All About Pedals

 Recently I was messaged about doing an "explainer post" on the subject of pedals. The person told me that they used clip and strap pedals and were wondering about clipless and shoes and all of that. So, I thought that we cannot assume that everyone knows about pedals. Because  - obviously - there are questions. I hope that this post provides answers and is valuable to some of you out there. 

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.

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.....

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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!

Are Flat Pedals Good For Gravel?

The Redshift Sports flat pedals w/lights installed.

While I do not focus on mountain biking here much anymore, I do pay attention to what is going on with mountain biking. One of the trends I see growing is the use of "flat" pedals. The pedals that non-cyclists would call "normal" pedals. 

Before Shimano introduced the PD-M737 clipless pedals in the early 1990's, "flat" pedals are what all mountain bikers were riding. Well, those pedals weren't the flat pedals of today, but they were not clipless pedals either. No, mostly we were using caged pedals with toe straps.Uggh! Those were truly awful. 

At least they were for MTB, which required a lot of get-offs and remounts. Toe straps were just an impediment to doing what you had to do. 'True' flat pedals existed then, but weren't used widely, at least not around here. I say that because trends were a lot more regionally driven then than they are today. 

Nowadays I am seeing more flat pedals being made and more introductions of shoes for flat pedal mountain biking. Seeing as how mountain biking has an influence on gravel riding, I am wondering if flat pedal usage is going to be a thing in gravel riding. Could it become a trend in gravel much as it seems to be doing in MTB?

New flat pedal shoes from Unparalleled Sports. (Image from their site)

The title for today's post asks if this sort of flat pedal set up is "good for gravel". Well, of course it is! I've already proven that for myself, and in my mind there is no question that for every gravel pursuit outside of Pro/Semi-Pro gravel racing, flat pedals definitely have a space in the gravel riding niche. 

But..... There is always a "but"! This probably won't really take off as a trend for gravel until the shoes are made for it. The current MTB specific shoes just don't quite have "it". 

And right now, I'm not sure what "it" is. But I do know that MTB specific flat shoes are a bit too "heavy duty" and not as thin and breathable as I would want to wear. But I'm also not a shoe designer. Maybe I'll know it when I see it, but for now, I'm just going to say that the MTB flat shoes are not what I'd be looking for. 

I have done 100 miles of gravel on flat pedals wearing.........Vans! Yes those traditional skate/fashion sneakers that are canvas and rubber. They were fairly light, which was good, breathable, which was good, but they let in a lot of tiny bits of gravel and the soles were less than stiff for pedaling. So, not those shoes, but I am thinking whatever comes out, if anything comes out, will be closer to Vans than these MTB flat pedal shoes. 

And maybe this will never happen. I hope that it does, because I think a lot of people would ride more if their gravel bikes had flat pedals and shoes to go with that.

Are Flat Pedals Good For Gravel?

The Redshift Sports flat pedals w/lights installed.

While I do not focus on mountain biking here much anymore, I do pay attention to what is going on with mountain biking. One of the trends I see growing is the use of "flat" pedals. The pedals that non-cyclists would call "normal" pedals. 

Before Shimano introduced the PD-M737 clipless pedals in the early 1990's, "flat" pedals are what all mountain bikers were riding. Well, those pedals weren't the flat pedals of today, but they were not clipless pedals either. No, mostly we were using caged pedals with toe straps.Uggh! Those were truly awful. 

At least they were for MTB, which required a lot of get-offs and remounts. Toe straps were just an impediment to doing what you had to do. 'True' flat pedals existed then, but weren't used widely, at least not around here. I say that because trends were a lot more regionally driven then than they are today. 

Nowadays I am seeing more flat pedals being made and more introductions of shoes for flat pedal mountain biking. Seeing as how mountain biking has an influence on gravel riding, I am wondering if flat pedal usage is going to be a thing in gravel riding. Could it become a trend in gravel much as it seems to be doing in MTB?

New flat pedal shoes from Unparalleled Sports. (Image from their site)

The title for today's post asks if this sort of flat pedal set up is "good for gravel". Well, of course it is! I've already proven that for myself, and in my mind there is no question that for every gravel pursuit outside of Pro/Semi-Pro gravel racing, flat pedals definitely have a space in the gravel riding niche. 

But..... There is always a "but"! This probably won't really take off as a trend for gravel until the shoes are made for it. The current MTB specific shoes just don't quite have "it". 

And right now, I'm not sure what "it" is. But I do know that MTB specific flat shoes are a bit too "heavy duty" and not as thin and breathable as I would want to wear. But I'm also not a shoe designer. Maybe I'll know it when I see it, but for now, I'm just going to say that the MTB flat shoes are not what I'd be looking for. 

I have done 100 miles of gravel on flat pedals wearing.........Vans! Yes those traditional skate/fashion sneakers that are canvas and rubber. They were fairly light, which was good, breathable, which was good, but they let in a lot of tiny bits of gravel and the soles were less than stiff for pedaling. So, not those shoes, but I am thinking whatever comes out, if anything comes out, will be closer to Vans than these MTB flat pedal shoes. 

