I've had this idea in the back of my mind for a long time: If you had the pins on your shoes and rubber on your pedals, it would minimize the threat the pedals pose to your shins.
But would it actually be practical?
There was only one way to find out...
Experiment! I modified two worn out riding shoes with screws similar to the ones you would find on flat pedals, and I attached rubber to some plastic pedals. Since the proper rubber I intended to use wasn't available anymore, I opted for the cheapest to get instead – an old car tyre. Not exactly ideal, but it works for the experiment.
The result of the experiment was that the system works like normal pedals and shoes, just in reverse. And being hit by the pedals did hurt considerably less. So, my conclusion is that, for some types of riding, a
well-engineered version of this could be an alternative with many benefits.
The wear out would be important as soon as you start wlaking on hard pack surfaces but if spikes replacement are easy and cheap that wouldn't be much of an issue.
Or when you get off your bike and go into a bar / friends house, etc, you ruin their floor.
Slipping off your pedal is due to bad technique. I rode freestyle mtb (street, park, dirt) for over 12 years + after that another 5 years on flat pedals for XC, gravel and the occasional downhill. The first 2-3 years of freestyle my feet slipped my pedals a bit more often, but after that it was not even once per year. As long as your feet is placed well on the pedal and your shoe and pedal combination is well, slipping off your pedal won't be an issue.
BUT...... anyone that’s ever stepped on a wet or snowy rock in FiveTens and thought they were going to die is saying HMMMMMMM......
Anyone that has walked down a steep slab with mountaineering crampons know this would suck. Pins on the shoes would be concentrated around the ball of the foot therefore reducing the effectiveness of having a “point” to bite in the terrain.
A solution to a problem that doesn’t exist... And when there is a problem with grip on your shoes, definitely not the solution.
But great way to think outside the box and start the creative ball rolling.
I completely agree with you, but the carbide spikes are not cheap at all... Shame...
However I would bet on this concept and especially my wife with her beautiful legs would be happy with that solution. Congratulations Mr. TheUselessTrials!!!
canfieldbrothers.com/components/pedals
Adding studs to them isn't on my TODO list....
- More weight added to the pedals (your RC bearings will wear quicker)
- Another component interface: the rubber platform to pedal join, what is that? Zip ties? Why not zip tie your shoes to the pedal and leave your laces loose.
- More fiddly bits to attract dogshit
- Car tyres usually contain a metal ply, a scuff from that is akin a wire brush abrasion, mmmm
More problems than solutions
Screw them right into the boot in the designated spots. They bite really well, and you can always get a flat head in there to remove them. IMO this is all you would need at the bottom of your shoe, not some big spikes.
in a forest youdget great grip on dirt and wood!
I've also spent time walking around in wading boots with studded soles. That might be a fairer comparison.
Something like this www.simmsfishing.com/hardbite-star-cleat-10-puck
Or small machine screws inserted into the sole of riding shoes?
I still don't think anyone will actually do this though.
Stepping back from the issue: if this were an entirely fresh problem - how to connect feet to pedals - this is probably the solution that would emerge. Who would really weaponise a pedal with super sharp bits when you're likely to shin it on a regular basis? Spiky pedals came about when everyone was just wearing gym shoes and it was easier to change the small player (the pedal... bear traps, anyone?) than the shoe industry. Just because that's how it's always been done doesn't make it the right outcome. Now we have specialist shoes for riding bikes, and that might create new opportunities.
The problem with the other pedal that tried this was, largely, under-design. It was clumsy, slippery, treadless for those important high-heel-wearing rides, and yes, didn't seem to have a clear idea of target audience.
Sure, it'll change the walking experience. In the car park. And yeah, maybe on rocks. But in roots and mud, which frankly flat pedal shoes are shit at, it'll actually make it easier. There are some design challenges; in part, identified by the author in his video, but also mud clearance, pin replacement, pattern/availability... but I'll be interested to see where it goes. Good luck!
It’s an idea but I wouldn’t say a really good one.
For instance...I have been riding flats in BMX, Road cycling Enduro and DH and I have probably shinned myself less than 20 times in over 25 years of various cycling disciplines. I would imagine many people do shin themselves more often but I reckon not enough to warrant this idea.
I like being able to ride to work in my Five Ten's, on my grippy flat pedals, and I don't have to change shoes all day because walking around spiked shoes (I used to do track and field so know what this is like) frankly, a ball ache and probably bad for your natural posture.
On the odd occasion my pedals catch a rock I don't worry about bits of rubber getting torn up. I've had a couple of rock strikes hard enough to throw me off the bike...pedals got scratched, that was it
Roots and mud? Well I kind of want to keep my feet on the pedals. I’m going cycling not walking so walking around in slimy conditions is the least of my worries when I’m smashing through a trail.
I applaud the efforts but I have to agree with the audience (without any hate mind), trying to find a solution to a problem that isn’t really there.
Also people acting like they wouldn’t want to wear spiky shoes to work. You could still pedal rubber pedals with normal shoes! Rubber to rubber grips great.
Yes, the wooden floor in caffe is the one and only problem I see too...
retractable pins would not be out of reach.
Then you can have shoes with pins and just rubber...
Problem that doesn't exist, though? My shins and wallet (new shoes every 3 - 4 months) would tell a different story.
That said, I dreamt of realizing something similar one night. I was wearing soccer shoes, the pedals were a patch of grass. It was amazing. Sliding was amazing, in a whole different dimension. Then, in fall, the mushrooms came up and the trip added one more dimension. You could picknick on them, even amidst an urban ride. I started my own company: Vinay's vague vantasies. Velocipede specivic, obfiously. Unfortunately, despite the widely available footwear to complete the system, it just wouldn't sell. People were actually willing to water them every now and then and weren't bothered mowing them when the grass would get caught in the chain. But one reviewer (I won't name names...) lost all his riding buddies after fertilization and blamed it on the pedals. Bummer. Worst part however was that at the end of that night, I woke up.
Hummmm surf ?with a rubber board ?no more wax
No brake power on the bike ? put the shoe on the front tire like safe stop
The experiment is funny and interesting but I have couple of doubts to having metal spikes on my shoes:
- Huge wear due to putting feet on the ground with rocks, pavement, roots etc...
- Sound like a horse every time your walk on hard surface + potential deterioration of it ( would be banned inside buildings)
- leaves/ mud betting stuck in there.
basically the same drawbacks as the cleats but worse.
But I urge him to keep developing those ! I'm curious to see how he will do. I hope he'll figure out something and come up with something even neater than what he currently has.
Keep developing it.!,,,
For the pedal, as a second step before manufacturing, try using 3M water-proof mastic electrical tape as the rubber grip. Maybe two layers?
I use the stuff for chainstay and bottom bracket protection, and I think that a heavy tape that can be cut/formed to your pedal of choice might be the perfect connection.
You meant clipless pedals like spds and whether a pro says it is better or not is irrelevant for everyone else.
The reason is because people used to use toe-clips/straps to stay connected to the pedals. When the SPD-type shoe interface was invented the toeclips/straps became obsolete (unless you're a fixie hipster) hence the name Clipless - without toeclips.
www.wescoboots.com/builder/StockBoot.aspx?id=Timber
www.sam-dill.com/ongoingprojects/2015/2/28/turning-the-pedal-upside-down
Shameful
They just need to be springloaded so you can walk on rocks...bahaha