Fifty Plus (50+) - Wider pedals

I've been out test riding bikes and all the bikes had platform pedals, for obvious reasons, and they really felt good with the wider platform. I bought a pair and put them on my bike and I can really feel I'm putting out more power. Anyhow I was wonder about the clipless pedals you see, with the wider platforms, but are they really functional. They look like you would be clipped in, but your sole wouldn't be flat on the pedal. Maybe it's just the way I'm looking at them, but I really think they would help me a lot. At the present time I'm using SPD pedals and trying to adjust them everyway that you think you can of adjusting them, I still have a slight pain once in a while. I put the platform pedals on yesterday and pumping pretty hard, for 20 miles my knees didn't bother me a bit. So that's what got me to thinking about the wider clipless pedals. Thanks for any replys.

I've seen some MTB pedals that have a clipless attachment within a platform pedal. Here are a couple:

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=716

http://www.crankbrothers.com/mallet.php
http://www.crankbrothers.com/mallet_c.php

This one is a Shimano SPD, click the image of the pedal to supersize it:
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PE703A09-Shimano+Pd-M647+Pedals.aspx

I have Shimano PD-M545 (http://bike.shimano.com/catalog/cycle/products/component.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441763017&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302053522&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181785&bmUID=1188313816925) on one of my bikes. With the platform around the binding, they're pretty wide. I use that bike only for grocery runs and the like, so I don't know how they are on a longer ride.

George, I think this has been discussed before but Speedplay pedals have the most adjustibility and float which may help your knee problem. I have no personal experience with these but people in our club have them and I see a lot on the road. One can purchase them at various price points depending on how light and high tech you want to go. Here is their website...http://www.speedplay.com/

Edit: Check out this writeup...http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.chooselong

- before i switched all my rides to either Crank Bros. Smarties or toe-clipped platforms, i used this pedal, which is an inexpensive platform/SPD (so you get the benefits of both):

Rodeo [currently $19!] (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=6223)

alternatively, you might check out:

Campus [$35????!!!!] (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=2275)

On some of these clipless/platform pedals, like the Campus above, I am wondering if your shoe contacts the platform cage when you are clipped in. The SPD plate looks like it is floating above the cage, especially the front of the pedal. That pedal looks more like it has a SPD side, where your clipless shoe would not contact anything but the SPD, and a platform side.



Wherein the Crank Brothers Mallet pedals looks more like it is designed to have substantial contact area with the shoe even when clipped in.

- before i switched all my rides to either Crank Bros. Smarties or toe-clipped platforms, i used this pedal, which is an inexpensive platform/SPD (so you get the benefits of both):

Rodeo [currently $19!] (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=6223)

alternatively, you might check out:

Campus [$35????!!!!] (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=2275)

I have the campus on one of my bikes, which in fact, I use to ride around campus sometimes cliped in and sometimes in street shoes or sneakers. I like 'em.

...Anyhow I was wonder about the clipless pedals you see, with the wider platforms, but are they really functional. They look like you would be clipped in, but your sole wouldn't be flat on the pedal.

Keep in mind that a really stiff sole (e.g., carbon soles) would negate any need for the soles to be flat on the pedals. With a stiff sole your foot won't know if the bottom of the shoe is flat on the pedal or not.


...At the present time I'm using SPD pedals and trying to adjust them everyway that you think you can of adjusting them, I still have a slight pain once in a while.

This sound like you don't have enough float in your pedals (Speedplays would cure this as would other pedals with lots of float i.e., more than 12 degrees), or that your seat could be just a tad higher. Either too little float or lack of leg extension on the down stroke can cause knee problems. The cheapest way to experiment with this is by raising your seatpost 1 or 2 cm (this is a very small amount) and seeing what happen over the course of a few rides. You can always lower it if it turns out not to be the problem.

On some of these clipless/platform pedals, like the Campus above, I am wondering if your shoe contacts the platform cage when you are clipped in. The SPD plate looks like it is floating above the cage, especially the front of the pedal. That pedal looks more like it has a SPD side, where your clipless shoe would not contact anything but the SPD, and a platform side.



Wherein the Crank Brothers Mallet pedals looks more like it is designed to have substantial contact area with the shoe even when clipped in.

That's what I'm saying Tom. I kind of got a good idea what's out there, but I was wondering if, with these clips, is my sole going to lay on top of the pedal, or am I going to just touch the back and then the front as I make my circle. I did do a search, but nobody addressed this same issue, I don't think. I want to be able to use the whole platform, thanks again.:D

Keep in mind that a really stiff sole (e.g., carbon soles) would negate any need for the soles to be flat on the pedals. With a stiff sole your foot won't know if the bottom of the shoe is flat on the pedal or not.



