Unpopular opinion, but the experts get one thing wrong: we really shouldn’t be pushing on a pedal with the ball of our feet.
It’s less efficient, focuses too much power in a delicate part of the foot, and seems to only “work” when you’ve got specialized shoes (which are only appropriate for use on the bike).
Mid-foot pedalling mitigates shoe choice, and it brings you a level of comfort that “ball pedallers” can only dream of.
The caveat? You need a large platform pedal for it to work well.
As for shoes, I wear trail runners, which work great off and on the bike. The soles have held up to thousands of KM of flat pedal studs, so they are hella durable.
I’m using Catalyst pedals on one bike, and similarly sized Rockbros pedals on another. They changed my life. I literally went from always having foot pain to never having it, no matter how far or long I ride.
Getting out of the saddle and laying down the power feels magical on these.
The only caveat is that large platform pedals are a hazard when I’m off the bike since they stick out and smash my legs. LOL
Yeah, I was looking at those but they were way more expensive and would probably result in me needing stitches. My shins are a mess already with plastic pedals lol
Unpopular opinion, but the experts get one thing wrong: we really shouldn’t be pushing on a pedal with the ball of our feet.
It’s less efficient, focuses too much power in a delicate part of the foot, and seems to only “work” when you’ve got specialized shoes (which are only appropriate for use on the bike).
Mid-foot pedalling mitigates shoe choice, and it brings you a level of comfort that “ball pedallers” can only dream of.
The caveat? You need a large platform pedal for it to work well.
As for shoes, I wear trail runners, which work great off and on the bike. The soles have held up to thousands of KM of flat pedal studs, so they are hella durable.
This is why I use Squatch pedals, but I still kinda pedal toward the ball of my foot.
I’m using Catalyst pedals on one bike, and similarly sized Rockbros pedals on another. They changed my life. I literally went from always having foot pain to never having it, no matter how far or long I ride.
Getting out of the saddle and laying down the power feels magical on these.
The only caveat is that large platform pedals are a hazard when I’m off the bike since they stick out and smash my legs. LOL
Yeah, I was looking at those but they were way more expensive and would probably result in me needing stitches. My shins are a mess already with plastic pedals lol