Mountain Biking - question for those using flat pedals

what are you using and how do you like them? if you were going to buy another set of flat pedals, what might you buy/what are you looking at?

i currently use the shimano dx pedals, i like them a lot. i had been using specialized lo pro mags, i and really really liked them. if i get another set, i'm looking at the straitline pedals, but they are a bit pricey.

I have some Wellgo LU-something, I forget, sealed bearings, got them new for like $25 a while back (~$40 now). I like them fine (good grip), but then again I've never ridden with $100 pedals, so what do I know.

I've been on lo pro mags for a long time now with absolutely no complaints. Great quality, durability, and value.

The short list for replacements includes straitline (tried em last weekend, super burly, nice feel, relatively heavy), point one podium (sexy but pin pattern may not be totally to my liking), and twenty6 prerunner. But my personal frontrunner is the canfield crampon (decently light and tough, lots of pins, and super thin).

http://images.ridemonkey.com/index.php?size=full&src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ridemonkey.com%2Fforums%2Fattachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D103029%26amp%3Bd%3D12 91181107

holy freakin crap cryptid...i can't stop looking at that picture....you clearly got your money's worth out of those pedals...

I use Forte platform pedals http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1085037_-1_1589016_1586500_1534006 as they are fairly inexpensive, feel good, and seem to stick to my feet well.

Sorry for any confusion - that's not my pedal. The photo does appear to be a testament to the crampons' durability however.

I buy misc ones. I am not partial to anything. I learned long agos I destroy pedals. Maybe the way I ride, or bounce off of rocks or something.

I used to buy nice 100$ ones.. ended up being an expensive habit.

I always buy ones with sharp pins and they have to be replaceable. A wide (I have big feet).. past that, I am not partial to anything

I'll echo cryptid on the Twenty6 Prerunners. Tyler doe not make a bad product IMO. I would wish for a bit more than DU bushings at the price but they are a great pedal.

Syncros Crux are up there too. Spendy but lighter and thinner than my trusty old Mental Mags and grip-grip-grip like no other pedal. Sunline V-Ones are the close third in my book.

I'm running Shimano DX's and am quite content.

I like my Kona Wah Wahs and Jach ****s.

Got the Crampons today. Played around a little with em and love the feel. I'm gonna try them in lieu of DX clipless tomorrow on the trails, I'll let y'all know how it goes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/pinit/ride/cramp.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/pinit/ride/crampvlopro.jpg

Those babies b flat.

them crampons look deadly. please post how they rode.

subscribed. I'm using a set of cheap wellgos now too, but always looking for something better, those Crampons look like something better lol

The CRUX of the matter . . .

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t162/dminorwa/Syncros%202011/IMG_2313.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t162/dminorwa/Syncros%202011/IMG_2312.jpg

oh crap dminor...i think i have to buy some new pedals now....(the sunlines you mentioned look pretty nice as well)

Those babies b flat.

I'm wondering if anyone else got the significance of that. Any other musicians out there?

For cheaper pedals I use Kona Wah Wahs. On my DH bike, I have Deity Decoy LTs. I have been pretty impressed with them so far...very light, grippy and not crazy expensive.

I use Easton Bmx pedals, they have out lived 2 bikes and are on there 3rd.. with a pair of 510 Impact low shoes it is almost like being glued to the pedals.

Got the Crampons today. Played around a little with em and love the feel. I'm gonna try them in lieu of DX clipless tomorrow on the trails, I'll let y'all know how it goes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/pinit/ride/cramp.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/pinit/ride/crampvlopro.jpg

I think my whole bike costs as much as that driveside crank arm...SCHWANKY!

I think my whole bike costs as much as that driveside crank arm...SCHWANKY!

Bah, those cranks are like three years old, I was just getting ready to throw them away.

Okay, here're my initial impressions of the crampons.

