Magpeds

[JoeBlow]

What are peoples opinions? After some research I have decided to give them a try. There seems to be a split in opinion. Those coming from a flattie background love them those who use clipless don't. I think this is perfectly rational and understandable view but I would be interested to hear others.

For my part I like the feeling of being more in control of the bike on SPD's but feel extremely vulnerable on gnarly trails so I have been using flats.

Al

 

[Paulquattro]

Keep us posted on your results in the wild

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

I was looking for good alternatives to clipless pedals and wanted to try something different, more forgiving than clipless but with a solid foot lock and ways to easily unclip without doing some painful knee twist or rotation. I'm currently using the Magped Enduro 2 pedals.

Needed a few adjustments for my needs:
- Stronger 200N magnets and shoe plates for a solid lock.
-Less abrasive metal pins (oem pins were unnecessarily too sharp in my opinion).
- Using magped-compatible shoes

 

[Stihldog]

Even if I didn’t have a stroke 5 years ago (left side is compromised) I would still be using magnetic peddles.

Since my first road bike I started using clips, then clipless spd’s when those hit the scene. With the eMTB I began using magnetic peddles.

With regular flat peddles my left foot would fall off and I was unable to place that foot correctly back on the pedal. I had to either look down or completely stop my ride. Imagine how frustrating that was. With clipless spd’s I was unable to dis-engage. I was unable to make a disconnect movement, with my left foot/leg, fast enough. Imagine how dangerous that can be.

Magnetic peddles became the answer. Now I can hear an audible “click” or “snap” when my left foot finds the pedal. No stopping, no panic, no problem.…I just keep riding. If/when I have a crash my feet are easily released. I also get the benefit of an upstroke, to a certain extent, because of the magnets. With suitable length pins I can also make slight foot alignments on the fly.

Having used both the Magped’s and Avery Hustle, I can’t say which type is better.
See my review for Avery Hustle.

Review - Hustle REMtech Avery Magnetic Peddles

Product name: Hustle REMtech Avery Magnetic Peddles Price paid: $219.00 USD Score (out of 10): 9.5 Review: The designers and users of these magnetic peddles, at Hustle Bike Labs, are well aware of the benefits of using this system of magnets to secure our MTB shoe to the peddle. I’m aware of...

www.emtbforums.com

 

[JoeBlow]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll provide mine once I've tried them out in anger. It seems to be one of those debates that brings out the worst in people with many examples of snobbery and arrogance displayed in several vids. A couple of guys on GMB were very dismissive but hadn't even tried them and their reasons for being negative were unconvincing. I suspect my initial feelings will be born out. If you use clipless they are unecessary, if you use flats but do not like that feeling of being trapped on the bike they are a good compromise. Watch this space for my unbiased opinion.

 

[Zimmerframe]

They came up in this thread a few times. There was another older thread with quite a bit about them too.

To clip or not to clip

Now this could be a stupid question ,but are there any benifits to using clipped peddles (ie power savings on battery ) never really been a fan of them but thinking of giving them a go again to see if i can get on with them and do you have any recommendations to which ones to get

www.emtbforums.com

 

[brentonb]

I have had them on my enduro for a couple of years and enjoy using them. I don't want to be clipped in when crashing.

They are not magical so don't expect them to be. What they do is reduce the movement of your foot on the peddles over rough rock sections. They do this quite well especially once set up with your shoe.
I actually changed the pins to more aggressive pins and they became better.

I have also put them onto the levo and they are good there but less crittical. I find the weight of the emtb smoothes the trail out a bit more. My enduro has fox 38 170mm front and rear and is 14kgs so quite light.

I enjoy them but they are not a silver bullet solution.
Will I continue to use them, yes definitely

I don't find they give me more control. All they do is keep your feet where they should already be on the peddles.

 

[SiDobsFig]

Even if I didn’t have a stroke 5 years ago (left side is compromised) I would still be using magnetic peddles.

Since my first road bike I started using clips, then clipless spd’s when those hit the scene. With the eMTB I began using magnetic peddles.

With regular flat peddles my left foot would fall off and I was unable to place that foot correctly back on the pedal. I had to either look down or completely stop my ride. Imagine how frustrating that was. With clipless spd’s I was unable to dis-engage. I was unable to make a disconnect movement, with my left foot/leg, fast enough. Imagine how dangerous that can be.