And maybe this will never happen. I hope that it does, because I think a lot of people would ride more if their gravel bikes had flat pedals and shoes to go with that.

Flats Make Me Want To Ride

Every time I went down to grab a bike to commute on, I'd look at this one bike and think, "That would be fun to use as a commuter, but it has clipless pedals. Meh! I don't want to mess with shoes today!". Then I'd grab the Ti Muk 2, or the Surly 1 X 1, or lately, the Sawyer. All fun bicycles to ride that I have set up with flats.

This also figures heavily into which bicycles I choose to run errands on. Flats are best, since I can just hop on and go. No "special cycling gear" required at all. It's a barrier to riding if I have to stop, sit down, and switch out shoes just to ride a bicycle.

A couple things make me this way, perhaps. My best memories of riding when I was younger were on rides that required zero special gear. That means flat pedals. The other thing is that I don't like hassling with finding a set of shoes and then having to switch shoes both at work and at home. So, those things combined make me like just riding flats sometimes. Not all the time, but a lot of the time.

And maybe I would still use flat pedals in events and bigger rides if I didn't think the shoes were holding me back. Not that I have a problem with clipless- I don't, so I guess I just believe in the stories about how it is more efficient and I go clipless. I should just throw a set of flats in my truck. If I had flats that time I forgot my cycling shoes for the Prairie Burn, well...... Anyway.

The Karate Monkey will get ridden more now that it has flat pedals, and that's a good thing.

Tuesday I looked at the Karate Monkey again and thought, "You know, I really should put flats on that bike." I wasn't going to ride it, and I had actually dragged up another bike to use that did have flats. Then I decided this madness had gone on long enough.

I took that bike back down, grabbed some flats, put the Karate Monkey in the work stand, and spun off those clipless pedals. Once they had been replaced with some old flats I have, I was set to cruise to work. Now......that's much better! Another choice for errands, commutes, and big deal if I go out on gravel with flat pedals. In fact, I not only commuted yesterday on the KM, but I also ran a quick errand with it.

Flat pedals rule.

Now, about the bike, for those who may not know this one. It was my first 29"er back in the Spring of 2003. Probably the first 29"er in the area, and maybe one of the first in Iowa. There weren't too many wagon wheelers around in '03! It's always been a single speed, and for most of its time with me, it has been a drop bar bike. I started out gravel grinding with this rig back in '05, it was my main commuter rig for four years, and went through four Winters. The Winter riding nearly killed the bike when my original bottom bracket, a 90's era UN-52, got frozen into the frame. The bike sat around unused for probably a good five years because of that problem. Fortunately, in 2016, I got that bottom bracket out.

I had planned on using that bike for the 2016 GTDRI, but those plans fell through, and another year went by. Finally, in February of 2017, I got the bike assembled in its final form. Then I rode it a few times and.......clipless pedals. So, I just decided this situation needed to change. This bike isn't going anywhere, as it was my first 29"er and I did my second longest ride ever on it back in 2006. I have ridden thousands of miles of gravel on this bike, commuted on it for years, and it has just got to be a rideable bike, not a garage queen. So, the flats are perfect.

Flats Make Me Want To Ride

Every time I went down to grab a bike to commute on, I'd look at this one bike and think, "That would be fun to use as a commuter, but it has clipless pedals. Meh! I don't want to mess with shoes today!". Then I'd grab the Ti Muk 2, or the Surly 1 X 1, or lately, the Sawyer. All fun bicycles to ride that I have set up with flats.

This also figures heavily into which bicycles I choose to run errands on. Flats are best, since I can just hop on and go. No "special cycling gear" required at all. It's a barrier to riding if I have to stop, sit down, and switch out shoes just to ride a bicycle.

A couple things make me this way, perhaps. My best memories of riding when I was younger were on rides that required zero special gear. That means flat pedals. The other thing is that I don't like hassling with finding a set of shoes and then having to switch shoes both at work and at home. So, those things combined make me like just riding flats sometimes. Not all the time, but a lot of the time.

And maybe I would still use flat pedals in events and bigger rides if I didn't think the shoes were holding me back. Not that I have a problem with clipless- I don't, so I guess I just believe in the stories about how it is more efficient and I go clipless. I should just throw a set of flats in my truck. If I had flats that time I forgot my cycling shoes for the Prairie Burn, well...... Anyway.

The Karate Monkey will get ridden more now that it has flat pedals, and that's a good thing.

Tuesday I looked at the Karate Monkey again and thought, "You know, I really should put flats on that bike." I wasn't going to ride it, and I had actually dragged up another bike to use that did have flats. Then I decided this madness had gone on long enough.

