Pedal extenders

Unicycles and Equipment
1

Hi All,
New guy here trying to learn how to ride. I have a Sun Flat Top Extreme.
I’d like to ask for advice on an issue with my pedals. Have a wide size 15 shoe.
The pedals just seem too small and narrow to get comfortable on. I want to put pedal extenders on the cranks. Are the pedal shaft diameters 9/16" like regular bicycles? Also can anyone recommend a nice big wide pedal? BMX pedals maybe?

Anyone else fix a problem like this with extenders and wider pedals?

Thanks so much. This is a great group on this forum!
Mark

2

I have no experience with extenders, but yep, most unicycle cranks use 9/16" pedal threads and they’re usually fitted with MTB/BMX platform pedals.

It seems like most platform pedals are actually manufactured by Wellgo. You can browse their designs here for inspiration. Sizes are included: http://en.wellgopedal.com/products_list_7.htm

3

Some of the bigger, platform pedals are pinned; I would not recommend pinned pedals for beginners. Some of the pins are, however, adjustable, and can perhaps be adjusted further into the body of the pedal. If the pins are plastic, they can be filed down.

My first unicycle was a Torker 24" LX, and before long I swapped the original pedals, which seemed small for my size 13 feet, for something larger. And I filed down the pins on the new pedals.

Smoother pedals are, I think, better for beginners whom haven’t learned to properly bail out off the pedals. However, some “type 2” UPDs (involving landing on more than your feet) are attributable to slipping off the pedals. You’ll just have to experiment.

Kind of off topic, but seeing as you’re ready to experiment with pedals, I suggest investing in a nice pedal wrench. I had a mishap with my first unicycle; the pedals got loose (thanks to the LBS putting the thing together backwards after performing maintenance on it), resulting in the trashing of the inner threads of the crank arms. I check tightness of everything before riding (live and learn), and every few sessions, one or both of the pedals will take a snug.

4

I think the widest platform pedals you can find off-the-shelf are in the 100-110mm wide range (like these 24 Butterlfy II).
However, you’d better have shin guards front and back if you don’t want to carve your legs (or try and remove the pins).

Extenders will only move the platform outward so instead of having the inside part of the foot supported, it will be the outside part. I don’t think the extender will be very supportive (only a line compared to a pedal) nor very long.

My suggestion is: if your pedals are really small (like 70mm wide or less), maybe it is worth buying wider ones. Otherwise (with or without new pedals), you can also ride with shoes that have a firm sole (better support when pedaling and comfier landing when you bail :stuck_out_tongue: ).

5

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m riding in some basic running shoes. The ball of the shoe flair out pretty wide. Maybe I could try some other shoes first. Appreciate all the help

6

Odyssey Twisted Pedals

The Odyssey Twisted pedal is a nice wide pedal. I wear a size 13 shoe and have plenty of platform for my foot. The benefit for you is that the pedal doesn’t have pins – it has plastic ridges that will help grip your shoe some, but they’re not sharp and so won’t tear up your shins like others are warning you about.

7

Atomlab general issue pedals are the widest I’ve seen so far. Don’t worry about the pins.

8

The only extenders I’m familiar with are 9/16" male and 1/2" female. Disappointing to find your original pedals won’t work. They add 1 inch.

9

One thing to consider would be different shoes. 510’s have a really stiff sole that prevents your foot from wanting to fall off the pedal.

Look at clip less riders, those pedals are tiny and the shoes sometimes have carbon soles.

10

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I think I’ll first try some stiffer soled shoes.

11

I also wear a size 15 shoe but I don’t find the stock pedal too small. Luckily I have a narrow foot, however the problem I was having was constantly clipping the bony part of my left ankle on the crank. I was doing this so often that I was drawing blood after tearing away the flesh. No matter what I was trying to re-position my foot, I couldn’t keep my ankle away from the crank.

After reading your initial post I wondered if pedal extenders would solve my problem. Prior to reading your question, I never even knew there were pedal extenders and a quick trip to my local bike shop and $17 later, my problem is solved. I’ve been riding around the yard for a couple days and just got back from my first ever night Muni ride and I can happily report that I did not hit my ankle once. Thanks for posting.

12

Great! Thanks for the report. My extenders are on order. Glad you had success. Gives me confidence. Learning to ride for me has been a very slow process. Hoping eventually to get it

13

I’ve been using pedal extenders for years. Seems I ride a bit toed-out. My heels would hit the cranks, still do occasionally, but less with the extensions. Mine are 2 centimeters. Have them on all 5 of my unicycles.

Even used them on my muni. Had worried that the leverage from hopping around with the extra length would cause the cranks, pedal or extender to break, but that never happened. I never jumped up/down more than curb heights. I weigh about 185 lbs.

14

Clipless shoes are AMAZING for this. Even when I took my SPD’s off my uni, I kept the shoes on my feet - they are so much better for powering down as they don’t bend at the slightest hint of pressure.

Obviously the ideal would be to buy another pair of uni-specific shoes like 5.10’s or whatever else is good, but I’m not willing to do that yet :smiley: