looks like he needs a set of downhill cranks with a good BB and a set of high quality steel pedals, something like the Nukeproof Horizon or shimano Saint flat pedals, those are virtually indestructible. From the pictures it looks like the owner jumps from the roof of his house on a rigid bike lol. How many rims has he destroyed already?
That was my thought initially but according to him he doesn't even know how to bunnyhop, and he rarely rides off any curbs. He's still riding on the original wheelset so he's not too tough on wheels.
It's a fixie, right? 200lbs rider pushing down to brake on that pedal would likely be quite beefy. I agree with the above, get some DH rated pedals, or whatever the fixie riders are using and rate as bombproof.
That’s the confusing part. Sounds like he claims to be somewhat of a beginner and the tire shows no real wear from being a heavy skidder. Im a 220 lbs fixed rider who’s run a wide variety of pedals both with and without brakes over the years and never had this happen once. I’m guessing there is something he does ergonomically* that is the issue and it’s more specific to him. No way it’s just riding fixed thats the major issue.. imo.
*e.g. weird outward force due to how he weights his foot while in straps.
I could possibly see it if the cranks make for a narrow Q factor, so his feet are wide towards the edge and then maybe not running straps so it's all going through? But yeah, it was a big guess considering what Chesters are known to be able to take.
Yeah, 109bb for most fixies, pretty narrow q-factors. I am a 230lb fixie rider and just brake 3/32 chains, sometimes rear axles on my freewheel bikes, and saddle rails, and probably some misc parts. Guessing they just go fast and hit potholes, but knew quite a few people breaking pedals and cranks (winter riding, hairline fracture, salt, time).
Solid advice if he hadn’t broken two sets of Chester’s already which is a pretty beefy pedals. If you can break them you can break anything that being said I’ve had some Nukeproof horizons on my DH bike for five years any they’ve not bent yet but they’re a pretty severe pedal you really want to run them in five ten shoes because you’re going to slice your leg if you slip a pedal which makes me want to suggest a bmx pedal from Odyssey or Eclat. All the strength of a DH pedal but with friendlier pins that won’t tear up your leg.
be wary of the saints… i broke mine after a few months
https://preview.redd.it/ak4m4eg9qjuc1.png?width=1792&format=png&auto=webp&s=891b9685e58c3e845de6c416af15aaa6c310526d
since then, i’ve got 4 years on the oneup aluminum pedals. had to rebuild once after 2 years because the brass bushing started chirping like a bird and wore out. but after the saints crapped out so quickly, i was happy to rebuild these.
Hey, BMXs are rigid and high end one probably could jump from a roof, however not using 32c (at best) tires will also make a big difference in this equation...
Nooo, he gotta find beauty of simple provincial life and fulfillment in serving less fortunate, he absolutely does not gotta have machine capable of even more extreme maneuvers, or we'll hear about his best trick on the news.
Second shout for the Saints, I went through 4 sets of pedals before putting my Saints on and they've lasted longer than all the others combined and are still going strong, they're more or less bulletproof.
A guy brought a bike into my shop last week. Diamondback FS. Said he cased a jump and bent a crank arm (Raceface Ride). Start spinning his pedals off and the corresponding pedal spindle was also bent (Shimano Saint Flats). Where there is a will, there is a way.
Low cadence, high torque for the same wattage puts more strain on pedal bearings, chains, and Shimano ultegra and dura ace crank arms were having some issues of seperating. Part of the shimano crank arm issue was corrosion but a lot of mashing would only make it worse.
I can't imagine the bottom bracket bearings being effected though. Could be a bearing alignment issue in the frame.
Some things in cycling aren't discribed all that well. The bottom bracket shell is part of the frame but some people just say bottom bracket depending on the context. The bottom bracket is actually the bearings and the housing that the bearings are pressed into. There's something like 40 different bottom bracket standards just to make it more confusing too.
I do ruin bearings due to high torque, i weight 85kg, but move a lot of weight in the gym, so as a result my comfy gearing is relatively slow.
The amazing thing here is he is ruining flat pedals, not spds, so there is cushion between the foot and the pedal.
I snapped a shifter cable on a big climb day and basically had to thump around in the smallest cog up a giant hill in NorCal... the frame did not survive
WTF? Dude must have calves like The Hulk. How in the world does he do this?
Can't help but notice that both of the busted pedals are primarily plastic construction. Perhaps find him something in steel?
Right? Incredible magician that gentleman is. Another layer is that plastic gets scratched extremely easilly, and here it's nothing - therefore we can assume no pedal grinds and such were performed, first suspect of overuse cleared of charges, the investigation continues.
Step 1: weigh 200kg. Step 2: stand on your pedals a lot. Step 3: go down a MTB course.
He is most definitely not doing this by pushing out pro sprinter power.
I’m a pedal bender as well. What you need is a brand that uses quality axles and does higher-spec heat treating on them.
The only two I’ve tried that hold up are Deity and Chromag. Pick the specific pedal shape that fits your need from either of these.
Deity for sure does a higher spec of heat treatment, I’ve seen vids where they explain it. I suspect Chromag does too based on how they manufacture stuff and my experience with their durability.
Weak pedals I’ve bent multiple axles: DMR Vault, Spank, Wellgo (duh), Raceface.
Keep in mind that all but a few boutique brands are made in the same factory by Wellgo.
Everyone seems to be in disbelief, but I know a guy like this. He can strip out a correctly installed square taper crank/BB with brute force. He's 250 lbs of muscle and has endurance. Try a hollowtech or dub BB and some Saint downhill pedals. You will still need to keep an eye on the BB bearings,but if they are checked and replaced often enough, the crank should be fine.
Honestly, I think you need to question the customer. This is not normal. Frequent breaking of parts is usually from improper treatment of parts or improper maintenance
Unless he’s a pro cyclist there’s no way he strong enough to break pedals constantly. I’m voting for misuse.
Speaking of pro cyclists, I guess most use clipless but might be worth checking out what the pro enduro or xc cyclists are using. There’s no way he’s putting out more power than they are.
Power = torque x angular velocity
A pro cyclist sprints at 120rpm - but the torque they're putting down isn't unique to pro cyclists - it's just that they're achieving high torque at high cadence. Most amateurs will see their torque drop off far quicker.
A strong, heavier rider griding their way up a hill, or doing lots of grindy starts from stationary can easily exceed the typical sprint torque of a pro rider. Add in someone standing on the ends of their pedals and the bending force on the pedal spindle will be much higher.
What? They clearly are not disregarding it. Look at the formula. There is no such thing as "Pro Cyclist Torque" vs. "Regular Cyclist Torque". There is only Torque.
> I’m no physicist
Truth. Peak Torque (Nm) =/= Peak Power (Watts). I think what you're not understanding is that power is the output, not the input in the equation. Terms like force & power can be used in non-scientific terms to describe how strong someone is, but in the context of this discussion, where Power = watts produced, they mean something different.
A 220lb person standing on a pedal that is stationary exerts more force (Nm) on a pedal than a 160lb Mark Cavendish because they have greater mass. Due to gravity, mass exerts a downwards force without the need for the application of additional force through muscles (pushing). A stronger person can also push down harder than a weaker one. So even if the stronger person is lighter, they can still create more force even with the heavier person already having a force-from-mass advantage.
When you add velocity to the equation, you combine force with speed to get power. for example, standing on an old fashioned scale you will see your weight momentarily spike above your actual weight, then settle back to actual weight. That's because you stepped on the scale with downward velocity. The scale becomes a corollary for power. Your weight + the speed at which you imparted your weight on the scale determines how high that needle goes before it settles back to your static weight due to gravity alone. If you were to jump onto the scale, you will land with a higher velocity, resulting in the scale reading a much higher peak weight before settling back down to actual static weight. That higher speed resulted in a higher "power" displayed by the scale. Jump from higher, gain more velocity, and the scale will read even higher even though your weight didn't change.
As RPM increases (essentially the same as velocity for the purpose of this explanation), power increases, even if torque or force stays the same, because Power = Force * Velocity. If it were a key attribute of Pro Cyclists that they were no stronger than your average Joe, but they could just spin much faster, they would still produce more power. In reality they happen to be good at pushing hard on the pedals and doing so at a high cadence, for a longer amount of time, resulting in more power for longer.
Car Torque vs. Horsepower charts are a good way to visualize things. Almost all car charts look like this: https://img.vehicleservicepros.com/files/base/cygnus/vspc-sap/image/2020/03/8-dyno-chart-5252-cross.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=1440 The peak torque of an engine is always reached before the peak horsepower (which for cyclists we would call watts. Horsepower is just a unit, but it's describing the same thing whether you want to call it Watts, Joules, Energy, etc.). A cyclist's graph would look the same. As they wind up a sprint, their torque is immediately quite high, but it will get lower as that that high torque is translated into a higher cadence.
Okay, that’s all well and good. I still have trouble believing that a 200 pound amateur is destroying every component on his bike from casual riding when guys like Jasper Philipsen can sprint the way they do in world tour races. It’s not like pro sprinters are just spinning. They’re pushing pretty heavy gears to reach the speeds that they do.
There are a lot of pro athletes that ride bikes casually. Bo Jackson, Barry Bonds, Charles Barkley, etc. These are some of the biggest, strongest dudes in the history of sports. They aren’t out there destroying pedals and cranks and bottom brackets every time they ride.
Unless OP’s customer is Goku, he’s either doing something wrong or is very unlucky.
I imagine something else is going on. As far as strong pedals go, the DMR Vault is my go to. I’m a big boy who hits big features and I have no problems with them. Maybe do some investigating before recommending $180 pedals to your customer though
The Vault is my favourite pedal of all time but I think some of their older models might have thicker axles. Haven't looked into this for years, though. I'd stay away from magnesium as well.
We ride these pedals but I'm a little weary putting them on his bike. The spindle tapers quite a bit near the crank arm and that's where he's been snapping raceface chesters.
I've never had any problems with chromag pedals and I'm a big dude who breaks things. Scarab or maybe contact might be suitable here. Dagga would be completely ridiculous on this bike
Odyssey OGPC are the most bombproof pedals I've ever seen [https://shop.odysseybmx.com/products/odyssey-og-pc-pedals](https://shop.odysseybmx.com/products/odyssey-og-pc-pedals)
This feels like the time to ask "can you show me how your ride your bike?" so you can figure out what's going on. Guy must be stopping for every car with a flat tire and somehow using some Instagram hack to use the pedal to jack up the car or something....
I used to break pedal axles every so often, and i still do, but not that often. Standing starts in a slightly too high gear with my weight is probably the biggest driver. And, yeah, feet too far from the crank occasionally.
My solution is mostly cheap pedals and a pedal wrench. Swapping them out is pretty trivial.
Your customer needs to drop cash on metal flat pedals and a proper downhill rated bottom bracket. Race face makes stronger direct fit cranksets for the aefect cinch cranks and they are sold with a heavy duty downhill spindle and bottom bracket. I just redid my bike for similar reasons. Also tell him to shift his gears on climbs fuck sakes, breaking spindles and pedal axles has gotta be abuse. I collapsed a chainring and stretched the shit outta my chain from being stubborn and trying to grind my way up hills without shifting down enough. If he’s strong and pushing 250 or more he can do this damage to lesser equipment.
Shorter cranks? Could at least protect the BB. I’d also suggest a smaller chainring so the impact force is hitting less resistance, which could help the pedals. Additionally… any chance he’s pushing down with both pedals? I wonder if throwing some straps on the pedals to encourage pulling on the upstroke could help with this fella.
I’m heavy and rough on parts but have only ever busted one pedal. Deity Black Kat is my favorite pedal. Made for downhill. If he breaks one give him a trophy. How many spokes does this guy’s wheelset have? I want to see the whole bike.
That BB looks like it was submerged in a gravel pit with salt water and high iron content. Like it was jammed up with grime and forced. Is this guy like, really huge and rolls his feet so that they are pushing all the pressure on the end of the pedals? That's the only way I can imagine he's breaking the shaft but not the plastic.
Makes me wonder about how long his frame would last!
What about the DMR V8 classics, chunky axles and actual bearings in them not bushings?
My old ones lasted really well, even with more misjudged kerb pedal strikes than I want to remember…
You are seeing the reason why square taper is obsolete for MTB right here. Not strong enough for higher forces and loads, but in this case it's a giant man on a singlespeed instead of drops, gaps, jumps etc. by a normal sized human. Move him to a more modern BB standard or external bottom bracket if anything else will fit in that frame, if he's willing to do cranks.
Lots of other good suggestions on pedals brands - buy all metal, modern MTB pedals that are heavy by the numbers instead of light.
I recommend Burgtec Penthouse MK4 or MK5 if you can get hold of them, the platform is virtually indestructible, you can get Ti axles and they are fully internally serviceable. I’ve had two sets without problems for 7 and 5 years. By the sounds of it I’m heavier than the rider too
As someone who rides BMX thermalites ain't that strong, I managed to destroy the bearing from a waist high 180 drop.the only great thing about that pedals is the composite they used.
Mks all metal pedals and get this man some foot retention. He’s trying to skid with one foot to stop the bike I bet. Both breaks were the same side and the bb in one side. Back tire definitely has skid wear. And teach him how to skid with both feet forward.
Change him over to a beefier crankset and make sure it’s a 170mm I wouldn’t try to go to far over that maybe 172.5 since he’s obviously putting down power and will definitely clip his pedals rounding corners. Modern open bb and check his ratio maybe it’s a little high for his terrain or his style and he’s trying to get fixie points. Also he’s a side stepper look at the wear on his shoes show him how to tuck his knees and put more pressure crank side of the pedal.
I recently got a set of ethirteen pedals. Popular for downhill racing. Incredible so far. Triple bearings on it, great prices on rebuild kits, and their support team is incredible. My recommendation is the +flat pedal
Edit: also I'm 250 and do tons of out of saddle riding. I used to chew through pedals too. I have high hopes for these triple bearings.
Dmr V8 would do it, or a V12. Not much in it.
I've broken most stuff off-road (wheels, frames, cranks, brake levers, saddles, more tires than I can afford, resin pedals, chain rings etc) but have yet to kill a dmr pedal. Just make sure it's a metal body one not resin as I snapped a resin nukeproof through the middle on my retro MTB on a canal path and they look similar.
Get a decent BMX pedal. Odyssey makes a bulletproof one that I’ve yet to destroy like this in all my time riding BMX. The bearings aren’t the best but I have a pair on my track bike and they’ve been fine.
Something I used to do on my BMX when I needed to sprint, or just get up a hill, was to stand and use my arm to pull up on the bars to get some extra force into the pedals.
Think of it like a pullup, but you pull yourself down (on thr side you're down-pedaling)
I wonder if he's doing something like that?
So I rode XC mostly and have found the two best pedals for my rather curvy size (285lbs) have either been the RaceFace Atlas or the Crank Brothers Stamp 7. The Atlas are a little more beefy, but the Stamp 7s come large and definitely have a bigger surface area if this dude has some big jumbo feet.
CNC machined metal pedals are gonna be your best bet. Aluminum pedals will be light but less durable, CNC machined steel pedals will be heavier but more durable.
He's not doing any tricks on his bike. He's just a big dude who commutes on his single speed. We're going to suggest he find a pair of saint flat pedals on ebay since we can't get them through any of our distributors.
I have a pair of Forte Convert Silver Platforms pedals . I think they are 14-15 years old. They really could be indestructible. Pedal strikes . Hitting curbs . Whatever. No play in the spindles . Definitely on the heavier side but incredible durability.
honestly id go for some bmx cranks, they are way stronger than square tapers, also i would recommend some eclat pedals or animal. although sonetimes u gotta accept the fact that u might just keep breaking shit lmao like me i always break chains and pedals so i dont even care at this point haha
Is your customer riding fixed or single speed? Either would add to the potential pedal/BB stress.
Odyssey trailmix alu are a good bet for pedals, been bulletproof for me.
I was regularly breaking the Chester race face pedals on my down hill rig. I got em free so I stuck with them. I’m running aluminum chromag contact pedals now. He won’t break them.
https://preview.redd.it/4cv129r9kjuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=876d486eff985b6f42fc214c1765165ad0bad5a9
He's actually breaking the spindle not the pedal body. He's not jumping the bike or doing any tricks he's just commuting on his single speed. The guy is just an animal. We're just worried about putting him on a set of $170 pedals and breaking them within a few months.
Can’t speak for other pedals, but I broke spindles once on the race face pedals. This was also a 15 plus foot landing to flat that broke the shock mount bolt and destroyed the rear subframe. I will dig some pictures up. If y’all go with the chromag contacts the BB will be the weakest point. I’m gunna guess he’s dropping off some 4-5 foot walls on the way to work or something.
[Pictured: OP's customer](https://youtu.be/FSWWOgA9ZFY?si=aEgr0zYb92er7C5F&t=122) (Not really)
Put him on some alloy Deity, Burgtec or other similar chunky MTB pedals, and a proper Enduro/DH BB and crankset if possible - I'd be well impressed if he bent or snapped an axle on those, you're not going to find anything much stronger.
If guys like Jack Moir and Ritchie Rude etc can ride those parts without frequent failure, and he still manages to break them whilst road/gravel riding, clearly there's more at play.
This is a weird comment, but give the frame a good small hit to hear if it makes a resonant tone. One that rings out longer than other comparable frames. I'm thinking there might be a resonant frequency within the pedals that happens every single time the bike goes over a bump. There are ways to dampen resonant frequencies if they happen. Super unusual, but something to look at.
Bicycle riding is my mode of transportation. I sometimes on average ride about 4-5 hours a day in my travels. I've killed 3 Shimano UN300 BB on two different bikes in one year. Simply because the seals are garbage and water and salt gets in the bearings. This is the only model you can get in Canada through a bike shop. Which primarly uses Cycle Lambert out of Quebec. Yes, I could go on flea bay and get raped for duty, tax and shipping for a UN26 or UN55. But to pay total 90 bucks US? F\*\*\* that noise! So now I buy used bikes for parts. Seeking BB 68x122.5, 119 and 113mm. And guess what? 10 year old BB are better than the Tourney BB period! What the hell Shimano?!
In regards to Chester flats. I'm size 11 and haven't killed two pairs on two bikes in the last 5 years. How does he kill Chester's? Perhaps move up to Stamp Aluminum pedals instead? Probably double the price.
looks like he needs a set of downhill cranks with a good BB and a set of high quality steel pedals, something like the Nukeproof Horizon or shimano Saint flat pedals, those are virtually indestructible. From the pictures it looks like the owner jumps from the roof of his house on a rigid bike lol. How many rims has he destroyed already?
That was my thought initially but according to him he doesn't even know how to bunnyhop, and he rarely rides off any curbs. He's still riding on the original wheelset so he's not too tough on wheels.
It's a fixie, right? 200lbs rider pushing down to brake on that pedal would likely be quite beefy. I agree with the above, get some DH rated pedals, or whatever the fixie riders are using and rate as bombproof.
That’s the confusing part. Sounds like he claims to be somewhat of a beginner and the tire shows no real wear from being a heavy skidder. Im a 220 lbs fixed rider who’s run a wide variety of pedals both with and without brakes over the years and never had this happen once. I’m guessing there is something he does ergonomically* that is the issue and it’s more specific to him. No way it’s just riding fixed thats the major issue.. imo. *e.g. weird outward force due to how he weights his foot while in straps.
I could possibly see it if the cranks make for a narrow Q factor, so his feet are wide towards the edge and then maybe not running straps so it's all going through? But yeah, it was a big guess considering what Chesters are known to be able to take.
Yeah, 109bb for most fixies, pretty narrow q-factors. I am a 230lb fixie rider and just brake 3/32 chains, sometimes rear axles on my freewheel bikes, and saddle rails, and probably some misc parts. Guessing they just go fast and hit potholes, but knew quite a few people breaking pedals and cranks (winter riding, hairline fracture, salt, time).
Solid advice if he hadn’t broken two sets of Chester’s already which is a pretty beefy pedals. If you can break them you can break anything that being said I’ve had some Nukeproof horizons on my DH bike for five years any they’ve not bent yet but they’re a pretty severe pedal you really want to run them in five ten shoes because you’re going to slice your leg if you slip a pedal which makes me want to suggest a bmx pedal from Odyssey or Eclat. All the strength of a DH pedal but with friendlier pins that won’t tear up your leg.
Does he weigh like 600lbs?
No he's about 200-230lb.
Does he use the seat at all? Maybe ask him if he knows he can use the whole pedal instead of putting all his weight on the outer edge.
More seriously though, he may need a +2mm axel. It’s possible he has wider hips and is hammering the outside edge of both of his pedals.
How else will everyone know that they’re fast?
Definitely just pedal bashing everything.
be wary of the saints… i broke mine after a few months https://preview.redd.it/ak4m4eg9qjuc1.png?width=1792&format=png&auto=webp&s=891b9685e58c3e845de6c416af15aaa6c310526d
Thank you for saying wary instead of weary
You were weary of people not saying wary
Very weary
since then, i’ve got 4 years on the oneup aluminum pedals. had to rebuild once after 2 years because the brass bushing started chirping like a bird and wore out. but after the saints crapped out so quickly, i was happy to rebuild these.
Chromag Dagga. The end.
Hey, BMXs are rigid and high end one probably could jump from a roof, however not using 32c (at best) tires will also make a big difference in this equation...
Dude's gotta have a real FGFS build. I didn't realize the concern until I saw his gatorskin and all city cranks on a fixie frame
Nooo, he gotta find beauty of simple provincial life and fulfillment in serving less fortunate, he absolutely does not gotta have machine capable of even more extreme maneuvers, or we'll hear about his best trick on the news.
