Benefits of better pedals

james22b2

Hi
I am still using the basic throwaway plastic pedals that came with my new MTB. What are the benefits of buying shiny new expensive ones?
Also, I had a pedal strike yesterday on a root and one of the plastic pedal ended up at an angle, would metal have faired better or been repairable?
Thanks!

John Wh

Tons of benefits with better pedals. The plastic ones the bike comes with are only really for car park demos and are pretty dangerous on a real ride.

Good pedals are:

Stronger
Grippier
More comfortable

Probably more benefits that I can't think of off the top of my head. they are one of the main contact points of the bike too, so any input from your legs is going to go straight through those pedals. Having a much better interface will improve your riding experience a lot.

scoi

I used to slip off my pedals a few times per ride with the ones that came with the bike. Got a pair of £10 Wellgo's and the difference is massive. I don't even use proper bike shoes either.

Mattharrier

My feet are twice as wide as the standard two part pedals that came with my bike, and after half an hour on the trail, my feet (my left particularly) would ache and then get pins and needles. Now I have V12s, I don't have this problem, and my feet stay planted when I want them to. It makes the basic act of pedalling much easier which frees up concentration and energy for everything else.

I wouldn't say you need to go as far as V12s in terms of cost, but something like DMR V8s or Wellgo MG1s is definitely a wise investment.

Antm81

Your looking at better grip, a better platform to transmit power etc.

I'd recommend something like the superstar nano, I've not tried the new one but I'm currently using the previous version, much better than the dmr v8s I had before and probably close to the vaults for a fraction of the cost. The latest version has 25% off currently using the code BTS25WEB making them less than £30

james22b2

Thanks everyone. Are they less likely to break from an impact with something hard (rocks/roots etc)?

Antm81

Mine have taken a few impacts, got a few scratches and lost the odd pin, which are replaceable anyway, but that's it.

The Rookie

Plastic pedals offer little grip, also the bearings are running on a plastic shell on the cheapest ones and will last about 10 minutes on a good day before either getting rough or developing play.

stubs

Not all plastic pedals are the same. Superstar and another company who I cant think of the name at the moment do decent plastic pedals. A mates lad has the Superstar ones on his bike and they have lasted 4 months of teenage abuse and still spinning smooth.

I have had a pair of Wellgo MG1s on my commuter/canal towpath bike for about 7 years and they are still good so I always reccomend them for a budget buy.

cooldad

All I ever use, can be had for £20 odd, light and grippy. Only complaint I've heard is a fairly small platform but I have dainty feet.

Chunkers1980

Small feet, small obvious?

BigAl

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19700378#p19700378]Chunkers1980[/url] wrote:

Small feet, small obvious?

Shoes?

cooldad

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19700378#p19700378]Chunkers1980[/url] wrote:

Small feet, small obvious?

Only compared to a blue whale. It's called compensation.

Velve

I'm of the opinion maunfacturers supply cheap and chearfull pedals knowing they are going to be replaced very soon after purchase. The difference between the ones that came with the bike and ones you chose yourself will be like night and day.

I recently bought a new bike and swapped out the plastic they came with for a pair of HT Nano AN 01's recommended to me by Nirvana Cycles over in Westcott. WIthin 50m of riding off, I knew I'd made the right choice, I actually felt in control of my feet (if that makes any sence). If' you're on less of a budget, I've heard good things about the Shimano Saint MX80's.

Hope this helps

V

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