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Best Flat Pedal for Someone with Big Feet?

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,673
7,027
I also have a size 13 foot, T-Macs are easily big enough.
I am so far happy with my Syntace NumberNine 2, I'm not hard on pedals and hate servicing so a grease port is pretty much what sold me, the price still hurt though.
In the real world, pedals with a big inboard bearing are pretty dumb, yeah they are thinner but they also sit out further so you still hit rocks, just in a slightly different way.
 

sundaydoug

Monkey
Jun 8, 2009
665
343
In the real world, pedals with a big inboard bearing are pretty dumb, yeah they are thinner but they also sit out further so you still hit rocks, just in a slightly different way.
As someone who rides flats with the inside of my foot essentially rubbing against the crank, I can't understand how anyone rides flats with those big inboard bearings. I had to do it a few years ago riding a friend's bike with OneUp pedals in Sedona. Loved Sedona. Did not love those pedals.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
8,364
6,883
Yakistan
I wear me some 13's also and am a fan of the Chromah Scarab pedals large girth.

But I've been running the Canfield Crampon Mountain pedal on my mtb's for a couple years with nothing but positive experiences.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,732
1,243
NORCAL is the hizzle
The last post here from 2012 (before the necro-bump) recommended e.13 pedals for big feet, and even though people seem down on e.13 these days I have to agree.
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
size 7.5 feet here, but how the heck can y’all not just intrinsically know Chromag Daggas are the absolute best pedal, no matter how big your feet are? Little bit bigger and thinner than Diety T-macs, made in Whistler, and KARVER is laser etched into them in the Korn font.

I have little feet, but big flat pedals are just better, and obviously Kovarik signature pedals are the way to be.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,508
In hell. Welcome!
size 7.5 feet here, but how the heck can y’all not just intrinsically know Chromag Daggas are the absolute best pedal, no matter how big your feet are? Little bit bigger and thinner than Diety T-macs, made in Whistler, and KARVER is laser etched into them in the Korn font.

I have little feet, but big flat pedals are just better, and obviously Kovarik signature pedals are the way to be.
Very toothy, but are they convex?
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
Yeah, they ride concave because of great pin height and placement. If you put on your spectacles you can observe some minute concavity machined into the pedal, but the magic to best in class feel and traction is big fucking pins in the right place.
They “feel” more concave, stock pin to stock pin setup than tmacs, for example.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,508
In hell. Welcome!
Yeah, they ride concave because of great pin height and placement.
Nah, that's just a marketing take IMO. It just isn't the same as true concave pedals. They may grip OK but no way are they as comfortable and "just right" feeling as the Vaults or the Occults or other concave pedals IMO. (my personal experience with *too many* samples)
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,673
7,027
Nah, that's just a marketing take IMO. It just isn't the same as true concave pedals. They may grip OK but no way are they as comfortable and "just right" feeling as the Vaults or the Occults or other concave pedals IMO. (my personal experience with *too many* samples)
As a fat guy that rode hardtail way too long anything that doesn't have a proper concave is shit as you have to run pins that will rape your shins just to make them feel decent.

Even my Sytace pedals are a bit shit because they have a hex on top of the platform so they end up with shoe chewing tall pins.
Shortish pins and a 3D concave is king, fuck whatever lies marketing comes up with.
 

captainspauldin

intrigued by a pole
May 14, 2007
1,297
192
Jersey Shore
$150 for a VP pedal is a bit insane. I get paying more for a low quantity clown shoe compatible one but for regular ones? Why?
The low quantity clown shoe compatible one is $200. But yeah, that's why I'm asking, are these massive pedals (even the standard ones are massive) worth the $$$?
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,503
1,719
Warsaw :/
The low quantity clown shoe compatible one is $200. But yeah, that's why I'm asking, are these massive pedals (even the standard ones are massive) worth the $$$?
Do you feel like non clown shoe specific big pedals are not enough? Since many modern platforms are quite big. I'd say my DMR vaults probably hit the sweet spot at US size 11-12.
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,470
4,208
sw ontario canada
Anybody ever seen the Sensus pedals?


