# Light pedals for the heavy rider?



## homebrew (Oct 28, 2004)

I am over the 85 kilo cut off for all those ti axle pedals I wish for. I am looking for the lightest pedal/cleat combo. I am riding eggbeater double ti (with cromoly axle) but would love to find something lighter. I saw the Time carbon but I don't know if they have a weight limit or how heavy the cleats are. Any advise/comments are welcome. Thanks


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

LOL give it up man! I say that in a nice way, you are really going to try and save some weight at the pedals? You would probably notice more of a difference just taking a dump. SS Speedplays and the likes are quite light, you would be fine on those!

Kyle


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

I would recommend Speedplay Zero stainless steel pedals- light, adjustable float and big guy friendly. I have them on all my bikes.


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## bikerbrian (Oct 20, 2004)

Coolhand said:


> I would recommend Speedplay Zero stainless steel pedals- light, adjustable float and big guy friendly. I have them on all my bikes.


Just a quick question on the Speedplay SS pedals. do you think I'd have a hard time getting used to speedplays free float after using another pedal system?


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

bikerbrian said:


> Just a quick question on the Speedplay SS pedals. do you think I'd have a hard time getting used to speedplays free float after using another pedal system?


Most people are fine with Speedplays float, a few hate it. They refer to it as biking on ice cubes. There's really only one way to find out. If you're concerned get the Zeros. You can adjust them down to no float if you don't like the feel. Be sure to give it a ride or two before you decide.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

Scot_Gore said:


> Most people are fine with Speedplays float, a few hate it. They refer to it as biking on ice cubes. There's really only one way to find out. If you're concerned get the Zeros. You can adjust them down to no float if you don't like the feel. Be sure to give it a ride or two before you decide.


I agree, I vastly prefer the Zero's to the regular Speedplays. This is because you can adjust both the heel in and heel out float independantly in the Zero's to get the "just right" float. Regular Speedplays had a too much float for me.


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## benInMA (Jan 22, 2004)

I have a teammate who has snapped a pedal spindle, he is lighter than you but he is a monster when sprinting.

Getting the light pedals is not going to make any difference in your performance, are you sure you want to risk snapping a spindle and getting hurt?


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## DMFT (Feb 3, 2005)

*What about.......*

Look Carbon KEO with the Cro-mo axle???


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*I'm Magnus Plus*

run last years Time IMPACTMag W/ STEEL AXLES. strong, not worried about snapping the spindle and as light as the lightest Ti LOOKs of last season.


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## homebrew (Oct 28, 2004)

atpjunkie said:


> run last years Time IMPACTMag W/ STEEL AXLES. strong, not worried about snapping the spindle and as light as the lightest Ti LOOKs of last season.


I was looking at the time impact carbon, I think they also come with cromoly spindles. The ti spindles are the problem as I see it. The SS speedplays with cleats are just as heavy as my eggbeaters! I wish all pedal weights would include cleat weight. As to performance gains, this is part of a weight loss project for my bike. so far I have droped 3LBS form my bike and yes that does improve performance


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*I have the previous 03-04 model*

that didn't come in Carbon. I like these pedals and they are light. Steel axle good.
the times have a slightly different engaging issue, but once in it's very solid.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Look KEO pedals chro-moly - 230 grams - $220.

This is new this year. It's one of the finest pedals ever made.

I've been using them for a few months and they're very solid. It's light because the cage is very efficient and they have this new carbon resin material. Click in and out action is truly amazing and even better than other tried and true look pedals. This pedal is lighter than than the Look CX7-ti which is $500.

It's got a light cleat too unlike the speedplays so net weight is one of the best.

As for handling your weight, there's probably not a lot of experience from riders of your size on this new pedal. But there's no weight limit, construction is very solid, there's 3 bearings per pedal and Look has a great reputation for durability and will back you up.

fc


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## SDizzle (May 1, 2004)

homebrew said:


> As to performance gains, this is part of a weight loss project for my bike. so far I have droped 3LBS form my bike and yes that does improve performance


There are much cheaper, much more efficient places from which to lose weight than one's bike. Think of what it would cost to lose three pounds from your waist - some more time on your uber-light bike - versus three pounds from your bike...doesn't it seem like a egregious waste of money? That is to say, do what you want, but it sounds like there might be someplace from which you could lose 20-30 lbs...where will you find that margin on a bike, save for pulling the fork, frame, and tires from a DH bike?


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## homebrew (Oct 28, 2004)

SDizzle said:


> There are much cheaper, much more efficient places from which to lose weight than one's bike. Think of what it would cost to lose three pounds from your waist - some more time on your uber-light bike - versus three pounds from your bike...doesn't it seem like a egregious waste of money? That is to say, do what you want, but it sounds like there might be someplace from which you could lose 20-30 lbs...where will you find that margin on a bike, save for pulling the fork, frame, and tires from a DH bike?


