debade

I am now using my 1994 Trek 2120 as my in-town commuter. My commutes are typically 5 miles or less, round trip. I still have the 525 pedals with clip on one side and platform on other which are the original. I only wear street shoes when I ride this bike so I am using the platform side. My problem is my foot slips off the older plastic platform portion of the pedal too often. So, I am looking to replace the 525 with a platform only pedal. Which leads to my question.


Pedals range from $10 (Bell) to $100 +. This Bell pedal looks like it would be OK. But pedal choices and prices are all over the place which is simply making me concerned that I might be missing something in quality especially as it relates to durability and 'ridability'. I am not concerned with weight, color, or even long distance comfort. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bell-Spor...edals/35732024

athcpid=35732024&athpgid=athenaItemPage&athcgid=null&athznid=PWVUB&athieid=v0&athstid=CS020&athguid= e348b2d2-642-169b0e970783af&athena=true .


I have two concerns. 1) I want the pedals to last for a reasonable time, which in the case of pedals hundreds of miles. 2) I want them to feel secure under foot and allow me to have some traction when I climb up the hill to my house at the end of my commute.


I am guessing there is a difference in material and weight that will influence the price. But given my goals of foot traction and reasonable durability, is there really a big difference in pedals that should influence my purchase price? Is it fair to say that pedals are kind of like helmets? They are priced for reasons outside of actual protection of your head (air flow, color, etc) (except perhaps mips perhaps or similar)


Thanks


Thanks

Darth Lefty 

fietsbob

MKS makes a wide variety of pedals, in Japan., their 3000R is simple , reliable, and rebuildable..

Skipjacks

Chester Race Face

https://www.amazon.com/RaceFace-Ches...gateway&sr=8-3

Relatively cheap. Very durable. Will stick to your shoes like glue without being hard to remove your foot from them.

I run these on my commuter and my gravel bike.

You can get better pedals that have even better bearings and that can withstand a nuclear bomb or something. But for $40-$50 it's hard to beat the value of these. For a 5 mile commute there are more than durable enough.

AlmostTrick

I've been rockin' these Wellgo's all winter. I've been quite happy with their performance and they look great on a road bike.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gresp15C

I have "Avenir Resin Pedals" on 3 bikes now, after quite a few years of commuting on one set. They are available for both 1/2" and 9/16" threads, so you have to choose the right ones, probably 9/16 for the Trek. They're affordable, durable, and knobbly enough that my feet don't slip off them.

alias5000

Plastic platform pedals is the only thing I did not upgrade when changing from my BSO commuter to my current Trek 6000 frame based build. These pedals just recently died which is after 4 years of regular use and an unknown history beforehand (as I got them used).
TLDR: I'd get a set of pedals that have the shape/grip/price balance that looks best to you and go with it. I don't see any real black magic in platform pedals for this use.

Our local coop has a crate full of pedals, pairs sell at a couple of bucks.

RubeRad

Wellgo MG-*

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wellgo-MG-3...frcectupt=true

Darth Lefty 

Wellgos have been crunchy and clicky for me. YMMV, I guess.

52telecaster

I use meetlocks 3 bearing on one bike and mks lambdas on another. Both are great. I would look toward pinned platforms. They grip your shoes really well.

52telecaster

https://www.amazon.com/MEETLOCKS-Alu...r=8-3-fkmrnull

I like these a lot.

Darth Lefty 

A while ago I did try a pair of road platform pedals (Wellgo R146). Their style was great with the road bike, but they were just way too small to go with my usual hiking shoes. In fact I think they'd go better on a kid's bike.

Korina

I ordered some iSSi Thumps; they should be here in a day or two. I ordered purple for my Pretty Purple Princess Penelope.

Fahrenheit531 

Any quality BMX pedal should do you just fine. Most are relatively inexpensive, and since they're designed for abuse and general mayhem they'll last a good long time under less demanding conditions. I've really grown to like the Free Agent Pro Alloy. Easy to find, less than twenty bucks, and a good wide platform that's happy with pretty much any footwear up to and including Doc Marten's.

Eric S.

If you end up going with a standard looking rat-trap pedal, Zefal half clips are a great addition for commuting. I used to be a pedal snob and commuted with mountain SPD pedals and shoes, but I got tired of carrying extra shoes. I like some connection with the pedals to reposition at lights.

PaulRivers

Chest RaceFace are the commonly suggested as good cheap(er) pedals.

I personally use DMR Vault pedals because I find them very comfortable, but at $125/pair I'm guessing you'd probably be heading more towards the RaceFace's.

If you want an absolutely solid grip on your pedals, you can also buy FiveTen bike shoes. They use a special rubber formulation that is extra grippy on pedals with pins. They're certainly not necessary and definitely not cheap though...
https://www.adidasoutdoor.com/five-t...men-bike-shoes

fietsbob

you folks do like adding to Bezos' wealth ..

check back in 20 years and say how they held up.

RubeRad

yeah, maybe it's lens distortion, but that whole pedal looks curved, and there's stray plastic/rubber at the end, which gives the impression of cheap manufacture. But they may well be very robust. Good luck!

debade

I haven't purchased pedals yet. But your guidance was helpful and appreciated. I now know what to look for.

downwinded

Tioga D-Spyders with the Zefal toe clips mentioned earlier. You may have to shop around a bit to find the best price.

CliffordK

I can't tell what the pedal body for those is made out of. They appear to me as if they are plastic pedal bodies with metal cages.

Personally, I've been very reluctant to use the pedals with plastic bodies, they just seem cheap, with low durability.

There are quite a few new designs of "flat" pedals out there, most with a flatter surface and "pins". And, many with an aluminum body.

I've personally transitioned to almost 100% SPD. I've done well with both Shimano as well as Wellgo pedals. Also XPEDO.

debade

You folks are great. Very helpful. I will make a decision when I return from my upcoming tour.

Korina

Another option is to take the toe clips off your existing pedals and put on some skateboard grip tape. It'll give you a nice grippy surface for cheap.

schiavonec

I use race face chesters on my commuter and cyclocross bike too. I will swap in clipless on the cross if needed, but generally speaking the chesters offer good grip.

Skipjacks

I just love how my shoes WILL NOT slip off those pedals for any reason. But how I can easily lift my foot up to change positions or to jump off the bike or put my foot on the ground if needed in a hurry.

Any pinned pedal using screws as pins (not the ones using dull pegs) would accomplish that same result. But the Race face's are also durable if they take a hit, spin relatively well so as to not add resistance, and if you do break one they aren't painful to replace at $50 at REI or $40 on Amazon.