Help me with this pedal design survey please

bikenweed · May 22, 2007

1) What are your favorite pedal brands/models and why? Tioga Factory MX, super grippy, light, stiff, cheap. Easton Cully, super grippy, perfect dimensions, low profile.

3) How many grip-pins per side? Six to eight, and with a good concave. Too few pins means not enough grip, and too many pins doesn't allow your foot to seat propery, creating a slippery pedal.

4) Have you ever bent or broken a pedal axle? If yes, did it bend or break? How many? What brands? Primo Tenderizers and S&M/Wellgo pedals have all bent for me.

5) Some pedals have a forward-shifted parallelogram shape from side view, while others do not. Which style do you prefer and why? The parallelogram is great because when your pedal rotates under your foot on a barspin or a no footed trick, and your foot lands on the skinny side, the pedal will naturally rotate into place.

7) What would be an acceptable retail cost for a pair of top-of-the-line pedals? $65.

8) Pick your first 3 most important criteria for deciding on a set of pedals from the following list or add your own: strength, feel, grip.

The best pedals have a fair amount of concavity, and not too many pins. A lot of pins creates an effect similar to that of a bed of nails- the shoe doesn't get enough pressure on each pin for the pin to penetrate deeply enough into the tread. Therefore, six-eight pins, like on the Cully's or Tioga's, and a fair bit of concavity, allow the shoe to really get wedged on their. A parellogram shape is great when your feet lift off the pedals and need to find the grippy side before landing. Replaceable pins are also a necessity, but the side underneath the pedal needs to have the allen/philips hole.

_*sTiTcHeS*_ · May 23, 2007

1) What are your favorite pedal brands/models and why?

atomlab: because they are thin, and have no bearings to mess up.
specialized: because they are thin, and they have good pin placement.
syncros: they are light, have no play, take rocks, and have the most grip you'd want in a downhill pedal.

2) What would be the ideal dimensions for a pedal: Length, Width, Thickness?

thickness would be as thin as you can make the pedal at the spindle and drop the thickness all around and then have pins that are as tall as the spindle area so that its as thin as possible and your feet aren't resting on just pins. width has to be as wide as the shoe, and length is pretty much good on most pedals.

3) How many grip-pins per side?

as many as it takes, maybey 10. the same type of pins on the new odyssey JC's.

4) Have you ever bent or broken a pedal axle? If yes, did it bend or break? How many? What brands?

bent an odyssey JC pedal spindle. thats all.

5) Some pedals have a forward-shifted parallelogram shape from
side view, while others do not. Which style do you prefer and why?

the parallel shape because it helps skim over rocks and when you put your feet on the pedal when its standing up right, it helps to flip the pedal flat under your foot.

6) What would be an acceptable weight for a pair of pedals?

150grams each. insanely thin, hollowed out body, hollow ti spindle, and minimal hollow traction pins.

7) What would be an acceptable retail cost for a pair of top-of-the-line pedals?

300$ they are a very important part of the bike. syncros ti pedals go for 450$ cad. the magnesiums were 275$ cad.

8) Pick your first 3 most important criteria for deciding on a set of pedals from the following list or add your own: Price, weight, strength, durability, serviceability, size (length and width), thickness, feel, grip, looks.

thickness/weight/grip

AfroJack · May 23, 2007

Will you be fabricating the pedals yourself? About two years ago i made a set of Ti pedals for a manufacturing class. It was one of the funnest projects I've done for school credit. Pin placement is huge on the pedals. When I made mine I tried to make them as wide as possible with as few pins as possible. I ended up going with 8 2.5mm pins, I placed one of the pins a little to close to the bike and i rarely step on it so be careful with your pin placement. The pedals still grip amazing well, one thing that would make them better would have been adding a concave shape, but keeping endmills alive in the titanium was hard enough without doing a complex surface. Due to some material supply issues at school i was forced to make the pedals out of titanium instead of aluminum - which they were originally designed for - so they are just a little over built. Good luck with the project.

