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MagLOCK is Back With a Lighter, Cheaper, and More Refined Version of their Magnetic Pedals

Written by Zach Overholt
22 Comments
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Red Pedal w Black Screws Photoshopped Resized

Not too long ago, MagLOCK thought they had a lock on the next great idea in clipless pedal technology. Imagine a system that truly offered effortless in and out of the pedals with full 360 degree power, offered infinite float, and was 100% street shoe compatible when not clipped in? While the first generation MagLOCK pedals delivered on all fronts they also weighed nearly as much as three pairs of standard pedals.

After a failed Kicksarter, Dave Williams wasn’t about to just give up and went back to the drawing board. The new and improved MagLOCK pedals drop over a pound of weight per pair and manage to drop the price in the process. This could be the magnetic clipless system you were hoping for…

Maglock 3-01

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If you remember from the original post on the MagLOCK pedal system, the pedal body was little more than a block of aluminum with a few holes machined into it. Responsible for the hefty weight of 1540g, Dave spent a lot of time redesigning the body as well as slightly reducing the magnet mass to remove 566g. The pedals still use an adjustable magnet system with zero to 10 rare earth magnets that slot into holes under the stainless steel cover plate, but the overall weight is now a much more reasonable 974g compared to 1540g of the first prototypes. That weight is with the full magnet load – without magnets the new pedals check in at 547g.

MagLOCK pedals still use a simple rectangular cleat that is SPD compatible. Attraction force can be tuned from nothing to 30-35lbs to allow those unfamiliar with clipless pedals to increase the force as they get more used to the concept. To “unclip” from the pedals, riders simply need to pronate their foot rather than twisting – a motion that MagLOCK claims is more natural when a rider is about to fall. Because of that, the pedals have infinite float. Of course you can just jump on with your street shoes and pedal as normal – assuming they’re not steel toe boots or something…

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Reduced weight and improved form and function are only part of the story as Dave has arranged for high volume manufacturing which will bring the price down substantially. Now available through the Kickstarter starting at $120, MagLOCK pedals are available in black or red anodized and will deliver around October 2015.

kickstarter.com
Zach Overholt
5,729 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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22 Comments
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Drew Diller
Drew Diller
9 years ago

Persistence pays off! I could see a v3 design shed even more weight, and the modular number of magnets makes a lot of sense toward that end.

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Scotty
Scotty
9 years ago

I don’t see 35 lbs of force holding your feet on the pedals especially when you are out of the saddle and your feet start rotating inward and outward on the pedals.

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BillBob
BillBob
9 years ago

Now this is actually a brilliant technological advance, even if it still doesn’t end up executed at 100% on this second try. The ability to have the foot retention of a clipless pedal with the quick and easy, any direction foot removal of a platform pedal is perfect for mountain biking. You also get the exceptionally wide and comfortable power transfer area of a platform pedal, but with the same efficiency benefits of an SPD clipless system. That’ll be a big improvement for the people that prefer less stiff SPD shoes and end up dealing with the slop/discomfort that comes with tiny SPD pedals.

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BillBob
BillBob
9 years ago

@Scotty – it’s still a large, wide platform style pedal. You aren’t depending on the clamping force to keep your feet on the pedals like with an SPD. You merely need the clamping force to be sufficient to keep your shoes from slipping off the pedal (which also appear to have typical platform pedal traction studs also).

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J
J
8 years ago
Reply to  BillBob

I believe he might be referring to the force built while pulling up on the pedal during its return stroke. I believe there may be a study about how much is gained by this technique… but i’m lazy.

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MM
MM
9 years ago

In a world with 510 shoes, this seems unnecessarily superfluous.

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gibbon
gibbon
9 years ago

“Maglock is back…they are still flogging a dead horse”

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Dave
Dave
9 years ago

Real improvement. Now they are only three times the weight of a pair of typical SPD pedals.

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chasejj
chasejj
9 years ago

I don’t get it. Mud buildup? I KNOW I could pull out of those babies even if they doubled the magnets. How are you supposed to exit if you have enough force to lock you down on a sprint?

Wow-Those are heavy. Good luck with that.

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craigsj
craigsj
9 years ago

This is the scourge of Kickstarter. Not long ago stuff like this would die before customers would be bothered with it. Now, everyone with a stupid idea panhandles for your cash on sites like this. There’s value in forcing a product, and a company, to prove itself viable BEFORE people pay good money.

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ez
ez
9 years ago

Some audience wants these… not any sort of XC racer (e.g. myself). I also ride in places where there’s iron in the soil. If I wear my pack with the Osprey bladder, the little magnet picks up iron filings and grit all the time.

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Scotty
Scotty
9 years ago

@BillBob – That’s only if you are not pulling up on the pedals, more like riding with flat pedals. There’s some talk on the recumbent forums regarding a similar system. They found even with 80 lbs of force, they couldn’t even keep the feet on the pedals with a disable person. They needed 150 lbs.

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Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

I don’t think anything is wrong with this pedal. Its a good compromise for mountain bikers that ride flat pedals but want just a bit more “hold” on them. I can’t stand flat pedals but plenty of good riders still use them. I think this is something they can benefit from

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Fergus
Fergus
9 years ago

Why are the screws holding the plate proud, surely these should be counter-sunk? Also the shoe shown is a poor choice as it wouldn’t really be the best option for a platform, something more like a BMX SPD shoe would be the way to go.

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JD
JD
9 years ago

Any article about these should start with “1kg pedals. Read on if interested.”
Wonder how many clickthroughs it’d get.

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BillBob
BillBob
9 years ago

@Scotty – these aren’t an SPD or Eggbeater replacement. They’re like Veganpotter said, a solution for people that prefer flat pedals but want more hold or casual MTBers that wan’t the ease of use and aren’t weight weenies.

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eric
eric
9 years ago

So it’ll hold your feet in position until you pull too hard. Like in a sprint.

If these are actually produced and used I forsee a number of product liability lawsuits.

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SYJ
SYJ
9 years ago

BillBob +1

My first thought upon seeing these is “wow…these would be a perfect transition from flats to clipless for my 11yo daughter”, not “gee, I think I’ll trade in my eggbeaters”

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Jeremy
Jeremy
9 years ago

My wife is an amputee, and this is a great option for her. She has a prosthetic for her left leg below the knee, so she has no sense of feeling on that side. I setup basically half of a cage to hold her foot on the pedal, but not lock it in and that seems to work. She has been a bit hesitant to go full clipless because she can’t really rotate her foot. She is never going to be doing any “hardcore” riding, but does some solid distance. Having a magnet to guide her foot to the correct position on the pedal, and provide some amount of holding it there is exactly what she needs.

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benito
benito
9 years ago

Assuming like all things weight will come down in time (what did the first SPDs weigh?), this seems like a great concept. If you ride platforms, and weight isn’t #1 concern, why not get the added grip? Since everyone wants to ride “Enduro” now anyway, seems like a product with some value.

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ZeGerman
ZeGerman
8 years ago

This review says it all http://singletrackworld.com/reviews/review-maglock-pedals/

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Dave Carrington
Dave Carrington
7 years ago

I use them and lover them. Due to back problems and fused discs I can’t kick my left heel out to get out of conventional clip less. I ride a road bike for fun and exercise. I am a big guy and the weight is ingsignificant in the overall of things. I am no plans to become a racer/competitive rider at my age. So I have found these to be the perfect solution for me. This is based on using them on my bike many times a week since they came out – for a year or two now. There don’t appear to be any other solutions for me.

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