What's The Point?

I Don\'t Get It

I use a Pitch Pro for all round trail riding. (Some up, some down, some flat, some technical etc.)

I use ordinary pedals (no fastenings) so what is the point of not replacing them with the lightest cheapest Halfords pedals I can squat my feet on? I mean, they're not going to snap are they, so why waste money? I'll still be able to climb, and I can't see how it will prevent me coming back down again!

supersonic

If you have used Halfords cheapest plastic pedals you'll soon know why. Bearings are terrible, the plastic cage will disintegrate and the grip is mimimal.

The Northern Monkey

supersonic wrote:

grip

tlw1

Buy it cheap, buy it twice

bikey2009

I Don\'t Get It wrote:

I use a Pitch Pro for all round trail riding. (Some up, some down, some flat, some technical etc.)

I use ordinary pedals (no fastenings) so what is the point of not replacing them with the lightest cheapest Halfords pedals I can squat my feet on? I mean, they're not going to snap are they, so why waste money? I'll still be able to climb, and I can't see how it will prevent me coming back down again!

Your quite right, you wouldn't want to replace them with cheap halfords pedals.

Northwind

Grip grip grip. I've got a set of studless flats on my commuter, they are **** all use to anyone. I've slipped a foot on the road never mind on the trail!

Any spiky pedal will do the job ultimately but a good one can be grippy, strong, light and reliable.

butcher of bakersfield

I remember the first time I had some proper alu flats on my BMX. Oh my god, it felt and sounded so good. Total transformation from the rattlers I had before that. Probably nowt to do with the topic, I'm just reminiscing.

It seems like a bit of a con though that more expensive pedals tend to have bigger studs, as if 0.000000001p worth of extra material justifies the extra £10-£20. Maybe someone can put me right on that, if I'm wrong?

Frostys

My mate has a set of undiscarnable flats on his Palisades Trail (fleabay special) and couldn't believe the difference between those and the DMR V8's on mine. More cofidence no slippage and not that much more expensive.... As Matthew H says buy cheap buy twice

Dirtydog11

I Don\'t Get It wrote:

I use a Pitch Pro for all round trail riding. (Some up, some down, some flat, some technical etc.)

I use ordinary pedals (no fastenings) so what is the point of not replacing them with the lightest cheapest Halfords pedals I can squat my feet on? I mean, they're not going to snap are they, so why waste money? I'll still be able to climb, and I can't see how it will prevent me coming back down again!

Argos are doing a pair of MTB tyres complete with inner tubes for £20.00. They don't explode, don't waste your money on brands like Maxxis and Continental. You'll still be able to climb, and they wont prevent you coming back down again!

Grab yourself a bargain

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... ETYRES.htm

......... only in 1.95s though!

stumpyjon

Same will aplly for both cheap pedals and cheap tyres

GRIP

Just because it's a bike shaped object it isn't necessarily a bike.

tlw1

stumpyjon wrote:

Same will aplly for both cheap pedals and cheap tyres

GRIP

Just because it's a bike shaped object it isn't necessarily a bike.

whats the point you are trying to make

I Don\'t Get It

The point I was trying to make was that I've been stung before. I bought an expensive breathable jacket because I was fed up of drowning in my own sweat! You know the kind of thing - after a two hour winter ride in the cold with non breathable wrappings you can ring your inner layers out at the finish. I wore the 'breathable' first time and could STILL wring my stuff out! In short, it doesn't really work. How much else is overhyped?

BigJimmyB

I Don\'t Get It wrote:

The point I was trying to make was that I've been stung before. I bought an expensive breathable jacket because I was fed up of drowning in my own sweat! You know the kind of thing - after a two hour winter ride in the cold with non breathable wrappings you can ring your inner layers out at the finish. I wore the 'breathable' first time and could STILL wring my stuff out! In short, it doesn't really work. How much else is overhyped?

That could also have depended on what layers you had on underneath and if (like me) you're a prolific sweater.....

I now wear merino wool and a proper wicking fabric jersey. Yes, I still get damp, but the wool dont smell and it all dries out quickly afterwards...

Total cost of all 3 layers - £100

I Don\'t Get It

Thank's Big Jimmy. I have been wearing a thick long sleeved Damart vest and thick synthetic jersey underneath. Perhaps the Damart vest is another overhyped product, and wool would be better. Will give it a try right now, today. (Just going out- mist and drizzle on't moors- ideal testing conditions.)

Briggo

What was the expensive breathable jacket?

Paul 8v

those 26" argos tyres apparently fit 24"s as well...

andituk

I Don\'t Get It wrote:

Thank's Big Jimmy. I have been wearing a thick long sleeved Damart vest and thick synthetic jersey underneath. Perhaps the Damart vest is another overhyped product, and wool would be better. Will give it a try right now, today. (Just going out- mist and drizzle on't moors- ideal testing conditions.)

No point having a breathable layer on the outside if the stuff underneath isn't. You need to wick the moisture away from one layer to the next.

Northwind

That all sounds hellishly hot to me, if I'm wearing my proper waterproof I'll wear at most a single warm base layer under it but usually I don't even do that, just a regular base. It doesn't matter how breathable your stuff is, if you're sweating buckets you'll be wet.

