# Possible to bend/break the pedal?



## dandar (Mar 31, 2012)

It may be a stupid question but I just don't know. I have a hill near my house that is 7% average grade for about a mile with 20-26% sections. I tried to go up it and my gearing is probably inadequate. I have 50/34 compact crank with 8 speed 12-25 cassette. 

When I was on 34/25 combo I actually had to pull on the handlebars and push as hard as I could while standing up on the pedals to go up that hill. :cryin: It kicked my ass and halfway through I had to get off the bike. 

I'm still planning on attempting it in the fall when I'm stronger, but I'm worried now about whether the pedals will take it. I currently weigh 190 pounds, hopefully will be in 180s when I try it in the fall. Any thoughts?


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## Longhair-NL (Mar 31, 2012)

Depends on the pedals.


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## Mr. Jones (Jul 4, 2006)

dandar said:


> It may be a stupid question but I just don't know. I have a hill near my house that is 7% average grade for about a mile with 20-26% sections. I tried to go up it and my gearing is probably inadequate. I have 50/34 compact crank with 8 speed 12-25 cassette.
> 
> When I was on 34/25 combo I actually had to pull on the handlebars and push as hard as I could while standing up on the pedals to go up that hill. :cryin: It kicked my ass and halfway through I had to get off the bike.
> 
> I'm still planning on attempting it in the fall when I'm stronger, but I'm worried now about whether the pedals will take it. I currently weigh 190 pounds, hopefully will be in 180s when I try it in the fall. Any thoughts?


What kind of pedals are you running? I think that as long as you aren't running some sort of titanium spindle weight weenie pedals, you should be fine. You could also check to make sure that your pedals were never recalled; I know that there was a Look recall some time ago.


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## dandar (Mar 31, 2012)

Stainless Steel Speedplay Frogs.


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## Ibashii (Oct 23, 2002)

dandar said:


> Stainless Steel Speedplay Frogs.


Unless they're somehow damaged, installed wrong or haunted, those suckers are bombproof. Mash away!!!


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

If Sir Chris Hoy doesn't stomp the pedals off his bikes...










You're fine. Unless you use Crank Bros. :wink5:


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## grabtindy (Jul 20, 2009)

Steer clear of anabolics and titanium spindles and you'll be fine.


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

n00bs...always blaming the pedals 

I don't have first hand knowledge with those particualr pedals but am pretty darn confident that they won't fail. Just make sure the tension (if they have a tension adjustment) is appropriate - not too loose.

Also, just so you know, your gearing is fine for that hill. You just need to practice. I have a local hill that I could hardly make it up without feeling like my heart was going to pop out of my chest or vomiting a little. I worked and worked. It was agonizing and there were moments of despair on days that I didn't feel good (sometimes felt as if I had actually gotten weaker!). Now, I use it for repeats and it's still agonizing (maybe more so now) but not so much despair. Once you make it up your personal nemesis, other, larger hills that you have trouble with won't be so despairing because if you conquer one, you know that with training you can conquer another. 

It can take a while however so don't despair. Make it a goal, work towards it and you will get there. You'll feel good about it for a while and then, you'll soon be posting a question about how to do it faster. Best of luck.


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## dandar (Mar 31, 2012)

You're probably right. There is a 6% hill with 10% .3 mile section that I had to walk first time I took it. The second time I took it I rode it and my heart felt like it was going to pop out of my chest and I did feel like vomiting. Now I take it twice during my normal rides and am starting to wonder how to take it faster. 

It's just that the one in my first question is on a whole another level. It's kind of scary to take with a car and the town actually closes it with very large concrete blocks for the winter. Anyways, from the comments it seems like pedals should be of no concern, so I just got to upgrade the engine  Like I said earlier, I'll try it again in the fall.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Where is this remarkable hill? Your profile says you live in Connecticut. So do I. I'd like to check out this road ;-)


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## dandar (Mar 31, 2012)

http://app.strava.com/segments/1246669

which is part of larger segment

http://app.strava.com/segments/708351

You could say I'm lucky where I live. I have some great hills to chose from.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

dandar said:


> http://app.strava.com/segments/1246669
> 
> which is part of larger segment
> 
> ...


Thanks. I live on the other side of the river and don't often venture that far west. That is a steep sum-***** indeed. Looks like the first 2/10 of a mile averages close to 16%, so the switchbacks must kick up well past 20. I have couple of spots over here (e.g., Belltown Road in Glastonbury) that are close to that average pitch, but they go straight up slightly gentler ridges than that, so they don't have the extreme pitches you get on the switchbacks. I manage with 39x26, but it's a grind. Fun, though.


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## dandar (Mar 31, 2012)

39x26 is steep indeed. I guess I should be happy with 34x25. I'm getting stronger everyday. Today I didn't even try to get a personal best on a section I usually ride. I just wanted to get it over with and I beat my personal best by 6 seconds. Strava is really a great tool. I can race against myself and get a motivation to improve just seeing how pathetic my times are against local riders.


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## dandar (Mar 31, 2012)

AndrwSwitch said:


> If Sir Chris Hoy doesn't stomp the pedals off his bikes...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those thighs are not natural..


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## Doug B (Sep 11, 2009)

I broke a pedal once. I was ten years old. It was a 1979 huffy desert hound bike. Was an interesting ride home.


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