Pedal extenders
#51
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And yea, all products are the same. There are no differences in quality on any product, ever. Walmart bikes are as good as the best of them.
#52
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Generically speaking....
I just got a pair of 20mm pedal extenders and they are a game changer for my knees.
I absolutely did not believe that 20mm could possibly make much of a difference.
I was so wrong
One of my knees was always killing me. Not just when I rode but pretty much all the time. I figured it was scar tissue building up from having ACL surgery 20 years ago. And I assumed biking was making it worse but I didn't think biking was the problem.
I had to wear a brace when I biked or it would always be 10 times worse afterwards.
On a whim I got pedal extenders. (Actually it was after reading an article on knee pain in Bicycle Magazine. Free subscription. Only reason I read it.) And INSTANTLY there was a difference.
My pain was on the side of my knee...the side facing the other leg. (So left knee...right side of left knee). The article I read said pain there means your legs aren't straight enough on the down stroke when biking.
The 20mm made all the difference in the world.
I got these 6 weeks ago and I stopped riding with my knee brace immediately. I haven't had the slightest bit of knee pain since. Not on the bike. Not walking. Not hiking up hills. Nothing.
Turns out the biking was 100% of my knee pain problem and the pedal extenders eliminated it in 1 day.
My knee hasn't felt this good in years
I just got a pair of 20mm pedal extenders and they are a game changer for my knees.
I absolutely did not believe that 20mm could possibly make much of a difference.
I was so wrong
One of my knees was always killing me. Not just when I rode but pretty much all the time. I figured it was scar tissue building up from having ACL surgery 20 years ago. And I assumed biking was making it worse but I didn't think biking was the problem.
I had to wear a brace when I biked or it would always be 10 times worse afterwards.
On a whim I got pedal extenders. (Actually it was after reading an article on knee pain in Bicycle Magazine. Free subscription. Only reason I read it.) And INSTANTLY there was a difference.
My pain was on the side of my knee...the side facing the other leg. (So left knee...right side of left knee). The article I read said pain there means your legs aren't straight enough on the down stroke when biking.
The 20mm made all the difference in the world.
I got these 6 weeks ago and I stopped riding with my knee brace immediately. I haven't had the slightest bit of knee pain since. Not on the bike. Not walking. Not hiking up hills. Nothing.
Turns out the biking was 100% of my knee pain problem and the pedal extenders eliminated it in 1 day.
My knee hasn't felt this good in years
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#53
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If that were true it would be a shame because I am proud of my bicyclular innovations. I would prefer a crankarm sized aluminum washer for weight
and aesthetics, adonized bright red.
My knees feel really good too. My pain was on the inside of my knee too. Looks like we have found the culprit.
I also found (as mentioned on the over 50 thread)
1) That my knee pain is associated with a longer crank arm. Only 172.5 as opposed to 170mm but it seems to make a difference since the pain comes at the top of the pedal cycle when using that longer crank. Now I wonder whether my riding bow legged was in order to increase q factor, or whether it was just to avoid bending my knee to the same angle at the top of the pedal stroke. I will experiment with lower washer heights.
2) I also had Biopace chainrings rotated, away from the Biopace recommended, knee-saving position, to one which puts the most stress on the knees at the downward push position. I will rotate my biopace chainring back to its intended knee-saving position.
and aesthetics, adonized bright red.
My knees feel really good too. My pain was on the inside of my knee too. Looks like we have found the culprit.
I also found (as mentioned on the over 50 thread)
1) That my knee pain is associated with a longer crank arm. Only 172.5 as opposed to 170mm but it seems to make a difference since the pain comes at the top of the pedal cycle when using that longer crank. Now I wonder whether my riding bow legged was in order to increase q factor, or whether it was just to avoid bending my knee to the same angle at the top of the pedal stroke. I will experiment with lower washer heights.
