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Questions tagged [pedals]

The things you push your feet against to make the bike go. Pedaling technique, and other stuff related to pedals. Clips and clipless pedals.

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49 votes
10 answers
63k views

Are there any scientific studies proving the benefits of clipless pedal systems?

Have there been done any scientific studies that proves that clipless pedals actually improve pedaling efficiency etc. over flat pedals? Clipless pedal enthusiasts are quick to say that you must use ...
user1049697's user avatar
  • 4,362
33 votes
4 answers
10k views

Cycling uphill on a road - sitting or standing on pedals?

When cycling uphill on a road, what are the pros and cons of cycling while standing up on pedal versus sitting on saddle?
Alex Reitbort's user avatar
30 votes
5 answers
3k views

How can I improve my pedal stroke?

I know a part of biking endurance and speed come from having a perfect pedal stroke. What should I do to improve my pedal stroke?
Gabriel Solomon's user avatar
28 votes
7 answers
5k views

What should I look for in clipless pedals and shoes?

I am just thinking about investing in some clip-in pedals (and presumably shoes). I want to use them mostly on my older road bike but in the future I might want to move them over onto my mountain ...
sixtyfootersdude's user avatar
27 votes
28 answers
55k views

What is a simple mnemonic for remembering the thread direction when removing pedals?

Given that pedal threads are different on the left and right pedals: the right side pedal has a right-hand thread (removes counterclockwise, installs clockwise); the left side pedal has a left-hand ...
Zippy's user avatar
  • 373
27 votes
9 answers
112k views

How much of a difference do Toe Pedal Clips make in comparison to Platform Pedals?

I am a novice cyclist, using my bike to travel to work with a round trip of about 15 miles in moderate to heavy traffic. I have been thinking about upgrading my bikes platform pedals to a set of ...
tofarr's user avatar
  • 455
27 votes
2 answers
6k views

Why are tandem pedals mounted with the same position?

I have noticed that on all the tandems I have seen the pedals are mounted in the same position. i.e. while the front right one is up, so is the rear right one, and not front right up and rear right ...
L.Dutch's user avatar
  • 7,311
27 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why do left pedals have inverted thread?

We all know right pedals are screwed regularly in the cranks. Whereas left ones are screwed in the other direction. Why is it like this and not the other way around? Here is how I see things: under ...
Nic's user avatar
  • 704
22 votes
4 answers
6k views

Why can't I use my new pedal indoors?

As seen below, I got a paper slip telling me not to use my new pedals on indoor equipment. I don't want to anyway, but I wonder — if threads would fit, is there any real reasons not to do it? Probably ...
Mołot's user avatar
  • 1,116
21 votes
8 answers
99k views

Removing a stuck pedal

I'm sure this question must have already been answered somewhere here, but it doesn't show up in any search results I make... I'm changing the pedals on a 40 year old bike. Pretty sure the pedals are ...
John Doucette's user avatar
21 votes
13 answers
51k views

How to get my feet out of SPD pedals?

I just bought some SPD shoes and pedals last night and I was trying them out (on one foot) while balancing in my living room. I ended up falling over because I couldn't get unclipped. What suggestions ...
Joe Phillips's user avatar
  • 1,337
20 votes
2 answers
23k views

Why are some bikes sold without pedals?

At the risk of sounding like a bumpkin, why do I see some bikes sold without pedals or at least pictured without pedals? Is there some kind of benefit to buying pedals separately? Do some people take ...
MrBoJangles's user avatar
  • 1,211
20 votes
4 answers
19k views

Can someone give me a short description and comparison of the different road cycling pedal / shoe systems?

I am looking at buying a pedal/shoe system as the clips and straps I am using are hurting my feet again. It's been a long time since I have bought a road pedal / shoe system, and I have forgotten the ...
Bernard Tyers's user avatar
20 votes
5 answers
11k views

Do pedals come in widths?

Do pedals come in widths? Can I get a wider pedal to fit my wide feet? I wear a size 13 EEEE, a wide shoe. I'm biking in regular shoes, not cleated. My pedals are plain platform style (not cleated, ...
compton's user avatar
  • 2,511
19 votes
11 answers
5k views

What are the counter-intuitive surprises an amateur bike mechanic encounters, after pedals and cables?

Pedals It's pretty obvious that one of the two pedals needs be tightened counterclockwise, but which one? A brief reflection on the right pedal's sense of rotation (while pedaling forward) with ...
18 votes
13 answers
12k views

Are quick-change pedals a thing?

I'm considering buying clipless pedals for riding my bike on the weekend, but they might not be the best choice for a 15 minute ride to work during the week—I'd need to drag along my regular shoes in ...
jdoe's user avatar
  • 333
17 votes
10 answers
20k views

Why is a proper road bike pedal preferred for road bikes?

