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Longtime Bicycle Commuter Invents Shin-Friendly Bike Pedals with Foam Surrounds

Bumper Pedals have been successfully crowdfunded

By Rain Noe - May 24, 2023

in Bikes | UX

Most bike pedals are textured to grip the underside of shoes. That makes it unpleasant when a pedal accidentally slams into your shins. Physicist and inventor Bill Lee, who has been commuting by bike for over 30 years, grew tired of having banged-up shins; in his thinking, there's no reason for pedals to be "built for a downhill racing mountain biker in the mud when you're just trying to get to work and back." Lee thus invented these Bumper Pedals:

Rather than protrusions or serrations, Bumper Pedals rely on industrial grip tape for purchase. The pedals are rimmed with a durable foam, making them friendly to both shins and door trim.

Lee formed a company, Intrinsic Cycles, to commercialize his invention. Bumper Pedals are currently up on IndieGogo, where they've been successfully crowdfunded, with 27 days left to pledge at press time. $35 gets you a pair, and you can specify 9/16" or 1/2". They're shipping next month.

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Zach W

a year ago

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After 30 years of whacking his shin on the pedals, maybe he's doing something wrong. These only prevent shin whacks if the pedal is dead flat, which it almost never is......

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Toby B

a year ago

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Yes, these seem to be a 'solution' for not liking platform pedals, they might work in dry weather, I guess... otherwise most commuters who don't just ride short distances in nice weather tend to settle on clipless (if they can change shoes at their destination), or clips and straps/powertap etc. to keep their feet on the pedals.

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