2) I also had Biopace chainrings rotated, away from the Biopace recommended, knee-saving position, to one which puts the most stress on the knees at the downward push position. I will rotate my biopace chainring back to its intended knee-saving position.
Last edited by timtak; 11-17-19 at 07:47 PM.
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Hi Sweetie,
Is it something you should make ?
I would like to, you would have a customer here with at least 1 bike + possibly another 2 to equip.
That said I am sufficiently familiar with industrial process to understand that a one off, a prototype would turn out very expensive to produce, and would come up with a retail price making the whole operation not worth it from a customer perspective.
I can think of two, coincidentally US made, items which are helpful for vintage french bike owners, a French Threaded, Sealed Cartridge Bottom Bracket made by Vélo Orange*which provides a direct fit/bolt on solution.
Also available from the famous Swedish bearing manufacturer SKF.
There is also, cannot remember their name right now, a US based source for longer than the, very short, french standard aluminum seat posts commonly found on vintage race bikes available in various diameters.
Does that suggest that there is a market ?
In other words, in particular regarding seat posts, if it weren't for American entrepreneurs a good deal of French bikes way to small for tall young riders would have ended on the scrap metal heap.
Instead "a" number (How large, I don't know) of beautiful Vitus/Colombus/Reynolds frames have been granted a new lease of life converted into Fixies, Single speeds, classic "randonneurs" or very stylish (and light) flat handlebar commuter bikes.
Should you check the European equivalents of Craigslist you will find out that vintage high end crank sets, sometimes NOS, or hardly used are listed every week.
If I were in your position, with your expertise, I would contact the major European on line bike parts retailers (Germans and Dutch) in order to find out how they feel about a 14x1.25 to 9/16" extender in 25 mm and 30mm, for a start.
Hope this helps.
Claude.
Hi Claude,
Well after some time, we have the French thread done. Well the male end is 14x1.25mm and the female end are 9/16-20.We have made some in 20mm, 25mm, and 30mm. We have had a terrible time getting American certified stainless steel. The price and availability for the material has gone crazy. It has been difficult to keep up with all the orders and make something new. We finally found a vendor who keeps the material in good supply. So we placed a large order and have been machining for some time. We also have changed the washers to stainless steel. So if you are still interested. Let me know or you can go to our ebay site.
Thanks
Last edited by Sweetheart14; 01-05-20 at 06:05 PM.
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I found that the most important thing is, not that there is a long extender, nor even increasing Q factor, but rather ensuring that ones toes are rotating away from the bike. Extenders encourage and facilitate this outward rotation. But so does a thin washer. I am currently using a 2mm washer on my right pedal axle and attempting to rotate my right heel inwards, towards my BB just a little. This has been enough (together with various types of exercise) to reduce or almost eliminate, my knee pain.
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If the washer alone helps. That is great. I got started in this when my husband made me a set of 20mm long pedal extenders. It made riding my bike so much easier and more comfortable. Since he made me the 1st set. I tend to ride more often and longer.
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It's rather normal that the crank arm broke before the extender, given same or bigger extender strength, the forces momentum increases with the distance and the extender moves the crank to a bigger distance - a pedal extender increases the momentum already by its presence, or put in other words: for a given force it can make a crank arm break when it wouldn't have broken without the extender. Or put in yet other words: maybe it could make sense to make the extender only just as strong as the crank/its pedal eye since stronger is useless and if economics are taken into account, more costly for no gain, on top of a crank replacement that may (likely) cost more than an extender replacement.
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One of the advantages of the hollow pedal extender. Many pedals are installed with an 8mm allen wrench. If the pedal extender is solid you can't install the pedal. Another is looks. It looks clean with no flats.
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Hi Claude,
Well after some time, we have the French thread done. Well the male end is 14x1.25mm and the female end are 9/16-20.We have made some in 20mm, 25mm, and 30mm. We have had a terrible time getting American certified stainless steel. The price and availability for the material has gone crazy. It has been difficult to keep up with all the orders and make something new. We finally found a vendor who keeps the material in good supply. So we placed a large order and have been machining for some time. We also have changed the washers to stainless steel. So if you are still interested. Let me know or you can go to our ebay site.
Thanks
Well after some time, we have the French thread done. Well the male end is 14x1.25mm and the female end are 9/16-20.We have made some in 20mm, 25mm, and 30mm. We have had a terrible time getting American certified stainless steel. The price and availability for the material has gone crazy. It has been difficult to keep up with all the orders and make something new. We finally found a vendor who keeps the material in good supply. So we placed a large order and have been machining for some time. We also have changed the washers to stainless steel. So if you are still interested. Let me know or you can go to our ebay site.
Thanks
1) It's quite weaker than common grade steel (50%)
2) In the presence of an electrical conducting fluid (water) it can dissolve aluminium from bikes frame / whatever to white powder.
3) Stainless steel can still corrode if its surface is hindered to form the passivation layer it normally protects from rust. A typical example is people using stainless steel bolts but don't have the additional mounting stuff (such as washers etc), so they use a common steel washer instead. The stainless under the washer will rust alike it isn't stainless.
So what grade stainless steel do you talk about here?
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Most of the box stores buy their stuff from China. They pay pennies for it. The $5.00 pedal extender. The old saying comes to mind. You get what you pay for. Ours are a bit more expensive. We make them We only use American certified materials.
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Stainless steel (most common / cheapest grades 304 and 316) has a few things to take into account.
1) It's quite weaker than common grade steel (50%)
2) In the presence of an electrical conducting fluid (water) it can dissolve aluminium from bikes frame / whatever to white powder.
3) Stainless steel can still corrode if its surface is hindered to form the passivation layer it normally protects from rust. A typical example is people using stainless steel bolts but don't have the additional mounting stuff (such as washers etc), so they use a common steel washer instead. The stainless under the washer will rust alike it isn't stainless.
So what grade stainless steel do you talk about here?
1) It's quite weaker than common grade steel (50%)
2) In the presence of an electrical conducting fluid (water) it can dissolve aluminium from bikes frame / whatever to white powder.
3) Stainless steel can still corrode if its surface is hindered to form the passivation layer it normally protects from rust. A typical example is people using stainless steel bolts but don't have the additional mounting stuff (such as washers etc), so they use a common steel washer instead. The stainless under the washer will rust alike it isn't stainless.
So what grade stainless steel do you talk about here?
Psi = per square inch. Elongation at Break = How much it will bend before it breaks.
AISI 303 Stainless Hardness on the Brinell scale 228 AISI 1018 steel. Hardness on the Brinell scale126
AISI 303 Stainless Tensile Strength, Ultimate 100,000 psi AISI 1018 steel. Tensile Strength, Ultimate 63,800 psi
AISI 303 Stainless Elongation at Break 40% AISI 1018 steel. Elongation at Break 15%
These are just a few comparisons of what is commonly known as cold roll steel to stainless steel.
I think you have your comparisons backwards. Unless you are thinking of medium to high carbon steels. AISI 303 can go toe to tow with a few medium carbon steels.
As for the galvanic response (corrosion). You are correct. Well in a way. Stainless to aluminum will over time corrode to each other. It only becomes a problem under two conditions.
1. It stay wet and is not maintained over an extended period of time(outdoors for a few years).
2. You leave your bike in the ocean for a few months. With most, they will never see this problem.
I have had mine on my bike for almost 5 years. Not one problem.
We have been looking into electro-polishing our pedal extenders. One added benefit is, it will also passivate the pedal extenders. A light film of corrosion protection.
Kristian.
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I didn't have my comparison backwards.
https://www.machinedesign.com/materi...d-other-metals
Grade 303 is a tad 'worser' - the difference with 304 is sacrificial (strength / corrosion resistence) in order to allow easier machining.
