Cycling UK Forum

one of the most common gripes is that pedals simply are not wide enough for people with wide feet and/or wide footwear. If you want a wide platform pedal to use it might be worth seeking out some specialized touring pedals



no longer made but appear used from time to time. They use MKS cup and cone bearings with an added lip seal on the inner bearing. They are some of the widest and most comfortable pedals ever made; the platform sticks out 4-1/2" from the crank. Not perfect but not far off according to those that use them. The usual problem with them is that the end of the pedal breaks off in a prang.



Some old MTB 'beartrap' pedals are almost as wide.

cheers

Hi,
Yes wood is a very good material to use for knocking something up really quick.
It's easy to machine I mean cut with a hacksaw drill file chisel whatever.
It's also easy to glue back together/screw.
When done And painted et cetera it will look like the real thing for asthetics, It could even be made to be usable for a short time.
When faced with bending a section of aluminium into a compound curve, I simply made a former out of wood smaller diameter of course to allow for spring back.

There are many free modelling software packages out there, it wouldn't take you long to get au fait to be able to knock up a suitable looking design.
Especially if you use your computer a lot and have some patience.

Some people use polystyrene foam rather than wood for this sort of modelling. I recommend trying both and seeing which you prefer.

Jonathan

South West London? In the past I was involved in Brunel University's "Made in Brunel" design competition as a project sponsor, and saw some really great high-quality designs coming out over the years. There will likely be a trade-off - if you want to keep everything to yourself, then you will need to pay the going rate for getting prototypes designed and made. If you want to get someone to work with you without paying them, then they either need to do it purely out of interest (so this forum was a good place to ask!), or there may need to be a share of risk and reward (A.K.A. "you don't get owt for nowt") - even with student projects.

Anyway, have a browse around the Made in Brunel website and see what their students have produced in the past, like these cycling-related projects I found on a quick scan:

http://portfolio.madeinbrunel.com/2015/ ... and-cleat/
http://portfolio.madeinbrunel.com/2012/ ... uspension/
http://portfolio.madeinbrunel.com/2015/ ... pton-bike/
http://portfolio.madeinbrunel.com/2014/ ... /presense/
http://www.brunel.ac.uk/student-project ... -frame-kit

If nothing else it will cheer you up about the next generation of product designers that is being trained in the UK.

Jdsk wrote:Some people use polystyrene foam......

A friend spent months making full-size mock-ups of different designs of operator workstation for a large telecommunications company out of polystyrene. In the storms of 1987, the windows of the room where they were being exhibited blew in and he came in after the storm to find the room ankle-deep in shredded polystyrene. Wood is better in high winds

Thank you everyone.

So many good points and things to consider and delve into.



Not sure if that emoji is correct in saying "I'm overwhelmed in a good way with so much good information".

Lol I was just thinking polystyrene would make for a cheap and easy first few attempts!

I'm no engineer (and I don't want the job) but I can "shed-geneer" bits and pieces for my bikes with relatively simple hand tools. Vise, hacksaw, files, battery drill will get you started with all sorts of things. I can't weld, but I can silver solder (relatively small) stuff with a blowtorch...a grinder is useful as well.
There is nothing like trying to make something to let you see the pitfalls.

You could find a hobby CNC router chappy who could cut your design out of a block of hi density polyethylene.

Sealed bearings to suit.

Then wrap alloy bar round and cut grips to suit.

Just a thought.

Cheers James

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
My pedal ideas are to do away completely with the clipped in design.[snip]

Good luck.

Velobase is your friend for prior art. Phil Wood, CHP* pedals (*California Highway Patrol)
http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... e&Enum=109

Vorpal wrote:

531colin wrote:There isn't much a skilled man can't weld together.

And a skilled woman can do even better

Sexist comment , where's a moderator when you want one.

Vorpal wrote:

531colin wrote:There isn't much a skilled man can't weld together.

And a skilled woman can do even better

The difficulty is locating her, likely she is off in the Norwegian fjords or some other far flung place.

Brucey wrote:I'm all for 'having a go' with prototypes, whether the thing is fabricated by welding, or even whittled from wood.

I absolutely agree. One benefit of making a proto out of wood (or maybe better still a plastic) is that any weak points can be more readily identified. A 3D printed part can be useful - load it up and see what breaks, improve shape or thicken and try again. This of course could end with a series of breakages and an ever- thicker part, but you get my drift (I hope). i agree it's possibly been done before, most cycling advances are improvements of materials (the good ones) of old ideas or marketing-led (arguably the poor ones) these days