Как выбрать педали

Probably one of the most stressed bike parts is the pedal assembly (bottom bracket, crankset and pedals). It is here that all the muscular efforts of the cyclist are directed, the greatest pressure of the body weight. It is the torsion of the pedals that sets the chain traction in motion and makes the wheels move.

All pedals have a similar structure: it is a threaded axle on which the platform is attached and bearings, which provide rotation. The axle is metal, on more expensive models it is chrome-molybdenum or titanium. The thread in a pair of pedals is different, right and left. This is done so that when spinning forward, one of the pedals does not spin and fall off. The platform can be made of different types of plastic, aluminum alloys, titanium, carbon.

In stock, on bicycles there are ordinary classic pedals that we are used to seeing on old bicycles. This is a common platform for resting the foot, in the people they are also "stompers". Another option, very popular among professional cyclists from different disciplines, is the contact pedals, which have a special lock for a strong connection with special shoes, which allows more efficient use of leg power for pedaling. With conventional pedals, the force is only one foot per pedal during knee extension. In "contacts", due to the fact that the shoe is connected to the pedals, the force is transmitted also when the knee is bent, the leg that rises "pulls" the pedal along. This significantly increases the efficiency of the cyclist and reduces the load on the knee joints. In general, clipless pedals can help increase your speed and cover more distances than with simple platforms.

Therefore, when choosing pedals, think about your riding style, type of bike and of course your budget.

For most cyclists, pedals are more suitable - "stompboxes" . They can also be of different shapes and sizes, with spikes and teeth for better grip, differ in quality and impact resistance. They do not need to use special shoes. Therefore, after cycling, you do not need to immediately change your shoes if you want to leave the bike and go on foot.

"Contacts" is better to choose if you use a bicycle exclusively as a sports attribute. It is not very comfortable to walk in shoes for contact pedals, and the metal of fasteners to the contact pedals will quickly deteriorate from asphalt. You also need the skills to quickly remove the leg from contact, moving horizontally, otherwise you can fall with the bike. Therefore, "contacts", for example, are not used for BMX and FreeRide. And pedals for highway and cross country often use different locking mechanisms. For example, SHIMANO has developed a system SPD (ShimanoPedalingDynamics) - taking your foot off it is enough simple and fast, easy to set up and maintain. These pedals can be used for any riding style. Another Look example - contact pedals from this manufacturer are used only for highway / track, because they are very fixed, but it is relatively difficult to detach cycling shoes from them, which is not acceptable when riding with a lot of obstacles, so they are used only on level surfaces.

Now pedals with castle and platform. Interesting models for the undecided cyclist, which have a lock for cycling shoes on one side, and a regular platform on the other. The disadvantage of these pedals is the need to check which side of the pedal is turned when starting to move.

Like all bike assemblies, pedals require periodic maintenance. From time to time it is necessary to change the lubricant in the bearings, not to bring it to a crunch and squeak. It is imperative to check the tightness of the axle thread in the connecting rods, since this place is under heavy load, when loosening, the thread on the pedals and on the connecting rods themselves may be damaged, which will lead to inevitable replacement. It should be remembered that both pedals twist forward (provided that the bike is on the ground with the wheels), and twist backward (in relation to the bike). A simple 15-inch open-end wrench is suitable for this.

Of course, it's best to understand which pedals you need, you can only after running in and practical comparison of several types.

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