DHS · May 23, 2007

your school stocks more Ti then Alum. thats a bloody rich school. let alone blocks of Ti

downhillracer · May 23, 2007

Afro- that is so awesome you got a chance to make Ti pedals in school. What did that end up costing you? anything?

Toshi · May 23, 2007

DHS said:
your school stocks more Ti then Alum. thats a bloody rich school. let alone blocks of Ti

dhkid · May 23, 2007

1) What are your favorite pedal brands/models and why?
easton cully, swear by them. work great with very little trouble. mine are nearly 5 years old. burgtec penhouse is another really nice pedal design. but i have only spent limited time on it.

2) What would be the ideal dimensions for a pedal: Length, Width, Thickness?

lenght of width of a cully, most good pedals are around that size. something like shimano dx are a bit too small. thickness as long as its respectable, i find to many companies pushing for super thin when its not necessary. but something like funn slojam vipers are way too thick.

3) How many grip-pins per side?

around 8ish, just on the out side of the pedal. none on the inside. that with a slight concave will do wonders.

4) Have you ever bent or broken a pedal axle? If yes, did it bend or break? How many? What brands?

none

5) Some pedals have a forward-shifted parallelogram shape from side view, while others do not. Which style do you prefer and why?

all pedals i tried have this design, cant really comment on which is better.

6) What would be an acceptable weight for a pair of pedals?

acceptable would be sub 550 grams.

7) What would be an acceptable retail cost for a pair of top-of-the-line pedals?

$70-$100

8) Pick your first 3 most important criteria for deciding on a set of pedals from the following list or add your own: Price, weight, strength, durability, serviceability, size (length and width), thickness, feel, grip, looks.

i cant really say which is most important, all of them are quite important. they would have to be within certain criteria: price depends on what features it has and how heavy it is. (burgtecs go for $240) i would pony up if i had the cash. size has to be right, otherwise i wouldn't even look at it. too heavy and forget about it. grip, i would say as long as it grips well. but having amazing grips helps, but not too much like ns leg eaters. weight would definitely be a selling point, but dont push it too far. serviceability is a must.

pretty much if you can just follow the criteria of what good pedals have and just improve slightly on certain expects, that would be good enough.

good luck. :thumb:

AfroJack · May 23, 2007

Getting the titanium was all luck. The department was moving buildings so they didnt want any new material coming in. I looked through all the storage and stumbled on a bunch of Ti blocks. So in an effort to help them get rid of stuff I just had to use them...

They ended up costing me about 100 dollars I think, just had to buy the bearings and axels - one of these days I will make Ti axels for them just dont have the time right now.

Bicyclist · May 23, 2007

1) What are your favorite pedal brands/models and why?
2) What would be the ideal dimensions for a pedal: Length, Width, Thickness?
3) How many grip-pins per side?
4) Have you ever bent or broken a pedal axle? If yes, did it bend or break? How many? What brands?
5) Some pedals have a forward-shifted parallelogram shape from side view, while others do not. Which style do you prefer and why?
6) What would be an acceptable weight for a pair of pedals?
7) What would be an acceptable retail cost for a pair of top-of-the-line pedals?
8) Pick your first 3 most important criteria for deciding on a set of pedals from the following list or add your own: Price, weight, strength, durability, serviceability, size (length and width), thickness, feel, grip, looks.

1) Tioga MX Pro. Light, durable, lots of concave. Atomlabs look great too because they're thin.

2)Thin, medium width, semi-long length.

3) 8-ish. Too many=bad grip and feel.

4) No.

5) Parallelogram. They feel better to me, because the shape seems to keep your foot on if it falls off the main platform.

6) 450-500g? I know it's light, but I wouldn't think that more weight means better anything.

7) $150?

8) Weight, feel/grip, strength.

