Pedals. They are invaluable for cycling and are one of the three VERY important "contact points" humans have with bicycles. As such, I feel that pedals actually deserve more scrutiny than they get from the cycling brands and pundits. A bad, or even a mediocre pedal can ruin a ride, make cycling no-fun, and no one wants that!
Types of Pedals: There are different pedals but essentially they can be grouped in three categories: Clip & Strap, Clipless, and Flats. I'll discuss the tree types and then we will get into why you might choose one over the other. Plus, I'll share what I think as well about pedals for my cycling purposes.
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| A typical clip & strap pedal (Image snagged from eBay) |
Clip & Strap Pedals: These pedals were developed late into the 19th Century to help racers feet stay on the pedals. Having no ability to coast due to their fixed gear drive trains of the day, these single speeders were in danger of having their legs beaten by whirling crank sets and crashing when their feet slipped off unexpectedly. A metal "clip" was developed that went from the front edge of the pedal, wrapped around the front of the rider's shoe, and the came up over the instep a bit. That end had a loop with a strap through it which crossed the foot, went through the pedal body, and was adjustable for tension. Good for securing the foot to the pedal. Not so good if you had to execute a quick dismount of your bicycle!
Clip & Strap pedals were usually only used then by racers and cycling enthusiasts who toured or were into racing bikes and track riding. However; when mountain bikes came along, with their rough terrain and often wet, muddy, and therefore slippery aspects, the clip & strap pedal became the defacto MTB pedal of choice by the late 1980's and every good MTB was equipped with them from that point until 1992. Then.....
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| Dual-entry clipless pedal |
Clipless Pedals: In the mid-1980's, LOOK, a ski binding manufacturer, came up with a binding for cycling, made it in a pedal format, and provided a shoe with a corresponding cleat attached to the bottom that would snap into the pedal via a sprung cleat pocket. This single-sided entry pedal was marketed at first to road racers. Instead of having to reach down to release a toe-strap on a clip & strap pedal, now the rider could disengage from the pedal by simply twisting sideways with the heel. The name "clipless" came about because the pedal LOOK came up with did not have to have the "clip" over the front of the foot. Thus "clipless", even though most people would say that a clipless pedal is one you "clip into", so this is confusing for many folks.
By 1992 Shimano developed the clipless pedal for mountain biking with a dual-sided entry pedal, two-bolt cleat type shoe interface which became the de-facto industry standard for off-road a few years later. Since then, clip & straps for MTB has fallen out of favor with most mountain bikers.
Of course, the advantages of clipless are that you will not slip off the pedal and you can easily disengage from it, unlike toe clips and straps. Plus your feet won't suffer damage from overly-tight toe straps. Disadvantages are that you have to have a corresponding shoe and proper cleat.
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| A single-sided "road" pedal that takes a two-bolt cleat. |
There are typically two types of clipless pedals. MTB and Road. The difference is that Road can usually only be clipped into one way while MTB pedals typically can be clipped into on both sides. The "cleats" vary as well. MTB cleats typically are "two-bolt" while Road cleats typically are triangular in shape and require three bolts to attach to the shoe. And yes, shoes vary according to this standard as well. So, if you have a road bike with road pedals and a mountain bike with mountain bike pedals you will have two sets of pedals and two pairs of shoes. One set for Road, one for MTB.
One note about clipless pedal specific shoes: These can vary wildly, and have styles all over the map. Some look like normal "civvie" shoes while others may look like something an alien fashion model might wear. The general idea, besides matching up with a Road or MTB standard, is that the shoe gives you a better, stiffer platform to pedal off of, theoretically making you more efficient. However; cycling specific shoes can make walking a real chore, or next to impossible, depending upon the shoe. Some of the more casual cycling shoes actually aren't too bad to wear on the daily, but conversely, you might feel compromised while pedaling.
Flat Pedals (Platform Pedals): These are , like the name implies, a flat platform for your feet to push on. These are the type of pedals you probably learned to ride a bike with. These can vary in form-factor quite a bit. You'll see the most basic, cheaply made flat pedals on department store bikes and even on entry level bike-shop quality bikes. These usually are not very good, being made of poor quality plastic and having poor quality bearings.
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| Fyxation Mesa MP flat pedals. (Image courtesy of Fyxation) |
However; there are high-quality, durable flat pedals made from composites and plastics. Obviously there are also aluminum ones as well. These can vary in price greatly.
Most notably used for steep mountain biking, fixed gear, and recreational riding, flat pedals can actually be kind of freeing. You can wear whatever shoes are on your feet, mostly, and there are no special accessories necessary.
Some flat pedals have pins which provide grip on the shoe to keep your foot in place. These same pins can shred your shin if you inadvertently do slip a pedal and end up slamming the pedal into your leg. Other flat pedals are smoother surfaced but may have a friction material applied to help with foot slippage issues.
What Pedal is Right For You?: This is a great question and your bicycle may help you answer it. That and how you ride will be your ultimate guide here. So, let's think about some obvious things first. Then I'll get into what I think personally and I will give you some recommendations.
The style of bike you have may be all you need to guide you. That said, Road bikes can be fitted with dual-sided MTB pedals and flats. A mountain bike could have flats or road bike pedals. You get the picture. Traditionally Road pedals go on Road bikes and MTB pedals go on MTB's, etc. Flats used to be the realm of BMX bikes but now a lot of different uses for flats have been noted.
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| This Ergon flat pedal has a sandpaper-like friction material bonded to it. |
I don't think you have to think about the bike much, but rather, how you want to live with your bike. That is most important. Are you the type that doesn't sweat getting a personal record on a segment and just wants to have fun riding? Maybe you are more practically motivated and you use your bicycle for errands and transportation. Maybe you like simplicity and low cost. Maybe all of the above? Then this points you to flat pedals.
Flats are no less efficient than clipless, and but for foot retention purposes, flats would be the number one choice, in my view. Flats pretty much allow you to use any shoe or boot and the cost is kept low due to that. Plus, the pedals themselves can be less expensive and very high quality.
But, if foot retention is a high-priority, and ground clearance is an issue, then clipless pedals are better. Also, if you have specific needs based around issues with your feet, you can get customized orthotics and even cycling shoes that mold to your feet. Plus, cycling shoes are more efficient than most civvie shoes, and cooler when it is hot. (If you get warm-weather cycling shoes, that is.) Clipless often is best in severe, muddy, rainy weather and might allow you to do tricks easier than with flat pedals like "bunny-hopping" or moving either wheel sideways or off the ground.
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| A variation of the strap system for foot retention. (Image courtesy of Fyxation) |
The old-school clip & strap pedals are pretty archaic. You can use them, but if foot retention is an issue, clipless is a lot safer to get in and out of while riding. The safety factor alone is worth the price of the shoes and pedals, in my view.
There is the fixie single strap type pedal and these may be a good compromise between pure flats and clip and strap styles.
My personal view is that flat pedals rule. They allow me to just hop on a bike and go at a moments notice. That said, I do like my clipless on gravel. The dust and heat in Summer is best taken in while using cycling shoes which can be vented and cooler. Plus, the rougher sections won't shake me out of my pedals, nor will unseen potholes and ruts.
So, there you go. The basics of pedals. I can get into the "how" and mechanical bits about pedals if anyone wants to read that. Or, maybe you have questions? Suggestions and questions can be sent to me via the comments or at g.ted.productions@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!
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