It’s time to get new pedals and I was considering plastic pedals to reduce weight and chin injuries. I have done some reading and have narrowed it down to the Animal Hamilton PC’s and the Odyssey Twisted PC’s. It sounds like the Odyssey’s are very good pedals, but I can’t find much on the Animals. Has anyone tried both? Which do your prefer?
Also, I ride with wet pedals a lot, and I was wondering how the grip of these pedals compare to pedals with metal pins when wet.
Good timing on this question!
I cracked a pedal two weeks ago, so I’ve been riding on Animals, last night I rode the Animals in mud and it was AWFUL!
I couldn’t figure out why, so I compared the OCyssey Twisted PC and the Animals: The Animals have no spikes in the center and half the spikes on the corners, so yeah, less traction.
I have ridden the PC’s for three years and find no fault with them, only one broken pedal in all that time and other than replacing them when the spikes wear out, they are nice, inexpensive, durable pedals
Chin injuries? Wow, you are hardcore. 
I must have missed that 
So you hit your chin on your pedals?
Ummm, full face helmet 
Nylon pedals are far safer and way less likely to cause imjury, but they don’t have the same grip as metal, so some compromise
Here is the combination that works best (IMHO): metal pinned pedals, high friction soled shoes and shin guards… Has stood the test of time…
The metal pinned pedals provide unsurpassed traction in ALL conditions and being metal they’ll last a heck of a lot longer than plastic/nylon.
The high friction soled shoes provide great traction on any pedal but in particular to metal pinned pedals.
The shin guards provide the best protection. I don’t care what kind of pedals you have on your MUni, getting a shin or calf impacted by any pedal is going to hurt; may not draw blood but why skimp on the shin/calf protection? In addition to protecting from pedal bites, the shin guards are a good idea for riding in very rough conditions where a fall could impact you into rocks and roots. Lastly, having some level of body armor actually gives me more confidence to attempt a line that I might not have had w/o them. Sure it’s much cooler to ride w/o them but I’ll take the extra sweat and exertion over an ankle/shin/calf/knee injury any day!
Your mileage may vary.
Good luck!
I recently put a pair of Twisted PC’s on my uni. I loved the traction of the pedals, however I noticed that the pedals sit closer in to the cranks (which required a pedal wrench to put on instead of just a open-end wrench) and since running them I have been hitting my ankles on the cranks.
I don’t know anything about the Animals, but the Odyssey pedal bearings are completely unsealed on the spindle side; they seem like a bad choice for riding in the wet.
There was a lot of crud in mine when I repacked them after a couple months of dry riding in the Atlanta drought this summer.
Ha ha yeah, I’m not the best speller in the world. I meant shin.
I know metal pedals will have more grip, and that I should wear leg protection, but I also like to ride barefoot. Now, before you call me crazy, let me explain that my uni us my only form of transportation, and I like to go to the beach barefoot. So, I try riding to the beach barefoot, but it is extremely painful to ride barefoot on metal pins on a unicycle. So, I thought I’d give plastic pedals a try. (the beach is less than 1/4 mile away, also).
I have both.
I’m using animals on my 36er right now because I like a little less grip (easier to adjust your foot position, and you really don’t need that much for road riding)
I think overall I like the odysseys better, and they feel more durable to me. The animals started squeaking the first week I had them and it continued for months, it settled itself out though. Maybe the plastic is a bit harder on the animals. . .
All of this is nit-picky though, both are really similar in feel in my opinion.
I actually have a odyssey for my left pedal and an animal for my right pedal. I can hardly tell the difference. Both are pretty worn though. Also, They both suck in rain. Any moisture and any plastic pedal will loose all traction in my experience.
You might want two different pairs of pedals. One for when you want grip, and one for when you want to ride barefoot. Plastic pedals with pins can really hurt when riding barefoot, especially if you are riding over rough ground. Some cheap plastic pedals with no pins might be better for barefoot riding.
they make rubber or felt or something pedals for barefoot riding : ) you can get 'em for cruising, but. . . I never ride barefoot. Flip flops is bad enough : P
I do have a pair of odysseys that I’ve shaved the pins down on that would work fine for barefoot, I use 'em for freestyle because I tend to not like grippy pedals when I’m on flat pavement.
Well I dont need my pedals to be comfortable for barefoot riding, I just want something a little more bearable than steel pins.