Bike pedals are all the same, right? No. What’s so great about the Look Trail Grip Platform Pedals? When I purchased my new Trek Dual Sport 3 Women’s bike, I immediately noticed that the pedals were smaller than those on my previous bike. The first few times I rode it, my feet kept slipping off from the pedals, which scratched up the back of my legs.
Initially, I didn’t think too much of the smaller pedals, and simply had Larry attach the toe clips that I had used on my previous bike. With the addition of the toe clips, the slippage had been resolved. However, I then noticed a new problem that I had never experienced before while biking: knee pain.
My knees are not in the greatest condition anymore due to years of activities that cause natural wear and tear. But, they’ve never bothered me while biking…until the toe clips were added to the pedals of my new bike. And I was baffled, because I had used those toe clips on my other bike for seven years without any issue. Through some research, I learned that feet placement on the pedals can make the difference between a comfortable ride and a miserable ride. For example, pushing down on the pedals in the wrong place on the feet can lead to knee pain. (Seat height also impacts the knees; I since raised my seat higher as well).
It then dawned on me that my feet were, indeed, pushing down on the pedals more toward the center of my feet versus the balls of my feet because the pedals were smaller. And the toe clips forced my feet into an inappropriate position on those smaller pedals. Well, I knew that I needed to replace the pedals immediately, but could I find ones that would be adequate without the addition of the toe clips? The solution: platform pedals.
There are a few different types of platform pedals, some of which are specific for different types of biking. I am not a road/urban biker, nor am I an extreme mountain biker. Conversely, I am a biker who enjoys biking long distances on a variety of different types of trails, hence why I purchased a hybrid bike. Right when I found the Look Trail Grip platform pedals, I knew they would be great. And, I was right!
Material: Solid rubber-based pedals with Activ Grip by Vibram and metal studs Weight: 1 lb 3 oz Size: 107mm x 103mm
These pedals have solved two problems:
1) Feet positioning: Because these pedals are large (perhaps even larger for me since my feet are so small), I have so much more flexibility with where I can place my feet on the pedals. For instance, when I need to push really hard to make it up a steep hill, I can position the pedals directly under the balls of my feet. And when I am just relaxing a bit and want to move my feet around, I can move my feet back on the pedals.
In fact, with these pedals, I find that I move my feet around quite a bit depending upon the trail, and it is great to have that degree of flexibility; something I never had the luxury of with using toe clips. The takeaway point is that I no longer experience knee pain because I am now able to properly position my feet on the pedals, and adjust as necessary.
2) Feet slippage: As I mentioned above, the original pedals on my new bike were smaller than what I had been used to. And, I needed to find a solution to prevent my feet from constantly slipping around on the pedals. The Look Trail Grip platform pedals have metal studs integrated into the rubber platform of the pedals (on both sides), which then dig into the soles of my shoes, keeping my feet firmly in place, even when I am bouncing over large rocks.
Look also has a platform pedal called Geo City. The distinction between those and the ones I have is that the Geo City pedals do not have the integrated metal studs. The Geo City pedals would be suitable for road/urban biking. But because I bike on all different types of terrain, some of which cause my brain to rattle around in my skull, they would not provide adequate grip underneath my shoes.
FINAL THOUGHTS: If you want a great bike pedal that will keep your feet solidly in place, combined with the flexibility of being able to move your feet around to accommodate for different types of terrain, then the Look Trail Grip platform pedals may be worth trying. I am very glad that I found them!
Overall: Excellent Purchase
Price Paid: $70.00 plus tax
Place Purchased: REI
Link to Look Cycle Website: Look Cycle
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