Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - platforms suck, the story of a convert

I asked a week or so ago if clipless/clips/straps etc really affect the
power with which you can pedal that much. All of the responses I
got were pretty helpful and generally convinced me that I needed to
give something besides my platforms a shot.

As a result of the responses and some heavy research on my part I've
decided to get some eggbeaters and a pair of shoes that I can get
away with wearing anywhere (not sure on that part yet).

All of the posts this week about clipless pedals and the like got me
really impatient to try something out. (I am saving right now to get
the eggbeaters and shoes... spendy stuff). I have a roll of velcro
tape (IT guy network cable velcrotape type tape) that I busted out
tonight for me ride.

Ghetto I know. :)

I quickly realized that I would need to double strap and there was
just no way in hell that I was going to be able to strap both feet
in. I spent about 5 akward minutes strapping my dominant (right)
foot into my platform and went out for my ride.

My reaction can be summed up in two words: holy crap.

I can stop pretty damn quickly on my platforms without anything.
I was amazed that with just one foot strapped in my stopping
distance was cut by what must have been at least 1/3rd.

Pulling up on the pedals during my stroke was a revelation for me.
My acceleration can't even be compared. What excites me even
more is that this is with two inefficient foot straps on one side. I
can't even imagine how rad clipless is going to be.

Wow.

I did some trackstanding and that was a breeze. Then I attempted
some reverse 360s (which I suck at without straps) and managed
to execute my first nearly 0mph fallover right in front of nightclub
downtown. Haha. The bouncers gave me some quality looks, I do
not embarass easily, it was halarious.

Not being able to float around on the pedals was a bit strange. My
right knee didn't like the fixed foot position much but I'm sure I will
get used to it quickly.

I got home and removed the straps, went up and down the block
and realized that riding without it sucks. I'm going to have to get
some straps while I wait for the cash to buy a clipless system.

Wow.

Kaz

Gearing?

38x13 (1:2.92)

Kaz

Don't worry about discomfort.Eggbeaters allow up to 15 or 20 degrees of free float (foot rotation) before they disengage, dependong on which cleat you put on which shoe. I use SPD, these allow 5° or so, and that's enough for me. (The only downsides to eggbeaters may be that 15° might be too much float for you and that you can't set the spring tension at all. That aside, I lust for them, too)
Plus clipless helps more when you get the pedaling technique right and even more on steep uphills, out of saddle. Enjoy.

two things:
1. props on the ghetto setup. three cheers for no money fixes (the ones that get the purists hopping mad)
2. nitpicking: yr use of the term "platform pedals" is incorrect, and a common mistake. basically, platforms are one-sided pedals made for clips and straps, as opposed to double-sided block pedals. (just nitpicking)

two things:
1. props on the ghetto setup. three cheers for no money fixes (the ones that get the purists hopping mad)
2. nitpicking: yr use of the term "platform pedals" is incorrect, and a common mistake. basically, platforms are one-sided pedals made for clips and straps, as opposed to double-sided block pedals. (just nitpicking)

I know sheldon claims that the only true platform pedals are one-sided and designed for clips and straps, but out here in the real world we've been using that term for everything from beartraps to bmx pedals for quite some time now.

I know sheldon claims that the only true platform pedals are one-sided and designed for clips and straps, but out here in the real world we've been using that term for everything from beartraps to bmx pedals for quite some time now.

Seconded. Anyone who knows a bit of linguistics knows that there is no such thing as a "common mistake". Whatever form is used by the large majority of peolpe becomes the norm, even if it started out as a mistake. Words like "thumb" used to have no "b" at the end, the b was attached in the middle ages 'cos some fools thought they were French like "tomb". And now we are stuck with these utterly foolish word forms... And monokini is monikini despite the fact that bikini is not bi-kini in any sense.So those are platforms, because that's what we call them.
Just nitpicking, no offence at all.

And the ghetto setup is way cool, esp. if you tie in your right foot, roll up to a wall, with the left crank up, lean the bars to it and then do your left foot as well. A good way to learn trackstanding... no option :D

You'd been riding fixed with flat pedals? I think that makes my head hurt.

Ride Primo Tendrizers they are sickness on a SS. Just corners are tough!

"Anyone who knows a bit of linguistics knows that there is no such thing as a "common mistake". Whatever form is used by the large majority of peolpe becomes the norm, even if it started out as a mistake"

thirded. it amazes me how many people dont realize that the dictionary is not intended to mandate the 'official' use of a word, but merely to try to capture society's current use of the word'.

it also amazes me how many people take Sheldons thoughts as the end-all-and-be-all answer. (no disprespect to sheldon intended).

