CyclingFool95 

I'm looking to get a pair of clip & strap pedals for a restoration of an 84 Pinarello with Campy Record. While the bike came with a Record crankset, I'll likely switch to a compact Stronglight Impact so I'm not too hung up on getting it vintage, but just period correct. I've been looking on ebay for Campy vintage pedals but they seem to go for silly money. I found a pair of Tokens on Merline for $46, and MKS Sylvans on Amazon for $29 + $18 for clips and another $10 for straps, so around $57 all in. Anyone have any recommendations?

merziac

MKS, bullitproof, cheap and look the part since they have been around for a long time. I run them on all daily riders and I had a pair of them for my first higher quality pedals when I started doing this in the 70's, they are probably still on the bike they were stolen on.

That being said, if you ask here or be a bit more patient you should be able to find some Campy's in your price range.

noobinsf 

MKS are fantastic, a no-brainer, and you can always sell them if you find a good deal on Campys.

CyclingFool95 

These are the ones I found:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...718ZUBOU&psc=1 (pedals)

https://www.amazon.com/Medium-Mks-St...QPD17E5Y10AG5W

(I saw a recommendation of size medium for my 42 1/2 shoes)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...DER&th=1&psc=1 (straps)

JohnDThompson 

The MKS Sylvan is a good value and is cosmetically very similar to Campagnolo's road pedals. A step up from that would be the KKT Pro-Ace, which is every bit as nice as the Campagnolo Record road pedal in terms of finish and overall quality. And it looks even more like the Campagnolo Record pedal than the MKS Sylvan. Sometimes you can get them for silly-low prices on eBay.

merziac

Those are the right stuff, I would go with it for now and keep looking along the way. They will do very well and you would have a backup set if you procure some Campy's or other down the line. I stock the MKS so I can just slap them on for a test ride when a new bike comes along, they usually stay. Also have plenty of Campy in stock for correctness on special ones when needed/wanted. I stock a lot of common good stuff so that a new build or upgrade can be completed easily. I buy when I find a good deal that will save time and money later by not having to scramble or settle for less.

CyclingFool95 

Before I pull the trigger on the MKS, anyone have any thoughts on these? They're more expensive but maybe better quality?

https://velo-orange.com/collections/...sealed-bearing (Sealed bearings would be nice)

https://velo-orange.com/products/vo-steel-toe-clips (Stainless seems like it would be better than the chromed ones)

tiger1964 

Sounds like a sweet bike.

How about... zero? Looked in my box o'stuff, I have some Campy road blacks, a set of Campy road chromed, and a set of those (probably more period-correct? Somebody fact-check me on that!) triangular Campy platform pedals with semi-integral toeclips but one is missing a dust cap so there would be a scavenger hunt involved.

I buy stuff here from time to time, but if I have something someone needs -- might as well donate it (kinda payback for some serious info I get from this great group). PM me and be patient, it might be a while before I find the right box to ship them out.

By the way, so far thrilled with the Velo Orange stuff I've bought, they are about 25 miles from here and almost my LBS, so go with them if you want. As for Token, just pulled out a 4 month old Token BB, already trashed, cannot imagine their pedals being better, but YMMV.

shmuelyosef

I have a pair of "Campy Copy" pedals that are 40 years old (literally...for real), made by SR, Model SP-150. They came with a Miyata 710 that is now serving me as a singlespeed for around town. The design is classic and works superbly. I recently added a pair of the Zefal Half Toe-Clips ($5.00 at Chain Reaction) and am really preferring them to straps and metal. Need to see how long they last, but work well with the little 'tang' on the pedals.
The Velo-Orange pedals don't look real strap-friendly...

merziac

IMHO they can't be better quality, especially for the price, like I said MKS are buillitproof ime, they will last a normal lifetime with minimal maintenance, longer with proper. Those VO pedals are very nice and while I have no idea they may be made by MKS, seem like a good deal and look the part as well. I would still encourage you to onboard the MKS, you will have them from now on if you do.

merziac

I hear ya, all the parts I stock/hoard are earmarked for one project or another despite the backlog, refits, upgrades, correctness corrections, etc. Pedals can be consumables if you ride much at all. Can't stomach banging a Campy so they spend little time on riders but go on for certain rides, any shows that come along and sometimes pics.