Platform is 117 x 105, so bigger than my Tenets at 110 x 105.
189.00 for CroMo and 249.00 for Ti, so not cheap either.
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
4,012
771
I really like my Canfields and I'm a big fan of thin pedals, but I'm real bored of rebuilding them once every nine months and I'm looking at some alternative options especially since one of my gripes is that I wish the platform were a little bigger.

I see a bunch of reviews for the Raceface Atlas V2, but I don't actually see any available, nor are they even listed on raceface's site, only the Atlas V1. Any reason not to go with a V1?
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,492
6,379
UK
All pedals with an inner oversized bearing bulge on the cage tend to get in the way if you like moving your feet around your pedals or sliding them inward towards your cranks (think tabletop style maneuvers). I don't have large feet (10) but would imagine it could also get in your way if you do.
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,660
1,237
Nilbog
2 things:

- burgtec's are my favorite pedal of all that I have tried, they have a similar size to those cru pedals, really great profile.
- what does shimano have against making a freaking low profile pedal? their internals are great but the profile of their pedals are terrible!

that's all.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,492
6,379
UK
Burgtec's alloy pedals have really short axle pretrusion so the platform is super close to the crank arm. Something else to think about if you're a big guy with big feet. Their composites have a longer more common axle pretrusion.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,314
14,123
Cackalacka du Nord
re: atlas, love mine. the v1 could develop a bit of side to slide slop but if i recall correctly a bit of filing fixed it. my v2s have been great. really like the shape/grip of atlases-much more so than the oneups i tried.
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
4,012
771
re: atlas, love mine. the v1 could develop a bit of side to slide slop but if i recall correctly a bit of filing fixed it. my v2s have been great. really like the shape/grip of atlases-much more so than the oneups i tried.
Thanks. Pretty much exactly the review I was looking for. Got confused because the original atlas was listed as being a different size than the V2 and the one they have listed on their site matches the original size. Got a set ordered
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,314
14,123
Cackalacka du Nord
Thanks. Pretty much exactly the review I was looking for. Got confused because the original atlas was listed as being a different size than the V2 and the one they have listed on their site matches the original size. Got a set ordered
cool. they've been durable in terms of east coast rock bashing too. for context, use mine with impacts. never really bothered by ye olde bearing bulge...but i'm not the most sensitive to a lot of things...
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,470
4,208
sw ontario canada
re: atlas, love mine. the v1 could develop a bit of side to slide slop but if i recall correctly a bit of filing fixed it. my v2s have been great. really like the shape/grip of atlases-much more so than the oneups i tried.

I'm dumb, maybe just one too many hits to teh punpkin?

I have a pair of One-Up alloys ( If anybody is interested :brows: ) and loved the platform size but could not seem to get on with them. Then figure out they are convex. Was never too sure why people would like a convex pedal but whatever. They get replaced with a set with some nice concavity. Crushing beers post ride and when looking at a buddies clipless I realized I'm just dumb. As an old-school rider I'm used to ball of foot over pedal spindle and thus like a concave pedal. But if you are newer, you just may ride with the arch of you foot over the spindle, which then makes a convex pedal make sense. Something so basic eluded me.
But I caught up, now I'm feeling SMRT :homer:

This was last year btw :rofl:
 

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,135
1,364
Styria
I'm dumb, maybe just one too many hits to teh punpkin?

I have a pair of One-Up alloys ( If anybody is interested :brows: ) and loved the platform size but could not seem to get on with them. Then figure out they are convex. Was never too sure why people would like a convex pedal but whatever. They get replaced with a set with some nice concavity. Crushing beers post ride and when looking at a buddies clipless I realized I'm just dumb. As an old-school rider I'm used to ball of foot over pedal spindle and thus like a concave pedal. But if you are newer, you just may ride with the arch of you foot over the spindle, which then makes a convex pedal make sense. Something so basic eluded me.
But I caught up, now I'm feeling SMRT :homer:

