Review: Hustle Bike Labs' Avery Magnetic Pedals Aren't Just A Gimmick

May 13, 2022
by Matt Beer  
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If you haven’t fallen over because you were “stuck” in your clipless pedals, have you even tried mountain biking? Hustle Bike Labs' founder, Craig Payne, had one of those moments that quickly turned into a “near-death experience” when everything went wrong while riding an exposed trail in Moab. The accident was induced by the capturing effect clipless pedals have on your feet, and left him clinging to the edge of a cliff.

From there, he took a step back and analyzed where he went wrong, but more importantly why he couldn’t escape the clutches of his pedals to gain his footing in time.

Avery Pedal Details
• 15 replaceable pins per side
• Platform dimensions: 100 x 74 x 19mm
• Weight: 836g (set), 90g (plate & hardware)
• Chromoly spindle, aluminum platform
• Neodymium rare-earth magnets, steel plate cleat
• MSRP: $219 USD
hustlebikelabs.com
Craig believes the answer lies in bolting rare-earth magnets to specifically designed pedals, which is why the Hustle Bike Labs Avery pedal was created. In his eyes, the system delivers the best of both traditional styles of pedals - the safety of platforms to disconnect from the bike quickly in the event of a crash and the security of clipless to keep your feet in place over bumpy terrain.

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A small pin prevents the magnet body from spinning 360-degrees around the pedal spindle, which could otherwise lead to the shoe landing too far from the desired location.

How Do They Work?

The Avery pedals use a standard clipless shoe, but instead of bolting a cleat to the bottom of the sole a steel plate takes its place. Rare-earth magnets are mounted to the pedal spindle that articulates independently of the platform that is lined with traction pins. Once the plates are mounted to the shoe, the attractive force not only guides your foot to a central location on the pedal, but it resists the shoe from sliding or lifting off unexpectedly.

Connecting to the pedals is foolproof and not limited to one foot angle or position. There is a large surface area to contact with, and thanks to the independent pivoting action of the magnets against the pedal body there is enough momentary loss of traction with the pins when lifting your foot that you can reposition the angle of the shoe. This will vary depending on the thickness of the rubber on the sole around the cleat cutout area, but Hustle includes spacers to allow the pins to catch less, if desired.

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Specs and Cost

There are two types of rare-earth magnets: neodymium and samarium–cobalt magnets, both of which are alloys from rare-earth elements. The Avery pedals use the neodymium N52 type, where the “N” number refers to the strength of the magnet, because they are the best balance of strength to cost for the application at hand… err foot. A N55 marks the highest strength commercially available, but only by 6% or so, and therefore Hustle Bike Labs coined this technology as “REMtech”.

Magnets aren’t light and the whole package is a hefty 926-grams, including the 90-grams worth of hardware and steel plates that bolt to the shoes. This means that the total weight of the system is substantially more than your average flat pedal, and roughly 400-grams more than a Shimano Saint clipless setup. However, this is a totally unique type of pedal interface meant to give a different ride experience.

I prefer to measure the effective pin footprint because this is the area that the shoe will touch, not the overall body and certainly not the leading and trailing edges of the platform. The dimensions of the Avery were then 100mm in length, with 57mm ahead of the center, and a 74mm width. The body is 19mm thick with 4mm tall pins that results in no concavity.

Included in the $219 price tag are the 4mm tall steel plates with a 1mm spacer and there are three color choices: black, blue, and grey 6061-T6 aluminum pedal bodies. Inside, the platform spins a roller bearing towards the crank and a ball bearing towards the far end of the 430 stainless steel axle. As for those ferrous plates, they have a 32 x 56mm area underfoot and the N52 stainless capped magnets produce a pulling force of over 100 pounds.

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Riding the Avery Magnetic Pedals

First things first. Can you cheat bunnyhops by simply pulling up with your feet? Not really. Even though REMtech offers 100 lbs of pulling force, they don't have the same locked-in feeling clipless pedals.

