Pedal Question for road bikes
588
Member
442 days
jnrice posted 49 weeks ago.
Yep, wet to a Shimano spd to spd-sl (mountain to road pedal) and I can't say for sure if I got better power transfer, but if feels a lot better (stable mostly) when you crank hard. I really like the wider platform and you should at least give them a try. I don't like the speed play system at all, but it is popular.
370
Member
427 days
Gsal posted 49 weeks ago.
i know what you mean. It's like going from a speedplay to a shimano or look. People say that there is a big difference. A larger pedal allows for more power to be transferred. I have the look carbon pedals and i love em. If you don't want something that expensive, try the ultegra or dura-ace. The only difference between the ultegra and dura-ace is that the dura-ace weighs less, but is double the price. its up to you
"You can never be too rich or too skinny."
-My doctor
588
Member
442 days
jnrice posted 49 weeks ago.
Having studied more than my share of physics etc I have a problem with the verbage of this conversation and just need to voice my objection. "a larger pedal allows for more power to be transfered", "Does a wider paltform pedal generate more power to the pedals to the crank" all sounds bogus. A larger platform does not mean more power transfer. It's not like if you ride on smaller pedals power will slip off of the side of the pedal, how absurd would that be? "oh... excuse me. It seems that there is some power dripping off of the side of your pedal"...
What a larger platform would do is allow for the rider to not have to press down on the exact center of the pedal and put less effort into creating a moment on the pedal (which will not actually propel the rider. No matter how much of a moment you generate, however, all of the same downward forces are there (which will propel you forward). All that aside, I still like the wider platform as it doesn't feel like I"m falling off of my pedals when I'm not perfectly centered over them (aka less twisting) and it could be argued that you put less effort into twisting the pedal.
30
Member
922 days
robbie posted 49 weeks ago.
jnrice,
That is one way I am looking at it. Instead of centering all the power in one exact spot - the wider platorm distributes that power load evenly. Another way is that the wider platorm allows all the energy to be efficeintly maximized through the ball of your feet and no waste compared to the smaller pedal where the rider may have hard or easy areas to like to push down on.
Perhpas this is a pigment of my imagination or if there is any truth to it. That is the reason why I am asking.
588
Member
442 days
jnrice posted 49 weeks ago.
I think that the biggest gains come from it feeling better. I cant help but think of vector diagrams and how the downward or circular forces have to be the same regardless of how you attach the foot. I think that the better you feel about the platform and how comfortable it makes you the better off you are. I like the wider platform because it feels more solid under my foot, less rolling feel when I stand up. I'll never go back to a smaller platform because I don't like the feel. Like I said, I don't think there are any power advantages.
564
Member
677 days
xc800runner posted 49 weeks ago.
Your power and stiffness comes from the shoes you have on, not the size of the pedal platform. If you have a shoe that doesn't deform around the pedal, you'll have equal power transfer wether you use speedplay/spd or look/spd-sl. If you are riding in standard athletic shoes, a wider platform will result in better power transfer, with a nylon/plastic sole you'll see very little difference between pedal sizes, and with a carbon sole there won't be a perceptible difference with a well made shoe.
The one downside to having a smaller platform is area over which the force is distributed. jnrice is 100% correct in saying there is no direct difference in power to the pedal, but with the same force distributed over a smaller area, there will be more compressive force in the shoe's sole at the cleat-sole interface. Over time, the sole will break down and soften, robbing you of some of your power. A wider clead and pedal platform result in less force per area, thus giving you a longer shoe life.
30
Member
922 days
robbie posted 44 weeks ago.
xc800runner,
I completely follow what you are saying.You make total sense. I am going to try a wider platform, shimano Ultegra tomorrow and see how it feels. Thanks for clarifying.
Hi Folks
Does a wider paltform pedal generate more power to the pedals to the crank? I currently run Bebop pedals (similar to speedplay) and whilst I have no problem with them it makes practical sense to look into the likes of shimano Ultegra/Dura Ace or look Keo pedals.
Put simply I just want to make sure that I am not being robbed of the pedal power that I am putting into my Bebop pedals.
I don't want to fork out the money until I get some input from those who have actually experienced what I am talking about.
I would really like to hear from anyone who has switched from a smaller plaftorm pedal to a wider platorm pedal or visa versa.
Thanks