Recommended Cycle Touring Pedals

[StuntPilot]

I did a search on the forum re. pedals, and there are no posts related to the best pedals for touring ... so here goes!

I currently use the good ol' Shimano PD-M324 pedal which I have been very happy with.

http://bike.shimano.com/content/sac-bike/en/home/mtb1/pedals/pedals/pd-m324.html

The reason for considering a new pedal set is that on my first tour I used SPD shoes with the PD-M324 pedal. Not so easy to walk in SPD shoes, especially when your other hobby is walking. On my second long tour I have realised that Keen Commuter sandals or normal trainers/walking boots (in my opinion) are much more comfortable and utilitarian for everyday long distance touring and general off-bike use.

After a bit of interweb trawling, I have purchased a set of Powergrip pedal straps to give them a whirl.

http://www.powergrips.com/strap-kits/

The Shimano pedals are great and still going strong after 12000+km, but in the wet or on rough ground without using SPD clipless shoes the feet can slip off the pedal. I am also looking for a slightly wider pedal.

The MKS range of pedals seem good and well made and the choice so far is down to the MKS Esprit Ezy Superior (removable for increased security) ...

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-cleats/mks-esprit-ezy-superior-pedals/

OR ...

MKS Sylvan Prime pedals ...

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-cleats/mks-prime-sylvan-touring-pedals/

I am also interested in a pedal that can easily be serviced en route. 'Fit and forget' would be the ideal!

Does anyone have any opinions about these two MKS pedals?
What are the alternatives from other manufacturers?
What do you use?
What do you think is the best long distance touring pedal?

Grateful for any input!

[bikerta]

I have a set of sylvan touring pedals on my Sherpa and had no problems with them at all over the 4,500 miles I have covered. I would occasionally have a foot slipping on the pedal if it was very wet and I was not wearing trainers with vibram soles. I have since fitted a set of plastic toe clips to these pedals and that has cured what was a very minor problem anyway.   

[mickeg]

The only MKS pedals I have are quick release ones on my foldup bike, I am not sure the model.  I use toe clips on them.  Very happy with them.  When you attach them, you should yank on them to make sure they are properly engaged as it is somewhat embarrassing to have your pedal fall off the crank while you are rolling down the road.  I got them to make my foldup bike more compact without tools.  They had some little clips that could be added to lock the quick release mechanism but I never use that.  I do not have enough miles on them to comment on durability or repair.  I have one pair of bike shoes with a stiff sole that work well with toe clips, but sometimes I use hiking shoes on those pedals.  I just took a couple photos, attached.

I bring SPD shoes and also some trail runners or light weight hiking shoes on bike tours.  When touring on a normal bike (not my foldup bike) I want a pedal that works with both kinds of shoes, I like the M324 or A530, both Shimano.  I use SPD shoes the vast majority of the time while on the bike when touring but there have been a few days when I wore my other shoes on the bike.  Plus sometimes on a bike tour I want to use the bike for errands or shopping, I use regular shoes for that so I like a double sided pedal.

I do not want to repeat myself on advantages and disadvantages of the two (M324 or A530) by writing a lot of text here.  On a different forum, I wrote up a comparison of those two models of pedals if anyone is interested.
http://www.bikeforums.net/touring/1037765-comparing-shimano-m324-a530-pedals.html#post18306425

[martinf]

I don't like SPD pedals, so use the old fashioned type with metal cages.

I use MKS Ezy removeable pedals on two of the three family Bromptons. They don't last as long as ordinary pedals, because play eventually occurs when the quick release mechanism wears. But they last longer than the Brompton folding pedal, and it is easier to fit toeclips to them. I generally get between 5,000 and 9,000 kms of use before the play starts to annoy me. For me the shorter service life is worth it on the Brompton as I sometimes need the removeable or folding pedal feature to fit the bike into small spaces.

I have MKS Sylvan pedals (quill, not the Prime model, but similar apart from the pedal cages). About 11,000 kms, no problems so far.
 
Longest serving pedals so far are Mikashima quill pedals with steel cages (copy of an early Campagnolo model), got those second hand and have done over 45,000 kms on them so far. And pre-SPD Deore XT pedals, with cages rather similar to the Sylvan Prime, about 36,000 kms so far on these.

Both the above, and the Sylvan pedals, have user-serviceable cup and cone bearings. But not that easy to do on tour, as you need something to hold the flats if undoing the cone locknut/cone - I generally use a bench vice or a large and heavy pedal spanner, neither of which are in my touring toolkit.

I have a stock of old but useable metal cage pedals, But if I needed new pedals now for a non-folding bike I would get one of the MKS Sylvan variants, they seem to be very good quality at a reasonable price.

[lewis noble]

I have used MKS pedals for several years, very pleased with them, they run beautifully and have never needed any attention.  I use GR-9s most of the time, Sylvan Touring in the winter sometimes as they give more space for larger / warmer shoes. 

The end caps etc are replaceable, and can be bought separately if they get lost (e.g. if they work loose on the road, or on a garage floor . . . ) and a small tool is available to remove the end cap if you really want to preserve their good appearance.  A wide range is available, full details on mks website.

Lewis

[StuntPilot]

Thanks all for your replies. Good point Martinf about the EZY detachable pedals - one more thing to wear out or go wrong on a long tour. I  will stick to the standard pedal fitting.

I see good reports too about the MKS Sylvan Touring pedal on-line too. I like the idea that they can be serviced if required. SJS has the dust caps, cap removal tool and 5/32" bearings which I understand are the correct size for the MKS Sylvan pedals.

While I love the Shimano PD-M324 pedals, I no longer need any SPD attachment. They can be refitted in future if required. As I mentioned in the original post the main reason for a change is to allow larger walking boots and sandals to have better contact with the pedals.

