The purchase of bicycle pedals should be considered according to several aspects
1、 Purchase points
1. Rigid strength
Strength is the most important thing about a pair of bicycle pedals. The axis is generally divided into ball bearing and self-lubricating bearing. The technology of ball bearing was once very mature, solid and durable, with excellent strength. Self lubricating bearings have the advantages of weight and volume, but they wear faster and have less durability than ball bearings.
2. Weight
Like major components, bicycle pedals also pursue lightweight. In order to reduce the weight of pedals, the pedals of major brands are hollowed out. Aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy and titanium alloy axes are used to reduce the weight of the pedal.
3. Size
The original pedals of the whole vehicle are generally small. The size of the pedal directly affects the contact area of the sole of the foot. The wide pedal will also help the driver change the body center of gravity more sensitively, and the foot feel is more warm, so as to adapt to different terrain and perform more stably in the riding process.
2、 Product classification
1. Ultralight pedal
It is a little higher than the traditional bicycle pedal. It is commonly used in mountain bikes and road bikes. This kind of pedal has a feature that there are "teeth" on the pedal, which can increase the friction between the pedal and the shoes and help you fix your foot on the pedal.
Advantages: simple and easy to use, no special requirements for shoes, and the design on the pedal ensures that the foot will not slip casually; Defect: like the traditional pedal, it cannot exert upward force on the pedal.
2. Traditional pedal
Traditional pedal is the most common bicycle pedal, which can be stepped on by wearing any kind of shoes. It is commonly used in children's bicycles and public bicycles; The material is mainly rubber or hard plastic.
Advantages: simple and easy to use, no special requirements for shoes; Defect: you can't exert upward force on the pedal, that is, when riding, you can step the pedal down, but you can't pull it up; The foot is easy to slip off the foot.
3. Pedal with foot cover
Another serious innovation in pedal design is the creation of foot cover. The obvious advantage of foot cover pedal over ordinary pedal is that it can drive the pedal in a whole circle when riding. In other words, it can lift up when stepping down. It is an ideal choice for people who often ride in the streets.
Advantages: when riding, the leg strength can be applied to the pedal, and it can be lifted up while pedaling down; Defect: unable to transmit all the energy provided by the leg when stopping the pedaling action, there will be local loss.
4. Self locking pedal
The self-locking pedal can fix the foot and pedal together through special riding shoes, so as to ensure that the legs can effectively transmit strength to the pedal. When the foot stops rotating 360 degrees with the pedal, the force can be transmitted when stepping down or lifting up.
Advantages: it can transfer the strength to the pedal at the maximum level and improve the riding efficiency; Defect: special riding shoes are required.
Purchasing skills of bicycle pedal
The choice of pedal mainly depends on three aspects: one is the smoothness, the other is whether it can grasp the foot (not easy to slip), and the third is the weight (the lighter the weight, the higher the relative price).
In addition, the workmanship is very important whether the pedal is good or not. The low-end pedal casting process has low strength and is easy to be damaged. The high-end pedal is forged or CNC integrated cutting, which has better overall strength and lower failure rate than the structure of butt welding or riveting.
The above are some references for bicycle pedal selection