Adam Rush wrote:
>
>>A couple of weeks ago, somebody suggested these gems:
>>
>>
http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Pedal/product_22385.shtml
>
David L. Johnson wrote:
>
> IMO it's not a good idea to use platform pedals on a
> fixed gear. You want your feet to stay on the pedals, no
> matter what.
I think that was a joke.
As an aside, those are _not_, strictly speaking,
"platform pedals" though this term has lately been widely
misused to apply to various plain pedals that don't use
any retention system.
I am probably fighting a losing rear-guard action her, but
I'd like to see the original meaning of "platform pedals"
preserved.
Traditional platform pedals are single-sided pedals
intended for use _only_ with clips and straps. Instead of
having sharp edges digging into the bottoms of your feet,
they have a flat "platform" that is comfortable even with
relatively soft-soled street shoes. The platform also makes
entry into the clips easier, because your toe never bumps
up against the front plate of the pedal, as it can with
"rat trap" type pedals.
Platform pedals also have a curved lip at the back of the
pedal that makes it extra easy to flip the pedal into the
upright position. As a result, with true platform pedals,
entry into the toe clips is vastly easier than with
conventional vertical-plate type metal pedals.
Because they're single-sided, true platform pedals also give
much better ground clearance when cornering than ordinary
toe-clippable pedals.
The classic platform pedal is the Lyotard Marcel
Berthet #23, see:
http://www.speedplay.com/pedalmuseum/images/1948Lyotard_Mar-
cel_berthet.jpg
Before the popularity of clipless pedals, a number of
manufacturers made very nice platform pedals, including SR
and Specialized. Probably the all-time best were Shimano's
PD-T100, marketed (unsuccessrully) as a "triathlon" pedal.
If you want to ride a fixed gear bike on the street, with
clips and straps, platform pedals are the very best option.
Unfortunately they're nearly extinct. As far as I know, the
only true platform pedals currently available are the
excellent MKS GR-9s.
See:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/pedals.html#platform
Sheldon "Used To Ride Platform Pedals Exclusively" Brown
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