A solution to pedal rash, or just more Eurotrash?

It’s my first ever Eurobike and although I was told there would be some weirdness on display I hadn’t realised it was going to be so hard to identify the good ideas from the bad. I’m on the fence with this one… OK, so they’re definitely not suitable for mountain bikers, but I’m trying to decide on a good use for these. Or if they’re a good idea at all. Here we have the Moto Bicycles Moto pedals:

Custom designs available.

Yep. That’s grip tape.

At a glance, they look like a block of plastic with grip tape on. On closer inspection, they look like a block of plastic with grip tape on… HOWEVER, these pedals actually spent four years in development with a team that includes engineers from the aerospace industry. They have won a German design award, too. So let’s have a look inside:

Boom! Not just a block of plastic with grip tape on.

According to the Moto Bicycles website, the Moto pedals provide ultimate safety, optimum power transmission, and thanks to systematically reducing the number of components they’re quite light weight (claimed 320g). The sandwich build shown above is patent-pending.

15mm thick smooth edges

To summarise the concept, there are two load-bearing shells within in a wooden frame. The two shells are made of fibreglass-reinforced plastic with a honeycomb structure, providing rigidity and weight. Within the layers sits a CNC-machined stainless steel axle. You can adjust the axle length by up to 5mm.

Smooth enough to play dominoes with

Moto have intentionally avoided using any pins or metal to ~~maximise~~ minimise the risk of injury. They market the Moto pedals for City Cyclists, offering three designs. Moto Urban (RRP €155.00), Moto Colour (RRP €115.00) and Moto Reflex (RRP €55.00). Replacement grip tape is also available in a wide range of designs and custom designs are available. Who’s after some Singletrack pedals?!

Spoilt for choice

So, not suitable for us mountain bikers but great for city slickers on the go?

Want to ride your bike to ballet practice, but don’t want to crumple your tutu with a backpack of spare shoes?

Amanda Wishart

Art Director

Amanda is our resident pedaller, who loves the climbs as much as the descents. No genre of biking is turned down, though she is happiest when at the top of a mountain with a wild descent ahead of her. If you ever want a chat about concussion recovery, dealing with a Womb of Doom or how best to fuel an endurance XC race, she's the one to email.

Comments (2)

ChippsChipps July 9, 2018 at 10:59 pm

Cycle speedway bikes (now there’s a niche…) use flat pedals with grip tape too. The thought being that it’s such a crash-prone sport that the fewer things to dig holes in you the better…

Rachel SokalRachel Sokal July 11, 2018 at 9:48 am

I was recently guiding a road / leisure C2C trip where a customer had a set of these. She’d only had them a couple of weeks and one started to fall apart on the trip, that sandwich doesn’t hold together very well…

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