No experience riding or walking barefoot here, but just for an alternative selection, the first pedal that came to mind when you mentioned riding barefoot were the Avenir Comfort Pedals, which come stock on a number of the bikes which we sell at the shop where I work:
http://www.rei.com/product/814835/avenir-comfort-bike-pedals-special-buy Now, these are nowhere near the quality of MKS or the nicer VP options, but on the flipside, you could probably buy a lifetime supply for the cost of a premium pedal. But for riding barefoot these are what i would choose: big, resin pedal body with plenty of surface area, with a nice, firm rubberized coating. Rounded edges, and no pins to remove or gaps to fill. They're an Avenir product so any LBS that sells Raleigh or Diamondback bikes would most likely have them in stock. Also widely available on Amazon, etc. On Friday, April 19, 2013 6:27:37 AM UTC-7, Deacon Patrick wrote: > > Question upfront: how barefoot friendly are the pedals you ride? I'd love > input on all pedals, but am specifically wondering about both the VP thin > Gripster and MKS Grip King Rivendell offers. > > Relavant détails: > -- I ride barefoot or in thin leather moccasins (when cold requires) > because of the increased proprioception (feedback from the feet that lets > the body know where it is in space) I require due to brain stem damage and > resultant vertigo. > -- I am possibly acquiring a second bike (fixie) and thus in need of a > second pair of barefoot friendly pedals. > -- I have and love my oak woodie Bullseye Pedals on my Hunga. These are > perhaps the ideal barefoot pedal. > -- I'm doubtful about the clip less platform pedal set up from Bike Tinker > because of the inherent, albeit slight, rotational play inherent to > clipless. > -- I live and run mountain trails barefoot or moccasined, so my feet are > well acclimated to rough/uneven surfaces; however, my experience with > pedals tells me that on rides longer than 2-3 hours, the foot gets tender > from the same pressure points. > -- The pedal to beat (aside from the oak woodies) is the MKS Touring pedal > with rubber blocks. I have a pair with the outer "rings" filed down a bit. > -- I ride mostly midfoot on the pedal. > > -- One thought on "possibly worth trying" is the Gripster pedals with a > thin Vibram soling (which I have) somehow screwed into the cleat treads > with broad flathead screws. Any suggestions here greatly appreciated. > > Thanks for your input! > > With abandon, > Patrick > > *www.MindYourHeadCoop.org* > *www.OurHolyConception.org* > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
