Flat Pedals recommendation

[juanj]

My wife is interested in biking (yay!), and she has asked me to put non-clipless (neither mountain nor road) pedals on a vintage steel bike. I need a recommendation on a "flat" pedal, something that will work well and look good. Thanks all.

[spacemen3]

The MKS Touring Light pedals look good and work well.

[HenryA]

I'd get some inexpensive plastic bodied pedals for now and later on spend a little on some clipless pedals if she takes to cycling. My wife likes Shimano MTB pedals now after graduating from flat pedals many years ago. MTB shoes are easy to walk in and stable off the bike.

[AngryScientist]

pedals you're referring to are called "platforms".

MKS pretty much makes the standard. they have road, touring and track versions, all of which can be run with clips and straps or without.

velo orange has some nice looking platforms too.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_C1XrRVl3W8k/SNEXErEmpeI/AAAAAAAAFcc/03onZ4KsiQI/s320/VO+touring+pedals.jpg

there are many mtb typed platforms on the market, which are probably the best without foot retention for riding, because they usually have spikey things that grip your shoes, but look out of place and ugly on a roadish bike IMO.

[buldogge]

You could also get Shimano A530s which are platform on one side and SPD-M on the other...and then slowly feed her into riding clipless.

-Mark in St. Louis

[gasman]

I use some specialized BMX pedals on my mtn bike commuter just so I can get a foot down very quickly in frosty road conditions or when ther are a ton of wet leaves in the fall. Work great.

[Vinci]

I used MKS Sylvans before I made the move to clipless. You'd be hard pressed to go wrong with any of the MKS platforms.

[fourflys]

I think a pair of MKS pedals paired with these (http://www.bgcycles.com/stainless-toe-clips.html) from Bruce Gordon would be pretty awesome...

http://www.bgcycles.com/images/accessories/SS_clips_ds.png

[juanj]

The MKS or the VO look like what I'm looking for. I've considered the Shimano A530s, but my wife is more of a casual rider and I think she would appreciate the simplicity of the the same platform on both sides of the pedal. Thanks all for the suggestions.

[slowandsteady]

I use Kona Wah Wah pedals on my MTB.

A little pricey at $80 but work fantastically well for their intended purpose and grip like crazy.

[phcollard]

velo orange has some nice looking platforms too.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_C1XrRVl3W8k/SNEXErEmpeI/AAAAAAAAFcc/03onZ4KsiQI/s320/VO+touring+pedals.jpg

The wife's bike has them and they're great. Especially if you have soft soles, the VO pedals have more surface than your usual MKS pedal so less pain in the foot.

[juanj]

I just ordered these. :)

The wife's bike has them and they're great. Especially if you have soft soles, the VO pedals have more surface than your usual MKS pedal so less pain in the foot.

[HenryA]

Whatever you pick, try to find some that are not sharp. Banged up and bleeding shins will not encourage her to ride.

[Ken Robb]

I have MKS Touring pedals on several bikes and MKS "Grip Kings"(see Rivendell site) on another. The teeth on the Touring pedals grib rubber soles shoes very well and I can start pushing the pedal up and over quite early. They don't work well with shoes with heavily lugged soles because the teeth on the pedal lock the sole into place and it's rarely the ideal position. Tennis shoes and boat shoes work very well.
The Grip King has a bigger platform with only slightly raised bumps. They do not grip as well with smoother soles but you can ride in shoes with monster lugs if you like. There are screw-in "spikes" ala BMX racers you can add for greater shoe bite.

FWIW I think new riders are more likely to get comfortable pedaling on flatties because they allow the feet to naturally find their ideal position. Then if/when the rider decides to try clipless pedals they will know by feel when the cleats are mounted in the best place on the shoe.

[cataño]

I use the MKS Touring Lite pedals on my commuter and really like them. A few friends ride the MKS Lambdas and seem pretty happy.

On the other side of the spectrum, I had a chance to ride a bit on a bike equipped with speedplay drilliums and they were a real treat. They look totally out of place on most bikes but no one can see your feet when you're riding, right?

I really try to avoid VO products whenever possible.

[tetsuo]

Fyxtation makes the Mesa Slim pedal which i think is a really nice alternative to the bulky bmx pedals.

[charliedid]

Have not tried them but i am really curious about them.

http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/pc2

[juanj]

I saw some Ergons at the bike shop recently. Those things are chunky!

[Ken Robb]

I also have a bike or two with Performance "Campus" pedals which have flat side and SPD side. They work well in both modes but I do have to think about which shoes I'm wearing each time I take off. The MKS Lambda is what Rivendell calls "Grip King". I think Grant P. designed them and MKS agreed to make them.

[charliedid]

I saw some Ergons at the bike shop recently. Those things are chunky!

Yeah not so sexy but I hear they work great. Just like a saddle you cant see em when riding!

[Ken Robb]

the Ergons look interesting. Naturally the shoes used in the demo film conform perfectly to the pedals but I wonder how well it would work with some bigger sizes or winter boots. I can see that most folks could have at least one pair of shoes similar to those in the demo that would work well with these pedals and they would surely be more comfortable when walking around than shoes with cleats. You know, non-cycling cycling shoes. :)

[19wisconsin64]

Velo Orange also has a pedal that is a little narrower than the version pictured in this thread. i have a pair on my city bike. perfect, smooth, sealed bearings, great grip on both side of the pedal, and reasonably priced.