Sir_Crackien · May 24, 2007

1) tioga mx-pro, wellgo b-27 (same thing as the tioga), wellgo mg-1 (my favorite), xpido some thing, others.

2) i feel that the perfect pedal would have the shape and feel of the mg-1 but just a little bigger

3) 8-10 in a u shape around the perimeter

4) yes. all of of them at some point.

5) parallelogram. the other kind should not even be made. also as a good note the parallelogram should not be a step style shown on the pic above, though it is much easier to make, but actually machined at an angle.

6) as light as possible while remaining strong (the mg-1 are olny like 381 grams)

7)less then $100

8) Weight, feel/grip, strength.

dhkid · May 24, 2007

Sir_Crackien said:
5) parallelogram. the other kind should not even be made. also as a good note the parallelogram should not be a step style shown on the pic above, though it is much easier to make, but actually machined at an angle.

no matter how you machine it, the pedal surface would always be perpendicular to the axle. so i dont think making an angle is possible.

zmtber · May 24, 2007

What are your favorite pedal brands/models and why?

AtomLab, Azonic, Straitline B/C they have great pin placement are concave, thin, and are of decent weight.

2) What would be the ideal dimensions for a pedal: Length, Width, Thickness?

as close to 4x4 and as thin as you cang et them

3) How many grip-pins per side?

8-9, but if you make them different sizes that might be good adding to the concaveness

4) Have you ever bent or broken a pedal axle? If yes, did it bend or break? How many? What brands?

never

5) Some pedals have a forward-shifted parallelogram shape from side view, while others do not. Which style do you prefer and why?

I like the parrallelogram shape

6) What would be an acceptable weight for a pair of pedals?

for a pair around or under 500g

7) What would be an acceptable retail cost for a pair of top-of-the-line pedals?

110-150

8) Pick your first 3 most important criteria for deciding on a set of pedals from the following list or add your own: Price, weight, strength, durability, serviceability, size (length and width), thickness, feel, grip, looks.

Grip, Size, strength (dude looks is a given)

sunny · May 25, 2007

AfroJack said:
Getting the titanium was all luck. The department was moving buildings so they didnt want any new material coming in. I looked through all the storage and stumbled on a bunch of Ti blocks. So in an effort to help them get rid of stuff I just had to use them...

so... did you go buy a lottery ticket that afternoon?

DH biker · May 25, 2007

1) What are your favorite pedal brands/models and why? Syncros, You can't beat the grip.
2) What would be the ideal dimensions for a pedal: Length, Width, Thickness? Lenght and Width are important for someone with big shoes and feet like me.
3) How many grip-pins per side? Not too many becasue too many = bed of nails = no grip.
4) Have you ever bent or broken a pedal axle? If yes, did it bend or break? How many? What brands? N/A
5) Some pedals have a forward-shifted parallelogram shape from side view, while others do not. Which style do you prefer and why? Parallelogram shape, due to where it places you over the axle.
6) What would be an acceptable weight for a pair of pedals? 1-2 lbs.
7) What would be an acceptable retail cost for a pair of top-of-the-line pedals? $100
8) Pick your first 3 most important criteria for deciding on a set of pedals from the following list or add your own: Price, weight, strength, durability, serviceability, size (length and width), thickness, feel, grip, looks. Strength/Grip/Size/Feel (all equal), Serviceability, price, thickness