I took that bike back down, grabbed some flats, put the Karate Monkey in the work stand, and spun off those clipless pedals. Once they had been replaced with some old flats I have, I was set to cruise to work. Now......that's much better! Another choice for errands, commutes, and big deal if I go out on gravel with flat pedals. In fact, I not only commuted yesterday on the KM, but I also ran a quick errand with it.

Flat pedals rule.

Now, about the bike, for those who may not know this one. It was my first 29"er back in the Spring of 2003. Probably the first 29"er in the area, and maybe one of the first in Iowa. There weren't too many wagon wheelers around in '03! It's always been a single speed, and for most of its time with me, it has been a drop bar bike. I started out gravel grinding with this rig back in '05, it was my main commuter rig for four years, and went through four Winters. The Winter riding nearly killed the bike when my original bottom bracket, a 90's era UN-52, got frozen into the frame. The bike sat around unused for probably a good five years because of that problem. Fortunately, in 2016, I got that bottom bracket out.

I had planned on using that bike for the 2016 GTDRI, but those plans fell through, and another year went by. Finally, in February of 2017, I got the bike assembled in its final form. Then I rode it a few times and.......clipless pedals. So, I just decided this situation needed to change. This bike isn't going anywhere, as it was my first 29"er and I did my second longest ride ever on it back in 2006. I have ridden thousands of miles of gravel on this bike, commuted on it for years, and it has just got to be a rideable bike, not a garage queen. So, the flats are perfect.

Country Views: The First Hot Day

Rollin gravel Eastbound.

Wednesday it was a gorgeous day and was the very first day I would call "Summer-like". The skies were blue bird clear and the wind was nought but a breeze, not even worth mentioning, really. I was itching to get out there, but I had to work on RidingGravel.com first and then all the drama about the Almanzo events distracted me for a bit. But shortly after noon, I managed to load up the State Bicycle Company Warhawk single speed and I headed South, but with a twist.

Generally speaking, I go South and a mile over or so east or west and then straight back North when I'm headed out that way. But yesterday I decided to travel more toward the East than is my norm. The roads East are good, and I don't know why I don't get out that way more than I do. So, I made a concerted effort to get out of my rut in the route choice and go a different way. I am really glad that I did for several reasons, as we will see here.

Now, of course, the Warhawk is a single speed, but I took it out of fixed mode since I wrecked my hips riding it fixed a while back now. So, I wasn't worried about that, and the hills aren't super steep East and South of town until you get around Hickory Hills, but I wasn't going to have time to go quite that far.

I was able to wear just shorts and a shirt, a wool shirt, to be exact, from Showers Pass. It's a light weight Summer wool shirt with a chest pocket and it doesn't look like a cycling jersey at all. The shorts were also Showers Pass and were baggies. (Note: I reviewed the clothing here) I like not wearing Lycra stuff whenever I can. Oh yeah, and I put flats on the Warhawk and rode in the new Giant shoes I have for flat pedals. So, I was total non-racer out there. With my 39 X 18T gearing, I was all good to go. It was just gorgeous out, actually, borderline too hot at times.

Barns For Jason: Check out the pattern in the brickwork of the silo.

The roads are really coming around too. There is still a lot of damage to take care of, but the mud is gone, many of the ruts have been graded down, and there were lots of fresh gravel patches. There are also a lot of smooth-as-a-table-top parts, and along with that are plenty of loose, almost sandy parts. The dust was bad coming off the cars and trucks I met. So, the roads are bone dry now.

'merica. Check out that rare cab-over semi tractor. Don't see many of those around anymore.

Lots of gravel, green grass, and black earth on the ride. Farmers are planting like crazy now.

Like I said, there wasn't really anything to the wind, and despite it being a headwind going South, it was no big deal. I was glad for it actually. It helped drift the clouds of gravel dust off the roadway whenever a car or truck passed. Plus, it helped keep me cooler. It wasn't humid, but I was sweating! The softer roads in many places was making me earn those miles.

Lots of chunky, fresh gravel is being laid down too.

Another of the several planter rigs I saw working the fields of Black Hawk County. Note the dust.

I ended up crossing Kimball, then Highway 21, but I didn't get as far East as V-37, so then I turned South for a bit and back West on Reinbeck Road. When I came back across Highway 21, I saw that where I crossed was a stopping point for a pilot car to guide folks through a construction zone. The man holding the stop sign was busy looking at his phone, (what else?!), as a long line of cars and trucks waited behind him for their turn to follow the pilot car. As I crossed the pavement, I said hello to the man, who looked up in amazement with his mouth agape. I don't think he ever thought he'd see a cyclist on a gravel road, much less one that far out of town.

There are planted fields everywhere, but many are waiting to be worked yet.

It was a great ride. I was super happy to have gotten out and going a different way than usual was fun. As I rolled up the last miles into Waterloo, I realized something. I hadn't been accosted by any dogs! Maybe all I had to do was declare 2019 as the "Year Of The Dog" and that took care of things. Maybe I have paid my dues. Maybe it was just too warm for those furry beasts to give chase. I don't know, but that was the first time in a long time I haven't had to dismount to deal with angry mongrels.

It could have been the different route. I don't know, but I'll take it. Almost 30 miles, and I felt fantastic. The sickness I had been battling is almost a distant memory now and I am starting to feel more like myself again. Both on and off the bike.

Country Views: The First Hot Day

Rollin gravel Eastbound.

Wednesday it was a gorgeous day and was the very first day I would call "Summer-like". The skies were blue bird clear and the wind was nought but a breeze, not even worth mentioning, really. I was itching to get out there, but I had to work on RidingGravel.com first and then all the drama about the Almanzo events distracted me for a bit. But shortly after noon, I managed to load up the State Bicycle Company Warhawk single speed and I headed South, but with a twist.

Generally speaking, I go South and a mile over or so east or west and then straight back North when I'm headed out that way. But yesterday I decided to travel more toward the East than is my norm. The roads East are good, and I don't know why I don't get out that way more than I do. So, I made a concerted effort to get out of my rut in the route choice and go a different way. I am really glad that I did for several reasons, as we will see here.

Now, of course, the Warhawk is a single speed, but I took it out of fixed mode since I wrecked my hips riding it fixed a while back now. So, I wasn't worried about that, and the hills aren't super steep East and South of town until you get around Hickory Hills, but I wasn't going to have time to go quite that far.

I was able to wear just shorts and a shirt, a wool shirt, to be exact, from Showers Pass. It's a light weight Summer wool shirt with a chest pocket and it doesn't look like a cycling jersey at all. The shorts were also Showers Pass and were baggies. (Note: I reviewed the clothing here) I like not wearing Lycra stuff whenever I can. Oh yeah, and I put flats on the Warhawk and rode in the new Giant shoes I have for flat pedals. So, I was total non-racer out there. With my 39 X 18T gearing, I was all good to go. It was just gorgeous out, actually, borderline too hot at times.

Barns For Jason: Check out the pattern in the brickwork of the silo.

The roads are really coming around too. There is still a lot of damage to take care of, but the mud is gone, many of the ruts have been graded down, and there were lots of fresh gravel patches. There are also a lot of smooth-as-a-table-top parts, and along with that are plenty of loose, almost sandy parts. The dust was bad coming off the cars and trucks I met. So, the roads are bone dry now.

'merica. Check out that rare cab-over semi tractor. Don't see many of those around anymore.

Lots of gravel, green grass, and black earth on the ride. Farmers are planting like crazy now.

Like I said, there wasn't really anything to the wind, and despite it being a headwind going South, it was no big deal. I was glad for it actually. It helped drift the clouds of gravel dust off the roadway whenever a car or truck passed. Plus, it helped keep me cooler. It wasn't humid, but I was sweating! The softer roads in many places was making me earn those miles.

Lots of chunky, fresh gravel is being laid down too.

Another of the several planter rigs I saw working the fields of Black Hawk County. Note the dust.

I ended up crossing Kimball, then Highway 21, but I didn't get as far East as V-37, so then I turned South for a bit and back West on Reinbeck Road. When I came back across Highway 21, I saw that where I crossed was a stopping point for a pilot car to guide folks through a construction zone. The man holding the stop sign was busy looking at his phone, (what else?!), as a long line of cars and trucks waited behind him for their turn to follow the pilot car. As I crossed the pavement, I said hello to the man, who looked up in amazement with his mouth agape. I don't think he ever thought he'd see a cyclist on a gravel road, much less one that far out of town.

There are planted fields everywhere, but many are waiting to be worked yet.

It was a great ride. I was super happy to have gotten out and going a different way than usual was fun. As I rolled up the last miles into Waterloo, I realized something. I hadn't been accosted by any dogs! Maybe all I had to do was declare 2019 as the "Year Of The Dog" and that took care of things. Maybe I have paid my dues. Maybe it was just too warm for those furry beasts to give chase. I don't know, but that was the first time in a long time I haven't had to dismount to deal with angry mongrels.

It could have been the different route. I don't know, but I'll take it. Almost 30 miles, and I felt fantastic. The sickness I had been battling is almost a distant memory now and I am starting to feel more like myself again. Both on and off the bike.

Friday News And Views

Paul Thumbies- New! (But not really) Image courtesy of Paul Components

You Should Totally E-Bay Those!

Wednesday I'm cruising my Twitter feed when I scroll up on some newsy bits from a couple of sources saying that Paul Components has released a SRAM TT shifter compatible mount that turns these bar end shifters into old school thumb shifters. Now normally, I would just scroll right on by something like that. However; I was immediately struck by the fact that someone, (actually it was Tweeted by three different accounts I follow), thought these were "new". "They are not new!", I thought to myself.  Heck, I could walk down into my Lab and grab a pair I've had kicking around for years now. New? I don't think so. I went down, within two minutes had them in hand, and shot an image, then tweeted it out asking if my circa 2011 Paul Thumbies could be "new".

