JusticeZero

I'm doing lots of research on bents still (because with my location, i'll likely end up having to buy nearly blind...) and have yet another question..
I'm worried about dropping my feet off of the pedals. A lot of people use clipless pedals, but I wear a shoe size 12EEEEEE - literally, not merely "wide" but "extra-extra-extra-extra-extra-extra wide". Pretty much ducks feet, there are only a few shoes I can wear. Specialty shoes - like cycling shoes - are not happenning stock. My feet are having trouble fitting in the clips I have right now. Is there anything like a heel clip, or a clipless OVERshoe, or a way to convert a normal shoe into a cycling shoe, or does pointing the foot slightly solve all such issues, or what?

Shaman

I hear you on the wide foot issue. I too wear about that size. I resorted to buying a pair of Lake MX101 Wide. Give Lake a call and see what they have for you. Can't loose anything by calling 1-800-804-7777. Very friendly people only wanting to make your feet comfortable.

The trick to cycling shoes is that they have a stiff forefoot. That way the pedal is spread out over the front of your foot.

I have seen some strap-on "shoe-holders" and I'll post a link if I ever find them again. Some people have literally bolted shoes to their pedals!

I ride both clipped and platform side. I make sure that I put the arch of my foot "over" the pedals and always keep my toes pointed forward (kinda like "hanging my feet of the pedals"). I do this on slow jaunts and routes I am very familiar with. The worst case is when you hit a sudden rise in the pavement. This causes the boom to go up and the legs to be forced down. That is when things get scary. And it only takes a 1" rise when your tires are up at 100psi.

I'll look for that link... but do call Lake. I think they will take returns if you haven't fit cleats to them... only size the shoe.

Shaman

Whooo... that was too easy:
First link (Pyro Platforms)
Second link (Power Grips)

I forgot about the Power Grips. Seen them at REI, BTW. Many swear by them.

Torque1st

Even if the available power grip strap wasn't wide enuf I would bet that a strap could be fabricated to fit.

ronrich

The Power Grips folk make the straps in two sizes -- one, which you would want, is a special 'long' size.

As for shoes, I also have very wide size 13 or so feet and found that Lake Sandals worked fine for me.
Of course they are designed to mount standard SPD type cleats, and you can confortably walk in them when off the bike.


Ron Richings
Vancouver, BC
Canada

teamcompi

I bought my wife a recumbent trike, and it came with something that looks very much like those pyro platforms.

At first I thought that they were a goofy thing but they can be worn with any shoes, and really keeps your foot from dropping out of the pedals, which can be a problem (for some) on a bent. If you are at all handy you could easily make a set out of some alluminum, a vise and a drill. Send me a note if you want some good pictures. The ones she has would not open up enough to get a big shoe into.

Some thing else you may want to look at are some extenders which will allow your feet to fit more onto the actual pedal rather than just onto the side, I have seen them on ebay often in the bent section.

Something else I have seen was a DIY type setup using a huge shoe that it fixed to a pedal but if you are already a size 13 finding an overshoe might require one to look at small boats....just kidding I am only a size 12....

Shaman

You are talking about knee-savers.



https://www.kneesaver.net/

Durward_Kirby

Get the Lakes. Take it from a fellow duck.

lowbike

Hello:
go with the Lakes but you may want to go with a higher end model of the mountain shoe,i have wide feet also and i wear a 48w and i also wear Lake shoes but i also race and a couple of years ago i spurged for some custom made Rocket 7"s for the [rice of over $500.00 but with these shoes when using them i donot feel ANY impact at all going through the soles, feels like riding barefoot.
Call Lake and ask for Ann.

sch

You will definitely want a longer pedal axle with that size foot and clipless
pedals as you will find that through a significant range of rotation of the
crank you will
be unable to rotate the foot enough to release the clip. I wear size 45 and on both DF and bent, there are a small range of angles of the pedal in which my toe hits the crank and prevents unclipping. Speedplay
discusses this on their website for certain pedals and shoes in the 11- 11+
size ranges and actually makes longer axles as an option. Get an axle
extender as a first priority. Might be kind of marginal for standing up on
a DF but on a bent axle extenders should not be a problem for less than
extraordinary torque. Even with the strap you have to rotate the foot
some to release it from the strap.
As to Lake, they have wide in several shoe styles and seem to emulate
New Balance in their size range and widths: www.lakecycling.com

BlazingPedals

For pedal axle extensions, you will want to look into Knee Savers.

keith-pam

The MKS Touring pedal by MKS in Japan is a replica of a very old Campy pedal . It is the widest most comfortable pedal I have found. Revendell and Ebay sell them.

MadCowMoo

I second the MKS pedals , they make them with some very fine bearing in them . I took a pair of MKS RX-1 track pedals and made new cage plates for them for my size 13 shoes . They turned out very light, lighter than most clipless pedals out there and great for a run and stop bike.
Track--pedal2.jpg

wrk101

For Revendell, try Rivendell, there web site is www.rivbike.com