And how do they feel on the trail? Even though you’re wearing a stiff-soled clipless shoe, they generally feel like flat pedals. You don't need to precisely place a cleat into a sprung attachment. There is as much room on the platform as a standard flat pedal and the contact feeling is nearly the same across the entire surface. Thanks to the independent articulating magnet body, which keeps the connection while you unweight your foot from the pins, there is just enough grip reduction to reposition your foot with a small wiggle.

The major advantage is that the magnet holds your foot in place when cycling through the crank rotation at the six and twelve-o’clock positions, which is why so many flat pedal riders struggle to make it up technical climbs or falter through slow, undulating terrain.

PEDALING RETENTION

Pushing down on the cranks draws more power than the “pulling up” myth that clipless pedals are said to provide. The confusion is that the downward force, or push down begins just forward of the foot at the twelve o'clock position as you gain leverage on the cranks. To get there, you need to have a positive, locked contact with the pedal and that’s where clipless works more naturally compared to flat pedals. It’s counterintuitive to drop your heels when approaching the six and twelve crank positioning and without this skill, your foot blows off the platform when you try to rotate the cranks.

This takes years of practice to master and only a few legendary riders like Sam Hill, Chris Kovarik, and Connor Fearon, have stayed dedicated to flat pedals at a professional racing level. The magnets in the Avery pedals do a superb job to mask any pulling effect your foot might undergo as the angle changes from negative to positive and keeps the pedal circle going smoothly.

This attractive force is just the right amount to keep your foot on for normal climbing, but I did “pull” away from the pedals a few times on lunges up and over large steps in the trail. I simply forgot I wasn’t on clipless pedals. It wasn’t the end of the world and this proved to me that it’s a great segue for those who are apprehensive to try clipless for safety’s sake but are struggling with flat pedals. You could also take into consideration that the Avery pedals use clipless shoes, so that will save some investment, should you want to transition back and forth. Flat pedal shoes won't cut it for serious riding due to the lack of concavity, but there is more confidence and comfort commuting on pavement than trying to find traction on an SPD style pedal with casual shoes.

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RELEASING

However, there are some other downsides. They do feel a bit “clingy” when you do want to disengage, kind of like the feeling of trying to walk with gum stuck to your shoe. I found the best form of removing the shoe from the pedal to be an outward ankle roll method, rather than just lifting straight up.

It’s not that you can’t lift your foot off, but unless your foot is already at the top of the pedal stroke, you’ll need to rotate the cranks to that six and twelve o’clock positions first. Why is that? Equal and opposite forces allow you to stand on the two crank arms evenly. Standing on just one leg will push the cranks to the same position as lifting one leg. In that time, it’s faster to twist your foot out of a clipless pedal and it can be done at any crank position because the force is exerted perpendicular to the direction the crank spins. The bottom line here is that all types of pedals will require learning, but twisting your foot to unlock the clipless is more natural on the trail than the ankle-rolling method and faster than pulling them off from the twelve o’clock position.

SHOE COMPATIBILITY

In terms of shoes, I played with the Scott Shr-Alp Boa clipless version and the Ion Rascal Select Boa Shoes. Neither shoe posed any problem integrating with the steel plates or the pins. I preferred keeping all of the pins because the soles don't sink into the rubber as much as a flat shoe would on a concave-shaped platform pedal. Those traction pins are sharp and are meant to dig into the rubber sole.

I never experienced slipped pedals while descending, but the contact does feel slightly unnerving and definitely different from both flat and clipless pedals. By using a stiff, clipless soled-shoe, you don’t have that wrap-around feeling that flat soled soles provide as they flex over the pedal body and sink into the pins. Compared to the positive and firm connection to clipless pedals, there is still some room to wiggle in all planar directions. The Avery pedals simply felt a bit too numb for my taste. I didn’t know how much force was too much when climbing and didn’t get enough feedback from the pedal body with a stiff shoe to know when or how I was applying force through my feet when pointed downhill.