Magnetic peddles became the answer. Now I can hear an audible “click” or “snap” when my left foot finds the pedal. No stopping, no panic, no problem.…I just keep riding. If/when I have a crash my feet are easily released. I also get the benefit of an upstroke, to a certain extent, because of the magnets. With suitable length pins I can also make slight foot alignments on the fly.

Having used both the Magped’s and Avery Hustle, I can’t say which type is better.
See my review for Avery Hustle.

Review - Hustle REMtech Avery Magnetic Peddles

Product name: Hustle REMtech Avery Magnetic Peddles Price paid: $219.00 USD Score (out of 10): 9.5 Review: The designers and users of these magnetic peddles, at Hustle Bike Labs, are well aware of the benefits of using this system of magnets to secure our MTB shoe to the peddle. I’m aware of...

www.emtbforums.com

Hi, thanks for this info.

I have a very weak left calf and ankle after a drunk driver decided to mount the pavement and smash my leg into a wall. Luckily got the other one out the way.

Just like stihidog my left is not working as it was. I use clips and often have to end up laughing as I topple to the left because falling to the right is too dangerous or s#*t myself when loosing control at speed and not being able to unclip the left leg.

I will definitely get some of these and use them.

Really looking forward to it. I can’t really afford 2 pairs ( one for EMTB and one for Hardtail) but it definitely looks worth changing them every time I swop over.

Thanks again for giving this a detailed explanation.

 

[Stihldog]

Hi, thanks for this info.

I have a very weak left calf and ankle after a drunk driver decided to mount the pavement and smash my leg into a wall. Luckily got the other one out the way.

Just like stihidog my left is not working as it was. I use clips and often have to end up laughing as I topple to the left because falling to the right is too dangerous or s#*t myself when loosing control at speed and not being able to unclip the left leg.

I will definitely get some of these and use them.

Really looking forward to it. I can’t really afford 2 pairs ( one for EMTB and one for Hardtail) but it definitely looks worth changing them every time I swop over.

Thanks again for giving this a detailed explanation.

I’ve settled into the Avery Hustle RemTech magnetic peddles. The platform is slightly smaller, which I prefer, and the system seems more to my needs. Snapping your foot onto the peddles seems about the same regardless of manufacturer.

The removal or disengagement of your foot needs practice. I can’t explain in words how this happens …it just happens . It might be more of a sliding-lateral motion rather than a twisting motion.

The magnets are strong though. I can climb a rock garden of cantaloupe sized marbles and my feet will not come off. Stopping is not an option …unless you hike-a-bike. But OTB can still happen.

Here’s an example of the pros and cons of magnetic peddles. About 4 days ago I started a climb in a rock garden that I’ve ridden several dozen times. Sometimes I clear it, sometimes I don’t. It’s kinda like being in a washing machine with a jackhammer strapped to your back. So it can be challenging.

I’m about halfway up, rolling over the cantaloupe sized rocks, when my front wheel struck a pumpkin sized rock and threw me and the bike into a wheelie position. Almost vertical. I tried to recover …but failed. To the right and slightly backwards I fell. I knew my landing would be cushioned ned by rocks.

I’ve still got the ability to “tuck and roll” so I hopefully don’t break my wrist/arm/elbow etc, but most of the impact is taken by my backside or backpack. Mission accomplished …right? Not really. I landed on a rock that struck my pelvis and upper right glutinous Maximus. My bike was partially on top of me …but my feet had released from the peddles.

I laid there for a while, thinking I just broke my pelvis (10-15min). It hurt like hello!

So did the magnetic peddles help or hinder in this crash? I can’t say.

No Animals were hurt or riding time lost , and the bike was just fine.

 

[ZillaG]

Magpeds (or the like) are the perfect middle ground between clipless pedals (I use SPDs) and flats. I still use SPDs for trail riding, but use Magpeds fo enduro, the Enduro (duh, lol) model with strong magnets. They stI’ll give you the sensation of being attached to the bike, and can even pull up on the pedal up stroke, but you can disengage easily. Unlike clipless pedals though, your foot does not engage in a consistent location on the pedal each time, and sometimes disengages when you don’t want it to.

