The Radavist

Sim Works‘ newest product announcement utilizes the MKS Ezy Superior System with its Bubbly Pedal platform. This system allows for these pedals to be quick-release. Why would you want this? In Japan, it became popular for Shinkansen users who have to break their bike down in a Rinko Bag. We did this with Sim Works on our Mt. Fuji bicycle tour a few years ago. Quick-release pedals make this process all the easier. Other uses could be if you have minimal space in your apartment for bikes. Sometimes removing pedals enables bikes to be hung on a wall closer to each other. For whatever reason you might have the Sim Works Bubbly pedals now come in the MKS Ezy system and are available now at Sim Works for $148.

Want to see more from our Japan trip? See lots of stories in our Related Archives.

The White Rim Trail outside of Moab UT. is one of the most beautiful trails in the USA, unless you’re at White Rim trying to set a FKT (Fastest Known Time) on a mountain bike. That is when it becomes a torturous desert filled with endless miles of bone-jarring rock, sandpits, and a seemingly endless climb out of the canyon floor at mile 87 that simply takes your breath away.

Southern California’s Jared Lozonne ( @slothracing ) shares his vision quest after accepting a challenge from us to do the legendary White Rim Trail outside of Moab Utah…on flat pedals! You heard that correctly. Many have tried to earn a FKT on this trail, but none to our knowledge have attempted the grueling 100-mile ride on flat pedals. Jared, armed with almost a gallon of hydration, a pair of high-top Vans shoes, and a set of Yoshimura Chilao pedals sets out to establish a time for all others to come and take on the Flat Pedal Challenge.

Yoshimura has hand-crafted a one-of-a-kind Flat Pedal Challenge trophy that is to be passed to those that can break Jared’s time (kind of like the Stanly Cup). Join Jared on his quest to set the bar for all those who accept the challenge.

I’m a collector of goods by nature. When I find a pair of pants, backpack, shorts, or even shoes I love and cannot live without, I tend to buy a “backup” or secondary set to hold onto. Sometimes, this can get expensive, especially when it comes to bike parts but with the uncertainty of the current supply chain shortage brought on by the pandemic, my hoarding has been elevated. Take for instance these Yoshimura Chilao Pedals. When we first posted about them back in 2020, I bought a set for a few reasons…

It’s getting harder and harder to find domestically produced flat pedals and so when a new company making pedals in the UK comes across our Radar, we have to share it. PINND is making titanium axle, sealed bearing, 420g per pair, pedals in the UK with a 5 year warranty. These beauts run £195.00 and come in black (pictured) or natural (silver).

Specs:
Pins: 26 Per Pedal. Ships with 303 Stainless Steel as standard.
Body Material: 7075 T6 Anodised Aluminium
Spindle: Grade 5 Titanium
Inner Bearing: HK1015 Needle Bearing
Outer Bearing: 2 x Cartridge Bearings
Max Rider Weight: No limit
Foot Print: 110 x 105mm
Warranty: 5 Years Limited Warranty
Weight: 420g with Stainless Steel Pins (395g Ti Pins/385g AL Pins)

See more at PINND.

With the days getting shorter, chances are your commutes are going to have less daylight. We’ve seen similar pedal designs before, but the newest product from RedShift Sports takes commuting safety lights to the next level. The Arclight Bike Pedals light up when you start pedaling and turn off when you stop. These lights also change color from white to red depending on their orientation – i.e. red always face the rear of the bike and white, the front. The details don’t stop there, so head to Kickstarter to see more!

British manufacturer Hope announced that it was throwing its helmet into the clipless pedal market with three new pedal models, ranging from the big platform gravity, GC, the trail pedal, TC, and race pedal, RC. All three pedal designs will come in six colors, feature titanium axles, offer a dual entry mechanism designed for easy pedal entry, secure cleat holding, and positive, consistent release. The Union Clip Pedals line run on three cartridge bearings and a maintenance-free IGUS bush for smooth long-term durability and the best part is, they’re full rebuildable.

These are coming down the line soon but you can check out all the details at Hope.

There are a lot of Time pedal fans out there and with good reason. Time’s design allows for easy shedding of mud or snow and has one of the most secure engagement designs on the market. Last week, SRAM acquired the entire range of road and mountain pedals, cleats, and all related patents of TIME Sport from Rossignol Group. The two companies completed the transaction on February 18, 2021. For Time loyalists, the good news is this means better distribution under the SRAM umbrella and SRAM will keep the Time name going.

Customers will continue to contact TIME for product service and support during the transition phase through mid-year 2021.

If MKS is known for anything, it’s their ability to design and construct a no-nonsense pedal with zero required maintenance. However, MKS hasn’t seen many advancements in its catalog over the years, so when a brand like Sim Works reaches out with idea, you get the best of both worlds. The Bubbly pedal is the result of a tight collaborative effort between two Japanese companies, fusing the heritage of MKS with the practical, modern designs of Sim Works. These pedals include a triple-sealed bearing housing, a stainless pedal spindle, and the largest platform of any MKS product to date. The Bubbly comes in black, silver, and a limited edition bronze for $98. They’re in stock and ready to ship today at Sim Works’ webshop!