This was last year btw :rofl:
And I guess after reading some NSMB article, amirite? That's what brought me on the right track at least
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,470
4,208
sw ontario canada
And I guess after reading some NSMB article, amirite? That's what brought me on the right track at least
Actually, nope. Buddy runs his cleats way way back. Was looking at his foot placement and the proverbial light-bulb went on. You would think after 50 years of this stuff I would have clued in a long time ago when I first heard about the Crampon being convex. I guess that is a case of inbred bias based on "how things are supposed to be done..." I have never been able to ride with a mid placement, no control, just along for the ride is the way it feels, even to this day. Even my toe clips back in the day placed my foot with ball over spindle, so that is the correct way to do things. Dammit. :shakefist:


<Edit> Found this: https://nsmb.com/articles/flat-pedals-foot-position-reach/

...and I'm back to being dumb. :doh: But of course foot/pedal position effects your reach...

I'm starting to think this bi-cycle business can be a bit complicated.
 
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Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,492
6,379
UK
and I'm back to being dumb. :doh: But of course foot/pedal position effects your reach...
Not hugely. You'll still be keeping your body mass centred over the BB in your most neutral position. And the human body is massively adaptable.


I only skimmed through that article but the author really needs to do more "research" before his next dissertation ...
Just one example I thought seemed more thinking out loud and typing the resultant drivel than anything hugely valid...

My friends who prefer a concave pedal, many of whom rode BMX bikes as kids, tend to have the ball of their foot more over the axle. My friends who prefer convex pedals tend to have the arch of their foot more over the axle. My friends who prefer truly flat pedals fall into both camps - these are the 'Type O' of flat pedals clearly. But ignoring the truly-flat pedals those who much prefer a concave or a convex shape universally use the corresponding foot position I've noted. I'm not bolt enough to claim that's true of everyone but if you do have a strong preference on pedal shape I'd be curious where your foot falls.

I've yet to meet someone who rides with the ball of their foot more over the axle who likes OneUp pedals. I've yet to meet someone who rides with the arch of their foot more over the pedal axle who prefers a concave body

Firstly. Footwear choice makes a massive difference. Eg. Riding in a flexible medium or lower grip sole that's flexible enough to conform to a pedal's shape is quite a different prospect to a sticky rubber soled stiffer shoe. And I guarantee no one who does would prefer these convex pedals he mentions.
Secondly. As a rider who's comfortable moving foot position while riding and having a preference for arch or ball over the axle position depending on what I'm actually doing on the bike I'd also never want anything other than a concave pedal body.
FWIW I manual much better ball over spindle but descending while covering rough ground I'll always default to arch over spindle.
I never wear stiff sticky doles tho. So rather than rely on the soles grip alone I'm always relying on weighting and placing my feet in a preferential position for either what is coming up or which maneuver I'm about to execute.
 

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,135
1,364
Styria
Actually, nope. Buddy runs his cleats way way back. Was looking at his foot placement and the proverbial light-bulb went on. You would think after 50 years of this stuff I would have clued in a long time ago when I first heard about the Crampon being convex. I guess that is a case of inbred bias based on "how things are supposed to be done..." I have never been able to ride with a mid placement, no control, just along for the ride is the way it feels, even to this day. Even my toe clips back in the day placed my foot with ball over spindle, so that is the correct way to do things. Dammit. :shakefist:


<Edit> Found this: https://nsmb.com/articles/flat-pedals-foot-position-reach/

...and I'm back to being dumb. :doh: But of course foot/pedal position effects your reach...

I'm starting to think this bi-cycle business can be a bit complicated.
I used to be a 90% flats mtb guy until I tore three ligaments and damaged my cartilage in my ankle in 2008. Couldn't get the right feeling after that for a while and switched to full time SPD. Three years or so ago I bought OneUp plastic pedals and had the same sensation as you, it just didn't work, no matter what shoes I tried. Then i stumbled upon that article and thought about it. Ordered some true concave Spank Spoons in November and all of a sudden I could ride on flats again without losing contact all the time.

And yes @Gary , NSMB articles are just stories and opinion, but they don't hide that aspect and claim absolute objectivity while being sponsored by the Lizards Powers that be.