Well, papa Sheldon seems to be right all the time. Such a wise guy who knows an awful lot about biking and is willing to share it all. The fact that he loves clipless like the rest of us shows he is not stuck in the past.
Actually, here in Hungary on our bike forum the ultimate answer to questions tends to be "Sheldon Brown says..." A couple of his articles have even been translated for those who don't speak English. Needless to say, he consented.
So cheers for Sheldon, even though he might be wrong once in every 10 years.

You'd been riding fixed with flat pedals? I think that makes my head hurt.

I rode my fixed with flat pedals for a long time. It never made my head hurt.

...it also amazes me how many people take Sheldons thoughts as the end-all-and-be-all answer. (no disprespect to sheldon intended).

In reading over Sheldon's website over the past several years, I've never found an error of "fact". If every kid on your block calls a BMX pedal a "cow", it is still a BMX pedal, not a cow. The fact that 51% of the American voters thought Shrub was the best qualified person for the office of President does not MAKE Shrub qualified for anything. It merely certifies the "official" number of gullible people in America.

In a world where ignorance and stupidity is the norm, having Sheldon around is very refreshing.

Eh, that's the beauty of a vernacular. It's a slippery beast.

A word means what it means until it doesn't. See also, comprise.

At some point the official dictionarians shrug and give into peer pressure.

OFF

If every kid on your block calls a BMX pedal a cow, they speak a different language/dialect/it's their slang. So it is a cow.


Actually, Sheldon might be wrong about radial lacing. He quotes somebody who says radial lacing does not make the wheels more "bumpy" (stiff vertically), because the spokes are only a couple per cent shorter than in 3x, so you'll never notice. The tyre dampens times more etc. I've never used radial so I have no idea, but they may well be stiffer than 3x because of the fact that the spokes are parallel to the forces of bumps and so the same amount of elongation or looseness will allow the hub to move in the wheel much less. Not sure, though. Not that it matters... Radial is for posers and time trialists, not me.

In France, the dictionary does dictate the language. If it isn't in the dictionary, it isn't French!

English is one of the first languages to go the other direction with our dictionaries. Oxford university decided to put together a dictionary based on actual literary use of words, citing in every case a 'first published use' and a definition based on common usage. The research took many years, and was helped by submissions from around the world as independent researchers hunted through old books looking for first uses of words, and writing concise definitions.

The rest of the academic community thought Oxford was crazy for doing a dictionary this way, but they defended their actions by saying what we are saying now. Dictionaries should reflect the language of the people, not enforce it. It doesn't matter what words you use or how you define them, if they get accepted published use, they'll end up in the Oxford English Dictionary's full version. Speaking of which, the usage of the term, "the sh*t" to describe something that is very good is now in the Oxford. ;)

A good book about the creation of the OED is "The Professor and the Madman" which is a true story about a man in insane asylum who ended up being an incredibly valuable contributor to the OED, mailing submissions from his cell. Very good book.

Wait a second, what forum are we in?

peace,
sam

I rode my fixed with flat pedals for a long time. It never made my head hurt.

Ha. It just seems like a really unbelievably dangerous thing to do. Tell me you had two brakes, at least.

Seconded. Anyone who knows a bit of linguistics knows that there is no such thing as a "common mistake". Whatever form is used by the large majority of peolpe becomes the norm, even if it started out as a mistake.

That's one way of looking at it, but the problem is that just "going with the flow" that way leads to the language becoming impoverished of meaning, because when the malapropism becomes accepted, the original meaning gets lost.

The traditional meaning for "platform pedal" as I describe it in my Bicycle Glossary (http://sheldonbrown.com/glossary) is:


A pedal intended for use with toe clips and soft-soled shoes. Platform pedals are usually single sided, and intended exclusively for use with toe clips. One side has a large flat surface to support the rider's foot, spreading the pressure over a wide area for comfort. The other side usually has only the structural support ridges that hold the platform, and is not intended to be used for pedaling.

The best known platform pedal was the French Lyotard "Marcel Berthet" model 23, one of the most elegantly designed bicycle parts ever.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/images/mks-gr9-platform.jpeg

So, if the term "platform pedal" is to be recycled to mean "plain pedal" then there becomes no simple way to refer to a traditional platform pedal.