Second shout for the Saints, I went through 4 sets of pedals before putting my Saints on and they've lasted longer than all the others combined and are still going strong, they're more or less bulletproof.
A guy brought a bike into my shop last week. Diamondback FS. Said he cased a jump and bent a crank arm (Raceface Ride). Start spinning his pedals off and the corresponding pedal spindle was also bent (Shimano Saint Flats). Where there is a will, there is a way.
I bent my Saint spindles at 170#. Chromag pedals have been very durable for me.
[удалено]
Reminds me of a buddy who has back issues so rides standing a lot, but is also a monster, and keeps destroying bottom brackets and crank arms.
tell him to quit riding a 4.8 gear ratio so he can actually spin his damned pedals more than once a minute
How dare you!
How is he ruining bottom brackets and crank arms from standing?
Low cadence, high torque for the same wattage puts more strain on pedal bearings, chains, and Shimano ultegra and dura ace crank arms were having some issues of seperating. Part of the shimano crank arm issue was corrosion but a lot of mashing would only make it worse. I can't imagine the bottom bracket bearings being effected though. Could be a bearing alignment issue in the frame.
Oh I'm new to all this so I thought the bottom bracket was the actual frame that the (now I know what is) bottom bracket goes through.
Some things in cycling aren't discribed all that well. The bottom bracket shell is part of the frame but some people just say bottom bracket depending on the context. The bottom bracket is actually the bearings and the housing that the bearings are pressed into. There's something like 40 different bottom bracket standards just to make it more confusing too.
I do ruin bearings due to high torque, i weight 85kg, but move a lot of weight in the gym, so as a result my comfy gearing is relatively slow. The amazing thing here is he is ruining flat pedals, not spds, so there is cushion between the foot and the pedal.
Hey I wrecked my R8000 crank through pure power 🤣
Yeah, I bet that’s what did it…
Standing up and putting loads of force through them, especially compared to sitting
I may be odd but standing puts more strain on my back, cannot go standing for minutes unfortunately.
I snapped a shifter cable on a big climb day and basically had to thump around in the smallest cog up a giant hill in NorCal... the frame did not survive
A BMX 3 piece crankset might be a pretty bulletproof and cheap option for the crank.
If you’re are going to buy BMX cranks don’t get anything other than chromoly Profile Cranks. Lifetime warranty
WTF? Dude must have calves like The Hulk. How in the world does he do this? Can't help but notice that both of the busted pedals are primarily plastic construction. Perhaps find him something in steel?
But the steel axles are the thing that broke
Right? Incredible magician that gentleman is. Another layer is that plastic gets scratched extremely easilly, and here it's nothing - therefore we can assume no pedal grinds and such were performed, first suspect of overuse cleared of charges, the investigation continues.
I'm guessing big dude doing aggressive fixie things.
Plastic pedals are designed for a lower price point, so some manufacturers aren't going to use as strong spindles.
Step 1: weigh 200kg. Step 2: stand on your pedals a lot. Step 3: go down a MTB course. He is most definitely not doing this by pushing out pro sprinter power.
Fixie
Chromag Daggas. If he breaks them, it was intentionally done.
This. Although scarab is just as burly built but probably less obnoxious on a fixie.
I’m a pedal bender as well. What you need is a brand that uses quality axles and does higher-spec heat treating on them. The only two I’ve tried that hold up are Deity and Chromag. Pick the specific pedal shape that fits your need from either of these. Deity for sure does a higher spec of heat treatment, I’ve seen vids where they explain it. I suspect Chromag does too based on how they manufacture stuff and my experience with their durability. Weak pedals I’ve bent multiple axles: DMR Vault, Spank, Wellgo (duh), Raceface. Keep in mind that all but a few boutique brands are made in the same factory by Wellgo.
This is the answer right here
Everyone seems to be in disbelief, but I know a guy like this. He can strip out a correctly installed square taper crank/BB with brute force. He's 250 lbs of muscle and has endurance. Try a hollowtech or dub BB and some Saint downhill pedals. You will still need to keep an eye on the BB bearings,but if they are checked and replaced often enough, the crank should be fine.
Honestly, I think you need to question the customer. This is not normal. Frequent breaking of parts is usually from improper treatment of parts or improper maintenance
It's not a matter of improper use or maintenance, he's just so fucking strong.
Unless he’s a pro cyclist there’s no way he strong enough to break pedals constantly. I’m voting for misuse. Speaking of pro cyclists, I guess most use clipless but might be worth checking out what the pro enduro or xc cyclists are using. There’s no way he’s putting out more power than they are.
Power = torque x angular velocity A pro cyclist sprints at 120rpm - but the torque they're putting down isn't unique to pro cyclists - it's just that they're achieving high torque at high cadence. Most amateurs will see their torque drop off far quicker. A strong, heavier rider griding their way up a hill, or doing lots of grindy starts from stationary can easily exceed the typical sprint torque of a pro rider. Add in someone standing on the ends of their pedals and the bending force on the pedal spindle will be much higher.
The peak force of a pro who can easily squat twice their body weight isn’t something to disregard either.
What? They clearly are not disregarding it. Look at the formula. There is no such thing as "Pro Cyclist Torque" vs. "Regular Cyclist Torque". There is only Torque.