As for the plates on the shoes themselves, they felt no different than hiking in clipless shoes with a cleat. They do sit a little further into the sole than some cleats, so you avoid that clip-clop sound of a horse while trotting through the grocery store to collect snacks or in the pub post-ride. Similarly with mud, there was a negligible loss of connectivity at the worst of times, which barely lasted a second as the debris pushed out of the way under the weight of my body.



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Pros
+ Magnets hold your feet in place at the critical six and twelve o'clock crank positions where riders normally struggle with flat pedals
+ Large platform and wide connection area guides your feet into an optimal pedalling position
+ Unique design doesn't require a proprietary shoe

Cons
- Not quite the same pulling force as clipless pedals
- The stiff sole of the requisite clipless shoe grips, but the feedback is vague
- Releasing is more awkward than 'regular' clipless pedals
- They're heavy.




Pinkbike's Take

bigquotesWhat’s the verdict and who are they for? Well, no footers are out of the question, so freeriders won't get down with the Avery pedals. Long time flat pedal riders have already made the commitment to ride the struggle bus on rough trails, but may be surprised to find the magnets hold their feet in place even more than shin-gouging pins and sticky rubber shoes. They will have to adapt to stiff soled shoes, though. On the other side of the fence, veteran clipless riders will find the time it takes to disconnect the shoe from the top of the pedal stroke or relearn a new ankle twisting dance move frustrating.

With that said, I can now pick up the bolts I dropped in the garage by just pedalling around. In all seriousness, there are a ton of riders that will find these useful. It’s not quite the full commitment to Friday Fails with SPD induced scorpions, but it will undoubtedly help beginners and some intermediates keep their feet on the pedals during climbs on janky trails. Will they be able to remember how to get out of the sticky fly traps in time? That will be another question.
Matt Beer









Author Info:
mattbeer avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2001
360 articles

114 Comments
  • 117 1
 Great job ob explaining the pros and cons and how the retention system works with standard SPD shoes, very interesting idea.

But - f*cking magnets, how do THEY work?
  • 31 0
 There's no way to know.
  • 56 2
 Ride your bike to the beach // Ride out with gold rolexes and wedding bands stuck to your feet.

Worth the investment cheaper than commercial grade metal detector.. Just sayin!
  • 14 1
 Water, fire, air and dirt.
  • 18 0
 OK You heard it hear first. I am going to patent this immediately. Put a coil on the pedal axle and you can now generate electricity with every pedal stroke. Charge you phone, charge your ebike, power your lights. I am going to be rich. hoo ah ha ha ha ha ha evil laugh
  • 7 0
 @fabwizard: charge your shifter
  • 11 0
 I sure don't know. Are these concave or convex magnets?
  • 2 0
 @jaybird951: the commercial grade neodiddlium magnets are where the real costs are on the good detectors
  • 3 2
 @noapathy: (Flat)-pedal
  • 18 0
 @jaybird951: Fake Rolexes and cheap wedding bands maybe.

Gold is non-magnetic.
  • 9 0
 I'm not sure you're ready for such a polarizing answer. You might become too attracted to them.
  • 6 6
 Regarding how magnets work, it simple: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell%27s_equations
  • 14 0
 @skyroach: Please also explain how humor works. Thanks.
  • 8 0
 I'm just here for the ICP reference.
  • 3 0
 @fabwizard: How about this. SPD Di2: A chargeable pedal with and electromagnet that holds your shoes to the pedal. you can customize the strength in an app. Of course you will have to charge your pedals and cleats, but if you are already charging your derailleur, seatpost, and front and rear suspension flight attendant transmitters, its not really that bad.
  • 2 0
 But how does sarcasm work?
  • 1 0
 @jaybird951: Gold doesn't stick to magnets.
  • 1 0
 @Rexuis-Twin: Put both our technologies together and never have to charge your pedals, just like a watch charged by your movement.
  • 2 0
 It's JFM. Just Fucking Magic
  • 1 0
 Pass
  • 43 1
 '- Releasing is more awkward than 'regular' clipless pedals'

Wasn't the point of the maker of this pedal to make it LESS awkward to release from his pedals?

