Clipping in when out on the trails can cause people problems. Especially if you’re used to flats, bailing with your feet mechanically locked to your pedals can create problems of the ouchy ouchy hurty hurty variety.
Enter the MagLOCK.
The MagLOCK is, essentially, a clipless bike pedal – which isn’t a new idea exactly (duh), but these pedals are different; they have rare earth magnets! Woo!
Essentially, it’s a flatty with a twist. There’s a steel cleat, which connects to a variable number of rare earth magnets, so you can alter the force required to break the bond.
The creator, David Williams, thinks that a lower level of magnet to steel attraction would suit a newbie who could then work their way up the levels. But at FULL MAGNETIC POWER, there is approximately 14-16 kg of attractive force. Which is enough to lift most bikes – you could keep attached during airtime, and potentially pull up on climbs too.
To detach from the pedal, a rider would simply have to twist their foot, similar to normal clipless pedals. It remains to be seen how long the magnets last, and how they’d fare in British glop – the attractive force is exponential, so if they were slathered in muck and grom there would be less magic stuff to hold your feet on to the pedals.
With Kickstarter stories there’s a danger of making them seem a bit too ‘advertisey’, but when a Kickstarter already has a third of its funding in just one day, you can see why we’re genuinely intrigued by this one. I’ll admit we were initially sceptical, but.. well, the video – which is largely riders talking about it – is pretty convincing. Of course, it’s America, so the weather’s lovely…
You can check out more details here.
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I really like that. But they weigh almost a kilo!
However did this come to light, STW? 😉
Gofasterstripes – A press release, would you believe. Why, has something else happened? *blinks*
There was a spammy thread started yesterday purporting to come from a new user asking if these pedals were any good. I think the mods have already deleted it.
Are you telling me bikergirl25 was a lie?
Curses!
Hmmm, nice idea, but I’d rather have my pedals one flavour or the other.
Best get the polarity of the magnets right or it’ll be a repellant proposition….
..think of the fun hovering over the pedals – anti-gravity!!!!