Sir, I would be hard pressed to loose ten more pounds without loosing muscle mass. 
During summer I am in the 8/9% body fat. Not all big guys are fat. If you want to see for yourself what taking off 3lbs of your bike try climbing a steep hill with and without two large water bottles. Time your ride. You will see a differance. Try sprinting, same thing. I fail to understand the hostility that is expressed by some regarding those that want to ride a light bike. A light bike is more responsive. I could still be riding my 24lb road bike but to me it feels like a tank. I have been modifying my bikes from when I was six years old. It drives me nuts to see some possable improvement and not try it. I also like fixing up retro bikes, this I suppose is not practical by your standards as well. As for light pedals, they are rotating weight, a good place to drop weight (providing they are stiff and safe). I posted this thread asking for advise on light pedal and have recieve some great advise, thanks to those that chose to answer in a positive and helpful way. To those that feel the need to curtail this project, enjoy your next ride, I'm out the door now for a bit of a night ride. I can get in 20miles before my light starts to fail (anyone suggest a light weight light for under $350 ?) Hope to see you all out on the road


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## SDizzle (May 1, 2004)

Apologies. As a collegiate racer in Boulder, it pains me constantly see hosses riding bikes that weigh less than my left shoe, and always at a pace that is less than blistering. Call it jealousy.

I also tire of folks who would prefer to throw money at a percieved problem - collective weight, manifest _solely_ in the weight of their bike - when they've more weight to shed in their gullets than I could gain if I adopted a completely sedentary lifestyle. It's the same thing with dieting, really - a quick fix is what people want, not regular exercise and gradually adjusted eating habits.



homebrew said:


> I also like fixing up retro bikes, this I suppose is not practical by your standards as well.


I bought a custom steel Nobilette a month ago - my first geared bike in two years, and the only one on my team. Prior to this, I'd ridden a late-80s restored Miyata fixed on the road and SS/rigid on the mountain (the latter is admittedly less than retro, but it's no Turner or Ellsworth full-sussy). Conclusions are easily jumped to when one is plied only with displaced snippets, eh?


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## Thorn Bait (Feb 3, 2004)

francois said:


> Look KEO pedals chro-moly - 230 grams - $220.
> 
> This is new this year. It's one of the finest pedals ever made.
> 
> ...


You can get them on ebay for around $150, and I think La Bicicletta has them for 160 or so...

I sympathize with you, as I also tire of the automatic response by many people that it is more cost effective to take 2 pounds off your body rather than spend $$$ on some uber light component... sheesh, we all know that already guys, and that is not the question being asked...


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## benInMA (Jan 22, 2004)

Yah, and we all know EVERY rider who comes in here >200lbs trying to save 100g off their bike ALWAYS gets defensive and claims single digit body fat.

SDizzle really is right. This is pointless weight savings. Even if you are indeed totally ripped like you claim (hard to believe), if you really care about speeding up through losing weight, you can probably find a way to trim muscle without affecting your overall strength. Unless you are like 6'5" or something if you're carrying that much muscle some of it is probably useless muscle like huge biceps or something.

Oh and do make sure to take a dump as IUBike mentioned, that will indeed save you as much weight as these silly pedals!


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

benInMA said:


> Yah, and we all know EVERY rider who comes in here >200lbs trying to save 100g off their bike ALWAYS gets defensive and claims single digit body fat.
> 
> SDizzle really is right. This is pointless weight savings. Even if you are indeed totally ripped like you claim (hard to believe), if you really care about speeding up through losing weight, you can probably find a way to trim muscle without affecting your overall strength. Unless you are like 6'5" or something if you're carrying that much muscle some of it is probably useless muscle like huge biceps or something.
> 
> Oh and do make sure to take a dump as IUBike mentioned, that will indeed save you as much weight as these silly pedals!


We can all say this to anyone over 150 lbs. trying to save weight on their bike. 'Why don't you lose some weight instead of saving a few grams' could be an answer to every question here.

I think it's rude though and I suggest we all stay away from it. Just answer the question. If you have knowledge about products, share it. If there are safety or performance concerns, raise it.

francois


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## benInMA (Jan 22, 2004)

It is just hysterical.

Read this forum and you'd think that every group ride or Cat 5 race has 3-4 guys who basically look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his competition prime who are worried about their bike weight.

The difference between telling someone who is 150-160lbs that it is pointless to minimize weight of the bike and someone who is 200-240lbs is huge.

Just look at the percentages. If you're over 200lbs and you lose 2% of your body weight you will have lost more bike + rider weight than if you dropped $20,000 on your bike to lighten it. It is a lot harder for a 150lb guy to lose as much weight safely.

Some of this IS a safety issue. It is only a matter of time before we hear of some "big guy" on this forum getting badly hurt on his 13lb bicycle cause he didn't take into account that a bike so light it is not UCI legal was maybe not smart for a 225lb guy and the bike failed catastrophically.


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## DMFT (Feb 3, 2005)

*No Doubt.*

Francois NAILED it.