Stainless and aluminium don't corrode "eachother", nothing happens to the stainless side of the galvanic corrosion - it's just the aluminium that dissolves to white powder, so it can ruin aluminium frame / crank mounting holes. A very common example: take out an inner tube - it has a stainless steel valve that goes through a hole in an aluminium rim. See the white dust on the valves thread. That's alu from the rim - the hole got bigger.
My current bike stand was mounted along 2 grade 304 (A2-70) bolts+nuts, through an aluminium block between the frame tube and the stand. My stand kept on losing, until the point I had to retension it several times in an hour when having parked alot. The holes in the alu block and the stainless bolts hung full of white powder. Just to say - it's something to take into account, in an aluminium bicycle frame/part and all weather case. Thread in the frame can get damaged meaning a loss of mount points.
Electro polishing is just irrelevant to galvanic corrosion.
https://www.machinedesign.com/materi...d-other-metals
Of the five materials, 440C stainless steel has the highest specific strength, followed by 4130 alloy steel, 7075-T6 aluminum, and 2024-T3 aluminum. AISI 304 stainless steel has the lowest strength-to-weight ratio of the five.
For both UTS and 2% yield strength, 440C stainless shines over the other steel and aluminum alloys in this comparison. 4130 alloy steel comes in a close second. Aluminums fall at the bottom in terms of UTS, but 304 stainless steel has the lowest 2% yield strength at 42.1 ksi.
Shear strength, the maximum stress a material endures before it fractures, comes into play when components see off-axis forces. Shear strengths are not typically quoted for stainless steels because they are too low to have engineering value. 4130 alloy steel has shear modulus around 11,000 ksi, lower than those for the aluminum alloys.
Another problem with stainless steel is galling. This typically takes place when stainless-steel fasteners are highly torqued, marring the material’s passivating oxide surface film.
Stainless and aluminium don't corrode "eachother", nothing happens to the stainless side of the galvanic corrosion - it's just the aluminium that dissolves to white powder, so it can ruin aluminium frame / crank mounting holes. A very common example: take out an inner tube - it has a stainless steel valve that goes through a hole in an aluminium rim. See the white dust on the valves thread. That's alu from the rim - the hole got bigger.
My current bike stand was mounted along 2 grade 304 (A2-70) bolts+nuts, through an aluminium block between the frame tube and the stand. My stand kept on losing, until the point I had to retension it several times in an hour when having parked alot. The holes in the alu block and the stainless bolts hung full of white powder. Just to say - it's something to take into account, in an aluminium bicycle frame/part and all weather case. Thread in the frame can get damaged meaning a loss of mount points.
Electro polishing is just irrelevant to galvanic corrosion.
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One can now get pedal extenders at 20mm for 5USD from ebay and they did make my knees feel good, but, 20mm was a bit long for me so I am using a 4.5mm washer on my pedal axle. I hope I don't break my crank. 4.5mm seems to be enough.
4.5mm washer for increased Q Factor by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
I will look out for less clunky washers!
4.5mm washer for increased Q Factor by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
I will look out for less clunky washers!
#66
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The thread of a pedal has a certain length. Shortwhile ago I decided to insert pedal washers (to avoid cracks development in the cranks around the pedal mounting holes). Thing is, you lose some thread engagement. You say here that you use 4.5 mm washer, your pedals must have had extraordinary thread length then?
For those of us that use pedal extenders to help their knees, I think that the point is to ensure that you do not bend your knees in to avoid pushing at the top of the pedal stroke. The washer/spacer or a pedal cleat wedge dis-encourages that tendency. I have shortened my cranks, been climbing stairs three at a time, and attempting to put a bit of outwards torque on my legs and lately my knees have been okay.
No one is interested but, I think perhaps my knee pain was related to decreases in testosterone. I am 55 so my testosterone levels are, I presume, on the way down. As I attempt to pedal "with outwards torque," without damaging my knees I get the feeling that I am engaging in primate crotch display, or conversely, when I was damaging my knees, I was not.
