pm
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All the lower COG/fewer pedal strikes arguments are perfectly valid, in that you do have more clearance.

Thing is - DMR V8s are 25mm thick, Point Ones are 13mm - whether you'll notice a 6mm lower COG or miss many rocks with 6mm more clearance is debatable.

(Mind you - 6mm a side is more than I'd have thought)


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:29 pm
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yes please


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:31 pm
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So what's a decent wide flattie pedal that doesn't cost the earth??


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:33 pm
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I don't think you'll reduce pedal strikes significantly with what2.5mm cinched off each paedal side

Dunno to me, that sounds like the difference between just missing something, and just hitting it.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:34 pm
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That's just a nobbish retort

And, of course, calling people names is all mature and clever I take it?


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:34 pm
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Lower COG???!!? 😆

Come On!

How much thinner are these pedals? Are they in fact able to bend space/time?

You're skimming what 5mm off the nominal thickness of a pedal? So "Drop" the riders shoe sole a relative 2.5mm, you'd have more impact on the COG by simply lowering the saddle 5mm and bending your knees an extra 2 degrees FFS 🙄

People do swallow a fair chunck of Magazine BS still don't they...


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:34 pm
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No need flow i will edit that in to my post above


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:34 pm
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Isn't it something to do with the pedal rolling underneath your foot?


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:35 pm
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monkeychild - Member
So what's a decent wide flattie pedal that doesn't cost the earth??

Pretty much whatever flavour of Wellgo you like the look of, I like MG1s.
S*perst*r pedals seem well spoken of by those who've used them.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:36 pm
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cookeaa - Member
People do swallow a fair chunck of Magazine BS still don't they...

...and very nice it tastes too 😉


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:37 pm
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And, of course, calling people names is all mature and clever I take it?

No, just my opinion.

So what's a decent wide flattie pedal that doesn't cost the earth??

[url= http://www.readytoridecycles.co.uk/pedals-82-c.asp ]link[/url]


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 12:43 pm
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all the magazine bs ive been chewing on may be giving me a placaebo affect but when i swapped from v8s to superstars i felt more stable on the bike and seem to have less pedal strikes


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 1:31 pm
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No, just my opinion.

Which is quite telling about you, I think


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 1:38 pm
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would these get you even closer to the pedals?

[url= http://www.e-outdoor.co.uk/detail.aspx?id=216820&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=PriceComp&utm_term=Froogle&utm_content=None&utm_campaign=PriceComp1 ]Vibram Five Fingers[/url]


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 1:46 pm
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Interested in this pedal rolling thing - thanks for pointing it out Horatio and uwe-r. That's one of my bugbears on flats. So, how does a thinner pedal stop your foot rolling off it so much? I dinnae get the science.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 1:50 pm
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I'll stick to my nice and chunky burgtecs thanks.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 1:56 pm
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Genuine question here, but how does a thinner pedal lower the COG? Surely the pedal is always lower than the COG of the bike plus rider, and if you mean the COG of the pedal then that's always across the centre, now matter how fat the pedal? If anything, lighter pedals would raise the overall COG (however slightly), wouldn't they?


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 2:02 pm
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duffmiver - May I call you a nob?

An unfashionable one at that, darling.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 2:06 pm
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@Hareydan - assuming you're standing on the pedals, then it moved your whole body down 6mm or whatever. Effect is minimal otherwise.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 2:15 pm
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GlitterGary - Member

duffmiver - May I call you a nob?

of course you can.

however, being an IT manager for a famous fashion house, I am anything but unfashionable!!


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 3:20 pm
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DON'T get a Specialized and you should be okay for a start ! Don't get me wrong, I've had two in the past, great spec, great weight, both full sus but both bb too low ! Why ?? Made me part with both because of that ! Really good company to deal with on the phone, by the way, too.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 3:22 pm
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"however, being an IT manager for a famous fashion house, I am anything but unfashionable!!"

Fair enough then! 😆


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 3:29 pm
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I hear it's something to do with stopping the pedal rolling under your foot 😉

Though, most people end up obsessing over thin pedals then stand on them in Five Ten platform soles.


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 5:03 pm
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The Slider - did you think you were replying to a different thread or have you been on the Rowntrees Randoms? 😕


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 6:24 pm
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It's progress


 
Posted : 25/07/2011 6:28 pm

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