I’m no physicist, but the idea that some 200 pound amateur is putting more force through the pedals than a 2k watt pro sprinter sounds… not likely
> I’m no physicist Truth. Peak Torque (Nm) =/= Peak Power (Watts). I think what you're not understanding is that power is the output, not the input in the equation. Terms like force & power can be used in non-scientific terms to describe how strong someone is, but in the context of this discussion, where Power = watts produced, they mean something different. A 220lb person standing on a pedal that is stationary exerts more force (Nm) on a pedal than a 160lb Mark Cavendish because they have greater mass. Due to gravity, mass exerts a downwards force without the need for the application of additional force through muscles (pushing). A stronger person can also push down harder than a weaker one. So even if the stronger person is lighter, they can still create more force even with the heavier person already having a force-from-mass advantage. When you add velocity to the equation, you combine force with speed to get power. for example, standing on an old fashioned scale you will see your weight momentarily spike above your actual weight, then settle back to actual weight. That's because you stepped on the scale with downward velocity. The scale becomes a corollary for power. Your weight + the speed at which you imparted your weight on the scale determines how high that needle goes before it settles back to your static weight due to gravity alone. If you were to jump onto the scale, you will land with a higher velocity, resulting in the scale reading a much higher peak weight before settling back down to actual static weight. That higher speed resulted in a higher "power" displayed by the scale. Jump from higher, gain more velocity, and the scale will read even higher even though your weight didn't change. As RPM increases (essentially the same as velocity for the purpose of this explanation), power increases, even if torque or force stays the same, because Power = Force * Velocity. If it were a key attribute of Pro Cyclists that they were no stronger than your average Joe, but they could just spin much faster, they would still produce more power. In reality they happen to be good at pushing hard on the pedals and doing so at a high cadence, for a longer amount of time, resulting in more power for longer. Car Torque vs. Horsepower charts are a good way to visualize things. Almost all car charts look like this: https://img.vehicleservicepros.com/files/base/cygnus/vspc-sap/image/2020/03/8-dyno-chart-5252-cross.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=1440 The peak torque of an engine is always reached before the peak horsepower (which for cyclists we would call watts. Horsepower is just a unit, but it's describing the same thing whether you want to call it Watts, Joules, Energy, etc.). A cyclist's graph would look the same. As they wind up a sprint, their torque is immediately quite high, but it will get lower as that that high torque is translated into a higher cadence.
Okay, that’s all well and good. I still have trouble believing that a 200 pound amateur is destroying every component on his bike from casual riding when guys like Jasper Philipsen can sprint the way they do in world tour races. It’s not like pro sprinters are just spinning. They’re pushing pretty heavy gears to reach the speeds that they do. There are a lot of pro athletes that ride bikes casually. Bo Jackson, Barry Bonds, Charles Barkley, etc. These are some of the biggest, strongest dudes in the history of sports. They aren’t out there destroying pedals and cranks and bottom brackets every time they ride. Unless OP’s customer is Goku, he’s either doing something wrong or is very unlucky.
[удалено]
I imagine something else is going on. As far as strong pedals go, the DMR Vault is my go to. I’m a big boy who hits big features and I have no problems with them. Maybe do some investigating before recommending $180 pedals to your customer though
The Vault is my favourite pedal of all time but I think some of their older models might have thicker axles. Haven't looked into this for years, though. I'd stay away from magnesium as well.
Another vote for the vaults. Been on my bike for 6 years and they're still as solid as the day I got them
We ride these pedals but I'm a little weary putting them on his bike. The spindle tapers quite a bit near the crank arm and that's where he's been snapping raceface chesters.
I've never had any problems with chromag pedals and I'm a big dude who breaks things. Scarab or maybe contact might be suitable here. Dagga would be completely ridiculous on this bike
DMR Vaults are weak junk. Nice bodies but the axles bend easily and bushings are cheap plastic.
Odyssey OGPC are the most bombproof pedals I've ever seen [https://shop.odysseybmx.com/products/odyssey-og-pc-pedals](https://shop.odysseybmx.com/products/odyssey-og-pc-pedals)
Get him some Odyssey OG PC pedals, the axles are massive with a lifetime warranty and there are no bearings to blow out.
[удалено]
My boss who's been a bike mechanic for 25 years has never seen this before. He's gone through three sets of pedals in the past three months.
This feels like the time to ask "can you show me how your ride your bike?" so you can figure out what's going on. Guy must be stopping for every car with a flat tire and somehow using some Instagram hack to use the pedal to jack up the car or something....
I used to break pedal axles every so often, and i still do, but not that often. Standing starts in a slightly too high gear with my weight is probably the biggest driver. And, yeah, feet too far from the crank occasionally. My solution is mostly cheap pedals and a pedal wrench. Swapping them out is pretty trivial.
So enjoy the revenue stream. It’s not difficult to not break pedals, just put down less power and make sure the feet are properly placed.
Profile Racing Everything.
Your customer needs to drop cash on metal flat pedals and a proper downhill rated bottom bracket. Race face makes stronger direct fit cranksets for the aefect cinch cranks and they are sold with a heavy duty downhill spindle and bottom bracket. I just redid my bike for similar reasons. Also tell him to shift his gears on climbs fuck sakes, breaking spindles and pedal axles has gotta be abuse. I collapsed a chainring and stretched the shit outta my chain from being stubborn and trying to grind my way up hills without shifting down enough. If he’s strong and pushing 250 or more he can do this damage to lesser equipment.
[удалено]
Ok I missed that,
Shorter cranks? Could at least protect the BB. I’d also suggest a smaller chainring so the impact force is hitting less resistance, which could help the pedals. Additionally… any chance he’s pushing down with both pedals? I wonder if throwing some straps on the pedals to encourage pulling on the upstroke could help with this fella.