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I didn't have my comparison backwards.
https://www.machinedesign.com/materi...d-other-metals
"Interesting read. One of the things I said before. You need to look at what you wrote. You talked about common materials. All of those materials are somewhat common in the aerospace and aircraft industries. Two very common metals that most everyone sees. A36 and 1018."
Grade 303 is a tad 'worser' - the difference with 304 is sacrificial (strength / corrosion resistance) in order to allow easier machining.
"303 and 304 are very close. 303 has sulfur in."
Stainless and aluminium don't corrode "eachother", nothing happens to the stainless side of the galvanic corrosion - it's just the aluminium that dissolves to white powder, so it can ruin aluminium frame / crank mounting holes. A very common example: take out an inner tube - it has a stainless steel valve that goes through a hole in an aluminium rim. See the white dust on the valves thread. That's alu from the rim - the hole got bigger.
My current bike stand was mounted along 2 grade 304 (A2-70) bolts+nuts, through an aluminium block between the frame tube and the stand. My stand kept on losing, until the point I had to retension it several times in an hour when having parked alot. The holes in the alu block and the stainless bolts hung full of white powder. Just to say - it's something to take into account, in an aluminium bicycle frame/part and all weather case. Thread in the frame can get damaged meaning a loss of mount points.
Electro polishing is just irrelevant to galvanic corrosion.
https://www.machinedesign.com/materi...d-other-metals
"Interesting read. One of the things I said before. You need to look at what you wrote. You talked about common materials. All of those materials are somewhat common in the aerospace and aircraft industries. Two very common metals that most everyone sees. A36 and 1018."
Grade 303 is a tad 'worser' - the difference with 304 is sacrificial (strength / corrosion resistance) in order to allow easier machining.
"303 and 304 are very close. 303 has sulfur in."
Stainless and aluminium don't corrode "eachother", nothing happens to the stainless side of the galvanic corrosion - it's just the aluminium that dissolves to white powder, so it can ruin aluminium frame / crank mounting holes. A very common example: take out an inner tube - it has a stainless steel valve that goes through a hole in an aluminium rim. See the white dust on the valves thread. That's alu from the rim - the hole got bigger.
My current bike stand was mounted along 2 grade 304 (A2-70) bolts+nuts, through an aluminium block between the frame tube and the stand. My stand kept on losing, until the point I had to retension it several times in an hour when having parked alot. The holes in the alu block and the stainless bolts hung full of white powder. Just to say - it's something to take into account, in an aluminium bicycle frame/part and all weather case. Thread in the frame can get damaged meaning a loss of mount points.
Electro polishing is just irrelevant to galvanic corrosion.
"Your example of the stainless steel valve in a aluminum rim, should point out to you. While is does have a galvanic reactions. It will go for years before it become a problem. And in most cases, there is water on the inside of the rim which will excel the reaction.In your case if you are getting that much galvanic reaction. You have something else going on."
"So lets look at your high strength materials. They are all great.
440C Martensite Stainless. Great material. Very expensive. Then you have the cost of heat treating it. Without the heat treating. The numbers are not so good for this application. Tensile Strength Ultimate is 110,000 psi. 4130 is 97200 psi and 303 has 100,000 psi not much difference. Elongation at Break. 440C before heat treat 2% and after heat treat 14%. 4130 is 25.5% and 303 is at 40% If we look at Shear Modulus 440C 12200ksi. 4130 is 11600ksi and 303 is 11200ksi. Again for the added cost there is not much difference. "
"If we made pedal extenders out of 440C. We would not get a lot of benefit for the cost difference. There are some pedal adapters made from 4340(close to 4130. 4340 is just a bit better grade)."
