Quality flat pedals? - non-SPD

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Brucey
Posts: 44517
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by Brucey »

as per earlier in the thread, MKS sylvan touring pedals. They have larger-than-average (for pedals) ball bearings and are easily rebuilt. The MKS GR9 pedals use the same kind of bearing system but with a different dustcap. If you want to use soft-soled street shoes with toeclips then then GR9s are a super pedal. But if you don't want to use toeclips then a double-sided pedal like the sylvan touring is better.

If you want something very cheap that will do the job then these VP pedals

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/vp-566-alloy-platform-9-16-bmx-pedals-silver-prod20398/

(which are DMR V8 copies) may well do the trick. I've not had this exact model but if they are as per other similar pedals they will respond well to adjustment and lubrication. Water ingress and lack of lube would be the likely killers. If you fit a lube port (and use it) and/or give the inboard bearing a squirt of aerosol semi-fluid grease (or aerosol motorcycle chain lube) whenever you think the chain needs a drop of lube, you will probably be able to run these pedals for years. You should be able to access the bearings easily enough; the dustcap should just pry out. For £6.99 (£6.99 !!) it is an experiment worth doing, I'd say.

I used a very cheap set of VP pedals (different style, similar spindles and bearings) for many years this way; I rebuilt them once (with the correct number of new balls, which they originally lacked) and just used the lube port after that. If anything, they just got smoother and smoother as time went on, despite use in all weathers. They needed to be adjusted about once every year or 18 months. A couple of times (over about a 20 year period) I used a thin lube like WD40 to flush them out before regreasing. Both operations were carried out via the lube port.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mistik-ka
Posts: 505
Joined: 5 Feb 2012, 10:01pm
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by Mistik-ka »

mercalia wrote:I have never used a platform pedal before - how do you use them?

Mount bicycle. Ride away. (In 61 years of cycling I've never felt the need for anything else.) :wink:
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by mercalia »

Well I have put in an order from Amazon for the MKS sylvan touring pedals (£19) & a dust cap spanner ( £3.90). Will be interesting if I see any difference from the ones I have been using for a long time - these days every bit of energy counts.

I looked in my junk box and do have an old MKS ( CT-Lite it says on it) that I think has ball bearings in it but cant get the plastic dust cap off to adust and quite loose so clicks.. Its that black plastic one with 4 holes on the face. certainly that one spins very free.
Brucey
Posts: 44517
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by Brucey »

IIRC the CT-lite uses the same dustcap as this;

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mks-mte-dust-cap-prod23676/

and the bearings are similar (but not identical) internally to other MKS pedals, i.e. pretty good really.

You should be able to pry the dustcaps out of a CT-lite pedal; they are a push-fit IIRC. Just jam a small flat blade screwdriver down the side of the dustcap; it needs to go down about 3mm or so, which isn't too difficult because the plastic is quite soft. Then you should be able to pry the cap out. The four holes are a bit of a decoy; you can turn the dustcap round and round using those and it won't do a thing, I think.

BTW if you have compressed air, the right fitting and are as cunning as a weasel, you can often pop push-fit dustcaps out of pedals like these. It is dead easy if you have the right fitting; however it needs to be large enough that it will slip over the pedal spindle, yet seal reasonably well on the end face on the pedal body.

MKS's dustcap info is here (scroll down);

http://www.mkspedal.com/English/MKS_padal_news.htm

If you do wreck a dustcap it is easy enough to fit a new one. I think they are £1.79 from wiggle with free delivery, so it is no biggie if you trash one really.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by mercalia »

well got it off and dismantled so now what bearing size u think these are - they look quite small?

thanks
Brucey
Posts: 44517
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by Brucey »

depending on the model of pedal, they will be most likely 1/8" or 5/32" dia balls. (I suppose you don't have verniers, right?)

Anyway, if you lay 8 in a row, touching, it'll measure 1" long for 1/8" balls or 1-1/4" for 5/32" balls.

