Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 19,344
Likes: 5,461
From: Rochester, NY
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
"Andy, I read this and immediately picked up the pedal to play around with it and see if anything was loose and I discovered that the middle piece in between the two races is completely loose from both sides and I can even partially remove it from both sides by playing around with it. I’m going to take it this is not ideal? " Esos1
Gee... you think so too? (Said in satire). You've reached a place of understanding that so many before you have and that drove them to get vastly more solid pedals.
Now as you look for pedals with one piece bodies you'll have the chance to find out about the cheap and poor ways some cages are secured to the, now solid, bodies. I suggest avoiding any cage with a Phillips headed screw (very common with cheap plastic bodied pedals). Have you taken a studied look at how "better" pedals have their cages attached?
Pedals is one area that I chose strength over lightweight. Having worked the LBS service counter for so long I've had the chance to see so many cheap pedals that have come apart, including a few leg scars from when they did, to want to experience that myself. Andy (who has had a Campy strada pedal's quill sharpened to a point from road rash yet the cage/body remained solid and working for thousands of miles more.)
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AndrewRStewart