"Next time you make a statement. Comparing 303 to aerospace metals that most will never experience in the bike world. Well a few might see bit of 440C if they have a nice stainless steel knife. None of the metals you copied and pasted are considered common metals. Common metals are 1018, 12L14, 1144, A36, 303 and 304 stainless steel. We have been making things in metal and plastic for over 30 years. For people like Lockheed Martin and Harley Davidson. For every 10 ton of common metals, we will use a pound of the medium to high carbon metals. When we buy 1018 for example we buy full length bars, even if we only need a few inches. One reason most place only sell it buy the full length. Industrial suppliers. When buying 4340 or 4130, 440C, A2, D2, and S7. We will only buy the exact amounts. If we need a few inches, they sell it buy the inch."
#69
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Paralyzed guy riding a handcycle. I'm looking at 20mm sets on Amazon...any reason I can't/shouldn't link 3 of these together per pedal, to get the length I need?
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You are looking for 60mm total length? As you put together a few extenders you have to make sure it is tight. Do you need your set to be hollow? I can make you a set that is 60mm long. For about the same price as buying 3 sets.
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Have people using pedal extenders broken the pedal eye on their crank arm due to the extension and thus extra torque exerted on the pedal eye?
Cheers
Cheers
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As far as we know. No one has ever had a problem like that. I guess that would depend on the quality of the crank you are using.
Thanks,
Kristian.
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I found that the most important thing is, not that there is a long extender, nor even increasing Q factor, but rather ensuring that ones toes are rotating away from the bike. Extenders encourage and facilitate this outward rotation. But so does a thin washer. I am currently using a 2mm washer on my right pedal axle and attempting to rotate my right heel inwards, towards my BB just a little. This has been enough (together with various types of exercise) to reduce or almost eliminate, my knee pain.
I turned my toe in a good bit such that the heel would always clear the crank arm. I also lengthened the leg in relation to a "walking" leg to facilitate the lack of ankle flexion. It works SUPERBLY in the instance that I don't actually have to walk more than to the subway landing, car, seat in a restaurant.
I have interest in getting a pedal extender for my utility bike such that I can use with my everyday "walking" leg.
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Above I thought that the pedal extenders worked for me -- reducing knee soreness -- because they encouraged me to ride rotating my toes outwards.
I have now come to the conclusion that the pedal extenders rotated my toes outwards, but it was fighting against this outward rotation, and rotating inwards, preventing myself from going bow legged, that prevented sore knees. In other words, pedal extenders encouraged internal rotation of the femur, to keep my legs and pedaling straight.
The extenders worked for a while but my femural rotational strength got worse.
I forgot about pedal extenders and tried all sorts of exercises squats, one leg Romanian squats (on a wobbly board and on a rotating platform), CARs, the McGill “big three” (hip abductions, flying dogs, side planks), hydrants, donkey and ninja kicks, and their combinations by the thousand.
Eventually, remembering the way that pedal extenders made me rotate my legs, feeling that scything, golf swings, and The Twist (Chubby Checker) helped, I concentrated on rotational strength, and with a banded leg twisting exercise, I have found that my legs are feeling a lot better - no sore knees, no hip problems, a real sense of leg youth and stability.
I have now come to the conclusion that the pedal extenders rotated my toes outwards, but it was fighting against this outward rotation, and rotating inwards, preventing myself from going bow legged, that prevented sore knees. In other words, pedal extenders encouraged internal rotation of the femur, to keep my legs and pedaling straight.
The extenders worked for a while but my femural rotational strength got worse.
I forgot about pedal extenders and tried all sorts of exercises squats, one leg Romanian squats (on a wobbly board and on a rotating platform), CARs, the McGill “big three” (hip abductions, flying dogs, side planks), hydrants, donkey and ninja kicks, and their combinations by the thousand.
Eventually, remembering the way that pedal extenders made me rotate my legs, feeling that scything, golf swings, and The Twist (Chubby Checker) helped, I concentrated on rotational strength, and with a banded leg twisting exercise, I have found that my legs are feeling a lot better - no sore knees, no hip problems, a real sense of leg youth and stability.