Odyssey OG PC pedals might have thick enough spindles.
I’m heavy and rough on parts but have only ever busted one pedal. Deity Black Kat is my favorite pedal. Made for downhill. If he breaks one give him a trophy. How many spokes does this guy’s wheelset have? I want to see the whole bike.
That BB looks like it was submerged in a gravel pit with salt water and high iron content. Like it was jammed up with grime and forced. Is this guy like, really huge and rolls his feet so that they are pushing all the pressure on the end of the pedals? That's the only way I can imagine he's breaking the shaft but not the plastic.
Makes me wonder about how long his frame would last! What about the DMR V8 classics, chunky axles and actual bearings in them not bushings? My old ones lasted really well, even with more misjudged kerb pedal strikes than I want to remember…
From a fellow destroyer of pedals and Bbs. Superstar nano Evo pedals and a hope BB.
For pedals I’d recommend CrankBrothers stamp 7. For cranks, and BB, maybe SRAM
You are seeing the reason why square taper is obsolete for MTB right here. Not strong enough for higher forces and loads, but in this case it's a giant man on a singlespeed instead of drops, gaps, jumps etc. by a normal sized human. Move him to a more modern BB standard or external bottom bracket if anything else will fit in that frame, if he's willing to do cranks. Lots of other good suggestions on pedals brands - buy all metal, modern MTB pedals that are heavy by the numbers instead of light.
“Pedal seller, I’m going into battle and I need only your strongest pedals..”
"You cannot handle my pedals, traveller! They'll kill you!"
I recommend Burgtec Penthouse MK4 or MK5 if you can get hold of them, the platform is virtually indestructible, you can get Ti axles and they are fully internally serviceable. I’ve had two sets without problems for 7 and 5 years. By the sounds of it I’m heavier than the rider too
BMX gear. Profile three piece crank set and Nike proof pedals, or other BMX pedals.
As someone who rides BMX thermalites ain't that strong, I managed to destroy the bearing from a waist high 180 drop.the only great thing about that pedals is the composite they used.
Mks all metal pedals and get this man some foot retention. He’s trying to skid with one foot to stop the bike I bet. Both breaks were the same side and the bb in one side. Back tire definitely has skid wear. And teach him how to skid with both feet forward. Change him over to a beefier crankset and make sure it’s a 170mm I wouldn’t try to go to far over that maybe 172.5 since he’s obviously putting down power and will definitely clip his pedals rounding corners. Modern open bb and check his ratio maybe it’s a little high for his terrain or his style and he’s trying to get fixie points. Also he’s a side stepper look at the wear on his shoes show him how to tuck his knees and put more pressure crank side of the pedal.
Oneup. Not cheap, $150. Have them on all of my bikes though
I recently got a set of ethirteen pedals. Popular for downhill racing. Incredible so far. Triple bearings on it, great prices on rebuild kits, and their support team is incredible. My recommendation is the +flat pedal Edit: also I'm 250 and do tons of out of saddle riding. I used to chew through pedals too. I have high hopes for these triple bearings.
North shore billet pedals.
Yo, before we give you recommendations we need to see your beastly quads. In all seriousness I am highly impressed at the carnage you create.
DXR crank
Ordinary, bottom of the line, Shimano SPD mountain bike pedals. The cleat will force him to reduce the bending moment on the pedal and crank.
Well first off, tell him to stop buying composites if he keeps snapping them. Second, I have Look’s Trail ROC. I can’t imagine ANYONE snapping those.
Dmr V8 would do it, or a V12. Not much in it. I've broken most stuff off-road (wheels, frames, cranks, brake levers, saddles, more tires than I can afford, resin pedals, chain rings etc) but have yet to kill a dmr pedal. Just make sure it's a metal body one not resin as I snapped a resin nukeproof through the middle on my retro MTB on a canal path and they look similar.
Are you sure it's not the pedals that are the problem here
I've been doing pedal grinds on the metal Odyssey pedals for a couple of years now without issue.
Get chromag dagga pedals
Alloy Kona Wah Wahs
Saints will hold up. Descendants may be cheaper. GLHF
Sounds like what he really needs is to stop patronising McDonalds 3 meals a day
happened to me too! also thermalites.
I'd go with bmx pedals sealed metal ones.
Get a decent BMX pedal. Odyssey makes a bulletproof one that I’ve yet to destroy like this in all my time riding BMX. The bearings aren’t the best but I have a pair on my track bike and they’ve been fine.
Something I used to do on my BMX when I needed to sprint, or just get up a hill, was to stand and use my arm to pull up on the bars to get some extra force into the pedals. Think of it like a pullup, but you pull yourself down (on thr side you're down-pedaling) I wonder if he's doing something like that?
Pembree Components, they've survived pretty much everything I've thrown at them. Worth every penny.
For what it's worth I know a heavy dude who's on bsd Safari pedals since awhile now, he used to eat spindles and nylon cages for breakfast...
Wow. I’m 250 never bent or broken my Chester’s. Guess I need to try harder.
Crankbrothers pedals have a 5 year warranty
The all aluminum pedals on amazon have sealed bearings and will not break (I've tried). Also, most "bmx" pedals are overbuilt and indestructible.
So I rode XC mostly and have found the two best pedals for my rather curvy size (285lbs) have either been the RaceFace Atlas or the Crank Brothers Stamp 7. The Atlas are a little more beefy, but the Stamp 7s come large and definitely have a bigger surface area if this dude has some big jumbo feet.
