Kat’s DMR V8 pedals were a perfect colour match to our tandem frame.
Unfortunately their function has been less than perfect after developing a click after about 2500km which we cannot shake. Even a rebuild won’t get these back on track. As a result, I cannot recommend these pedals at all for long distance touring.
The Why
– Grippy enough for flat pedal touring, but not too spiky that you will tear up your shins.
– Available in SO many colours.
The Why Not
– Click developed after 2500km meaning that these colourful pedals are unfortunately not touring worthy.
Price
$50 USD
Similar products:
– Shimano MX80 Saint pedals
– Shimano MX30 DX pedals
Sorry to hear that… So what do you have/recommend instead?
From most accounts, the Shimano DX pedals are the ones to go for.
A ‘click’ is probably nothing more than a cracked bearing, which is a pretty normal thing to happen on tour. Simple repair job, thankfully. 52x 1/8″ ball bearings and some grease 🙂
We’ll have to give it a go when we get back home – cheers Tom! 🙂
I have Shimano PD-MX80. As it turns out, they are not very good for biking either. After 3000 km, they’ve got significant side play. Also, a dust seal on one of the pedals broke down into pieces. It means more dust and dirt will get inside starting from this moment. I handed them over to a mechanic guy, who said they have a needle bearing inside resting on plastic spacers. These spacers wear out pretty quickly. As a result, we have a side play. These pedals are not planned for pedalling, the mechanic said. They are mainly made for standing on them, e.g. downhill. That’s why they wear so quicky.
These spacers and dust seal ring are not sold separately, only the whole internal axle block starting from 12 $ per piece depending on the internet shop. Which makes 24 USD for 2 pedals. Almost half the price of a new pedal set. I hope they will run for a couple of thousands kilometers till they die.
If DMRs are not good, I thinking about Crankbrothers 5050. Not too many decent choices for a price tag below 50$.
The DMR Vault pedals are the only platforms pedals that don’t make me wish I was using SPDs. If not the largest platform out there, pretty close to it. I have done one shorter tour on them (about 500 miles) and a lot of commuting and still quiet and smooth. No clicks!