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I’ve recently started riding my Cotic Jeht, which I got a few months ago, but didn’t get chance to ride properly.
I’ve got a little problem with catching my calves on the screws that connect the linkage to the seat stays.
With SPDs (well, Time Atac actually) it was quite bad so I stuck on my burgtec penthouse flats to enable me to position my foot further out and away (a bit like increasing the Q factor??).
This is better but I still catch my calves a little. Placing my foot further out takes them away from the comfy section of the platform and overhangs the sides.
Looking at the Burgtec they have virtually no axle showing - they’re very close to the Crank arm and you have to mount them using an Allen key so I was wondering which flat pedals are mounted wide (i.e. plenty of axle showing between the crank and the pedal), just to place my feet and ultimately my calves further away from the seatstay.
Does anyone have any ideas, recommendations, or even think I’m barking up the wrong tree and have a different solution?
I particularly like the look of the hope F20 pedals.
You could try pedal extenders perhaps?
Never heard of them
Penthouses are mounted very close to cranks tbf, I love my mk4's, but ye scuff hell out of the cranks.
Crank Bros Mallet DH have a wider q factor than their other pedals, I don't know if that would be wide enough for you
I was wondering which flat pedals are mounted wide (i.e. plenty of axle showing between the crank and the pedal)
What you really want to look for are the pedals where the outer edge is further from the crank the inner is relatively irrelevant (though I appreciate it encourages you to place your feet further in)
Get a bike that fits properly. Life is too short to mess around trying to fix stuff that shouldn't be an issue on a ride. If you've had a bike previously that didn't have this issue, what has changed with this one? Look for a bike with similar dimensions to the one you had no issues with.
What you really want to look for are the pedals where the outer edge is further from the crank the inner is relatively irrelevant (though I appreciate it encourages you to place your feet further in)
The problem with this is that most pedals are shaped; concaved with the narrowest part in the centre, which means your feet sit uncomfortably.
Get a bike that fits properly. Life is too short to mess around trying to fix stuff that shouldn’t be an issue on a ride. If you’ve had a bike previously that didn’t have this issue, what has changed with this one? Look for a bike with similar dimensions to the one you had no issues with.
Really? I’ve just spent over £4K on a bike that fits me perfectly, and rides brilliantly; my calves rub slightly on a couple of screws on the chainstays … life’s too short to go blowing thousands more cash on a bike with a slightly narrower chainstay, when I could spend a few quid and cure it.
The lack of grooves makes me think they’re mk4, so thanks for that link Rubber_Bucaneer I’ll have a look at those 👍🏻
a bike that fits me perfectly,
Brilliant. No need for changes then. Carry on soldier.
Link to pedal extenders to move your existing pedals a little further outboard. Could be worth a try. Others types and sizes also on SJS site or elsewhere. Would this solve or reduce the problem?
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-cleats/20-jtek-qplus-pedal-extenders-916-inch/
I have a vague memory (this could be five minutes ago or five years or even fifty..) that Shimano offer a longer length axle on some of their pedals - plus 4mm rings a bell somewhere! Putting spacers in makes the insertion depth into the crank less and can affect strength, depends what sort of beast you are! Those pedal extenders look like a good solution if you need a considerable length increase though. Hope this helps.
Crank Vros do wider versions of some of their Mallet Enduro pedals
Those pedal extenders look super janky. Not sure I'd risk it. Also...
"Requires pedals that use a 15mm spanner for fitting. WILL NOT work with any pedals that fit only using an allen key from behind."
Not sure what “janky” means but good spot with the lack of allen key access, however they may well help with the OP problem?
I've a similar problem with a shotgun seat. Someone on eBay is selling platform pedals with an alleged 12x11 cm platform for £20 so I've ordered some of them. I'll be getting the extenders I had before back off my mate
I’ve been running steel pedal extenders with my Mk5 Burgtecs to help when using the KRS seat as the child sort of gets in the way and haven’t bothered taking them off when I’m out without the sprig on the bike. They seem fine to me, although I think if I was going to be bucking anything big (fat chance) i’d take them off.
Mine were cheap steel jobbies from eBay and seem to be doing ok. Even with size 10 feet I’ve never really been bothered about super huge pedals.
Have you tried drilling the slots on your cleats further back so you can have a more central clear position (basically what you’re doing with flat pedals). Fabian Barel is a fan. Fab knows best
I did have to use a set of knipex pliers to hold the pedal axle while I screwed the extenders on (which worked well) as I hadn’t realised you needed pedal spanner compatible pedals when I ordered them.
I have similar needs.
Vaults have always been good for me.
The new Shimano Xt in ML might be good.
https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/information/news/deore-xt-flat-pedals--pd-m8040.html
@mildred - regardless of what you do (I've got Hope F20s and DMR Vaults on two different bikes and prefer the feel of the vaults under my size 13's) - please mail Cy at Cotic.
Unless you've got bizarrely huge calves I really don't understand how they scrape on any frame part - but maybe it's something Cy should be aware of and something he can look at.
Give designers a helping hand. 🙂
Can't fault nukeproof horizon flats, been running them for years now and they're great.
the Chromag Chris Kovarik signiture pedals (I forget the name) have a longer spindle and wider spacing as thats his preference
The Chromag Daggas are huge, you can get a wide stance, also they are super grippy and absolutely terrifying. The are some of the best pedals I have owned.
The large size XT pedals are great and the shape allows your foot more places to sit than the square shaped pedals.
What crank are you running? For example, Shimano do 3 widths of XT cranks if you were using the narrowest then you could try the middle size, which would move the cranks out a few extra mm.
They’re slx cranks.
I’ve since been into a shop and compared a few. One of the observations I have is that with wider stance pedals comes a bigger platform that doesn’t necessarily give the option of placing my feet further out; most platforms are quite shaped so that there’s a dip in the centre and your foot ends up in the same place as all the others.
I’m going to try those Burgtec longer spindles. I think there’s a few eBay stores got stock and at £25 it’s one of the cheapest fixes.
I've got super skinny calves but am duck footed, so for the first few rides the bolts on the stays annoyed me. I'd forgotten about it until I saw this thread so you definitely get used to it. Particularly this time of the year with trousers on. A friend has the chromags, they are super wide. I have some MK4 burgtecs which are solid pedals but very narrow and some dmr vaults which are in the middle width wise. Hope the wider axles work for you, I'm tempted to give them a go as I prefer the feel of the burgtecs to the vaults in every way but the width.
One cheapish alternative was a new set of dmr v12 or even v8. They’re a wide stance & small platform compared to a lot of the pricier competition.