Tip; if you have an old paperback book you don't care much about, mark 1" and 1-1/4" marks in the 'V', and lay 8 balls in there; some kind of V makes things much easier.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by mercalia »

ah that electronic thing I got for chains lol well they measure 0.122 " so 1/8?
Brucey
Posts: 44517
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by Brucey »

yup, 1/8" it is then!

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by mercalia »

well the MKS ( CT-Lite ) not a very good pedal. The seal at the crank end is made of plastic and is also the outer bearing surface, no metal at all. Not wonder I junked it and it got loose. But it was interesting taking it apart. I hope the MKS sylvan touring pedal is better made.
Brucey
Posts: 44517
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by Brucey »

really? Show us some pictures please!

[edit; should be like this;http://fatboybiking.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/rebuilding-mks-grip-king-pedals.html with a similar spindle design, but with a different bearing spacing. You can't have a cup and cone bearing at one end of the pedal and a plastic bushing at the other....]

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by mercalia »

Ive put it back together now, but may dismantle again after I try it out today. and have another look. I think I realise my mistake - I was expecting a separate cone at the crank end and only saw the seal - The crankside "cone" is built into the spindle? Any way just tried it out and as good as new, so cancel the amazon order, saved me £20. Assuming this is right the MKS-CT-Lite could also be on the good list? I see is still made after 10 years or so?
Brucey
Posts: 44517
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by Brucey »

mercalia wrote:.... The crankside "cone" is built into the spindle?


yup, that is how most (BB/cup and cone) pedals are made.

Any way just tried it out and as good as new.... Assuming this is right the MKS-CT-Lite could also be on the good list?...


yup, they are good pedals. In fact I can't think of an MKS pedal where they have completely messed up the bearing design. I know of a few where the dustcaps are lost easily, a few where the QD arrangement (EZY) gives some gyp, and a few where the cage is prone to damage, but that is about it. I guess the folding pedal bearings won't last as long as normal because the loadings are severe, but that is par for the course with folding pedals. Likewise most MKS pedals don't have full contact seals, so will let the water in if they are used in severe conditions without any subsequent TLC.

IIRC the sylvan pedals have stronger bearings than the CT-lite but the CT lite bearings are perfectly adequate for most folk and respond well to a little tlc. The only other criticism I'd make of the CT-lite is that the pedal body is one-piece; this gives a nice simple assembly but in a prang the projecting parts of the (less ductile, cast) pedal body tend to break off. Pedals which are riveted together (like the sylvan) risk that the rivets work loose but can use wrought material for the projecting parts of the pedal and this tends not to crack if the bike goes over.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
interestedcp
Posts: 380
Joined: 5 Jan 2012, 3:34pm

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by interestedcp »

mercalia wrote:Ive put it back together now, but may dismantle again after I try it out today. and have another look. I think I realise my mistake - I was expecting a separate cone at the crank end and only saw the seal - The crankside "cone" is built into the spindle? Any way just tried it out and as good as new, so cancel the amazon order, saved me £20. Assuming this is right the MKS-CT-Lite could also be on the good list? I see is still made after 10 years or so?


I have used both the MKS CT-Lite and the MKS Sylvan Touring for some years before changing to Time ATAC's on both my bikes. They are both very fine pedals with excellent finish (especially the Sylvan), and are fairly easy to service.

I used to destroy a pair of flat pedals every year until I tried the above MKS pedals. Would not hesitate to buy them again or recommend them. I think they have the right balance between price, finish, durability and serviceability.
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Regards
Brucey
Posts: 44517
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by Brucey »

interestedcp wrote: ....I used to destroy a pair of flat pedals every year until I tried the above MKS pedals. Would not hesitate to buy them again or recommend them. I think they have the right balance between price, finish, durability and serviceability.


well said sir! -that is pretty much the way I see it too.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mercalia
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Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Quality pedals?

Post by mercalia »

well the MKS-CT-Lite didnt last long - lost the dust cap :lol: so back into the junk box. not going to pay £2 + postage when it should be 50p and first class stamp. Any one know of round the house type caps that will fit? So I got a pair of the MKS Sylvan Touring pedals. The seem sturdy. I notice they are a bit rough at new. Is this normal? Should I just run them in or should I adjust and at the same time add more lube?
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