I couldn’t find any mention on this forum about weighted pedals so I thought I would share this idea that I read somewhere but I can’t remember where.
By adding a small weight bias to the underside of your pedals the pedals will return to the level position when at rest.This makes for much easier mounts without twiddling with pedals.Also ideal for rolling mounts after muni upd’s.I used about a 1" square of thin sheet lead held in place with zip ties.The pedals need to have smooth running bearings for it to work.This idea wouldn’t suit everyone but can make unicyling more enjoyable for some.
What a great idea !! I get so irritated with having to “right” my pedals when mounting. I must give it a try.
IIRC, platform pedals are designed to do just this: to return to a “flat” position when the rider steps off the pedal. This is why they’ve more of a parallelogram shape than that of a rectangle.
Hence, one shouldn’t need a weight to cause the pedals to do what they’ve been designed to do.
It appears that your pedals are a bit rusty. Have you maintained your bearings at all? I can see the case that if your pedals don’t spin freely, they wouldn’t return to flat… or if they’ve worn unevenly.
Correct me if I’m wrong, I think you have it backwards. The parallelogram shape is so the pedal will right itself when the rider steps ON it. Since both sides are the same shape and weight, stepping off the pedal should do nothing but send it into a spin, it will stop in any position. Tho the fancy shape allows the rider to step onto it in any position and the pedal will flatten itself out.
This is a good way to overcome friction or a broken pedal that is now improperly balanced. I did something similar when I broke a pedal on my trials uni when grabbing something and it would not return to flat. Your cable ties are probably good because you are unlikely to be doing any pedal grabbing on your Coker. I would suggest avoiding the use of lead simply because it is a poisonous heavy metal and chunks of it, if not all of it, might fall off somewhere that you would not want it too. Steel is 70% as dense as lead so it would also work. Also, scrap lead is $1.29 per pound today and steel is about $0.20 per pound.
I have grind plates which have a very similar effect, and you can grind with them.
I have considered this before, but I was nervous about trying it out due to the extra weight that might come with the solution. Any ideas as to how much weight one would need?
Thanks.
You can grind without them too.
I think this is a pretty good idea, but I’ve never minded having to turn my pedal over when I’m out riding.
I used about 20gram/0.7 ounce but you will have to experiment with your pedals to see what works.I set mine up to tilt back slightly.Some disadvantage of the weights is the increased rotational force,although minor is a negative.Also if you mount with a spinning pedal for whatever reason and land with the pedal the wrong way the pedal may feel a bit different.I have become accustomed to use them on my muni and my 20" for learning skills,I dont really have the need to use on my road uni’s as generally I dont have to mount too often and when i do I usually needed a rest anyway.