Heavy, expensive and thick, just what I am looking for in a pedal.
  • 14 1
 I've experimented with these. Disagree with Matt on getting out being more awkward than clips. I spent 5 years riding clips before switching to flats for 5 years. Getting off these pedals for me is almost as easy as flats, and much easier and more natural than clips. However, I've probably got about 40,000 fewer hours in clips than Matt. He's fighting against a lifetime of instinct.
  • 3 27
flag thustlewhumber FL (May 13, 2022 at 8:59) (Below Threshold)
 @SkyeSnow: Little jabs at flat pedal riders in there, lmao. Literally the only benefit of being clipped in is faster cadence, and if you are doing 90rpm while mountain biking... well, there you go.
  • 9 2
 @thustlewhumber: I beg to differ, I believe I ride clips because I'm too lazy to learn how to properly angle my feet to keep contact with the platform on rough terrain. Could I learn this skill... sure, am I going to, hell no.
  • 5 0
 @thustlewhumber: Nope. Clipping in has lots of benefits other than that. I've ridden flats for years and still do at times and on some bikes. I can hop fine without be clipped in and don't care a whole lot about my cadence uphill... other than on monstrous slogs on the bikepacking rig. . I do love the feeling of staying glued to that bike through the chunder and also no bike fall away on drops, blow offs on blunt impacts, and you can often get away with a smaller pedal platform that is less likely to get snagged on stuff. All stuff that absolutely one can survive without, can learn to ride at a top level without (Sam Hill obvs.) etc... but still beneficial for most riders who learn to use them and make that choice.
  • 2 0
 never lose your Park tools again
  • 6 0
 @thustlewhumber: Im a flat pedal rider but I would like to give these a try only for the benefit of having my foot instantly in correct position every time. Mainly at bike parks or rolling straight into features I often find my footing isn’t perfect which isn’t helped with big pins and fivetens and often hit the feature before I’ve corrected. I won’t use clipless for the reasons stated in the article above and I’ve never struggled with technical riding on flats. Won’t pay that much for a set though
  • 4 6
 I’ve used flats and clippless extensively over the years, and these strike me as a gimmick akin to the old toe clips, or the even worse power straps of the early 90s.

Flats main advantage is the instant out at any angle/direction to save a potential fall (yes clippless can be almost as fast, but “almost” can be enough to find yourself soil sampling).

Clippless can be better in a very few select situations (I miss them mainly for hopping the back wheel up ledges on technical climbs), but the more power thing has been debunked.

So these offer what exactly? Can’t hop ledges. Can’t have instant foot release? As far as I can see have zero advantages over picking one of the existing options.
  • 3 0
 @Spangoolies: I’m surprised they never touched on the auto cantering characteristics. This is my biggest problem with flats; not putting your foot on right and then awkwardly adjusting it.

