OldCoot

I was getting my Eroica bike ready and that included servicng the Kyokuto (KKT) Pro Ace Pedals that came with bike when I got it. I was pleased/impressed with what saw and was curious what others knew and thought about these pedals. Also curious if they are likely the OEM spec for the Mk 100 Volkscycle they came off of, which i suspect they are. Lastly what other traditional pedals do people like ( time for all you Campagnolo fans to chime up ).

merziac

Don't really know for sure but agree they could be original and likely standard bombproof Japan clones of the venerable Campy Record, NR, SR, etc.

MKS, Mikashima Unique, Road, Sylvan and others are very worthy as well, current standard Sylvan quills can be had for $35-45, are tough as nails, look great, will last literally forever.

Easily one of the best values in all of cycling.

oneclick 

There are probably four areas that I look at when deciding if a pedal is good -

Basic construction; a built-up central body is not good in most cases (e.g. Lyotard);with time and wear (or especially poor construction) it allows relative movement of the races, especially if at all loose, and likely due to that there are reports that axles break. No doubt there are good ones, a thick steel cage with a large well-peened rivets can help keep the races in line (Roto made one such), but at that quality level most manufacturers were using one-piece aluminium bodies.

Bearing quality; if the races and cone and axle are ground, it's better - but regardless if the races are pitted they're not going on a bike.

Details: are there toe-clip-bolt holes, is there a pick-up tab, are there tabs and slots for the strap, and if they have a cap with a serrated edge is it sufficiently smaller than the end of the pedal body; if it is too close the actions of putting your foot in/taking it out will loosen one side and - loose parts get lost. Sealing - any is good, some have none; spanner flats that don't extend to the end (if they do they will need washers). Are parts replaceable - screws to mount the cage, races/cones available.

After that, weight.

Atom cones often break; they are too small relative to the end of the axle - the valleys of the cone's internal thread are so close to the bearing track that sections of the cone break off. A pedal that won't turn is a real bother when you are half-way to somewhere.

MKS caps loosen. Get the proper tool and some thread-locking compound.

Some Atom/Maillard/Spidel and Lyotard pedals have un-adjustable and un-replaceable bearings. The ones with the stamped steel caps come in both types - the adjustable ones have a higher dome to the stamping. Atoms with the similarly taller aluminium cap are adjustable; but there are shorter-capped versions of both.

Double check threading. There were many more 1/2" and 14mm cranks around back then.

A pedal-shaped object - built-up, loose flimsy cage, no holes, races not ground, soft aluminium cage. There is no maker's mark on what's left of it, and if I made this I wouldn't want anyone to know either:



A decent steel version (the Roto):



Well-peened, these are tight:



Just got these, nice enough, axles are not ground - but that dustcap will be trouble. It's pretty much flush with the casting, and not only that but the Campag tool does not fit. If the wall of the casting is thick enough at the cap threads it will get drilled and tapped for a set-screw:



And I concur: you can't find a bad MKS pedal.

John E

I am currently using the original Kuokoto Pro Ace pedals from my 1971 Nishiki Competition on my mountain bike. These pedals may have well over 30K miles on them, but the races and cones looked great when I recently rebuilt them. My only gripe is that the quill interferes with all but very narrow shoes, so I had to grind down the tips quite a bit, but I am otherwise delighted with these pedals and the similar MKS I use on the 1959 Capo and the Peugeot. They seem just to be just as good as the Campag. NRs on my Bianchi.

JohnDThompson 

The Pro-Ace pedals are the closest copy of Campagnolo's "Record" pedals that I've encountered, right down to the flawless satin finish, ground and polished bearing races, and rifled spindle to expel dirt. And they can often be had for a ridiculously low price.

JohnDThompson 

The Pro-Ace had a track version as well, without the quill.

jdawginsc 

MKS and KKT pedals are awesome, until they are not, like any other pedal. The one thing is the KKT ProAce seems to rust like crazy once it reaches a certain point in life...probably the point of neglect. And the chrome is heavy and thick so the rust is also! The Pro Ace Pista is tough to find.

One of the few companies that stayed in one product.

joesch

Agree with all the posts that there are many great pedals that are affordable compared to the campy models.
In general, the JP track pedals are also expensive especially if they are NJS approved / stamped. It is nice to have a set that matches the nice campy grouppo and I especially like with leather protected straps, below is my most impressive set and really comforts the feet.

OldCoot

Love the responses! I didn't know the Pro Ace was a Campy copy, but I shouldn't be surprised. One the features noted that I especially was impressed by was the spiral riffling to expel dirt, which I guess was a Campy idea detail.

MKS Sylvan has been my choice of standard pedals ( crank brothers for clipless) and have found them good. I think the Pro Ace just a notch nicer, so a lucky addition to my my bike.

I also loved the multiple pedal Mfg description, never really gave much thought about build styles until now. So nice summary.

Thanks!

cv350

KKT Pro Ace is a favorite quill pedal. This set just arrived. As previously mentioned, rust can be noticeably present with the Pro Ace. But if it’s still serviceable then I tell myself a certain amount of rust is part of the C&V patina.

SR SP-100 pedals are also nice. The dust cap can be removed with a hex key, and I wish more dust caps were like that.

steelbikeguy

Another vote for the Pro-Ace! I had a pair for quite a while, purchased new. As noted, the finish was excellent, especially the anodized aluminum body. Personally, I think it looks better than the raw aluminum of the Campy NR pedal.

The MKS Sylvan is another favorite. Inexpensive, which is good when you happen to scrape it or just use it a lot. The bearing surfaces are good, but not of the same quality as more expensive pedals. Good enough for most of us, though.

I'll also recommend the SunTour Superbe Pro pedals. These have replaceable cages and sealed bearings. These might be the nicest pedals I've ever seen and used! They might have been made for SunTour by MKS?? In any case, I do believe that MKS still sells pedals with sealed bearings that are roughly the same level of quality.

Steve in Peoria

SurferRosa

And if you need a lock washer or cone for the Pro Ace, the Campy ones work perfectly.

KKT Top Run don't look quite as cool, but they feel a little better in my sneakers.

jdawginsc 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16537663031...AAAOSw6-NiKXAL

$80 NOS KKT Pro Ace track/pista


Another cool pedal is the Pro Vic 3. Sort of a platform-y pedal.

merziac

@oneclick

"MKS caps loosen"

Not IME, never lost or had a loose one in 50 years of using them.

"you can't find a bad MKS pedal"

bulgie 

Just a suggestion, instead of grinding down the quill, just put an adjustable wrench on the quill and bend it out and down. So insted of facing up (poking your sole), it faces sideways and is actually a little more platform for your wide foot.

I have done this, not just speculating. Takes like 5 seconds per pedal and it somewhat reversible — though quills bent down and bent back up will never look quite the same, and might break, depending on how sharp the bends were. So commit to it and don't plan on going back, but in that regard it's no worse than grinding the points down.

Mark B

Bad Lag

I've used a pair of Pro-Ace since the mid-1970's.

A most excellent pedal - use them with confidence and pride.

John E

I started out doing that, but one of the quills started to crack, so I proceeded with removal and finish grind. I had been using my favorite shoes, Giro Rumbles, with mountain bike pedals and did not realize how much wider they are than typical road cycling shoes, so I needed to adapt these road pedals accordingly.

repechage

Actually the anodized alloy body is finished even nicer than Campagnolo.
They do not fly under the radar as low as they used to but still are a good value.