It looks like the MKS Sylvan Touring pedal is a popular choice.

[julk]

I have used the MKS pedals when I was into toe clips and they work well.

For all my bikes I have moved to Shimano Deore XT PD-T780 which have a flat side and a SPD clip side which gives me the best of all worlds.
They also have reflectors built in.
They are serviceable, the only down side is they install with an allen key rather than a pedal spanner.

The Deore XT PD-T8000 model is similar but has pins on the flat side for more grip.

[alfie1952]

Have you had a look at the mks lambda pedals, these have a large platform and are good if wearing boots. I've noticed a lot of people now using them.

Alfie

[StuntPilot]

Yes Alfie - I did see those. Look good also. I don't think they will take the Powergrip straps though.

[energyman]

MKS Sylvan - they don't slip and look good.

[Danneaux]

I seem to have made the switch increasingly to Shimano T-400 Click'R double-sided, soft-release pedals, but...

Several of my bikes still sport SunTour Superbe Pro pedals with road cages. The cages are narrow laterally and a bit shorter fore-aft and taller above the spindle than average for a quill pedal, so cleat adjustments need to be made. However, the same pedal was (and still is, thanks to some lucky finds on eBay) with track cages, which are very suitable for riding in boots or more casual footwear. The innards are particularly long-lived: The pedal body is located by a deep-grove Conrad style cartridge bearing, while the heavy lifting is done by a wide needle bearing directly underfoot. Bearing seals and protection are um, superbe. Unconfirmed reports have said MKS (Mikashima) made these under contract for SunTour.

Some recent eBay examples:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Suntour-Superbe-Pro-Road-pedal-cages-Bicycle-NOS-bike-bolts-set-vintage-/222310301393?hash=item33c2b9fed1:g:p70AAOSwFdtX0rBW
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Suntour-Superbe-Pro-Road-pedal-cages-Bicycle-NOS-bike-bolts-set-vintage-Bicycle-/232146008852?hash=item360cfafb14:g:iDIAAOSw4GVYJ2bP
...and with the track cages suitable for the widest array of shoes:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUNTOUR-Superbe-Pro-NJS-Track-Pedals-/252601742144?hash=item3ad03cb340:g:6tQAAOSwImRYDZES

I only mention these because even at this late date, they come as close to being maintenance free as you could wish. One of mine has well in excess of 52,000km and another is beyond 45,000km in all weather. I also have a pair that uses the Grease Guard injection valve licensed from Wilderness Trail Bikes. This allows old grease to be purged as new is injected. Either kind is worth every penny if you prefer to cycle in either old-school racing cleats or casual shoes and boots (depending on cage design; they're interchangeable and accept toe clips or PowerGrips).

I still have a set of PowerGrips from when I was looking for a solution on the Folder I'm making. I tried them and found them wanting in some curious ways. I had a tough time getting the tightness right...they were either too loose or too tight and I found much of this depended on the soles of the shoes I happened to be wearing at the moment. Because they depend on some slight foot rotation to get in or engage, the thickness and pattern of the shoe sole mattered a lot. Also, I found that using them past a couple-hundred kilometers on day rides, they made the sides of my feet sore (corollary to the tightness problem above). That said, I know a number of people who remain very enthuses about them even after some years' use. I just wish there was a super-quick way to adjust the tension (maybe a future design with velcro or a buckle?).

Best,

Dan.

[martinf]

I got a stock of good quality metal cage pedals from the used parts box at my LBS when clipless pedals became popular.

Like Dan, I have a pair of SunTour Superbe Pro pedals. They seem to be maintenance free. I hope so, because I don't know how to service the sealed bearings.

Other low-maintenance pedals I have in service are Campagnolo Record quill pedals, these have a sort of spiral groove that is designed to push out water entering the cup and cone bearings, some 1970's French Spidel (= Maillard) quill pedals that have labyrinth seals for the cup and cone bearings, and MKS RX-1 track pedals with sealed bearings. Most of the pedals I have are long out of production, but the MKS RX-1 are still available, albeit expensive, from SJS Cycles and maybe elsewhere.

[rualexander]

I used MKS Sylvan Touring for years, good pedals, but not very well sealed and need regreasing frequently if used in wet weather a lot.

[jags]

i'm probably wrong here usually am
but a fella would be much better off using road pedals like Time or Look and carbon sole cycling shoes,reason being the pedals and shoes would weigh as much as one of the spd shoes  ,the carbon soles will take all the pressure of the ball of your foot .
a comfortable pair of trainers for off the bike will do the job grand

mind you  pedals and carbon shoes are expensive but you get what you pay for.

jags

[onmybike]

In the mid 80s I bought a Clamont 2000 (rebadged Miyata 1000) touring bike that came with MKS Sylvans. When that bike was retired 21 years and 150,000+kms later it still had the same pedals! In truth they were stuffed by then, but they'd outlived at least three complete drive trains so it's kind of uncharitable to say that. About half way through the Miyata's life I bought a spare set to insure against them becoming unavailable, and against the inevitable rise of 'clipless' pedals. In the end the 'new' set didn't come out of their box until a decade later to go on my then new Nomad.

I've been riding with them for the past eight years but recently replaced them with a set of MKS Urban Platform Ezy Superiors. There is nothing wrong with the Sylvans - I just wanted the quicker, tool-less, removal of the Urban Platform's for a tour that was going to involve a lot of mixed-mode transport. The Urban Platforms have MKS' outstanding build quality and the most buttery smooth sealed bearings. I'll report back with a longevity report in a decade or two ;-)

I've used plastic Zefal half-toe clips with both pedal models but for some pure bike porn you want to see the artisanal welded half-toe clips MKS make attached to the Urban Platforms... https://janheine.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/pedalmkscgclip_800.jpg