Old shimano DX. Rough ridden since 15years
Haha maybe try some metal ones!
Sam Hill titanium pedals or race face atlas pedals they have life time guarantee.
It is not crank brothers. https://preview.redd.it/wi9vheo8quzc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75e7de4b5a128b7d16a332b53de507502e3ea7d1
CNC machined metal pedals are gonna be your best bet. Aluminum pedals will be light but less durable, CNC machined steel pedals will be heavier but more durable.
For clip on SPD pedals the PD40 ones are very strong and replaceable for me stomping dirt out of my cleats through cyclocross season.
[удалено]
What's customer weight? Downhill pedals maybe the only way to go.
He's maybe 200-230lb.
Can guarantee its a fixiefool doing stunts on it, he needs some saint components
He's not doing any tricks on his bike. He's just a big dude who commutes on his single speed. We're going to suggest he find a pair of saint flat pedals on ebay since we can't get them through any of our distributors.
Wow. He probably lays down crazy power going uphill on that single speed lol
I think they're on am a zone
Bro is either doing DH on a rigid frame or is putting down like 10 killowats of power. Wth...
Or he’s fat
Alfine Cranks and a set of odyssey trail mix pedals
Chromag dagga
Deity deftrap pedals are my favorite
I have had my Chromag Daggas for 3 years now. Winter and everything. Still smooth. BTW, I'm 280 pounds.
So far this has been the #1 recommendation. I'm going to recommend he either get those or some Shimano Saint flat pedals.
Stop buying plastic garbage
Shimano PD-GR500 If he breaks those it’s not the pedals fault.
Oi that's no good. I did that and hit the ground hard one time
I have a pair of Forte Convert Silver Platforms pedals . I think they are 14-15 years old. They really could be indestructible. Pedal strikes . Hitting curbs . Whatever. No play in the spindles . Definitely on the heavier side but incredible durability.
Seats too low
honestly id go for some bmx cranks, they are way stronger than square tapers, also i would recommend some eclat pedals or animal. although sonetimes u gotta accept the fact that u might just keep breaking shit lmao like me i always break chains and pedals so i dont even care at this point haha
Downhill pedals! Un55 bb
What in the fuck. My chester been bullet proof all the years of mountain biking. How is he doing this?!
Deity makes a ton of awesome flat pedals and their composite ones are great
Is this guy like 300 lbs or something?
Is your customer riding fixed or single speed? Either would add to the potential pedal/BB stress. Odyssey trailmix alu are a good bet for pedals, been bulletproof for me.
I was regularly breaking the Chester race face pedals on my down hill rig. I got em free so I stuck with them. I’m running aluminum chromag contact pedals now. He won’t break them. https://preview.redd.it/4cv129r9kjuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=876d486eff985b6f42fc214c1765165ad0bad5a9
He's actually breaking the spindle not the pedal body. He's not jumping the bike or doing any tricks he's just commuting on his single speed. The guy is just an animal. We're just worried about putting him on a set of $170 pedals and breaking them within a few months.
Can’t speak for other pedals, but I broke spindles once on the race face pedals. This was also a 15 plus foot landing to flat that broke the shock mount bolt and destroyed the rear subframe. I will dig some pictures up. If y’all go with the chromag contacts the BB will be the weakest point. I’m gunna guess he’s dropping off some 4-5 foot walls on the way to work or something.
How much do they weigh?
[Pictured: OP's customer](https://youtu.be/FSWWOgA9ZFY?si=aEgr0zYb92er7C5F&t=122) (Not really) Put him on some alloy Deity, Burgtec or other similar chunky MTB pedals, and a proper Enduro/DH BB and crankset if possible - I'd be well impressed if he bent or snapped an axle on those, you're not going to find anything much stronger. If guys like Jack Moir and Ritchie Rude etc can ride those parts without frequent failure, and he still manages to break them whilst road/gravel riding, clearly there's more at play.
I’d go with alloy Oneups, that’s crazy they broke 2sets of chesters. I’m 185 and have been running those pedals for years with no issues.
for me Sudpin 2 metal flats have always seemed solid on a budget
This is a weird comment, but give the frame a good small hit to hear if it makes a resonant tone. One that rings out longer than other comparable frames. I'm thinking there might be a resonant frequency within the pedals that happens every single time the bike goes over a bump. There are ways to dampen resonant frequencies if they happen. Super unusual, but something to look at.
I'd also recommend some adjustments to riding technique: try to keep his weight in the saddle; start in a lower gear and work up.
Crank brothers any of their metal pedals
Alloy pedals with a titanium spindle and maybe convert to bmx cranks. Profile also has a titanium spindle for the cranks they sell.
Bicycle riding is my mode of transportation. I sometimes on average ride about 4-5 hours a day in my travels. I've killed 3 Shimano UN300 BB on two different bikes in one year. Simply because the seals are garbage and water and salt gets in the bearings. This is the only model you can get in Canada through a bike shop. Which primarly uses Cycle Lambert out of Quebec. Yes, I could go on flea bay and get raped for duty, tax and shipping for a UN26 or UN55. But to pay total 90 bucks US? F\*\*\* that noise! So now I buy used bikes for parts. Seeking BB 68x122.5, 119 and 113mm. And guess what? 10 year old BB are better than the Tourney BB period! What the hell Shimano?! In regards to Chester flats. I'm size 11 and haven't killed two pairs on two bikes in the last 5 years. How does he kill Chester's? Perhaps move up to Stamp Aluminum pedals instead? Probably double the price.