In the grand finale of things…
…and at the finale of our week-or-so-long venture into the basics of bike pedals, I’m thinking the end of this blog post will be a lot like the intro of “The Lion King.” Now, if you’ve never seen the glory that is the 1994 smash hit, you probably 1. never had a kid in the 90′s, 2. were not a child in 90′s yourself, or 3. have an affinity for whale creatures like “Willy.”
Anyway, in the introduction, every animal found in the animal kingdom voyages across hundreds of miles across the desert to come and see the revealing of the lion king(we have a title)’s new son, where a slightly malnourished-yet-highly-spiritual-shaman-esque mandrill-baboon hybrid of a creature cups his malnourished-yet-highly-spiritual-shaman-esque mandrill-baboon hybrid hands and holds up the baby lion for all of the animals to fawn over in awe.
If the imagination isn’t there, do yourself a favor and click here.
Now, take everything I’ve just said above but sub “baby lion” for “bike pedal” and picture it again.
Quite magical, huh?
If you missed any of the previous posts on different bike pedal styles and clipless options check them out today, and when you get to the end of this entry consider yourself schooled as the new “Pedal King.”
A Note, on Pedal Float
One of the most important things you must consider when obtaining new pedals is the float.
When cleated pedals are engaged, the cleat locks into the pedal’s mechanism and it’s held firmly in place to make sure you’re safely united with your bike. When we talk about “float,” we’re referring to the amount of angular rotation allowed to the foot on the pedal. Depending on what type of pedal system you’re utilizing, a few systems hold the foot at a fixed angle while others allow fixed amounts of float. Some also allow you to fully customize the ranges of float so you’re able to get a proper fit.
Proper Pedal Maintenance
Giving your pedals the TLC they deserve will not only keep them riding in a similar shape as you first bought them in, but also help keep you riding safer and longer.
If you have clipless pedals and it has become hard to engage or disengage with your cleats you should first check for damage. If no damage is found, give your pedals a good scrub down with warm water to clear them of any mud, dirt or debris. Before you utilize them again make sure you allow them to fully dry and use a light lube sparingly.
If you are a toe-clip pedal user you should occasionally give them a dab of light lube too, but also fully check that your strap is in top-performing shape.
Be sure to check out our huge selection of road bike pedals, from top-performing and true and tested brands such as LOOK, Mavic and Shimano.