I've been riding road bikes for a couple of years, but with mountain bike pedals, I've been thinking about switching over to a road bike pedal, but what's the reason? Is the performance improved or is ...
Johan Dahlin's user avatar
  • 2,908
17 votes
2 answers
4k views

Clipless Pedals - Float

In this question I asked about clipless pedals. The term float came up. I think that float refers to how far you need to turn your shoe in order to release it from the pedal. Q1: Is this correct?...
sixtyfootersdude's user avatar
17 votes
3 answers
40k views

When and how tight should you adjust your clipless pedals?

I'm new to clipless pedals. I got some Shimano ones, with Specialized MTB shoes. They are an SPD clipless pedal, and the shop adjusted them as loose as they go to unclip from them. My questions are: ...
John Batdorf's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
7k views

How should I angle my foot throughout a pedal stroke?

When I say "angle my foot," I mean in relation to the ground. Is it best to keep your foot level throughout the stroke? Should I point my toes downward or upward at any point? I'm wondering what's ...
Brock Boland's user avatar
  • 1,119
16 votes
8 answers
25k views

Is there any advantage to using pedal straps over clipless pedals?

Other than not having to buy special biking shoes, is there any clear advantage to using pedal straps over clipless (aka clip-in or step-in) pedals?
Nik Reiman's user avatar
  • 2,075
15 votes
3 answers
5k views

Car as a bicycle

Is there any realistic, cheap way to change a car into a pedal-driven vehicle you can ride yourself? (I'm not quite sure if this is the right category to ask, but I couldn't find a better one.)
caylee's user avatar
  • 253
15 votes
2 answers
436 views

What are the bumpy parts around the spindle of some pedals?

Does anybody know what the bumpy part near the threads of this pedal are for? They look like they might fit a special wrench, but I can't find any that would fit. I feel like I must be missing ...
mlissner's user avatar
  • 253
14 votes
6 answers
11k views

Are modern clipless shoes and pedals that much better than toe clips and straps?

I've recently returned to cycling after a couple of decades, and I'm trying to get familiar with the current gear and components. I still use toe clips and straps on the pedals on my 1990 Trek road ...
user26342's user avatar
  • 143
14 votes
5 answers
18k views

Why not place the cleats further back on the foot?

I've found a number of articles saying there is no advantage in having the cleat under the ball of your foot as opposed to further back towards the arch. The reasoning is that the calf muscle is not ...
Mac's user avatar
  • 9,166
14 votes
3 answers
14k views

How do I get a cleat that's stuck in a pedal, detached from the shoe, out?

While out riding on my XC bike today, I encountered an issue with my cleat: The connector between the cleat and the shoe - the part that you screw into - died, and I lost a screw. So I had the shoe ...
Mithical's user avatar
  • 667
14 votes
5 answers
11k views

Why does a loose pedal destroy the crank threads?

Can someone cite with sources the process by which a loose pedal pretty quickly destroys the crank arm threads necessitating a helicoil repair? I'm interested in how the thread on the crankarm gets ...
RoboKaren's user avatar
  • 29.4k
14 votes
4 answers
39k views

Is there an optimal postion for SPD cleats?

I bought some SPD clipless pedals and shoes at the beginning of the season, and I want to make sure I'm getting the most out of them. There is quite a bit of distance I can move the cleat forwards ...
Kibbee's user avatar
  • 21.9k
14 votes
10 answers
145k views

Why does my bike make a noise when I pedal hard?

When I pedal forcing a little with my right leg, the bike makes a noise that I don't know how to describe. I'll try to do it. It's like: a short "ting" a tiny bell if a small rock hits the down tube ...
jperelli's user avatar
  • 301
13 votes
4 answers
18k views

Pedals hits the ground too often while turning at relatively high speed

I’ve been riding for 40+ years of which the last 25 I’ve ridden Specialized. Around April last year I decided to replace my old bike with a brand new Sirrus Sport, on an XL frame. While I love the ...
Bruno Antoniano's user avatar
13 votes
8 answers
2k views

How can I pedal in circles?

I couple of years ago I switched from using a normal pedal to using a clipless pedal. It takes a little while to get used to. Now, to be able to use it optimally I need to learn how to pedal in ...
Johan Dahlin's user avatar
  • 2,908
13 votes
5 answers
19k views

Clipless pedals: Why clipping in so darn difficult?

I do understand that this question been asked million times, and million people have million different opinions and it's all down to personal preferences, yet I am struggling and need to find a ...
iLemming's user avatar
  • 245
13 votes
1 answer
3k views

what is this protrusion on one side of my platform pedal for?

I've bought new pedals like on the picture. They are good, but i'm confused about the part, marked on the picture. I've always thought that pedals have no 'up' and 'down' sides, so i can't realize ...
k102's user avatar
  • 2,318
12 votes
2 answers
13k views

Pedal spin resistance a good thing?