A couple of the accounts I "@'ed" (code for adding an account to a Tweet which then directs said Tweet "at" the account.- Pronounced "at-ed") responded with a social media equivalent of a shrug, and they in turn "@'ed" Paul Components account for a definitive answer.

The answer I got from Paul Components on Twitter

So, I had jumped on getting those at the right time, apparently, because back then, I had no clue they were a very limited edition sort of product. I actually got them for my Ti Mukluk, which I used the right shifter by itself at first since I ran 1 X 10 SRAM to start out with. That didn't last long, the shifter came off, and the pair of mounts has been basically sitting on my bench in my little box of bar end shifter parts ever since. I just don't do much with geared, flat bar bikes these days. Anyway, I thanked Paul Components and figured that was that.

Then one of the accounts that was part of the thread snaps back with "hangs up, dials e-bay......" I replied back that this was a well played comment, but I wasn't looking to make a buck from my newfound knowledge dumped on me by Paul Components. Then another follower of mine on Twitter basically answered that and said "take the money and run!"

Social media. Weird. Sometimes it's a fun, knowledge builder. Other times.....well. 

Ingrid's 12 sped rear derailleur Courtesy of Ingrid's Instagram feed

 They Said It Would Last Forever:

Back on the 1990's heyday of CNC craziness, I purchased a "Made In The USA", CNC'ed, lightweight rear derailleur by a company called ProShift. It was "totally rebuild-able" and theoretically would last "forever" since you would be able to purchase any piece or part of that derailleur and rebuild it. It was VERY EXPENSIVE. I bolted it to my 1992 Klein Attitude and started riding.

Well, one day, under no extraordinary circumstances, I heard a "ker-CHUNK!", felt a tug on the chain, and then no power. I looked down and what was left of that derailleur was dangling from a very slack chain. In fact, the only part that survived was a jockey wheel! Every other part was ripped, twisted, or bent beyond recognition. I boxed up all the bits I could find, shipped it to ProShift, and they sent me another under warranty. That derailleur suffered the same fate exactly two weeks later. Again- the only part that survived was the lower jockey wheel.

Well, I had had enough. I got a "real" rear derailleur, went on my merry way, and ProShift quickly became a thing of mountain bike legend. I was reminded of that story again when I read about an Italian based company called "INGRID".

They have, what looks like CNC'ed metal, in the form of a rear derailleur and are saying "it will last forever because it is rebuild-able". Yeah.......

Once bitten, twice shy.

Flat pedal shoes from Giant Bicycles.

 Shoes To Get The Fargo Ready:

Yes, you read that right. I've got some shoes and that is motivating me to get the Fargo up and running. Why? Because the Fargo has flat pedals on it now. The idea is that I am going off to do some longer gravel rides on flats. To test the shoes. The shoes I have on test for RidingGravel.com. Those shoes.....

Anyway, I think it is high time for some new treads for the Fargo as well. I've got me eye on the new Vittoria Terreno Cross Country tires. They have the Graphene compound and I've had experience with this in their Terreno Dry 40mm tire. Those Graphene infused tires have "something" going on and that is something good. It is an uncanny tire in that it shouldn't grip as well as it does, nor roll as fast as it does, but it does. I've also heard it wears like iron. Too good to be true? Maybe, but I am convinced there is a lot more good to these tires than bad.

So, once the tires are on, I am shooting to do some longer rides on flats and hopefully get ready for the Prairie Burn 100 and the Solstice 100, both events coming up really soon! I need to get some miles in my legs and fast.

That's all for this cold, wet week. Let's hope the weather turns around and warmer weather comes. Oh.....and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Friday News And Views

Paul Thumbies- New! (But not really) Image courtesy of Paul Components

You Should Totally E-Bay Those!

Wednesday I'm cruising my Twitter feed when I scroll up on some newsy bits from a couple of sources saying that Paul Components has released a SRAM TT shifter compatible mount that turns these bar end shifters into old school thumb shifters. Now normally, I would just scroll right on by something like that. However; I was immediately struck by the fact that someone, (actually it was Tweeted by three different accounts I follow), thought these were "new". "They are not new!", I thought to myself.  Heck, I could walk down into my Lab and grab a pair I've had kicking around for years now. New? I don't think so. I went down, within two minutes had them in hand, and shot an image, then tweeted it out asking if my circa 2011 Paul Thumbies could be "new".

A couple of the accounts I "@'ed" (code for adding an account to a Tweet which then directs said Tweet "at" the account.- Pronounced "at-ed") responded with a social media equivalent of a shrug, and they in turn "@'ed" Paul Components account for a definitive answer.

