Sampson has wheeled out lower prices on most of his pedals and introduced updated designs and an all-new Fondo model that pairs a wide, slim platform with SPD compatibility.
Shown above, the Fondo has a sleek road pedal appearance but uses standard mountain-bike SPD cleats. That makes it great for touring (gravel racing?) or those who just want one pair of shoes in their closet. The underside has a knurled center section to help keep your foot planted during quick starts, adding a bit of confidence during busy intersection starts. The sides are chamfered all around for a streamlined appearance and excellent cornering clearance, just like a real road pedal, but letting you rock more casual shoes during the easy rides. The best part? They’re just $99 and under 300g per pair. They use a steel axle with sealed bearings designed to last through crappy conditions, and the open platform design helps that same crap fall right through rather than gumming up your cleats.
Want something more performance oriented? And Carbon? Or Titanium? Pedal past the break for well priced options…
For 2014, Sampson’s standard pedals all get significant price drops. The Stratics Carbon/Ti pedals have dropped to just $299 per pair. Each pedal is about 95g, putting them in the range of other super lights but at a better MSRP while still offering a massive platform.
The Stratics Carbon Steel use the same composite body but with chromoly axles and a price point of just $199 MSRP. Weight is about 120g per pedal.
The S5 and S5 Light Action are 130g/pedal and retail for $129. The Light Action model gets a spring with 35% less force but plenty of adjustment. Founder/designer Eric Sampson says this lets riders dial up the tension for solid engagement but still allowing for easy entry and release, particularly good for those with bad knees or lighter riders. Win/win. He also says the platform size is a full 50% bigger than the Look Keo Max.
The upcoming FS pedal, which we saw at NAHBS, has “taken on a life of its own,” according to Sampson. If you recall, it allows for three-axis adjustments, making it a bike fitter’s dream.
“The mechanics of the system let us develop a new fitting protocol, which we are doing in conjunction with one of the best known orthopedic groups in the country,” said Sampson. “We will have some of our own equipment to facilitate precise fitting. I have also had some great conversations with the guys at Purely Custom, and the German guys with the pressure fitting tools . When we introduce our pedal into this protocol, you are able to correct mis-alignment issues almost instantly. As well, you can try a lot of different positions with watts readouts or spin-scan style readouts to maximize power! These will be coming around first of year in production forms.”
Lastly, he’s working on two new mountain bike pedals. The first of which is almost ready, the other coming around March 2014.
