Gripe

Ok, so I have bought another used bike. It is a quality, mid-range bicycle with road racing pretensions geometry. As many are aware the used bicycle market is a buyers market and has been for some time now. People who spend time on and around bicycles are quick to recognise when a bike has been barely used. They are also quick to differentiate a newbie or wannabe from the fastidious but active bike user. My gripe and the sad part of this story is why the bicycle being sold was barely used.

There are many reasons why a bicycle is not ridden. As a person who owns an embarrassing number of bikes I am happy to furnish you with a plethora of good reasons. But there isn’t enough time for that and this post isn’t about my psychological issues. Assuming that the bike is structurally sound, there are two easily remedied excuses for not riding a bicycle you already own: poor fit and rubbish pedals. 

First: if you are new to cycling then buy a bike from a local bike shop (LBS). If you have a cycling friend then he/she could guide you through the types of bicycles available, give you a basic understanding about bicycle fit (starting with an approximate size), and do a bike check if you are buying second hand. There are also many videos online to help with this - albeit not as good as a cycling friend or the LBS.

Second: check the pedals already on the bike. Generally speaking, if the bike is new and comes with pedals then get rid of them (the pedals, not the bike). 

The bike I bought has a carbon frame and an Ultegra R8000 groupset. It is on the higher end of the mid-range tier of bicycles. The seller told me the bike had done less than 100km. I could see that. These are the pedals that came with the bike: 

They are rubbish.

Test riding the bike in slightly wet conditions was harrowing. My foot slipped multiple times as I attempted to put down a bit of power to check if there were any squeaks and creaks. As an important contact point between the rider and the bike I was left wondering whether the pedals played a significant role in the bicycle being sold. They certainly detract from the riding experience. They detract a lot. 

My Trek 950 Singletrack is a cheap $350 AUD bike ($250 bike + $100 misc parts + spare stuff I had lying around) and wears this pedal:

The price for a pair of nylon pedals like these is less than $30 AUD. These pedals have crummy bearings (more accurately, they are nylon bushings) and don’t last very long but they do give a much, much, much better pedal-shoe interface. They might not give the rider the optimal ride but they do not detract from the basic riding experience. They might even convert the newbie on a novelty to a cyclist on a bicycle. (They also do not attract attention when fitted on a commuting bike.)

Size difference plays a role but nylon studs (pins/ pegs) are even more important. 

Pedal comparison with size 42 runners (Asics Gel-Kayano):

Pedal comparison with size 42 bicycle shoes (Five Ten Freerider):

Cheap flat pedals that cannot grip the sole of a shoe do not belong on a bicycle. The only exceptions are the bicycles pedalled by children under seven or the rust buckets pedalled by barefoot beach bums.

Ok, I’m done.

(There was a time when you could get flat pedals with sticky rubber. No more.)