Recently, I found an inexpensive way to dramatically improve my ride. I replaced my pedals.
I can’t remember what brand my previous pedals were, but I wasn’t very happy with them. They had two problems: they were too slippery and they were too narrow.
My old pedals were made of a hard nylon that did not sufficiently grip my shoes. My feet would sometimes slip off, usually when I was climbing a hill. Needless to say, this was an annoying problem. A bit dangerous, too. It was more likely to occur when the pedals were wet.
I particularly noticed the narrowness of the pedals when I was really digging in to climb a hill. My feet are a little on the wide side, so when I pushed on the pedals with extra force, the outer edge of my feet would curl over the edge of the pedal. This drove me crazy. I didn’t like the sensation at all.
My replacements are Evo “Freefall” pedals. They are made of metal and have a cleated surface that firmly grips my shoes. There is zero slippage. I haven’t rode in the rain with them, but I’d be surprised if my feet slipped on them even in the rain.
The pedals are 10 cm wide, a width that supports the whole of my foot, with no curling over. They are wider than most pedals; I would definitely recommend wide pedals to everyone, even those whose feet aren’t particularly wide.
I’ve only had them on my bike for a day (two rides), but so far they’re working out well.