ZHendo · May 26, 2007

1) What are your favorite pedal brands/models and why?
-Straitline for sure. It's not just the partial sponsorship, I was seriously looking at getting a set of the pedals before I even started talking to them about the sponsorship offer. I really like them because they look good from the start and keep looking good. I also love the thickness and the feel that comes with how low profile they are, and the width and concave are perfect for my feet. I have tried Odyssey pedals, Azonic A-Frames, Azonic MTX, and some other Wellgo cheapies. I have to say that the Azonic A-Frames would be my second choice behind the Straitlines, but they are a little bit too narrow, and the pin placement isn't as good as the Straitlines. That said, the Straitlines are a top notch pedal whereas the Azonic is much more affordable.
2) What would be the ideal dimensions for a pedal: Length, Width, Thickness?
-Not sure of exact dimensions, but definitely check out the Straitline design. I don't mind the slight bump caused by the extra thin design, but without a good pin placement design, any bump could definitely turn into an issue. Still, a thin pedal will give a much, much better feel.
3) How many grip-pins per side?
-Per side, maybe something like 3 on the front and rear edges, 1 on either side of the axle and then 4 or 5 along the outside edge. The Straitlines use pins in the center of the pedal, which feels fine to me, but I have tried other pedals where the center pins are too tall and push your foot up out of the concave of the pedal. Maybe use short set screws and put 2 in the center of the pedal, use a very rough knurling, or use the spikes that are part of the pedal like Brooklyn Machine Works.
4) Have you ever bent or broken a pedal axle? If yes, did it bend or break? How many? What brands?
-I've bent an axle, but it was on a really cheap set of no name pedals that came on an old hardtail.
5) Some pedals have a forward-shifted parallelogram shape from side view, while others do not. Which style do you prefer and why?
-I like the forward shifter shape because it allows the pedals to hit rocks and escape with minimal damage. Sometimes the platform can feel off balance when this design is used, but when executed correctly like on the Azonic A-Frames and Straitlines, it keep the pedal in one piece and also keeps rocks and other objects from tripping up the bike when they make contact with the pedal.
6) What would be an acceptable weight for a pair of pedals?

-450 to 500 grams, but the lighter the better as long as they will still last. No titanium axles to make up for a heavier design please.
7) What would be an acceptable retail cost for a pair of top-of-the-line pedals?
-$100-120 maximum. Pedals shouldn't be very expensive because they get thrashed quite a bit. I can see them being expensive if they are made to be rebuilt and come back for more. This means pins that can be removed from underneath the pedal and also replaceable plates for the leading edge of the pedal, like the crank brothers 5050 design.
8) Pick your first 3 most important criteria for deciding on a set of pedals from the following list or add your own: Price, weight, strength, durability, serviceability, size (length and width), thickness, feel, grip, looks.
-Looks are always nice, but I have to say that the 3 most important aspects are durability/strength, thickness/feel and serviceability. In my mind, grip will fall under feel because a pedal that grips poorly never feels good.

Sir_Crackien · May 26, 2007

dhkid you don't see what i'm talking about. i was referring to the front and back of the pedal where the parallelogram takes place. some companies make this like a step and some machine it at an angle. machining it at an angle is the only way to go in my personnel opinion

Vang_9tuzz · May 26, 2007

1) Odessey JC pedals alloy lose balls ,on my bmx. Only pedals that I have had for a long period, they have a perfect amount of grip, very solid and .
2) A crossing of the Odsy JC and the flyBikes pedal. JC's that are a bit longer and slimer with 4mm high pins, hex ends and screwed in from the inside(like the jc), solid axel, quite maintence free(hate play).
3) 8, perhapse 10.
4) no.
5) A forward-shifted parallelogram shape from side view, they tend to have a more clean look.
6) The JC's are a bit heavy, but fine, so everything under 750 grams.
7) Around 35 $(lose) and 65$ (sealed)
8) price, design, durability/strengh( read reviews on products or ask around before purchase)

Damn, should have bought JC for my new build instead of those wellgo(not concave on the length direction and don't like the bit too long pins) but i'll smack em around.

dhkid · May 26, 2007

Sir_Crackien said:
dhkid you don't see what i'm talking about. i was referring to the front and back of the pedal where the parallelogram takes place. some companies make this like a step and some machine it at an angle. machining it at an angle is the only way to go in my personnel opinion

oster_oops: got you now... why would you say that? if its a step it makes for a neat design where the pins can be taken out from the back.

Help me with this pedal design survey please

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