Why are magnets used instead of clipless pedals. This isn’t a joke. Surely they’d provide the stability and advantages of “pulling” the pedal on the upstroke while still allowing to dab when you’re in a spot of bother?

Is it because they’d lose their magnetism? Or are they just too heavy / expensive?

I’m fully aware I’m bang in the middle of potential Dick of the Day territory here….

quick, get yourself a kickstarter account.

Can’t see their being a magnet strong enough that could fit into a pedal size package.*

If you imagine the forces for lets say a single speed bike up a hill. Some blooming big loads.*

* I’m neither an engineer or designer and base this on nothing but guess work.

stick a nice layer of gloopy thick mud on the sole of your shoe then try and stick it to said magnet.

itll still stick but it will slide about like its on marbles.

I can think of a few downsides:
[list]
[*]To be strong enough to clip you in and be able to pull on, it’d be a strong magnet and it’d probably be very difficult to unclip. Clipless, you can twist out – magnet, you’d have to overcome the strength of the magnet.[/*]
[*]Your pedals would stick to anything steel – think car, tools, keys…[/*]
[*]Clipless pedals work well – cheap and effective. Unless magnets much better, no incentive to change[/*][/list]

I’d love to see them work though..

But the magnetic field would conflict with my power balance bracelet……

To demagnetize something you impact it.. therefore..

I also like the idea of it being an electro magnet with an emergency cut out switch on the bars. 🙂

I reckon as well as being slidey it would also be pretty heavy to be effective and fine tuning it wouldn’t be as easy either.

I think keeping the surface clean would be the biggest obstacle.

I had a weird dream about an electro-magnet you could turn on and off on a handle bar mount. Mind you, I was also riding Rampage on a fixie….

avdave2 – YES! Let the business planning commence!

Mavic EZ-ride

Mavic have already released a pair, as well as a few niche companies, but they always get terrible reviews. The problem is they just don’t hold the foot firmly enough to stop it sliding off the pedal, especially when muddy. If they were firm enough they’d be impossible to unclip, or at least harder than mechanical systems.

As far as I know the only pro that rides with magnetic pedals is BMX rider Kurt Yaeger, but that’s because he lost a leg in an accident and can’t use normal flats with his prosthetic leg.

It is certainly doable. But I would probably go a bit more involved than a simple flat magnet and a steel plate. Possibly something like the Mavic EZ-ride above but with the addition of magnets or some kind of magnetic channel.

Dirt wouldn’t worry me, nor would impacts to a huge extent (although they are brittle).

?To be strong enough to clip you in and be able to pull on, it’d be a strong magnet and it’d probably be very difficult to unclip. Clipless, you can twist out – magnet, you’d have to overcome the strength of the magnet.

Not really, slide them past each other and the N-S poles would repel so releaseing would be easy.

I reckon it could be done with some sor of mechanical ‘switch’, like some doors, the door closes, magent comes close, and pulls the bolt accross. Dissengageing would be just like SPD’s, twist the foot and the magnet moves over another ‘switch’ which pushes the binding open. I like the idea of a switch on the bars too, but why not go further, automatic dissengagement when both hands arent on the bars, easy enough to measure resistance between the grips, as soon as one hand comes off, the pedals release.

If you can come up with a material which will produce a strong enough magnet to do the job, I know some loudspeaker manufacturers who would like to speak to you.

slowoldman – I’m afraid you’ve assumed I have even the basic understanding of how things I use on a daily basis actually work

I often think how rich I’d be if I could travel back in time (to the 13th century or something) and “invent” the combustion engine or similar. I’d be rich beyond my wildest dream and hailed as a god. Then I remember I have no idea how that works, so would just be another peasant – but with a useless knowledge of Aston Villa c.1990-2014

Assuming you could find a material light enough that could generate a strong enough magnetic field to hold your foot in place securely how would you release your foot? The magnetic field would be too strong for you to simply pull your foot off, so you’re then talking about an electro-magnet so you can switch off the magnetic fiel – then you’re into electric windings and big heavy batteries. And at the end of the day what problem are you trying to fix? I’m not sure what is cronically wrong with modern clipless pedals.

And at the end of the day what problem are you trying to fix?

This^
Off the top of my head, I’d think that by the time you’d solved the problem of how to stop your feet sliding off sideways and how to release, you’d end up with something heavier, more complicated and less dirt tolerant than normal clipless pedals but with no obvious major advantages and a few disadvantages.

OK here we go. A magneto generating electricity for the electro magnetic pedals. This would obviously be pedal powered, meaning the harder you pedal, the stronger the magnetic field, the better your feet stick. Just what’s needed. Send me your £100 deposits now.

A magnetically operated catch could work nicely. Until it broke.

avdave2 – YES! Let the business planning commence!

As well as the handlebar release I have been testing the sphincter release which automatically responds to scary bits. If anyone would like me to send them mine for further evaluation let me know

I have one thanks. It’s very efficient.

Slightly OT but you can buy Audi’s(other brands are available) with magnetic dampers.

Is there potentially a niche here for the same kind of technology to be utilised on MTB shocks or would it be weight cost prohibitive?

‘Goes away to scratch chin, rub forehead and ponder awhile’

Cannondale already there with their Simon thing I think.