I've noticed cheaper pedals (also the <5$ ones) spin forever if you give them a tap with your finger. My own pedals seem to have a little resistance in the bearing. You can turn them with no effort ...
AzulShiva's user avatar
  • 1,468
12 votes
5 answers
13k views

Replace Brompton folding pedal - what tool is needed?

I've managed to completely break the folding left-hand pedal on my Brompton. The bit where it fastens onto the crank* is fine, but the rest of it gone. What tool(s) do I need to remove the broken ...
Brian Beckett's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why are foot-long pedals not widely used?

A lot of effort and resources go into making cycling shoes stiff, presumably to keep the foot in a suitable shape and spread the force across the sole. It seems like it would be possible to achieve a ...
bdsl's user avatar
  • 532
12 votes
8 answers
82k views

Something clicks while pedaling

My road bike with square taper Chorus crankset has developed a click when pedaling. The click happens always in the same pedal position, right crank forward, on both chainrings. Since the noise ...
ojs's user avatar
  • 22.3k
12 votes
1 answer
577 views

Understanding MTB Pedals

This question is bugging me for a very long time. Look at the picture below. Notice the area I have denoted with red circles. What is that? Does it represent something? Maybe something like position! ...
Starx's user avatar
  • 2,958
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is this part that came with my eggbeater pedals?

I bought some second-hand Crank Bros Eggbeater pedals. They came in the original box, apparently with all the bits except the cleats. (That's fine. CB cleats are effectively a consumable.) One of the ...
Michael come lately's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
23k views

Do both SH51 and SH56 cleats work with all SPD-compatible pedals?

This answer mentions that Shimano makes two kinds of SPD cleats, one that allows unidirectional release (SH51) and one multidirectional (SH56). Are there other differences between the two? Will both ...
kmm's user avatar
  • 1,650
11 votes
8 answers
5k views

Clipless shoes & pedals and long distance

For the past few months, I have been thinking about clipless pedals. I am mostly a long distance rider. I go for the randonneuring and long distance triathlons. From various sources, I am informed ...
Freakyuser's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
3k views

Is it safe to have pedal cage reaching wheel when slightly turned?

This setup doesn't look good to me. If the wheel can touch the pedal cage in when the pedal's in its forward-most position, it could cause me to come off the bike. I have come off recently, I think to ...
Matt's user avatar
  • 977
11 votes
4 answers
2k views

How to weight pedals?

I have some odd kind of track pedals on my bike. I believe they are clipless pedals; but for description, on one side they are flat and comfortable to pedal with. On the other side there is a raised ...
11 votes
5 answers
47k views

Skate shoes vs mtb shoes?

It's an old argue on forums, still cant get it. What is the (real, that worth the money and time for ordering from abroad, in my case) difference, let's say between Five Ten FreeRider shoes and some ...
J-unior's user avatar
  • 1,793
11 votes
4 answers
15k views

Pedal foot position - balls or arches

I notice that when I pedal that I mostly seat the pedal in the arches of my foot naturally. I also notice that the cycling shoes tend to seat the cleats in the balls of the foot area, as do other ...
Karthik T's user avatar
  • 541
11 votes
2 answers
15k views

What is the benefit of Shimano Click'R technology?

Im looking into making the switch from platforms to clip-less and just saw SPD pedals with "Click'R" technology ( Example ) Im not sure if its worth the extra money to buy that opposed to SPD pedals ...
Focused Muffin's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
15k views

How can I stop my toes from going numb on long rides?

I've begun trying to commute to work, which is a 70+ minute ride each way for me. I find that after about 30 minutes of riding, my toes in both feet begin to go numb. It's not a cold thing, because ...
techturtle's user avatar
10 votes
10 answers
5k views

How practical are clipless pedal shoes on a long bike tour?

In the last years I did a couple of long bike tours. So far, I always had platform pedals with pins on my bike and I've worn "normal" shoes. For my next tour I'm considering clipless pedals. ...
komape's user avatar
  • 403
10 votes
10 answers
5k views

What's the point of double-sided SPD pedals if SPD pedals with platform are more convenient and lighter?

Briefly I don't get it. Why would anyone want to use dual-sided SPD pedals—such as PD-M520 (left of the image), PD-M8000, PD-M9000, PD-M9100, ...—when single-sided SPD pedals with platforms—such as PD-...
Sam7919's user avatar
  • 9,900
10 votes
3 answers
109k views

What's difference between 1/2 and 9/16 inch pedals?

I've this bike MTB hardtail Marin Bolinas Ridge 2012. And it has generic composite pedals which I want to change. So while choosing pedals I saw two different choices, 1/2 and 9/16 inch pedals. I ...
iDen's user avatar
  • 103

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