While drinking my coffee and looking through YouTube yesterday, I came across an unusual pedal that I saw on The Loam Ranger YouTube Channel. Check it out here. After watching the video, I thought I would share it with you guys. This unique pedal design is called the Pendulum Pedal and it’s the brainchild of Canada’s Outlier.
Outlier has a motto, “Challenging the Status Quo”. With this pedal design, they are certainly living up to that goal.
Get Low, Bro
The Pendulum Pedal’s unique design puts the pedal platform 12mm below the center of the axle, lowering the rider’s center of mass by 17mm. This is different from most conventional pedal designs that place the platform 5mm or more, above the pedal axle. In most cases, a lower center of gravity adds stability to a moving object.
They say that during sudden decelerations, the pedal acts as a pendulum and swings the foot forward, cradling the rider’s foot in a heels-down position. And, in the case that you need to remove your foot, the pedal is “self-righting”.
Not Double Sided
Outlier claims that because the Pendulum Pedal’s design doesn’t require traction on both sides, they were able to make the pedals ultra-thin. At only 7mm thin at the outer edge, and smooth underneath, they say they’ve optimized the shape to “glance off of roots and rocks”.
That being said, I would think, that since the pedals sit lower, pedal strikes could be more of an issue for some.
Into the Void
There is no axle going through the pedal, leaving a big void in its place. The rider’s foot will be able to flex a bit, down into the void where an axle would normally be on a traditional pedal. That will give the pedal a concave feeling which seems like it could be exaggerated depending on how flexible your shoes are.
This could be a real benefit when it comes to pedal/shoe grip. Plus the pins look long AF.
Repairable
The Pendulum Pedal weighs in at a claimed 207g (414g a pair). The bodies are CNC’d from 7075 aluminum in Calgary, AB. Each pedal houses two oil-filled 6902 bearings, and Outlier says they are completely serviceable.
Need to Know Stuff
Outlier has some stuff you may need to know about using the Pendulum Pedal.
- We recommend these pedals for shoe sizes 7 men’s or women’s 8.5 and larger
- Please torque our pedals to 30NM
- Certain cranks and crank boot combinations may require a pedal washer
- Some customers may find themselves lowering their dropper posts into the frame to accommodate the lower ride height
- Some riders enjoy these pedals in tandem with shorter crank arms
- These pedals are designed for rider weights up to 110kg or 250lbs
Retail and Specs
Retail: $299 CAD
Round two of preorders is now open.
- Platform Size: 120x115mm
- Thickness: 7-14mm
- Platform Height: 12mm from the center of the axle
- Material: 7075 Aluminum
- Pins: 9 per pedal, M3, protrude 5.7-7.2mm (1.5mm spacer), 4 extra pins and spacers provided
- Colors: Black // Raw (Clear Anodized)
- Weight: 414g per pair
Void Pedal Too
Like the design, but want a more traditional platform positioning? Outlier also offers the Void with the same cavernous concave platform design, just with a centered platform. Like the Pendulum, these are $299 in Black or Raw.
You can get more info by checking out the link below.
