Touring Platform Pedal Recommendation
 

I was wondering if you all could give me your recommendation for a new platform pedal for my commuter touring bike?

I was looking at a couple of MKS models which came recommended from others. Thanks all.

i love these.

perfect for my size thirteen flippers. i bought mine from amazon, but it doesn't look like they have them there anymore, but the reviews are still up....

http://www.amazon.com/MKS-Lambda-Pla...pr_product_top

looks like you can buy them here right now.

http://www.treefortbikes.com/product...m-Pedals,.html

they are about the same price i bought them for on amazon when i got mine.

Rivendell "inspired".... supposedly a licensed knock off of a model they offer.

they are remarkably light for their size, extremely solid under foot, and have excellent traction wet and dry.

I use these from nashbar on my commuter. Cheap, light and do the job.
http://nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/stores...4917_-1_catNav

+1
best platform pedals ever. I might change em out so I can get toe-cages or straps or whatever, but as simple platforms, they've performed awesomely.

I recommend the MKS Sylvan Touring pedal. The serrated edges help your shoes grip the pedals without poking uncomfortably through thin-soled shoes.

http://i56.tinypic.com/28w2hx0.jpg

I recently got a pair of Ergon Pedals, and I really like them . curved faces, big reflectors.
the grip is friction material in the center , shoe sole is fully supported.

I will check those out. Anyone use them with toe cages as well? I looked online at some power straps too. Are those better than traditional toe cages/straps?

FB, any more insights on the Ergon pedals? I've had my eye on a pair, but have been waiting to hear a review of them. They have some great features it seems.

So I think it is between the MKS Lambda and the MKS Touring Light. Both are around 40 bucks but slightly different styles. What do you guys think?

Do you want more sagittal (Lambda) or coronal (Touring Light) support of the foot? That's the main difference I see between the two.

My vote is for the MKS Touring Light. I have a set of the standard MKS Touring pedals on my road bike, and find their grip and support to be great. I commute on my road bike about 2/3 of the time, which equals about 300 miles per month. I plan to soon get a set of the MKS Touring Light pedals for my foul weather commuter that I ride the other 1/3 of the time.

I like the look of the Touring lite pedal. I just came across this. Check it out.

http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/06/05/three-mks-pedals/

I've got both the mks lambda and the ergons. The ergons just fit, the curve puts your foot in the right position every time, I have to futz to get the feel right with the mks. They look hugely dorky, but are light, strong and support your whole foot. I find the various mks pedals either too narrow or too short for me. The lambdas are nice but I'm switching mine out for the ergons. The mks are fine till about 15 miles before I find them uncomfortable.

If money is no object, then the White Industries pedals paired with Bruce Gordon half clips gets my vote. I am biased as I have a pair and this is one thing I just couldn't live without.

http://brucegordoncycles.bigcartel.c...trapless-clips

I love MKS touring pedals; they have classic looks and are perfectly functional in good weather. However, I have found that they don't do very well in the rain, unless you're willing to add toe clips, which I have learned to despise. I'm currently using big, wide, downhill MTB pedals, which work well in any conditions: http://www.bikesale.com/speedplay-dr...rm-pedals.aspx

They're not as pretty as the MKS, and more expensive, but, in all honesty, they're a LOT more practical, and over time, their ugliness kind of grows on you.

I'll have to track down what it is I'm running. Basic big platforms with a rubbery coating on top. Loved them in the summer (the rubber seemed to get tacky in the heat, making me stick right too them. They seemed slippery when I got caught in the rain on them recently, but I was wearing shoes I probably won't wear in the rain again until if I get caught out like that in late spring. They didn't feel as smooth as I thought they should when I first got them, I'd still like to work on the bearings.

Before that I was running spiky square BMX style platforms. I was partial to the Redline ones in all silver but it looks like at least Wellgo and probably a number of other companies offered the exact same pedal in a variety of colors as well as with or without reflectors. I got tired of the bear traps beating up my shins. I know some people will say that is a rookie problem, but there's no way you could describe me as a rookie cyclist. The way I see it, putting a foot down constantly in stop-and-go traffic makes it inevitable that this is going to happen occasionally. Riding 100 miles a week means that occasionally comes often enough for it to be annoying. Hence the now rubber coated rather than spiky ones. Hopefully my winter shoes will stick to them okay, if I find they slip off though I'm okay with going back to the bear traps.

I used to always ride with toe-clips all the time. After a hiatus from cycling I don't like them anymore. Riding in the city is very stop-and-go at times and it gets annoying having to get your feet re-situated over and over.

I tried something like power straps recently too. I had high hopes for these, but they were annoying like the toe clips, were going to get torn up from occasionally scraping on the ground and tended to collapse in on themselves, making them hard to get into without stopping and pulling them open with my hands. They also negated one of the main benefits of running flats - that being the ability to wear any kind of shoe with them. It was a pain to adjust the straps to fit a different sized shoe.

YMMV

I also find that MKS and similar are too small for me. In fact, even with pedal extenders on big platforms my feet are barely in the right place.

I've used Power Grips for many years and love them. You get much better foot retention than with cages, and they are much easier to slip in and out of then a tightened cage. I find them perfect for communing.

As for pedals, I've found that VP brand are extremely high quality with excellent seals and bearings I've got six years of all weather commuting on one pair with no issues. They are surprisingly inexpensive as well.

http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...p#BVRRWidgetID

If you're going to commute all winter in Chicago you're probably going to want to wear boots. If that's the case then bragi's suggestion comes closest IMO. Don't have to spend that much, though. You can get 9/16" metal BMX pedals with replaceable pins starting at around $25.

I'm running metal BMX pedals with no replacable pins that I got for $5 at a swap meet. When I waste the pins I'll get something with replaceable pins.

I got hooked on BMX pedals when I pulled these off a dumpster score bike. The pins are all rounded off so not so good in the wet, but I've since gotten some fresher ones (at a swap meet for $5) and my feet stick to them like glue.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5018/...493dde29_o.jpg
GT pedals off a dumpster score! by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

These freebies were also 1/2", thus the adapters.

Indigo mentions use with thin soled shoes but those MKS he mentions are pretty uncomfortable with Chuck Taylors and the like. If you want thin sole comfort and use clips and straps, these are much more comfy as the pedal body is more of a platform compared to the MKS tour stuff where you can feel the spindle and cage through your shoes. Trade off is not as much grip if you really scrape the bottom of your stroke. They can be tough to find, however. SR Sakae CTP-400:
http://www.sonic.net/~mtwitney/n9.jpg

These are the pedals I'm running on my boot bike this winter. Not bad for five bones!

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6240/...e4287d4a_o.jpg
DSCN1912 by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I will be using them in the winter so grip is important.

DMR V8's very grippy

I have a pair, and I can't stand them. The power grips have all the faults of toe clips, and none of the advantages. With toe clips you can adjust on the fly to adapt to different shoes, they are easy to get into, can be run loose or cinched down tight for grip. With Power Grips, you have to readjust with each pair of shoes, the tension is determined by the angle of your feet and they rub even worse than toe clips.

My experience with PowerGrips for the last 15 years or so has been totally opposite. I never have to adjust mine, and use all sorts of different shoes, they are dead simple to get into, and I have no rubbing issues. How long did you use them for?

Well I ordered the MKS Touring Lite and a pair of power grips. Thanks for all of your input.

Have you tried clipless? I personally don't like them as well as platforms in city traffic, but they're a lot less annoying than toe clips, and slightly more efficient, too.