A friend has these magnetic pedals. I tried them in the parking lot. They instantly place your foot correctly. However, he had them set so the pins barely contacted, which would suck for riding. The real question is do the magnets still work well when recessed enough to allow for good pun contact?
  • 1 0
 @jaytdubs: You do realize that particular skill/technique/muscle-memory goes far beyond just staying in contact in rough terrain? It even helps with clips, since you're not relying on the clips to hold you on (because they WILL release unexpectedly someday), and because the good ankle movement to create those angles helps to create smooth, consistent pedaling whether you're clipped or not. So not only will you be more planted through the rough, but you'll be quicker and/or more efficient when pedaling anywhere.
  • 2 0
 @Spangoolies @BrianColes: See, now that's one of my favorite things about flats! I can be off _and on_ anywhere & anytime, and it just doesn't matter where my foot is. Yeah, I've hit things with my foot half off the side, or with basically my heel on the pedal, that's fine. Great in fact. If 2/3rds of the "issue" with clips is getting out in a hurry, easily 1/3rd is getting in in a hurry. I have to stifle a laugh every time I hear someone doing the tappity-tap-tap of clips with brakes squealing as they stall at the top of a roll-in with a small run-up.
  • 1 0
 The issue isn't getting out of clipless pedals (at least after the first year or so), it's getting out of your clipless pedals when in Moab unless you stay away from sand! My Moab fail ended up in an hour of stitches at the hospital (42 to be exact) on the day that switched from my flats over to clipless and the release friction went through the roof after walking through the sand at the creek section on Amasa Back. During normal dry or muddy rides back here in Canada I have zero issues with getting my pedals to release wherever and whenever I want them to.
  • 4 0
 @BrianColes: for good pun contact you have to visit PB
  • 1 0
 @Betacygni: this is exactly what I was thinking while reading this article. Al
  • 2 0
 I have these because I meet the guys behind it at trestle bike park last year and saw a pre production set. I have been riding them for a few months and love them! Just got back from a three day trip to Moab and they kicked ass! I had tried Mallets and I crashed hard a few times and really messed myself up. I have no problem getting out of these. I think they are a good happy medium between clipped and flat. I can’t wait to try them at the bike park! @Spangoolies:
  • 20 0
 My son rides them and is a fan. He usually free rides on flats and races on SPDs. He’s found these a good balance between the two. Likes the ability to go foot off when necessary in corners and get back onto the pedals quickly and the added stiction in chunk. Also likes that it more effectively pulls foot back into proper position on the pedals which is something kind of annoying about flats if you’ve ridden them.

For die hard clip less riders who are used to pulling up, they will probably feel like there isn’t enough for them. For flats riders wanting a little more security, these are good.
  • 2 0
 pretty perfect summary of how I feel about them.
  • 1 0
 This is what I am after. Long term flat pedal rider but noticed I am losing out at races in certain sections on the flats mainly due to the pull and also feet bounce. I have tried clips over 2 seasons, and the advantages are so good in the pedally bits and pulling up the rear of the bike but it's the getting the foot out that makes me tense up so much in the wet techy areas that i lose any advantage on those stages. This mags in theory would keep the foot planted and I can get the foot out without the panic of heal turning. (The heal turning hurts over long days as my muscles aren't used to it).
  • 1 0
 "Also likes that it more effectively pulls foot back into proper position"

This is tough one, because it seems like a good thing, but can be... not so good. How do you know it's the "proper position"? Is it always the "proper position"? Mountain biking is quite dynamic, the "proper position" for simple pedaling might not be the perfect position for managing the bike through a janky descent.

Lots of time and energy has been put into making clips float, and yet people still come away from long cycling careers/lives with repetitive stress injuries from making the exact same pedal stroke millions of times on clips. That's part of the reason I actually like that I don't always end up in the _exact same spot_ on my flat pedals. Makes it more like hiking, or even just walking on grass, where you're never taking the exact same step over and over again.
  • 7 0
 Extra cons:
1) Gonna pick up every tool in the shop.
2) Will get coated in metal in lots of riding areas

