plastic pedals

tobleroon · July 30, 2009, 12:09pm

Hey, Im going to buy new pedals for my Torker Lx. I know you guys recomend the ODYSSEY TWISTED PC PEDALS but i have a local bike store that sells TONS of pedals and I kind of want to shop there. Is their something specific I should look for in the pedals? Are all plastic pedals the same? Or are the ODYSSEY TWISTED PC PEDALS just unmatched.

Oh ya and if I do get grippy pedals will it hurt my shins?

Thanks for putting up with my many nooby questions.:)

jaco_flans · July 30, 2009, 12:33pm

I would take the ones that looks cool:) If you get grippy pedals, you can hurt your shins if you do tricks and you dont land them. If you have shin pads you wont hurt them.

semach.the.monkey · July 30, 2009, 1:38pm

Yes, if you ride with with your shins on the pedals

Any pedal can cause shin damage if you hit your shins hard enough. Even plastic ones. But plastic pedals will do less damage than metal pinned ones. And smooth non-grippy plastic ones will do less damage than grippy ones. But they can still draw blood. If you’re learning any kind of trick where your feet leave the pedals then you’re better off with shin pads on.

STM

Biggestbtc · July 30, 2009, 1:48pm

I would tell you to make sure you get plastics with a substantial amount of grip. It is really annoying to have your feet slipping off the pedals, like when you’re jumping up steps. Grip gives confidence.

tobleroon · July 30, 2009, 2:39pm

Ok, I will get a grippy plastic one!

Brian_O · July 30, 2009, 10:15pm

My friends and I have tried quite a few different plastic pedals. The Twisteds really are above and beyond. They are super grippy and last a long time. Easily my favorite pedal.

forrestunifreak · July 30, 2009, 10:20pm

So buy Twisted Plastics from your bikeshop then.

I’ve ripped holes in my shins from even the most basic plastic pedal. Short story is, some are better then others but hitting your shin on a pedal doesn’t feel good no matter how you look at it.

feel_the_light · July 30, 2009, 10:57pm

The twisted PC’s are excellent

And at only 13 $/pr, should be your first choice. It is possible that there is a better plastic pedal out there and we aren’t noticing because we keep buying PC’s. For 13 $, it’s great.

If I had to wear jeans and leg armor in the summer it would be to hot to ride. PC pedals cause shallower scratches and minor injuries compared to steel pinned pedals. So for shape, weight, grip, safety and cost, it is the common choice today.

I’ve been using a 100 gr lighter and 3 $ cheaper set of Dimension MTB on my 36 for 2 years. They have held up fine, but lack the size and the angled ramps of the heavier PC’s.

In general, I would say that plastic pedals should not be considered “junk”, even though stock beginner pedals are slippery and very so so. Some plastics are really excellent, despite their low price !

Safey · July 30, 2009, 10:58pm

Transparent odysseys
They’re awesome.

fluxusmaximus · July 31, 2009, 12:01am

Transparent odysseys are very pretty!

I’m riding a regular black pair - they do poke into your shins too. If you’re going to be doing grabs, you shouldn’t go for plastics - they level very easily.

Other than that I’ve no complaints about my pedals - grippy and yet not as painful as metal ones.

tobleroon · July 31, 2009, 9:26am

Wow, thanks for all the responces. I will get twisted pc plastic peadals than.

jaco_flans · July 31, 2009, 5:10pm

yeah, if you grab they will get flat, I do pedal grabs with my twisted PC’s but I got a specified side for grabs and grinds, and the flat side is still just enough grippy to ride until I do a 180 pedal flip(:p).

Brian_O · July 31, 2009, 7:00pm

I don’t know if its actually a different material, but the pins on my transparent odysseys are holding up A LOT better than they did with my previous black set.