I normally ride clipless on my trail rides (3+ mile dirt road climbs, sketchy loose wet rocky descents), and I still haven't tried these pedals for that. I found some new dj's last week, so I rode those & a bunch of erb0n this weekend. I wear five ten shoes.

Gription: I installed the tall pins (short & tall sets + extras are included) with the tapered ends up. In that configuration, they're less grabby than the lo pros, but still plenty good. If I were looking for maximum ultimate stick, I'd either flip the pins so the hollow hex end was up or break out the dremel and do some tuning.

Bumps: The pedals have a bump on the outside edge where the outer bearing is housed. Some people like em, some people hate em, and I frankly didn't even notice.

Squeeks: Occasionally the spindle will contact the shoe sole and rub while pedaling. Again, NBD for me. It's certainly insignificant enough to be disregarded as a measurable source of energy loss.

Platform: is big, wide, and stable. If part of the foot lands anywhere on the pedal, it stays there, although this is true for most quality flat pedals, and more likely attributable to the shoes.

Dead Spot in pedal stroke: is significantly reduced. This is the big one. One of the main ideas behind ultra thin pedals is increased efficiency and I must say it's evident. I feel confident I will be able to climb better with these pedals than with any other flats I've tried.

Conclusion: If you prefer flat pedals for all your riding, these are definitely worth your consideration.

good review, thanks

I`m a bike tourist. Would those crampon pedals be useable without the pins, or do the pins hold the sole above the bearng bump. don`t need a lot of grip but eliminating the flat spot with a flat pedal would be cool.

So I'm not trying to be a smartass here, but if you don't need a lot of grip, why not buy a less expensive pedal? I have no idea what the Crampons cost, but going off appearance and the other pedals that cryptid listed, that's not a cheap pedal. Seriously, if I was a bike tourist who wanted platforms, I'd spend $20 on a pair of Tenderizers and call it good.

Pablo, I figure you bought your pedals by now, but since you mentioned the Lo-Pros up in the first post, here's some pedal porn for ya: http://www.bikerumor.com/2011/07/19/specialized-debuts-trick-new-pro-level-downhill-flat-pedal/

....

Pablo, I figure you bought your pedals by now, but since you mentioned the Lo-Pros up in the first post, here's some pedal porn for ya: http://www.bikerumor.com/2011/07/19/specialized-debuts-trick-new-pro-level-downhill-flat-pedal/

they look super sweet, thanks for sharing that link.

Okay, here're my initial impressions of the crampons.

I normally ride clipless on my trail rides (3+ mile dirt road climbs, sketchy loose wet rocky descents), and I still haven't tried these pedals for that. I found some new dj's last week, so I rode those & a bunch of erb0n this weekend. I wear five ten shoes.

Gription: I installed the tall pins (short & tall sets + extras are included) with the tapered ends up. In that configuration, they're less grabby than the lo pros, but still plenty good. If I were looking for maximum ultimate stick, I'd either flip the pins so the hollow hex end was up or break out the dremel and do some tuning.

Bumps: The pedals have a bump on the outside edge where the outer bearing is housed. Some people like em, some people hate em, and I frankly didn't even notice.

Squeeks: Occasionally the spindle will contact the shoe sole and rub while pedaling. Again, NBD for me. It's certainly insignificant enough to be disregarded as a measurable source of energy loss.

Platform: is big, wide, and stable. If part of the foot lands anywhere on the pedal, it stays there, although this is true for most quality flat pedals, and more likely attributable to the shoes.

Dead Spot in pedal stroke: is significantly reduced. This is the big one. One of the main ideas behind ultra thin pedals is increased efficiency and I must say it's evident. I feel confident I will be able to climb better with these pedals than with any other flats I've tried.

Conclusion: If you prefer flat pedals for all your riding, these are definitely worth your consideration.

I found my new pedals. Thank you for this review. This is exactly what I was looking for.:thumb:

http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2011/07/15/1310735597070-bs52e1fwqj6-670-75.jpg

more (http://bicycling.com/blogs/thestraightdirt/tag/flat-pedals/)

I just got the Grip King pedals from Rivendell (AKA MKS Lambda) and they're great! There's also a hack to make them grippier (on rivbike) but I haven't found that to be necessary. There's also a quick release version I hear...

http://assets.rivbike.com/images/products/full/0000/1617/tourlite.jpg

^
comes with integrated reflectors. nice.

http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2011/07/15/1310735597070-bs52e1fwqj6-670-75.jpgI definitely like those and the Crampons' standard interface over the Flypapers' proprietary setup. Be interesting to see how the Tiogas hold up over time.

I'm riding Wellgo MG-1s and I'm happy, but drooling anyway over these high-end pedals!

Good reading boys! Its surprising how crypt keeper makes sense for a NYer.

WOW! Those Specialized pedals are somethin' else! I was riding with my wifes generic flats but I picked up a pair of bear traps and man, weren't they light! Kinda tall but ggrrriipy! Now I ride Eggbeaters.

"So I'm not trying to be a smartass here, but if you don't need a lot of grip, why not buy a less expensive pedal? I have no idea what the Crampons cost, but going off appearance and the other pedals that cryptid listed, that's not a cheap pedal. Seriously, if I was a bike tourist who wanted platforms, I'd spend $20 on a pair of Tenderizers and call it good."

What makes the crampons special isn't the studs, it the bearings, and what that does for platform thickness. In fact the studs are kinda taking the design backwards. The thing everyone is trying to copy are the flypaper pedals, whithout their mechanics. Those pedals would be ideal for touring, but unfortunately they are over 500 with cranks, and the cranks aren't ideal for touring. What worries me about the Crampons is that the studs make the pedal deeper, but if they are removed does one end up without required clearance over the bearings and quill. These guys are trying to make it look like they are getting somewhere, but if part of the deal is just building out the pedal with high studs, then they haven't really gained much.

The tioga pedals look good, the studs on those are not part of the clearance system.

For the record, Crampons are pretty reasonably priced ($150 stright from Canfield Bros.) for what you get. By comparison, chromoloy-spindle Twenty6 Prerunners list for $206 and Syncros Crux list at $184.

What makes the crampons special isn't the studs, it the bearings, and what that does for platform thickness. In fact the studs are kinda taking the design backwards. The thing everyone is trying to copy are the flypaper pedals, whithout their mechanics. Those pedals would be ideal for touring, but unfortunately they are over 500 with cranks, and the cranks aren't ideal for touring. What worries me about the Crampons is that the studs make the pedal deeper, but if they are removed does one end up without required clearance over the bearings and quill. These guys are trying to make it look like they are getting somewhere, but if part of the deal is just building out the pedal with high studs, then they haven't really gained much.


The crampons were not designed for tourers or recreational riders - they were designed for DH types going fast over rough terrain. The pins are there for a number of reasons, but foremost is traction in those situations, and pins are a highly effective (and replaceable) way to address that.

The pins are also a tuneable part of the pedal system - I chose the taller pins on the perimeter to aid in making the contact surface concave, which I prefer. In fact, I also do that to my lo pros, the pegs on my dirt bike, and if I had flypapers, I would do the same thing. You did see the part where I mentioned that shorter pins are provided, right?

Your worry about the crampons performance with pins removed is silly. That's like worrying about how your wheels would perform without tires. The pins are integral to the design choices that were made, namely a full length spindle and an outboard bearing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=517-LVt2uRQ

I'm wondering if anyone else got the significance of that. Any other musicians out there?

I thought that you were referring to the up and coming young rapper. Or rappa. Maybe I should ask Ed which is the right "handle" for a rapping G.

I thought that you were referring to the up and coming young rapper. Or rappa. Maybe I should ask Ed which is the right "handle" for a rapping G.

It was a reference to the fact that there is a B flat in the key of D minor, in fact the only flat in that key.

I use Oddesey BMX-style pedals and haven't been able to break them. They are really smooth and strong as hell. 220285