Probably the root of this problem is the confusion created by the introduction of the confusing term "clipless" pedal.

Sheldon "Prescriptivist" Brown
+-----------------------------------------+
| Man invented language to satisfy his |
| deep need to complain. -- Lily Tomlin |
+-----------------------------------------+

He hath spoken.

The best known platform pedal was the French Lyotard "Marcel Berthet" model 23, one of the most elegantly designed bicycle parts ever.

But that is a picture of the MKS GR-9.

OFF

...If every kid on your block calls a BMX pedal a cow, they speak a different language/dialect/it's their slang. So it is a cow...

There is great value in having a shared language, especially in technical matters. If you are on the table, getting heart surgery, and the doctor asks his assistant for the "Whatsit", you better hope Doc is handed the "Whatsit" and not the "Whosthat".

My job involves counseling inner-city teen-agers. Most of them were born in Houston, as were their grandparents. But, many of them do not speak or understand any widely known form of English. The fourteen year-olds from the northwest side public housing projects speak a language that is fully understood only by people living in those projects. They can not fully communicate with a fourteen year-old who lives in a public housing project on the southeast side of Houston.

Why does that matter? Their books at school are written in "standard" English. Job applications are written in "standard" English. Their answer on a job application are expected to be in "standard" English. These kids are trapped in a one mile long and one mile wide neighborhood because they do not have the language skills to be successful in school or in a job outside of that small neighborhood.

In contrast, I meet teens in Houston who recently came to Houston from India, Taiwan, Viet-Nam, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. They are fluent in "standard" English, as while as in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Spanish. They are highly recruited by both colleges and employers.

So, let's allow Sheldon to come up with names for each part of a bike. If Sheldon calls something on a bike a "whatsit", we can ALL call it a "whatsit" and understand what each other is talking about. If someone calls that part a "whosthat", we need to crush him like a bug.

But we cannot allow Sheldon to start calling the "MKS GR-9" the "French Lyotard Marcel Berthet model 23"...

But we cannot allow Sheldon to start calling the "MKS GR-9" the "French Lyotard Marcel Berthet model 23"...


The pic is from his website.... htt p://sheldonbrown.com/harris/images/mks-gr9-platform.jpeg
I'm quite certain he knows exactly what it is and was merely trying to show a good example of a platform pedal. get over it already.

"get over it already"? Are you kidding? Get over what? No need for you to take offense at my comment. I'm not trying to show anyone up. I first pointed out what I thought was a mistake, and then I made light of the "whatsit" comment by a subsequent poster. You facking get over it.

sheldon is the word for god on the lips and hearts of all cyclists...

"that's one way of looking at it,"....
"So, if the term "platform pedal" is to be recycled to mean "plain pedal"

of course, another way to look at it is to simply combine the standard usage of 'platform (a raised, flat surface) and 'pedal' (a lever pressed by the foot). I think those terms adequately describes what you (Sheldon) refer to as 'plain pedals'.

"In a world where ignorance and stupidity is the norm, having Sheldon around is very refreshing"

I agree. What is NOT refreshing (to me, but I'm one man) is so many people simply quoting or linking to sheldon as a a substitute to their own response or retort.

sheldon is the word for god on the lips and hearts of all cyclists...

Now this thread is back from the dead...

That's a bit over the top, but certainly Sheldon's website is an awesome resource that every cyclist should be grateful for. I'm moving to Boston in a couple of weeks, and I'm very much looking forward to taking a trip out to Newton to visit his shop. If Sheldon Brown was offended by my suggestion that the picture didn't match the words, I trust he'll take it up with me himself.

I'm 99.9% positive that there isn't a published dictionary anywhere that defines the word 'platform' as having anything to do with bicycles.

If I edit my post to say 'double sided block pedals' so as to be correct (and far too verbose imo) can we all go get back to riding?

sheesh

I have the full OED at home, along with the 3 volume additions series, so I'd be happy to check for you. Would that be annoying enough?

Go right ahead and check that out for me please.

I'll be out riding on my fixie with its black parallelogram shaped
magnesium double sided no-straps-no-clips-no-clipless-system
bike foot levers while you do that.

Kaz

"double sided no-straps-no-clips-no-clipless-system bike foot levers "

....gotta go clean up the coffee that just spewed over my keyboard....

