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One of the earliest pedal designs was simply a spindle attached to the crankarm. The cyclist positioned their shoe so that the spindle rested between the crook of the heel and the sole. Pedal designs evolved to include straps, cages and all sorts of devices to keep the cyclist’s shoes connected to the pedals. The invention of clipless pedals greatly influenced bike ergonomics by allowing the rider to precisely tailor their foot position and ensure a consistent pedaling motion.
By and large, platform pedals have been relegated to the world of casual cyclists, and any “serious” cyclist who wanted to run flats would have to seek out BMX-style pedals. And while there have definitely been quite a few designs that have improved on the weight, durability and traction of such pedals, up until now nobody has attempted to enhance the pedaling performance of platform pedals.
Ergon calls their flat pedals “contour pedals” and perhaps the reason is obvious. They’re far from flat. The different curves serve to enhance power transfer, promote correct foot position and relieve pressure points. Perhaps the most noticeable aspect is the wall along the inside edge of the pedal that follows the shape of your shoe. This serves to consistently position your feet during pedaling.
I’ve seldom felt any discomfort that I can directly attribute to using flat pedals, so I can’t really attest to their claim of relieving pressure, but but the PC2 pedals definitely feel comfortable. It took a few rides to get accustomed to them, but they never felt awkward, just different. Another unique aspect is the use of grip-tape instead of traction pins. As any skateboarder will tell you, grip tape is an amazing substance. The PC2 pedals maintain traction in the rain, but I can’t imagine that will be the case in thick mud or serious snow.
The PC2 pedals definitely have a distinct look, and it’s not exactly the look that many urban fashionistas are after. The large integrated reflectors aren’t removable, and there’s no way to attach Hold Fast straps. But for serious cyclists who eschew foot retention, yet wouldn’t mind a more technical oriented platform pedal, the PC2 might be worth a look.
The PC2 pedals come in size small (maximum shoe size: EU 42 / UK 7.5 / US 8.5) and large (minimum shoe size: EU 43 / UK 8 / US 9) and retail for $69.95. Check out www.ergon-bike.com for more info.
I’ll start by mentioning that I’m on Ergon’s “Commuter Team” for 2011. As part of my being on the team, I got a pair of these to review.
After having mine for a couple months, I still like them quite a bit. I’m fond of wearing Vibram Five-Finger shoes when I’m not on a bike, and have my Ergon pedals on one of my bikes so that I don’t have to change shoes to ride to the corner store/restaurant/post office/whatever errand within a five or six mile radius.
I’ve been riding SPD pedals for just about everything I do for seventeen years, including my commuting most of the time (I have a pair of the SPD/Flat pedals on one bike so that I can wear street shoes on it if need be). I’m spoiled with those with respect to my stoplight behavior–I get my “on” foot to power position immediately after I stop moving, and it’s only a little more “work” to wrap my Vibram-clad toes around an edge of this pedal to pull it into place.
The contour does help me keep my foot in the right place on the pedal. Even with the very thin soles of my Five-fingers shoes, I find the pedals comfortable for their intended users, who are what some call “citizen cyclists,” eschewing cycling-specific footwear in the interest of getting where they are going with minimal fuss.
I think you might have missed the point of these pedals. How exactly can the specific areas you mention- reflectors being unremovable, no strap compatibility- be a detriment when they’re not designed to be that way? Would you test a microwave and complain that you can’t cook eggs in your iron skillet?
I’ve been using the Ergon pedals on my commuter since July and they’ve been nothing short of fantastic. My commute is 7 miles each way- just short enough that schlepping an extra pair of shoes to run clipless is too much of a hassle.
My old standby to clipless had always been BMX pedals and I’ve got a decade’s worth gouged up shoes and shins to prove it. With the Ergons you get none of that plus unlike BMX pedals, the Q-factor of the Ergons is much narrower so you don’t suddenly feel like you’re stomping grapes when you go from clipless to flats.
Bobby, is spot on. I use these for my 20 mile commute round trip in Chicago. Love fact that I get power and efficiency without having to have special shoes or toe clips and straps. I simply just grab my sneakers and off to work I go! The PC2 is by far the best non-clipless pedal I have used for commuting and urban riding.
I think it’s relevant to include that information, Bobby. If you liked the look of the pedal, but didn’t want the reflectors or wanted to add straps, you might be bummed out if you purchased them. Like the review says, if that’s not a problem, no problem! I didn’t read the inclusion of those points as a dig or a complaint, that’s all.
Bobby, I think you misread my review. NH’s comment is correct.
Also, Q-factor is a measure of the crankarm’s distance from the bottom bracket. It has nothing to do with the pedal.
Bobby’s point about q-factor is technically wrong (it is determined by crankarms) but correct in practice: the pedal brings your foot closer to the crankarm than an average bmx pedal
How would you express that? p-factor?
In any case, this is a very nice design consideration, especially for someone like myself who has narrow hips and rides a commuter with a triple , panniers, and a trailer with kids. My stance my commuter is waaay too wide with bmx pedals and holdfasts, but while SPD’s fix that they are inconvenient.
The strap thing is a dealkiller for me though- I couldn’t imagine accelerating uphill when the kids cheer without pedal retention. Ergon, bring us the model with integrated straps!
Are they metal, or plastic? They look VERY plastic to me, and if that’s the case, I can’t figure out why they’re so pricey.
In terms of Q-Factor I was speaking in general, all encompassing terms (much like all facial tissue is Kleenex) as the correct nomenclature of “Tread Width” probably wouldn’t make a lot a lot of sense these days.