There's also parting out that sometimes has to happen, awhile back I got a PX-10 that I decided would get some Campy's so I sourced some French spindles and proceeded to swap them out, by the time I got done a cap had broken and a tabbed washer was mangled, being as I had two pair it was no big deal but now I have a set minus two key parts.

SurferRosa

Vintage Japanese pedals rarely wear out. They're easy to overhaul, given their lockwashers are still well tabbed. I prefer the KKT Top Run. If you have some, I need another pair.

smontanaro 

I can set you up with one of my spare KKT Pro Ace pedals.

ButchA

I have MKS Sylvans on my '85 Fuji and love them. Relatively cheap, and yet bullet-proof!

Chombi1 

Like to note as usual,....
The will pedals from MKS are fantastic for the price they sell for, but be aware that if you get the MKS quills, you cannot use thick or laminated toe straps, as the slots on the pedal body are quite narrow. The thicker straps just won't thread through.
Learned the hard way when I ruined a set of NOS laminated leather straps on my MKS quills a few years ago, trying to install them. Even the thick leather straps from PBS wouldn't go through without tearing them all up.
I think you will be OK though, if you use the regular straps from Christophe, Lapize, or similar, or most nylon woven straps though.

Bad Lag

I dislike the VO pedals. They do not look vintage in any way.

If you are looking for a daily rider, these MKS Sylvan Touring are better than the MKS Quill style pedals.



I have both the KKT Pro Ace and Campagnolo brands of quill pedals. IMO they are of equal quality and either would work for you.

CyclingFool95 

So, I ordered a set of the MKS pedals from Amazon. They do look nice, but the bearings are as bad as many of the reviews on Amazon stated. Definitely going to need to tear them down and fix those up. One pedal is too tight and the bearings are notchy. The other not quite as bad. Grease seems light too.

Lascauxcaveman 

If they are too tight, they are definitely going to feel notchy. That will adjust out. As long as you have them open, might as well add some grease if you think it's too light.

Hobbiano 

I have a few sets of MKS Sylvan Touring pedals. They were a bit tight when I first got them and I thought I'd adjust the bearing preload. But I kept putting it off, They're smooth as can be now with maybe a couple hundred miles on them, at most.

Hobbiano 

But yes, if you feel they're too tight, do as Lascauxcaveman says above.

SamSpade1941 

I have a set of these gathering dust in the garage . Nice pedals indeed , I had mine for sale for the longest time with no takers ... It seems that nice rebuildable quill pedals are not nearly as desirable as they once were , or possibly the fact that MKS still offers them makes them not as in demand.

madpogue 

^^^^ +1; seems like the SP-150 was the pedal du jour on everyone's mid-level roadies in the early-mid '80s. I have probably 5-6 pair of either those or some slightly low SR quills in a box. Sorry @CyclingFool95 , if I'd seen this thread sooner, I would have offered you a set for little more than shipping.

That's to hear about the condition / operation of a brand new pair of MKSes. That's the kind of work I expect to have to do with a $5.00 old pair from the thrift store. Actually, the last couple of $5.00 pedals I've bought spun better than what's described above. I would've returned those post-haste (or, based on the reviews, hit the BACK button....).

smontanaro 

I suspect it might have something to do with both the initial adjustment when assembled and the age of the pedal (or, more correctly, the grease in the pedal and its quality). Who knows how long those MKS pedals were sitting on the shelf? I bought a NOS set of Roto pedals on eBay a couple years ago. They required repacking before use. After that, they were fine.

merziac

Well they are always a bit tight, never had any that didn't break in without a problem. I have installed a few that were tighter than I like thinking I'll get back to them, didn't, they are fine.

All that being said, I do use a syringe and needle to add Phil grease to some of them, all company's skimp on grease and MKS is probably no exception but they have break in preload down to a science.

To be fair, any pedals you found used would have needed to be overhauled for good measure and this can apply to new ones as well that you want to last forever, but the MKS's will do that anyway, no matter what IME.

PS, reviewers are amateurs IMO, I'll be the judge. These are a prime (see what I did there) example of not knowing they start out tight and break in nicely %99 of the time. I don't care what flamers and hacks think especially when they don't.

Mr. Spadoni 

On MKS pedals, his Grantness notes on the Rivendell site that MKS pedals become smoother over time. First read that comment years ago and bought some MKS pedals. Have had several pairs since, and as usual with his observations , his comment about the bearings has proven to be true.