09 November, 2012

Sabot Long Term Test


By Igor and Adrian

Adrian and I have ridden the Sabot Pedals through the summer and fall in flip-flops, FiveFingers, minimal running shoes, boots, and leather dress shoes. I’ve used them on my commuting bike, fixed gear, and singlespeed mountain bike.  They’ve been rained on, gotten muddy, stepped in poo on, and washed clean.  They have taken the abuse and loved it.

Adrian is an all year round flip flop/FiveFinger wearer who has used various platforms over the years and has had the same complaint for each set: the cutouts in the platform are too big and create painful pressure points during long rides. After riding for a couple days Adrian said, "These Sabots are a godsend". The combination of a large platforms and geometric cutouts eliminate pressure points.  The removable/replaceable pins allow for consistent grip in all weather conditions but are not uncomfortable for soft and/or thin soled shoes.


These pedals have been designed to do anything, go everywhere. The performance is great, even during long climbs on my singlespeed mountain bike. The ability to swap out the pins for more aggressive ones is a great feature for muddy conditions where serious grip is needed. 



On my fixed gear, I installed toe clips for foot retention and monster skids ensued. In addition to a standard toe clip or half clip, they also accept foot retention like these from Hold Fast or Power Grips.


The inside of the pedal body features a Cr-Mo axle mated to 3 high-end sealed cartridge bearings (2 inboard, 1 outboard) to be super smooth and take a beating. Today they still feel brand new.

These pedals just beg you to go out and ride your bike.

Stay tuned, these will be out within 2 weeks.

3 comments:

Tim K said...

Any chance you'll make a QR version or optional QR axle kit? I'd love some big stomps on my Brompton but need a way to tuck them out of the way for the fold.

VeloOrange said...

Sorry, but a QR coupling would require too much in work and to much in tooling costs to justify. I actually like and use QR pedals, but they don't sell very well.

Chris

Gary said...

Tim K,

http://www.whiteind.com/cranks/quickreleasepedalcrank.html

Here is the most elegant and versatile solution for removable pedals.