Eranu

Got to agree on the layers thing. even when it was -6 here all I had on was a base layer and my event jacket..toasty!

I Don\'t Get It

Just back from ride.Two quick answers. 1) Altura jacket. 2) Damart vests ARE for wicking moisture, and thick knit synthetic jersey with big air spacwes likewise.

I should have given more background. The Pitch Pro was replacement for previous two year old bike which was in need of lots of replacement parts. As first used (exactly 1 year ago) it had heavy studded on one side pedals. I transferred the flat pedals from the old bike. They are nondescript cheapos but have quite big spiky edges. They have now done 3 years use and are growly. Hence the need to replace.

Two objections were raised to the Halfords pedals. 1) Slippage 2) crappy bearings.

1) The spikes on the present worn pedals are practically identical to the £7. 49 Halfords ones, so they won't feel any different to what I'm used to.

2) I assume (perhaps wrongly) that pedal makers buy their ball bearings in bulk from a recognised factory. Would it be logical for the factory to make sub standard products just for some of them? My present 3 year old cheapos would seem to give the lie to that.

Lastly, I find it odd that some will spend a small fortune to save a few gramms here and there. (Ceramic headsets for £250 now!!!! Is there some problem with the present ones?) Yet everybody poo poos a lighter £7.49 pair of pedals! Is that the reason bike makers give the weight without pedals?

Briggo

Is Damart a wicking layer? It seems to be more thermal than wicking to me. (correct me if wrong never heard of it before till now, and just browsed some damart website)

If its just thermal that'll make a large difference as its made to keep heat in...

I Don\'t Get It

Thank's Briggo. You may just have hit the nail on the head. I'd always assumed it to be so. (Wickable.) However, the Altura jacket is always wet on the inside when I take it off. Why isn't the water going through it to the outside? It can,t be that the membrane? is blocked because it's been like that from new.

Eranu

Depends which jacket it is...some are better at wicking out the moisture than others.

Not sure about the pedals thing as I use SPD's but I would buy what I wanted and couldn't care less what people think. If you're happy then that's all that matters.

GHill

I Don\'t Get It wrote:

Two objections were raised to the Halfords pedals. 1) Slippage 2) crappy bearings.

With the pedals:

1) Are they grippy enough? Compared with something like a DMR v12 or similar?

2) Is the platform big enough to be stable (will depend on your feet and shoes)?

3) Is the pedal stiff enough to provide efficient transfer and strong enough to withstand the occasional strike?

If the answer to all of those is yes, then they're probably the pedals for you. I've never been able to answer yes to all of those (or more than one) with the flat pedals manufacturers provide, but I can't claim to have tried them all.

Squarepants

My Halfords GT came with silky smooth teflon coated pedals which gave me no confidence whatsoever and my feet slipped off every 50 meters on the one ride I did before throwing them away. Difference to V8's was like buying a new bike and they transformed the ride. Can't remember what the original question was but it was something about pedals wasn't it?

Was the point along the lines of "why spend lots when cheap stuff does the job?" buy the 'expensive' stuff and find out...

llamafarmer

I Don\'t Get It wrote:

2) I assume (perhaps wrongly) that pedal makers buy their ball bearings in bulk from a recognised factory. Would it be logical for the factory to make sub standard products just for some of them? My present 3 year old cheapos would seem to give the lie to that.

Lastly, I find it odd that some will spend a small fortune to save a few gramms here and there. (Ceramic headsets for £250 now!!!! Is there some problem with the present ones?) Yet everybody poo poos a lighter £7.49 pair of pedals! Is that the reason bike makers give the weight without pedals?

Bearings come in all sorts of different grades, the best ones are more expensive than the basic ones - if you're buying a cheap product you'll get the cheaper parts in it. Same goes for all bike parts, the best stuff uses the best materials and is made to tighter tolerances, all of which costs more.

Kiblams

Myself and my OH have been riding weekly in all weathers using the cheapresin pedals that are the same shape as the standard V8s. W have both smashed them off roots, rocks and tree stumps as we have improved our biking. Guess what... both pairs are still more than capable, with no bearing issues what so ever.

I considered buying metal pedals but they seem very heavy compared to the resin ones that I use, I couldn't jusify the weight as the only ill effect that I can identify from a year of frequent use at trail centres is a small loss of grip as the plastic studs have rounded.

Northwind

I Don\'t Get It wrote:

However, the Altura jacket is always wet on the inside when I take it off. Why isn't the water going through it to the outside?

Some will be. Nothing lets all moisture through after all

ratty2k

you wanna buy cheap stuff, go ahead. There iis a happy middle ground for everything, and maybe if you bought a better pedal you think "these are much better"...

I Don\'t Get It

Slight correction. £7.49 was apparently a special half price offer, now withdrawn. Price now £14.99. Will still buy and partially dismantle to check that adequately packed with grease. The serations will grip into the grooves in the soles of my shoes so grip shouldn'tbe too much of a problem.

Agree that there's a middle way which is why I bought the Pitch Pro. (£1,250 at the time.) Of course I like it, but were I to try a £3000 bike it shortcomings would be apparent. For that reason I never will!

bomberesque

clearly you've made your mind up so whatever. buy what you want.

while we're at it; why are you riding so much bike rather than a white on-one inbred with rigid forks?

no, don't answer, I'm not really bothered.