The answer I got from Paul Components on Twitter

So, I had jumped on getting those at the right time, apparently, because back then, I had no clue they were a very limited edition sort of product. I actually got them for my Ti Mukluk, which I used the right shifter by itself at first since I ran 1 X 10 SRAM to start out with. That didn't last long, the shifter came off, and the pair of mounts has been basically sitting on my bench in my little box of bar end shifter parts ever since. I just don't do much with geared, flat bar bikes these days. Anyway, I thanked Paul Components and figured that was that.

Then one of the accounts that was part of the thread snaps back with "hangs up, dials e-bay......" I replied back that this was a well played comment, but I wasn't looking to make a buck from my newfound knowledge dumped on me by Paul Components. Then another follower of mine on Twitter basically answered that and said "take the money and run!"

Social media. Weird. Sometimes it's a fun, knowledge builder. Other times.....well. 

Ingrid's 12 sped rear derailleur Courtesy of Ingrid's Instagram feed

 They Said It Would Last Forever:

Back on the 1990's heyday of CNC craziness, I purchased a "Made In The USA", CNC'ed, lightweight rear derailleur by a company called ProShift. It was "totally rebuild-able" and theoretically would last "forever" since you would be able to purchase any piece or part of that derailleur and rebuild it. It was VERY EXPENSIVE. I bolted it to my 1992 Klein Attitude and started riding.

Well, one day, under no extraordinary circumstances, I heard a "ker-CHUNK!", felt a tug on the chain, and then no power. I looked down and what was left of that derailleur was dangling from a very slack chain. In fact, the only part that survived was a jockey wheel! Every other part was ripped, twisted, or bent beyond recognition. I boxed up all the bits I could find, shipped it to ProShift, and they sent me another under warranty. That derailleur suffered the same fate exactly two weeks later. Again- the only part that survived was the lower jockey wheel.

Well, I had had enough. I got a "real" rear derailleur, went on my merry way, and ProShift quickly became a thing of mountain bike legend. I was reminded of that story again when I read about an Italian based company called "INGRID".

They have, what looks like CNC'ed metal, in the form of a rear derailleur and are saying "it will last forever because it is rebuild-able". Yeah.......

Once bitten, twice shy.

Flat pedal shoes from Giant Bicycles.

 Shoes To Get The Fargo Ready:

Yes, you read that right. I've got some shoes and that is motivating me to get the Fargo up and running. Why? Because the Fargo has flat pedals on it now. The idea is that I am going off to do some longer gravel rides on flats. To test the shoes. The shoes I have on test for RidingGravel.com. Those shoes.....

Anyway, I think it is high time for some new treads for the Fargo as well. I've got me eye on the new Vittoria Terreno Cross Country tires. They have the Graphene compound and I've had experience with this in their Terreno Dry 40mm tire. Those Graphene infused tires have "something" going on and that is something good. It is an uncanny tire in that it shouldn't grip as well as it does, nor roll as fast as it does, but it does. I've also heard it wears like iron. Too good to be true? Maybe, but I am convinced there is a lot more good to these tires than bad.

So, once the tires are on, I am shooting to do some longer rides on flats and hopefully get ready for the Prairie Burn 100 and the Solstice 100, both events coming up really soon! I need to get some miles in my legs and fast.

That's all for this cold, wet week. Let's hope the weather turns around and warmer weather comes. Oh.....and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Fyxation Subzero Pedal Reviewed

Flat pedals are making a comeback these days. You may have noticed that many mountain bikers and fat bikers are turning to flat pedals again. Not only that, but so are commuters and even some gravel road riders. Bikepackers often use flats if they do rides in areas that require lots of walking. So, if you think all "serious cycling" is done with clipless pedals, well, you'd be very wrong in that assumption.

Long time readers also know that flat pedals figure into my own riding pretty heavily. I'm a big fan of Fyxation's Mesa MP pedals. I've been using them on many of my bikes, but my longest running set is on my Titanium Mukluk which has seen at least four Winters of use now with those pedals on that bike, plus a 100 mile ride on gravel a couple years ago. They show their age, for sure, but they aren't dead yet either!

Well, a month ago or so Fyxation told me about a new version of the Mesa pedal, the limited edition Mesa Subzero, which is based off of the Mesa MP, with the impact grade nylon pedal body and stainless steel pins for grip. The Mesa Subzero also features those things, but they have new graphics and colored pins and spindles. MSRP is $69.95. See the spec list here:

• High impact nylon body built to take abuse
• Smooth running sealed bearing and DU bushing
• Electroplated cro-moly spindle
• Electroplated stainless steel replaceable pins for added grip with shoes or boots
• Nylon body doesn't suck heat out of your feet like alloy pedals do
• Installs with 15mm open end wrench or 8mm hex wrench
• Pin Spec - M3x0.5 x 7.5mm
• Spindle Thread: 9/16
• Height: 14mm
• Width: 105mm
• Weight: 351g/pair
• Color: Black/Black, Gray/Black, Black/Blue, Black/Orange

So, obviously these went on my Blackborow DS. Fat biking can put a pedal into some pretty difficult situations. Considering I occasionally commuted on the bike as well, that makes the situation potentially worse. The salty, chemical stew mixed into the "car-slush" can be pretty corrosive.