Either way they’re great pedals.
I have a pr. on order for one of my utility bikes. I’ll find out how they work in the snow of northern Wisconsin all too soon
Brian, they are indeed structural plastic. I’ve not been inside them to see how the bearings are made, but they are pretty smooth for plastic pedals (I work in a bike shop, and get to toy around with a bunch of different pedals).
Their expense is a function of several things, including, but not limited to: a) small (so far) market, meaning that they haven’t gotten to the point that economies of scale enjoyed by other designs are effective (per-unit development costs are also temporarily higher), b) that’s a fair bit of careful molding to make that pedal right, c) the reflector is higher-quality than your average stuff, and d) it takes additional manufacturing steps to get that anti-skid stuff to stay on there well.
Riding these pedals, I find I don’t pull up on my SPD pedals as much as I thought. I still find myself lifting my foot off the pedal some, but at least on the upright, I tend to pedal down more than in circles (I’m better at circular pedaling on my recumbent bikes).
As a female, casual urban cyclist who came from the “clipless” world, I love my Ergon pedals. I feel like I have the proportionate power and control of a clipless ( proportionate relative to a city bike), but I can wear any type of shoes, including heels (which I will wear to ride). They aren’t going to be the same as clipless, but they aren’t meant to be. They are a pedal that will give you a good sense of comfortable control, no matter what your footwear, as you do the type of riding that more and more of the population does.
Brian, 40% of the PC2 Pedal is actually made in Germany: axles, reflectors, and the GFK pedal-body material.
The GFK material is nylon composite re-enforced with carbon and glass fiber for durability and strength. It is also a lightweight material….helping to keep the overall weight of the pedal down. This material is much stronger and able to handle the elements better than traditional pedal ‘plastics’. This GFK material is also used in the barends and clamps of select Ergon grip models.
The PC2 was a design partnership between Magura and Ergon in Germany.
MSRP is $69.99
Interesting points in the review. I guess if it matters, Ergon pedals, which are sold in more places than Urban Hipsters live, must meet European and German rules and regulations for reflectors. So, Ergon decided to make them integral with the design, instead of an afterthought. I think it is a novel, functional, and clever way to get around the rules. Besides, I don’t look at my pedals when I ride. YMMV.
I also feel that these pedals do something that IL_Commuter touched upon, and that is that the Ergon pedal removes one more obstacle to using my bicycle for…..anything, really. I mean, even if I am in stocking feet, I can go down a few blocks to the vending machine to grab a Coke. (Try that on your pinned flats sometime)
I have these pedals and I have found that I will use my bicycle they are mounted to more because of that. My feet do not slip, no matter what shoes I wear. My feet are comfortable, even if I don’t wear shoes at all. (Not recommended for everyone, so be smart!)
So, is it a pedal? Or is it something that makes me think of using my bicycle more? I would say whatever your answer there is, it may be a bit of both for many cyclists. I know it is for me.
I managed to get a set of these over the net,New Zealand is a long way from North America or Europe thay are very good. Normally I have numbness in my feet after 2 hours riding with normal flat pedals. Went for an 150 km (95 miles) ride last Saturday with no discomfort. The reflectors could be removed carefully in fact 1 reflector on each pedal has a broken clip, I’ll replace it with some 3M reflective tape.
Thanks for the review. It would be great if Ergon would include a quick-release option like the MKS EZ setup
Greetings from Holland!
I bought the Ergon PC2 pedals and put them on my commuter, seduced by the promise of maintenance free bearings and materials and ergonomic design. I go 10 kilometres one way mostly four days a week for work, so about 80 kilometres per week rain or shine. Initial pre-use observations are that the smaller thread width that these pedals should provide is a bit of a non-argument, at least compared to my previous flat pedals that lacked a positioning ridge for the shoe-inside to rest against, but paradoxically therefore allowed a closer proximity of the shoe to the crank when desired. Like Bob Smith mentioned, one reflector suffered a broken clip when I attempted to remove it. I’ll update my review when I’ve accumulated some mileage.
Hi,
I spent the afternoon bicycling around town for errands and such, and had a good opportunity to get a first feel for the Ergons. The overall and overwhelming impression is one of benign-ness; a non-hostile “feet environment” if you will. I did not feel the slight pain sometimes present during my commute in the “port side” of the left knee during the push down phase, on this first afternoon with the Ergons. The narrow thread argument is out the window, at least when wearing my AllStar-type Adidas sneakers; when I position this size 44 shoe on the L-size pedal so as to be in full contact with the crankside pedal ridge curvature, there is the sensation of pushing down on the pedal ahead of the pedal axle, resulting in a slight pedal rocking sensation. When I reposition the feet slightly to the rear for a more advantageous power placement, the resulting thread width, dictated by the ridge’s curvature is now confirmed to be wider than when using my previous truly “flat pedals”. This is nor meant to be a negative per se. The pedal grip to the shoe is very firm; works as advertised in dry weather. This, on the other hand, is not meant to be a positive per se. I say this because I’m obviously still feeling for the best foot placement, and the very good grip the Ergons provide, impede sliding the feet to accomplish this. I like the funky look of the pedals. I’m looking forward to put more hours on them with different shoes. My riding position is forward leaning, with randonneur drop bars. Frame size, 60, is probably slightly large for me, showing a good size hand width of seat post and giving a satisfying slightly stretched posture to the hoods.