When I'm at IHRSA (which I was last week) I spend a bunch of time searching for the next "Big Thing" that I can share with you. What I found is a rather small and yet indispensable component of the bikes we ride - Keiser has developed a new Indoor Cycling pedal that looks awesome!
As the major point of contact, Indoor Cycle pedals take a lot of abuse in our classes. They're kicked, torqued, sweated on, rotated millions of times and rarely maintained. I can't say for certain if this is universally true, but I've gotten the impression that the OEM pedals shipped with many bikes are a bit of an afterthought = manufactures don't invest much development into the two sided (SPD/Basket) pedals they supply. They end up failing after a year or two and need to be replace, requiring a reasonably large investment - 50 bikes x ~$80.00 = $4000.00 - way too much and too soon IMO š
Feel free to correct me if there are specific instances where you feel I'm wrong about this. Ā Ā
Clubs and studios in the past wouldĀ oftenĀ replace the OEM pedals with the Schwinn Triple Link - I call them Red Pedals - that offered two sided cleat engagement for riders with either SPD or LOOK Delta equipped cycling shoes + the option for plain old tennis shoes. If you are currently using these pedals and don't have one of my Red Pedal Tools to safely and easily remove those $%^& shoe baskets, you can order one from my distributor Sportsmith.
Later SpinningĀ® began manufacturing & selling their version of the Triple Link - the TRIO. FYI:Ā The TRIO is an enormous improvement over the Schwinn pedal. The primary reason being the TRIO has much larger bearings and should offer much longer service life. Unfortunately my Red Pedal tool doesn't work with these, so I recommend purchasing the TRIO QR which includes a clever little red lever to simplify removing the shoe basket.
NOTE #1: The TRIO QR comes in two versions - here's the standard threaded version which fits everything ever made... except if you have newer Star Trac's with the Morse Taper.
NOTE #2: The LOOK Delta cycling shoe cleats found on both the Schwinn Red Pedal and Spinning TRIO pedals are pretty much obsolete - very few cyclists continue to use them. LOOK no longer manufactures pedals using the the Delta cleat - the new version is the KEO. KEO's look similar to Delta's and appear to work, however they do not interchange and attempting to use KEO cleats with either the Schwinn or Spinning pedals creates a real safety issue.
NOTE #3: Hard-soled cycling shoes with exposed cleats of any type are dangerously slippery on smooth/polished floors. I've personally gone down a few times at Life Time on their bamboo floors = they really don't belong in many cycling studios. For that reason I always encourage studios to only offer two sided pedals - SPD on one side and shoe basket/toeclip on the other.
Has Keiser re-invented the Indoor Cycling pedal?
I've gotten to know Keiser's founder Dennis Keiser over the 7 years since I first interviewed himĀ about the then new Keiser M3. Being a real gadget guy, I have have been continuously impressed by his commitment to manufacturing very high quality fitness equipment - the M3 has to be the one of the most reliable Indoor cycles ever built.
It was explained to me that this new double sided pedal was designed from scratch to be the most durable pedal ever made:
- Completely rebuildable - notice the replaceable SPD parts held together with screws, not rivets
- Corrosion resistant cast aluminum body
- Stainless steel axle is specially heat treated
- Quote from Dennis; "the best bearings we could find"
- The small angled tabs on the platform make it easy to slide your show in, but not out = improved safety.
- They even designed the pedal so replacing the strap is easy š
If I had to bet, I'd wager that these replacement pedals will outlast the bike they're installed on. No pricing information yet - I'll be sure to pass it on once a hear.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
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Thanks John for sharing your research on the pedal. Its really helpful and it would be useful read for us. Thanks for the insight.
Great Content! Keep it up!