But in reality, I think the next bike I stuck these on is even more of a test. My current commuter now that Winter has lost its grip on things here is the Surly 1X1 single speed. It isn't just a single speed, it is fixed gear single speed. Kind of makes sense and things can have been said to have come full circle here. A Fyxation pedal on a fixed gear commuter? Perfect.

I think this bike is tougher on pedals because there is no coasting, for one thing, and with my relatively stupid-low gear, I spin like a mad man. I think I'm running a 34T up front with a 19T in the rear. Yeah......low gear! But for sloshing through melting snow and ice, pushing through mud, and riding up and down some short steeps, it works well for me. The pedals have a nice, wide platform and the pins grip well, so despite the fact that I have no foot retention, my feet stay put even at high cadences. Of course, the low gear and big platform work great when grinding through a mud slough or a three inch fresh snowfall.

The fixed gear Surly saw all of that and a good curb smash to boot with no degradation in performance at all to the pedals. I did scratch up the pins a bit, but cosmetically the pedals still look great over all. If I could offer one bit of criticism it would be that the pedals middle section stands just a bit proud over the rest of the flat section, or it is even with the edges, which can result in the occasional, slight foot slip. I've never slipped off this pedal completely, mind you, but I think if the pedal was a bit "concave" in profile it would give a more secure grip on whatever footwear you use. I've been wearing some Keen hikers, so not really very "flat pedal friendly", but I gotta keep my feet warm and dry!

That said, I can't think of a much better bang for the buck than this pedal in terms of the looks, function, and long term performance. If these Subzero pedals last as long as my original Mesa MP's, and there is no reason to believe they won't, then the Subzero pedals are a great take on that classic design.

Fyxation Mesa MP Desert Series Image courtesy of Fyxation.

And Now For Something New:

Ironically, as I was typing up this review news was sent out declaring a new color series for the Mesa MP pedals. This is this products 6th anniversary of being on the market and Fyxation decided to celebrate with a Desert Series consisting of muted green, orange, and "sand" colored pedals. These are Mesa MP's that you may be familiar with, just in some new colors. These pedals are also available in black, blue, red, orange, green, and purple. MSRP is $59.99 for a pair. Check out the story on these from Fyxation here.

So, there ya go. The shop where I work sells a lot of these and there is a good reason why. You really cannot find much of anything as good or better for less cash. I'm convinced these pedals are long lasting, tough, and durable. They are fairly thin, so if you like that idea, they are some of the only options at this price point. If you ride in Winter, the nylon body material does not act as a heat sink and your feet stay warmer. I've heard from customers that have come back to the shop that say the same thing I feel is true about the cold weather performance. Of course, for the rest of the year they work well also.

Next up I am going to stick these on a gravel bike and try out riding on gravel with them for a while. I'll report back on how that goes, but if it is anything like my Fat Bike Century ride which was all on gravel, then it won't be anything other than a good report. We'll see.

NOTE: Fyxation sent over the Mesa Subzero pedals at no charge for test/review. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review and I strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Fyxation Subzero Pedal Reviewed

Flat pedals are making a comeback these days. You may have noticed that many mountain bikers and fat bikers are turning to flat pedals again. Not only that, but so are commuters and even some gravel road riders. Bikepackers often use flats if they do rides in areas that require lots of walking. So, if you think all "serious cycling" is done with clipless pedals, well, you'd be very wrong in that assumption.

Long time readers also know that flat pedals figure into my own riding pretty heavily. I'm a big fan of Fyxation's Mesa MP pedals. I've been using them on many of my bikes, but my longest running set is on my Titanium Mukluk which has seen at least four Winters of use now with those pedals on that bike, plus a 100 mile ride on gravel a couple years ago. They show their age, for sure, but they aren't dead yet either!

Well, a month ago or so Fyxation told me about a new version of the Mesa pedal, the limited edition Mesa Subzero, which is based off of the Mesa MP, with the impact grade nylon pedal body and stainless steel pins for grip. The Mesa Subzero also features those things, but they have new graphics and colored pins and spindles. MSRP is $69.95. See the spec list here:

• High impact nylon body built to take abuse
• Smooth running sealed bearing and DU bushing
• Electroplated cro-moly spindle
• Electroplated stainless steel replaceable pins for added grip with shoes or boots
• Nylon body doesn't suck heat out of your feet like alloy pedals do
• Installs with 15mm open end wrench or 8mm hex wrench
• Pin Spec - M3x0.5 x 7.5mm
• Spindle Thread: 9/16
• Height: 14mm
• Width: 105mm
• Weight: 351g/pair
• Color: Black/Black, Gray/Black, Black/Blue, Black/Orange

So, obviously these went on my Blackborow DS. Fat biking can put a pedal into some pretty difficult situations. Considering I occasionally commuted on the bike as well, that makes the situation potentially worse. The salty, chemical stew mixed into the "car-slush" can be pretty corrosive.