This sound like you don't have enough float in your pedals (Speedplays would cure this as would other pedals with lots of float i.e., more than 12 degrees), or that your seat could be just a tad higher. Either too little float or lack of leg extension on the down stroke can cause knee problems. The cheapest way to experiment with this is by raising your seatpost 1 or 2 cm (this is a very small amount) and seeing what happen over the course of a few rides. You can always lower it if it turns out not to be the problem.

I think the part about float would be the problem, or part of it. I still would like to have more contact with the pedal though.

I just lowered the saddle because I was extending my leg to much and that was giving me knee pain as well. The saddle is about an inch or just less than that from having my leg completely extended.

By the way, how do you get out of a full float pedal?

By the way, how do you get out of a full float pedal?

George, the same way you get out of your spds. I've been riding Speedplay frogs for years. I have them on all my bikes. I even have them on my road bike because I like to get off and walk into a restaurant and eat and then ride back home. I had the road shoes and HATED them. I have Specialized MTB shoes and just ordered some lake sandals. At my age, I don't see riding anything but frogs.

At my age, I don't see riding anything but frogs.

That probably deserves an edit:eek:

I don't see myself using anything but Speedplay frog pedals.

"I put the platform pedals on yesterday and pumping pretty hard, for 20 miles my knees didn't bother me a bit"
I have to shift my feet every minute or so. In-out, angle etc. or I get pain within a couple minutes. You might be doing "some" of that (to a degree) without noticing.
Pumping hard? What's that!:)

If I can use my same shoes, I'll have to check out the Frogs, thanks guys.

I am riding ultegra 6620, they are very wide and have good float. They spd-sl

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa32/stonecrd/SHM7PD66.jpg

I am riding ultegra 6620, they are very wide and have good float. They spd-sl

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa32/stonecrd/SHM7PD66.jpg

I have these as well and I am pleased, but the SPD SL has float that is spring loaded to return to the neutral position and the twistout pressure is a function of how tight one tightens the spring. With Speedplay, the float is free float and will allow the foot to seek its own position and the twistout pressure is not a function of lock in. This is what they say in their brag sheet. If one's knees are very sensitive, the Speedplays may be better.

I just posted this above, because I forgot about this thread. I was thinking, I put the Wellgo B18 platforms on my bike 2 days ago and I pumped my heart out. No pain in the knees, nothing OK. So I figured, if I put these pedals on with the bigger platforms and I have these new stiffer shoes there wouldn't be any problem. WRONG, I must of did 10 adjustments on the shoe clip and the same nagging pain. Not a pain where I can't walk but I can still feel it tugging a little bit. When I rode with the Wellgo's I didn't move my feet and if I did I don't remember. No pain at all, I guess I'm destine for platform pedals. If anybody has any ideas please let me know what I could do. I really don't want to spent $150 or $200 dollars on more shoes and pedals. I'm really affraid whatever I buy isn't going to work. I've been playing with this for a long, long, time and I'm just about ready to throw the towel in. I did go for a bike fit, if that's what your thinking and he screwed me up more than I could myself. I think I'm 12 hours away from platform pedals.

Maybe I'm not warming up enough. I spin for 15 minutes and then start going pretty good.

I am riding ultegra 6620, they are very wide and have good float. They spd-sl



Pretty much a copy of the Look system that I use. I get plenty of float with the red cleats. My knees killed me with the no-float black cleats. On longer rides I find the larger contact area of this type of cleat to be much more comfortable than the MTB type pedals. Only disadvantage is they aren't as comfortable to walk in. That problem is about 1/10 as bad as some people make it sound, especially if you use Kool Kovers, but SPD or eggbeaters are a better choice if you plan to do a lot of walking during your ride. Not an issue for a quick restroom or or meal stop.

It still sounds like it's the amount of float that is bothering your knees. The SPD mountain type pedals don't have much float. Crank Bros has more float, and feel better for my knees.
What shoes are you using now? Standard MTB cycling shoes with raised tread around the cleat should work fine for a clipless pedal with a platform, like the ones linked i other posts. I have the Crank Bros Smarty pedals, and the tread on my MTB shoes contacts the platform around the pedal cleat while clipped in.

The SPD-M424 are 2.75 wide and the Cannondale shoes that are pretty stiff are 4" wide. I did look at the Crank Bros today before I bought the M424s, but the 424s were wider. I hate to give up the ship, I'm a little tried, with looking at bikes and now this. I'll just have to play with them somemore tomorrow, thanks.

As long as the tread on the shoes contacts the platforms, they should work fine for you. You might also try taking it easy for longer than 15 minutes before riding hard.

As long as the tread on the shoes contacts the platforms, they should work fine for you. You might also try taking it easy for longer than 15 minutes before riding hard.

You may have something there. I'm just about ready to give up and I just had a though. Last month I rode almost 70 miles and I didn't have any pain at all when I got done and now I have that nagging pain in my knee. I think I'm doing something different. I'll have to watch more closely tomorrow and warm up longer as you say, thanks again.

The first thought this morning when I woke up. With the clipless your pulling up, with the flats your pushing down. I think that's the problem.