The Most Common Questions About Bike Pedals

You have the ability to swap out your bike pedals any time you wish to do so—in fact, they tend to be among the most-personalized bike accessories in Naples, FL. Many road bikes even come without pedals supplied, requiring you to make the initial decision about the kind of pedals you will use.

If you are relatively new to the cycling world, though, or simply don’t know much about bike accessories, you might have some questions about choosing the right pedals for your bike. Here are a few tips we have to help you choose the best bike pedals for you.

Know the different types of bike pedals

If you’ve never gone shopping for bike pedals before, you probably haven’t realized just how many options are available to you. Here are just a few examples:

• Platform bike pedals: These “flat pedals” are probably the type of pedal you’re most familiar with. They most likely came on your first bike. They tend to have stable surfaces that make it easy to support your feet, and they are not meant to be used with clipless shoes.
• Clipless pedals: With clipless pedals, you clip in to the cleats on the pedal in a way similar to how you would with skis. The system works with a small piece of mounted plastic or a metal cleat on the sole of the shoe that then snaps onto a set of clips on the face of the pedal that are spring-loaded for tension. You’ll need to make sure you have the right set of shoes to work with clipless pedals, so it will take a bit more research on your part if you haven’t used them before.
• Hybrid pedals: There is a hybrid series of pedals that combines the flexibility and versatility of platform pedals with the efficiency of clipless pedals. If you’re trying to work your way into going fully clipless, these pedals are an ideal choice for you, especially if you don’t always use a riding shoe while on your bike.

Maintenance

If you’re going to purchase a new set of pedals, you should have an idea of not just how to use them and their benefits, but also what sort of maintenance requirements come with them.

With clipless pedals, you might occasionally have problems with engaging or disengaging your cleats. This might make the pedal require a little bit of lubrication and cleaning. But you should always check for signs of damage.

The standard pedals are not going to require quite as much in the way of maintenance, but you should still make sure you inspect them on a regular basis, and give them some attention if they start to feel sticky at all.

Toe clips are usually maintenance free, but you can occasionally lubricate them inside the buckle if you wish.

For more information about what you should know before purchasing new pedals for your bike, contact Big Momma’s Bicycles or pay a visit to our bike store in Naples, FL today!

Categorised in: Bike Accessories, Bike Shop