But in reality, I think the next bike I stuck these on is even more of a test. My current commuter now that Winter has lost its grip on things here is the Surly 1X1 single speed. It isn't just a single speed, it is fixed gear single speed. Kind of makes sense and things can have been said to have come full circle here. A Fyxation pedal on a fixed gear commuter? Perfect.

I think this bike is tougher on pedals because there is no coasting, for one thing, and with my relatively stupid-low gear, I spin like a mad man. I think I'm running a 34T up front with a 19T in the rear. Yeah......low gear! But for sloshing through melting snow and ice, pushing through mud, and riding up and down some short steeps, it works well for me. The pedals have a nice, wide platform and the pins grip well, so despite the fact that I have no foot retention, my feet stay put even at high cadences. Of course, the low gear and big platform work great when grinding through a mud slough or a three inch fresh snowfall.

The fixed gear Surly saw all of that and a good curb smash to boot with no degradation in performance at all to the pedals. I did scratch up the pins a bit, but cosmetically the pedals still look great over all. If I could offer one bit of criticism it would be that the pedals middle section stands just a bit proud over the rest of the flat section, or it is even with the edges, which can result in the occasional, slight foot slip. I've never slipped off this pedal completely, mind you, but I think if the pedal was a bit "concave" in profile it would give a more secure grip on whatever footwear you use. I've been wearing some Keen hikers, so not really very "flat pedal friendly", but I gotta keep my feet warm and dry!

That said, I can't think of a much better bang for the buck than this pedal in terms of the looks, function, and long term performance. If these Subzero pedals last as long as my original Mesa MP's, and there is no reason to believe they won't, then the Subzero pedals are a great take on that classic design.

Fyxation Mesa MP Desert Series Image courtesy of Fyxation.

And Now For Something New:

Ironically, as I was typing up this review news was sent out declaring a new color series for the Mesa MP pedals. This is this products 6th anniversary of being on the market and Fyxation decided to celebrate with a Desert Series consisting of muted green, orange, and "sand" colored pedals. These are Mesa MP's that you may be familiar with, just in some new colors. These pedals are also available in black, blue, red, orange, green, and purple. MSRP is $59.99 for a pair. Check out the story on these from Fyxation here.

So, there ya go. The shop where I work sells a lot of these and there is a good reason why. You really cannot find much of anything as good or better for less cash. I'm convinced these pedals are long lasting, tough, and durable. They are fairly thin, so if you like that idea, they are some of the only options at this price point. If you ride in Winter, the nylon body material does not act as a heat sink and your feet stay warmer. I've heard from customers that have come back to the shop that say the same thing I feel is true about the cold weather performance. Of course, for the rest of the year they work well also.

Next up I am going to stick these on a gravel bike and try out riding on gravel with them for a while. I'll report back on how that goes, but if it is anything like my Fat Bike Century ride which was all on gravel, then it won't be anything other than a good report. We'll see.

NOTE: Fyxation sent over the Mesa Subzero pedals at no charge for test/review. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review and I strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

To Flat Or Not To Flat

These swanky Fyxation Mesa Subzero's may be seeing a lot of gravel duty

I don't know what it is exactly. Maybe I am reverting to a childhood status when it comes to riding bicycles. Maybe I am too much about having more fun these days. Whatever the reason, I just got in these new Fyxation Mesa Subzero pedals and I was thinking, why not use flat pedals for gravel riding? 

I'm sure many of you have, and many of you reading here do use flat pedals for gravel road riding, but I generally don't give it much thought. So, why now? Well, again......I'm not sure! I just know that it suddenly seems like a great idea.

So, why not?

By the way, I have used flats on gravel road riding before. I did the "Fatbike Century" over a year ago on flats. I also used street shoes! It was a successful experiment and raised not a few questions in my mind about why we insist on using specific pedals and shoes for all our riding. I don't think it is necessary and I wonder if this predilection with using specific shoes and pedals hasn't actually caused more issues than it solves.

I suppose we could debate things till the cows come home, but I have had one observation that, along with clothing choices, seems to take down a huge barrier to getting out there, for me, at least. That is that when I have a bicycle with flats installed I am more likely to want to ride that bike than I am my bikes without flat pedals. To tag along this line of thinking, I am also more likely not to worry a bunch about wearing cycling specific duds as well. Just a jersey, pop on a helmet, go ride.

Easy.

Sure, that doesn't mean that it isn't a good idea to use that specific cycling gear much of the time, but if I had only clipless pedal bikes, and if I thought I could only ride in a chamois and jersey, I would ride a lot less than I do. Sometimes I even ride without a helmet. (GASP!) Yep! And it is awesome.....

Anyway, the less barriers to getting on the bike the better, I think. Yeah.......I think I may be mashing flats a lot out on the gravel this year. At least to start out with. We'll see where it goes.......