Metal pedals are great until you clip your leg with a sharpened end. On the other hand, plastic pedals aren’t the most durable, randomly coming unattached from the spindle, leaving you stranded on the trail. Squidworkx is looking to combine the best of both worlds with a fully-customized flat pedal, utilizing a self-extracting spindle in a metal spindle body, with plastic wings. These pedals also utilize pins that are completely independent of the pedal body. The best thing is this whole system is customizable and rebuildable at Squidworkx.

We knew LOOK was expanding their lineup to include flat pedals when the Geo Trekking was announced and today, the brand dropped their modular collaboration with Vibram. These pedals are marketed to the commuter market and the dirt market. While the commuter pedals lack any sort of retention studs, they rely on super-grippy Vibram technology. The dirt pedals, however, rely on a series of studs to keep your feet planted while riding trail. These pedals don’t cost an arm and a leg either. At just $70, you get the pedal platform and Vibram pad. You can purchase additional pads as well for $45 and yes, they come in a variety of colors. Head to LOOK to see everything and your local dealer for an in-person experience.

At this point, we should all be paying attention to what we consume and these days it’s hard to tell what is a good product versus what is good marketing. Make things people want instead of making people want things, right? Companies taking the stand and pushing for sustainable production and also recycling is important. I for one, want products with environmental considerations, that push progression of product design. That’s why the PEMBREE R1V pedals caught my eye. Here’s why:

They are carbon Neutral, including transport to customers.
Materials: All individual components of the R1V are fully recyclable.
Recycling aluminium reduces energy consumption by 95% compared to producing new.
Energy: The Pembree factory solely uses renewable energy from Ecotricity
Manufacturing: All swarf is 100% recycled. No waste to landfill.
Packaging: All Pembree packaging is recycled, can be recycled and is 100% plastic free
Trade In: At the end of life all of your Pembree products will be welcomed back for recycling and you will get a credit on future Pembree products.

These pedals retail for $218 but come with a 5-year warranty. Even if you balked at that price – like I did – it’s good to see the environmental considerations motivating production. See more at PEMBREE.

Some people like clipless pedals and some like flats. Benedict from Ron’s Bikes discusses how to pick the best pedal for your cycling escapades in his latest Youtube video.

Known for their high end, titanium moto exhausts, Japan’s Yoshimura’s USA branch announced the launch of Yoshimura Cycling and their first product available is their Chilao pedal, which you can now pre-order for $180.

As for what other kinds of products the brand will develop, we aren’t entirely sure but follow Yoshimura Cycling on Instagram for more updates as events warrant.

Double-sided pedals usually don’t do it for me. While I appreciate the concept, most offer a sub-par riding experience. The clipless mechanism is usually too loose with no ability to tighten up and the platforms are typically small, offering little to no grip. Granted it only takes a few bad experiences to taint your opinion of double-sided pedals but something about LOOK’s Geo Trekking pedals piqued my interest. LOOK’s pedals are great. I’ve been enjoying riding on them since switching from Time ATACs to SPD pedals. Although these pedals intrigued me, it didn’t take long to see their faults and gimmicks.

Visibility is crucial when undertaking ultra-endurance racing, or just riding at night and commuting through urban environments. With winter on the way and shorter days to follow, many riders will be taking on their favorite routes under the veil of darkness. LOOK‘s new Geo-Trekking pedals look to make visible waves, providing unprecedented visibility with a revolutionary new lighting system.

The Geo-Trekking pedals use LED Vision lights, similar to pedals that use reflectors. These LEDs have 15 lumens each, making the rider visible at a distance of more than 400 meters as well as at a 180° angle, adding sidewards visibility at road junctions. If you run them in Flash Eco mode, the lights boast an operational run time of 30 hours, and feature an indicator light that warns when battery life falls to critical levels. They are USB-rechargeable via a supplied micro-USB cable, with a fast 50-minute recharge time.

Could these pedals make vehicular incidents less frequent? Who knows, but every little bit helps. Check out more information below.

Race Face makes exceptional pedals. From the high end Atlas, to the Chester, and now the affordable Ride Pedals. With a steel axle and nine different colors to choose from, the Ride ($34.99) is another option within Race Face’s stout lineup. They weigh 320g and have 18 molded traction pins (9 per side). See more at Race Face.

Those who dabbled in vintage bikes and components, the name Chater Lea will ring a bell. Their cottered cranks and other components were always in demand, including their “Sprint” pedals. At Bespoked UK earlier this month, Chater Lea revealed its first new product from the recently relaunched brand, the Grand Tour Pedal. These are made from high corrosion-resistant, marine-grade 316 and hardened 17-4PH stainless steel, giving the pedals an aesthetic more akin to a high-end watch, rather than a bicycle pedal. They will be available for purchase via Chater Lea’s website in the next five to six weeks at a price of £250. These pedals come with a lifetime original owner warranty. Check out more at Chater Lea and see more photos below.

I’m a huge fan of Time’s Speciale 12 pedals with their metal design, refined profile, and bear-trap like engagement but the pricing – at almost $350 – was out of range for a lot of people. Time has the answer, with their new Speciale 8 Enduro pedal. It has a smaller profile and isn’t as refined looking at the 12, but at $125, who can complain?

Specs:
Colors: Black, Blue, Orange
Body material: Aluminum
Spindle material: Hollow steel
Weight: 392g / pair
Dimensions: Length – 90mm, Width – 64mm, Thickness – 21mm
Price: $125 (€150)
Availability: Late February

See more at Time!