"get over it already"? Are you kidding? Get over what? No need for you to take offense at my comment. I'm not trying to show anyone up. I first pointed out what I thought was a mistake, and then I made light of the "whatsit" comment by a subsequent poster. You facking get over it.

It seems to me that you are the one taking offense jrowedc. Now go and eat some pie and listen to the Eagles.

Activate the restraint-free foot actuated crank panels! Enjoy their rectangular shape and traction enhanced texture!

It seems to me that you are the one taking offense jrowedc. Now go and eat some pie and listen to the Eagles.
Yeah, I had a pie-shaped brownie, and now I feel much better. Apologies to anyone I offended.

But that is a picture of the MKS GR-9.

Yep. Those are the only traditional "platform pedals" currently in production. If I had a nice clean pair of Lyotard 23s to photograph I'd do so. I own a bunch of them (used to be my fave, before I switched to SPDs) but they're all beat.

Sheldon "Marcel Berthet" Brown
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good |
| is nobler and no trouble. --Mark Twain |
+---------------------------------------------------------+

Ha. It just seems like a really unbelievably dangerous thing to do. Tell me you had two brakes, at least.

If you consider my two feet two brakes. Really,I never had a problem with it.

My .02 about language: everyone, including television and movie writers, now confuse the verbs "to lie" and "to lay". Why shouldn't they? How about the fact that these two verbs are not only different in meaning, they are also different in function. When someone says to me, "I'm going to go lay out," I wonder to myself, "What are you going to lay? An egg?" It's a dang transitive verb fer crissakes. You have to do it to something. And just because everyone out there makes the same stupid mistake doesn't make it sound any less like the proverbial fingernails on the chalkboard. I will go to my grave insisting that these two wonderful verbs not become one simply because 98 % of english speakers can't differentiate the past tense of one from the present tense of another.

to lie: v. intransitive. to put oneself into a horizontal position (or, to mislead or deceive directly) "I lie down."
to lay: v. TRANSITIVE. To put or to place something. "I lay the book down on the table."


<Whew, had to get that off of my chest.>

Go on about your business, all.

i ain't gonna read this no more...

this is incredibly ridiculous...

heh heh ... thread killer >:)

dork alert.

OMFG, sheldon posted and my life is complete...

vs

call them whatever you please, understand the concepts, happily ever after, etc

What an avelanche we started, queerpunk! ;)

Funny thing is, I'm Hungarian, so I have no real idea if I was right about the original point that everyone calls the basic pedals platforms or not... (In Hungarian, they are called that way, too, though)

Couple of classic ideas on linguistics came up, good to see on a bike forum for an English Major.

Sheldon lamented the fact that widening the meaning of platforms means we will have no word for traditional platform pedals... A good example for how language evolves. Those one-sided pedals are obsolete now, so we don't really need a word for them. So why not use this straightforward term for the kind of pedals now widely in use?

Languages do not get impoverished, ever. They are organic and develop by themselves in order to serve the functions we need them for. Every member of every generation feels that their own language is the good one, and the following generation is perverting it beyond recognition, even compromising its functionality, and that includes yours humbly as well. That is just the nostalgic prescriptivist in us, laughed at by all linguists in unison. There is no such thing as the beautiful language, only a social elite that stigmatises those who speak a variety different from theirs.

Yes, I too twitch every time I see loose used to mean lose and all that, and I tend to think that these mistakes have to be corrected, but always keep in mind that the language I accept as standard is littered with mistakes like this that spread widely enough to make the institution give in.

So, what's your current setup, kaz?

sheldon is the word for god on the lips and hearts of all cyclists...

wow! I didn't think he was real.

...
Languages do not get impoverished, ever.
...



Except when those who speak it disappear from history, or are swallowed, overwhelmed by a colonizing language.

David Foster Wallace once wrote a hilarious, partially autobiographical piece about this debate in Harper's magazine, couched in a review of the newest, latest, biggest English Usage dictionary (not Fowler's or whatever it is.) Think it was 2000 or 2001.

I blame Shimano....
http://www.fatbmx.com/uploads/Bart_1115111905_Shimano-DX-pedals.jpg

Except when those who speak it disappear from history, or are swallowed, overwhelmed by a colonizing language.

David Foster Wallace once wrote a hilarious, partially autobiographical piece about this debate in Harper's magazine, couched in a review of the newest, latest, biggest English Usage dictionary (not Fowler's or whatever it is.) Think it was 2000 or 2001.



david foster wallace is my hero.