 

[Stihldog]

Magpeds (or the like) are the perfect middle ground between clipless pedals (I use SPDs) and flats. I still use SPDs for trail riding, but use Magpeds fo enduro, the Enduro (duh, lol) model with strong magnets. They stI’ll give you the sensation of being attached to the bike, and can even pull up on the pedal up stroke, but you can disengage easily. Unlike clipless pedals though, your foot does not engage in a consistent location on the pedal each time, and sometimes disengages when you don’t want it to.

Yup, I agree. I like the upstroke ability and also being able to quickly position my cranks/peddles for less peddle strikes. The magnetics probably add some weight too …and they can be a great conversation starter

 

[IndigoUnicorn]

Do all of the magnetic pedals require what’s basically a modified SPD shoe?

My issue is that I pedal with the back half of my foot; I can’t pedal on the balls of my feet.

If I were to use something like this, I’d really need to be able to insert a metal plate in the shoe to accommodate for my goof feet. Anyone know if such a thing exists?

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Magped recommends compatible shoes basically 2 hole SPD shoes with flat sole. They published a list here:

MAGPED - shoe-recommendaton

I'm using FiveTen Hellcat shoes which provides some flexibility for positioning the metal plate.

 

[IndigoUnicorn]

Magped recommends compatible shoes. They published a list here:
MAGPED - shoe-recommendaton

Right. But they’re ALL SPD style. Think more along the lines of a pair of 5.10s with a metal plate under your heel and mid foot.

 

[Stihldog]

Right. But they’re ALL SPD style. Think more along the lines of a pair of 5.10s with a metal plate under your heel and mid foot.

I would use the recommended metal plate for the brand you’re using (Magped, Avery Hustle RemTech etc.)

Type of spd shoe you use depends on what you need. Shims are usually provided for a more aggressive tread.

I use 4 types of shoes, all spd compatible. Bontrager flats, Bontrager Mountain, Shimano Mountain and Bontrager Winter. I’ve fitted the Avery Hustle metal plate to each of these. Only the winter boots needed a shim.

The metal plate is adjustable …just like any spd.

 

[d3ftone]

I prefer the Hustle Bike Labs pedals over the Magpeds. I like both though. If the Magpeds are a 7.5 or 8/10 then the HBL pedals are like a 9/10. Hustle are just a little better in every way other than weight. Listed weights - 750 grams (w/o pins) vs 477 grams (not sure about pins). To get the extra pull force from the HBL pedals it comes at a weight cost (heavier magnets).

 

[Stihldog]

Right. But they’re ALL SPD style. Think more along the lines of a pair of 5.10s with a metal plate under your heel and mid foot.

The metal plates can be adjusted so it feels like the contact in under your mid-foot. Mine are adjusted so the main contact is between the mid-foot and ball of my foot (if that makes sense).

After I’m engaged I can still fine-tune the adjustment on the fly. (Slide fwd/backwards or sideways. When I’m climbing or really pushing on the peddles, I tend to use my heel. I could still adjust but I don’t usually need to. The magnets are strong for this motion.
This can still happen though.

 

[JoeBlow]

Purchased, fitted and tested. Verdict: Excellent. Bit pricey and slightly heavier but the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

I liked and coped with clipless pedals on cross country rides but on gnarly downhills they simply terrify me. I have tried but mostly with disastrous results. There is only so much pain I am willing to take in order to get used to something. For me, coming from "flatties", they offer the best of both worlds, a sense of connection but without that helpless feeling that you are fixed to the bike.

If you get on with clipless on all terrain they would however offer no benefit and be a waste of money.

Al

 

[AlumiPro]

Be advised that magnetic pedals will NOT work with the new Bosch Gen4 motor with the rim magnet set up.
They cause the speed to fluctuate all over the place due to it sensing the pedals magnets. Doing hill climbs the motor will occasionally shut down(dangerous on tech climbs) because it’s seeing speeds over the limiter, due to the pedals rotating at a faster speed than the rim magnet.
I then rode with no rim magnet at all, which was showing a very fluctuating speed, but able to ride. Approx a mile or two into my ride the motor shut off with an error code on the screen. I had to power off/on and put the rim magnet back on, to complete my ride.
Now I have to either reprogram my motor for a rotor magnet and run a reed wire on the chain stay, or go back to clip-less pedals!….I don’t prefer flats. Which sucks because I enjoyed the Hustle magnetic pedals! (I bought two sets, and have ran them on my Levo for a year now)