Extra pros:
1) handy place to stick tools during maintenance
2) implant a wire in your chainstay to generate electricity
  • 11 2
 So... 2lb pedals are a thing now, huh? Not exactly what I'd call the kind of innovation we need in mountain biking.
  • 3 0
 Up there with the classic BMW's Shinburgers: m.pinkbike.com/buysell/1168971
Crazy heavy.
  • 1 0
 @nozes: jfc those look like they're made from cast iron
  • 8 4
 I was attracted to these pedals as they appeared to be poles apart. However reading the comments repels me somewhat and leaves me in a state of flux. I have a certain reluctance to buy them and I'm not sure what would Curie my concerns or saturation of mad inventions taking things to the Max(well)... Er.. Something something hysteresis, Intrinsic coercive force, something. OK I'm done. Taxi please.
  • 10 3
 Two pound pedals with no actual benefits. Sounds great!
  • 2 1
 Seems like a cool product to me. I'm glad people are innovating and trying to create new things. I wouldn't be surprised if a bunch of niche use cases came up. Injured riders or riders with artificial limbs that still want some connection but might have ankle issues making unclipping difficult.
  • 1 2
 @office: the article said “unclipping” was more difficult.
  • 1 0
 @whitebirdfeathers: Yeah but it's just a magnet. You can yank in any direction to get out in a pinch. Ive only used SPD and frog but there's a very limited number of positions you can release from and you are fighting against a spring on most systems.
  • 3 0
 Have a pair and really like them. I ride both flats and clicked in depending on the terrain / weather (wet wood features). They feel like a good set of flats that hold you in if you pull up but easy to get out if you twist your foot over. Are a bit heavy but if you shuttle or ride an ebike, not noticeable. Just my 2 cents...
  • 3 0
 “ This takes years of practice to master and only a few legendary riders like Sam Hill, Chris Kovarik, and Connor Fearon, have stayed dedicated to flat pedals at a professional racing level. The magnets in the Avery pedals do a superb job to mask any pulling effect your foot might undergo as the angle changes from negative to positive and keeps the pedal circle going smoothly. ”

In other words, if you learn how to pedal correctly, you don’t need clipless. I wholeheartedly agree!
  • 2 0
 "It’s counterintuitive to drop your heels when approaching the six and twelve crank positioning and without this skill, your foot blows off the platform when you try to rotate the cranks."

You don't drop your heels at the six position. Even for a brand new rider, the ankle naturally extends* at the bottom of the stroke, which with just a small bit of practice allows a pull back on the pedal as it comes around to the up-stroke. And the opposite, ankle flexion, aka heel drop, occurs at the twelve position, which, again, with a short bit of practice allows a push forward just before the down-stroke.

This is why riders with good pedaling technique don't "struggle up technical climbs" no matter the pedals they're using. It's not any kind of "counterintuitive heel drop", and especially not at the 6 o-clock position.


*(unless your seat is way too low, or you have ankle mobility problems from injury or something, but that's a different story)
  • 2 0
 Underated use, you can use them a beer holder (bottle caps) or them on volcano soil have a nice looking magnet art (the iron oxide in the volcanic soil get attracted quite alot by magnets) under the your pedal.
  • 4 0
 Article title reads "...Aren't Just a Gimmick", "Cons" section of review reads exactly like they are a gimmick.
  • 2 0
 Maybe I would use them if I rode in the conditions fat bikes are designed to confront and absolutely can not live with flats. That’s not my riding though but I hope they succeed.
  • 1 0
 What are "the conditions fat bikes are designed to confront", and why don't regular clips (all mechanisms? just one style/brand? plain clips or with a platform?) fit the bill?
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: If they're talking about riding on singletrack on snow... I would never ride with clips... We groom our local singletrack for fatbiking, and I have my foot out Sam Hill style on half of the corners. Maybe if you really wanted some clip-like feeling while fatbiking, these would be good?

I think the big metal plates would make your feet cold haha.
  • 3 2
 Heavier than clipless, waaaaay heavier than flats, marginal (if any) gain in grip/traction. Not seeing a big upside here.

Clipless can help on big ledge up features, putting out huge watts (Vlad style) or racing a gravity discipline at pro speeds.

Otherwise, learn to ride flats.

And-if you can’t get off your bike in a hurry someplace like Gold Bar or Portal, you shouldn’t be on those trails!!!
  • 1 0
 Just coached a basic skills clinic this weekend and a rider had a pair of these. They combined and utter lack of off magnet grip with unreliable grip/sudden unexpected release. It made for a very frustrated rider whose progression was significantly hindered by a lack of faith in pedal grip.

If you're racing, clip in. If you want to learn how to ride better, put a season or 2 in on flats.