And I'll add this - If you can afford it and you want it and it's safe, then do it.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*well I agree*

and I'm a big guy. I do very little to shave weight from my rig. I choose strength and durability. But I also understand his dilemma. When I was rowing in college I was a lean
209 with a fat % sub 10%, tested. so some 'big guys' don't have much to lose and what you little guys fail to see this the amount we suffer on climbs just trying to maintain contact. at equal wattage for every 15 lbs over 180 lbs you lose about 266 feet per mile on a 10% grade. We're bleeding from the eyeballs at freakish wattage outputs and watching you lightweights pedal away. So for a big guy who is lean and serious I can understand them wanting every bit of help they can get.
so lighten up on us big guys, or we'll go horse race style and make you carry weight to equal ours and then you'll feel our pain.


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## homebrew (Oct 28, 2004)

benInMA said:


> Yah, and we all know EVERY rider who comes in here >200lbs trying to save 100g off their bike ALWAYS gets defensive and claims single digit body fat.
> 
> SDizzle really is right. This is pointless weight savings. Even if you are indeed totally ripped like you claim (hard to believe), if you really care about speeding up through losing weight, you can probably find a way to trim muscle without affecting your overall strength. Unless you are like 6'5" or something if you're carrying that much muscle some of it is probably useless muscle like huge biceps or something.
> 
> Oh and do make sure to take a dump as IUBike mentioned, that will indeed save you as much weight as these silly pedals!


 Ever hear of Magnus Backsted (sp?) 215Lbs or maybe Induran. He was 200lbs for a large part of his time on a bike. There are losts of good riders over 185lbs. At 210 I may not climb with the best but I still climb better then most. I do well in crits and TT. I am not blessed with a climbers build so you think I should ride some POS bike? I am not claiming to be ripped, I am just not fat. I also am not a pro and have a life so I don't wish to live at 6% bodyfat. That said weight is weight and if I want to ride a light bike even if I am as fat as a house, whats it to you? I don't think I could wear a team jersy if I am not on a team but if you want to, go for it. Your misinformed judgments about other people are getting old.That however is not the point, the point is that a stupid a reply, about a person you do not know's weight is wasting everyones time on this forum. If you don't want to talk light bikes go to the general forum or get a life. Your sophomoric ranting is wasting everyones time.


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## gibson (Feb 9, 2005)

*Pedal Weight and Dr. Edmund Burke*

In Dr. Burke's book, "Serious Cycling" (pages 201-202 in the 1995 paperback version), he states,

"Having light rotating components is even more important. To accelerate a wheel or pedal-and-shoe system, you need the kinetic energy of rotation as well as the kinetic energy of linear motion. For example, if the weight is mostly concentrated in the wheel's rim and tire, you will need almost twice the energy to accelerate as for a nonrotating weight. In other words, 1 pound added to a wheel or pedal-and-shoe system is equivalent to nearly 2 pounds on the bicycle frame."

He goes on to state that the addition of 500 grams in the pedal and shoe system would require an additional 1.3% of rotational power at constant speeds on a level road. Adding other factors, he concludes that the additional 250 grams per leg yields an increase in power required of 1.5% to 1.7%

In a real-world example, I currently have old Look pedals that according to a good weight website (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/weights.htm) weigh 450 grams or 0.99 pounds (I hope that that is the pair!!). A pair of the CroMo Look Keo pedals are 230 grams or 0.51 pounds (115 grams each).

This savings of 220 grams or 1/2 pound is equivalent to dropping an entire pound of the weight of the bike. Seems like a good upgrade!! Assuming a linear relationship, I should reduce the energy required to move at a constant speed by about 3/4 of a percent. Not much, but since I spin at a fast rate, that will impact me more than some.

This is just my first look (pun intended) into the subject, but this looks (really intended again) like a good time (sorry) to make an upgrade.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*on another note*

once up to speed heavier items hold speed longer. since a pedal stroke is half and half, you could argue the downstroke is aided by the heavier pedal. you work more on the pull but can use the pedal weight on the push.
please don't take me serious, I'm just stirring the pot.


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## gibson (Feb 9, 2005)

*Stirring the Pot*



atpjunkie said:


> once up to speed heavier items hold speed longer. since a pedal stroke is half and half, you could argue the downstroke is aided by the heavier pedal. you work more on the pull but can use the pedal weight on the push.
> please don't take me serious, I'm just stirring the pot.


But are you stirring with a heavy spoon or a light spoon? I'll let you argue the details with Dr. Burke - someday a long time from now. I'll have to go back to my dynamics books to check out the equations about constant speed, however, reducing the intertia will certainly reduce the effort required for any acceleration.

Hey - it's a hobby - have fun. Work the brain and the body.

Plus, the new pedals looks lots cooler  And cooler-looking weight always is lighter than ugly weight.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*it's why I went time*

steel spindles (strong) good float, more positive 'in' feeling and as light as Looks pre Keo offerings.


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