Originally Posted by
Gconan
Yes. Bikes come with cheap pedals. I like bigger pedals for a bigger footprint.
Sorry, I'm not bying it. I spent several years of my childhood/adolescence pushing the pedals with the arch of my foot (mostly because the pedals that were available to me at the time didn't offer much grip and so that was the safest position to prevent slippage). Once I changed my riding style to pushing the pedals with the ball of my foot, there was a notable difference - I felt I could get more power down and it was overall more comfortable, and not only because of the load distribution on my feet, but also due to better engagement of lower leg muscles.
Our feet and legs are "designed" so that the load bearing part is the ball of the foot and the heel, hence this style of pedal would have to be long enough to extend past both to be effective - basically a whole sole.