Avoid these at all costs. They're the worst of both worlds!!
  • 1 0
 Just wanted to say that I don't think the market for these pedals are people already riding clipless. It's people who normally ride flats, but who want more retention, but for whatever reason, don't feel comfortable riding clipless. I started riding flats when I started mtb 6 years ago(as adult)... I've tried clipless multiple times, and never felt comfortable to get unclipped fast enough on techy terrain if I'm falling over... I got these pedals this summer and really like them. Better retention on techy, rough, jumps vs flats(good flats =nukeproof Sam Hill Enduro) , but you can pull your foot sideways and off when it counts, ie skidding the front end out or slow speed climbing. Yes, they're heavy, but I accept the weight penalty for improved performance.
  • 1 0
 Also, an additional benefit when coming from flats, is that these pedals allow infinite float. You can place your foot on the pedal on a very similar balance to flats, ie midfoot, vs more forefoot fixed for clipless. Again, this can be an advantage /disadvantage depending on your perspective. I know clipless riders like that once they're in, they're in and always the same. This offers something different.
  • 2 0
 You know the mountain bike industry is way out of hand when one of the pros is that the developer of the pedal hasn't created another standard.
  • 2 2
 Okay so almost a kg per pedal.... Just imagine how much they would weight when minerals stick to it... If you get a medium size rock in there then putting your feet on top is gonna suck and may not even stick There are tons of people riding where the dirt is red and has high iron concentration, think about Ut, co, az.... Cleaning those big magnets after a ride is going to mega suck, i think they make more sense in the road world where there's no minerals being shot everywhere by your tires, or no rocks to stick when you lay your bike in the ground
  • 3 0
 just actual pieces of metal road debris left on the side of the road
  • 1 0
 It’s easy to clean powerful magnets, you either use something non ferrous to sweep across the surface, or use another magnet with something non ferrous in between to “catch” the stuff.
  • 3 0
 Stopped reading at nearly 1Kg for (+ cleats) pedals...............
complete deal breaker there
  • 1 0
 Oneup Composit flats are $50 and weigh like 370 grams a pair... these weigh double that!
  • 1 1
 Seems like a bad idea to me. For one, neo magnets are extremely brittle. I suspect it’s just a matter of time before you crack the magnets in your cleats on a rock/gravel hike a bike section, or crack the pedal magnets during a rock strike. Two, neo magnets will attract every metal shaving in the vicinity. Maybe not a big deal for some people, but trying to walk thru my garage (where I am constantly fabricating stuff) will result in the cleats turning into giant metal fur balls.
  • 2 3
 I hope this doesn't stick, no pun intended. Rare earth metals in eBikes, now on pedals too. I get the concept, but the direction mountain biking is taking sure is crap for the planet. Still riding flats on a bike without a motor having a blast! I must of missed the memo.
  • 3 0
 Did they buy Magped? Magped was out a few years ago.
  • 1 0
 Magped pedals didn't have the magnets separated from the platform like these. I really didn't get along with Magped and can't imagine these are any better.
  • 1 0
 I like my Magpeds for XC. Much lighter too.
  • 2 0
 @Spencermon: my problem was the foot position and if the magnets get caked up with dust it was like riding flat pedal with no pins, so an exercise bike lol.
….
I’ll probably end up buying these pedals to do a comparison. I could give two shits about 1 kg per pedal. Bikes were much heavier before hydro formed aluminum and carbon fiber was a thing. Don’t know why these zoomers are moaning now. 2 lbs is no where near the amount of weight to snap the threads under cyclical load. What I noticed was the pedals have your shoe more centered (ball in front of axle). I wish they had more colors though.
  • 1 0
 @kroozctrl: Along with those concerns, the action of detaching your foot from the pedal is not intuitive. having to tilt your foot is not a very easy or natural foot movement. twisting your foot from your ankle when the mid/front of your foot is attached to the pedal is more natural and happens as a consequence of trying to move your leg outward. I really didn't like them. I was lent a set of pedals to test out and that was my least favorite 3 weeks of riding.
  • 1 0
 So… the idea came from a trip to Moab. Has anyone used a magnetic retention clip for say a camelback in Moab. Turns all that red soil is from iron, iron is magnetic.
  • 1 0
 Tfw your top priority was making a pedal that is less awkward to use than a regular clipless pedal but it ends up being more awkward.
  • 1 0
 WTAF is happening today? between these, the Doghammer Vegan shoes and the Carbon Wasp Truffle bike its like a month's worth of obscure is dropping in one day.
  • 1 0
 Today is Friday the 13; this article make it seem more like April 1st. Foolish!
  • 2 1
 Shimano Multi-release Cleat. They're so easy to get out of, a caveman can do it.
  • 3 0
 Except they don't actually keep you attached in rough terrain...
  • 2 0
 I just started riding clips this spring, with multi-release cleats because I read exactly this advice - pretty quickly switched back to lateral-release. With multi I had way too much float without totally cranking down the (thankfully adjustable) spd mechanism, which kinda defeated the purpose. Switching to lateral and loosening things up actually made unclipping easier (feels like a tighter release angle, more of a short flick than really rotating my foot) and seriously cut down on float.
  • 3 0
 @seanchad: Exactly. Mutli-release cleats aren't a bad concept, the problem is the ratio of force required for roll axis release vs. yaw axis release.

