Bike Pedals for Large Feet? (In-Depth Guide)
As a sportsperson, you would love to cycle on dangerous terrains and enjoy yourself.
However, having this level of enjoyment will depend on how confident you are in your bike’s capacity to pull you through.
There are several flat bike pedals for giant feet. The bike pedals come in different sizes. Eventually, the pedals can accommodate several things, including the size of the rider’s feet or the actual type of the bike in question. The primary aim of these pedals is to grant you confidence while riding.
How Do You Know What Size Pedals to Get?
There are several ways you can figure out what size of bike pedals you need. I have listed out these ways below and explained them in depth.
This way, you will know the best flat pedal for you.
#1. Measure the Pedal Thread Size
To know the type of pedals to buy, you need to have a current pedal if you want to take this step. In this step, you need to measure the tread width of the bike in question.
The best tool you can use for this process is the calipers. I would recommend using the Kynup Digital Calliper. Click here to purchase the Kynup Digital Calliper.
Note that you can use a standard ruler for this process as well. However, you will be unable to tell the accurate size of the thread.
Therefore, the calipers are a better option. Moreover, this step may not apply if you do not have a current pedal for your big feet bike.
#2. Ensure You Check the Cranks on the Bike
The cranks of any bike also give an idea of the kind of bike pedals you should purchase. Different cranks adapt to different bike pedals.
Note the following when you are picking out the size of your bike pedal:
- If your bike crank comprises three sections, two crank arms, and a spindle, you need to purchase a 9/16″ × 20 TPI pedal.
- If your bike comprises one piece of metal, which serves as a connecting dot for the bike, you will need to purchase the ½ ” × 20 TPI-sized pedals.
Alternatively, you can take the following steps to find out the best mountain bike pedals to get. They are:
#3. Determine Your Shoe and Feet Size
The truth is, you need oversized bike pedals for big feet. If you pick a small bike pedal when you have a big foot, you will be very uncomfortable during the riding process.
You may not have big feet, but your shoes are enormous. If you have large shoes, I recommend getting the oversized bike pedals.
#4. Figure out How Wide Your Stance Is
Pedal stance width is the technical term that describes where your feet naturally fall on the pedals.
A perfect stance width would involve your knees lined up directly above your feet, at the top of each stroke. Moreover, the balls of your feet should sit forward, facing the center of the pedal.
If you cannot determine your stance width, you need to contact a professional bike retailer who knows bike fitting.
#5. Ensure You Discover the Kind of Terrain You Ride
Every terrain has a different kind of obstacle, and thus, it will need a different kind of bike pedal. For instance, you will need more giant pedals if you ride along rough terrain.
Moreover, you will need small compact pedals to ride along trails and rocky climbs. These pedals should contain replaceable pins.
As a rider, if you do not know the terrain you will be working with, you will purchase the wrong kind of bike pedal, which will damage the bike pedal.
To understand your terrain, take your time to survey your environment. After that, ensure you question fellow riders in your area to find out their terrain description.
Are Bigger Pedals Better?
More oversized bike pedals are better than smaller bike pedals. In addition, more giant pedals boost your confidence when riding your bike.
Statistics confirm that several people refer to the more giant bike pedals as the best mountain bike pedals.
If you have a large foot, you will need the bigger MTB flat pedals. Note that MTB refers to mountain bike pedals.
Fortunately, you can refer to the bike pedals as contact points, which allows you to replace them.
Also, more giant pedals assist riders in finding their footing while riding. Footing refers to maintaining strict contact with the bike pedals no matter what.
Therefore, you can agree with me that it is safer to use more oversized pedals.
Using a more oversized pedal can also help you deal with lethargy. With a more oversized pedal, you can easily adjust your pedals and be very comfortable.
Once you are comfortable, you will likely not tire out soon. It’s no wonder that riders consider the more giant MTB pedals as the best flat MTB pedals.
You need to note that if circumstances tend to favor using the small pedals, then ensure that you do so. Despite the more giant pedals being better, there are exceptions to this case.
In the end, it is a subjective matter and depends on your research and observation.
Are There Different Size Bike Pedals?
There are several bike pedals of different sizes. The most popular sizes are the 9/12 × 20 TPI and the ½ × 20 TPI. We shall discuss each of these sizes extensively:
- The 9/12 × 20 TPI-sized pedal- You can also interpret the size of the pedals to be 14.28 × 1.27 mm. Note you can interpret this as thread per inch.
You can find this size of the pedal on the big branded mountain bikes and road bikes. A lot of bikes today have the 9/12 × 20 TPI-sized pedals. - ½ × 20 TPI-sized pedal- You can also interpret the size of the pedals to be 12.7 × 1.27 mm. You use these pedals for small-sized bikes, like children’s bikes and cheap adult cruiser bikes.
- 0.55 × 20.32 TPI-sized pedal – You can also interpret the size of the pedals to be 14 × 1.25 mm.
Unfortunately, you can not find these pedals in the marketplace anymore. Instead, you can trace these bikes’ pedals to the old-styled French bikes.
How Wide Should Bike Pedals Be?
Technically, a standard bike pedal should be 53 millimeters. You need to note that while pedals should be broad, extremely wide pedals are not safe for any rider.
You tend to face the following consequences if your bike pedals end up being too wide:
- First, there is a high probability that you will encounter more obstacles.
- There is a high probability that your pedals will draw a lot of dirt.
It all comes down to understanding the size of bike pedals that will be comfortable for you and sticking with that.
Conclusion
When picking your bike pedals, there are several factors you need to consider, which will lead you to choose either the big-sized or the small-sized pedals.
However, I recommend the oversized pedals as they are comfortable and give you confidence while riding.
However, if circumstances favor the smaller bike pedals on your end, then get them.
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