With the current execution, we can choose between:

• Multi-release with high spring force to control the roll axis release, which is higher than necessary for the yaw axis.
• Single-release with low spring force because that's sufficient for the yaw axis, but no ability to release on the roll axis.

It would be ideal if, like some ski bindings, we could have roll axis release with a better ratio of retention between the two axes.
  • 2 0
 Now do them with a crash sensor and electromagnetic ejection.
  • 2 0
 linked to Flight Attendant - welcome to the future!
  • 1 0
 I saw this in the Mountain bike action magazine a little bit ago, they look sick!
  • 1 0
 But how well do they hold you if you accidentally muck up that jump and you rise a bit too fast?
  • 2 1
 One other problem, magnets rust and when they rust, they will lose strength.
  • 1 0
 These have been used a long time in unicycling. Never thought mountain biking would be getting the trickle down from a uni.
  • 1 0
 Even without the pins they probably have better retention than Crankbrothers pedals.
  • 1 0
 Instead of using a metal plate on the show, why not use a magnet of opposite polarity?
  • 2 0
 Magnets are thick and brittle, and you don't need that extra retention force.
  • 2 1
 I don’t understand why these aren’t in a plastic pedal to help offset the magnet weight.
  • 1 0
 @Spangoolies: I used to ride composite/plastic pedals but after my 4th or 5th broken pedal within a span of maybe two years I was clearly losing money so got a nice aluminum set that seem like they'll last forever at this point. No chance in hell I'd even consider these if they came with a plastic body. And since the majority of the weight is in themagnets anyway I doubt it even offset it enough to make any difference.
  • 1 0
 Great idea!!!!!!

I’m going to look into making a crude prototype.
  • 1 0
 Looks good. Worried they may interfere with the speed sensor on my eeb though.
  • 1 1
 Every once in awhile the Earths polarity flips ie North Pole becomes South Pole and vice versa, when this happens the pedals will repel the shoes!
  • 1 0
 What is the easiest floatable clip less to get in and out of???
  • 1 0
 J-Pedals - Similar concept, but better executed.
  • 2 2
 Not for nothing but Chris should have just learned how to get out of clips… seriously not hard to learn
  • 2 0
 You had me at 836g
  • 1 0
 Now i’m not a weight winiee, but wtf 1 kg for pedals & cleats???
  • 3 0
 Not a weight wheenie, but a weight whiner.
  • 1 0
 What kind of bike is that though?
  • 1 0
 This is why I love Mountain bikes so much it doesn't stop no matter what
  • 1 0
 Dumb idea... 2x weight of flats... Fail...
  • 2 3
 I thought PB and everyone else were done with referring to clip-in peddles as clipless.
  • 2 0
 I wish
  • 5 0
 I thought someone being so pedantic would know that they are pedals, not peddles

peddle, verb, try to sell (something, especially small goods) by going from house to house or place to place. 3rd person present: peddles.







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