Bicycles

Click-in FlyPedal adapters let cyclists leave their cleats at home

Click-in FlyPedal adapters let cyclists leave their cleats at home
Fixing the FlyPedal adapter with cleats will allow it to click into your clipless pedal, meaning you can leave you bike shoes at home
Fixing the FlyPedal adapter with cleats will allow it to click into your clipless pedal, meaning you can leave you bike shoes at home
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FlyPedals are aluminum adapters designed to work with both two-bolt and three-bolt pattern cleats
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FlyPedals are aluminum adapters designed to work with both two-bolt and three-bolt pattern cleats
Early Kickstarter pledges of US$35 will put you in line for a pair of FlyPedals
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Early Kickstarter pledges of US$35 will put you in line for a pair of FlyPedals
By attaching cleats to the underside of the FlyPedal adapter, they will clip in and out of the clipless pedals in much the same way a pair of bike shoes would
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By attaching cleats to the underside of the FlyPedal adapter, they will clip in and out of the clipless pedals in much the same way a pair of bike shoes would
Fixing the FlyPedal adapter with cleats will allow it to click into your clipless pedal, meaning you can leave you bike shoes at home
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Fixing the FlyPedal adapter with cleats will allow it to click into your clipless pedal, meaning you can leave you bike shoes at home
According to the company, FlyPedals are compatible with every major clipless road and mountain pedal on the market
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According to the company, FlyPedals are compatible with every major clipless road and mountain pedal on the market
By attaching cleats to the underside of the FlyPedal adapter, they will clip in and out of the clipless pedals in much the same way a pair of bike shoes would
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By attaching cleats to the underside of the FlyPedal adapter, they will clip in and out of the clipless pedals in much the same way a pair of bike shoes would
View gallery - 6 images

Whether you're a biker who values the comfort of platform pedals or you favor the efficiency only the clipless variety can offer, there will likely have been times when you wished you had the best of both worlds. FlyPedals are adapters that can turn almost any clipless pedal into a flat surface for regular shoes, meaning there's no need to trod around on those awkward cleats when you're only making a quick trip to the shops.

Many cyclists see clipless pedals as the only way to ride, with cleats worn on the bottom of shoes clipping (despite the name) into a mechanism in the pedals to form a solid connection with the bike. While clipless pedals provide better power transfer through every rotation of the crank, the cleats, some of which protrude from the sole of the shoe, don't exactly make for the most comfortable of footwear after you dismount.

FlyPedals are aluminum adapters designed to work with both two-bolt and three-bolt pattern cleats, which according to the company will make them compatible with every major clipless road and mountain pedal on the market. Of the major models, these include all Shimano SPD and SPD-SL, models LOOK Keo, Crank Brothers Egg Beaters, Time ATAC and SpeedPlay.

By attaching cleats to the underside of the FlyPedal adapter, they will clip in and out of the clipless pedals in much the same way as a pair of bike shoes. This effectively transforms the narrow, disagreeable nature of these pedals into flat, street-shoe friendly surfaces, meaning you can leave those uncomfortable bike shoes at home.

Pedal adapters such as these have been existence for some time, though they are typically designed for specific types of pedals. It must be said, some will be just as happy to change over the pedals as they shed the lycra and make for the bar (or carry an extra pair of shoes in their bag), but the universality and easy fitting is sure to see FlyPedals appeal to some.

The team is currently raising funds on Kickstarter to set its pedal adapters in motion. Early pledges of US$30 will put you in line for a pair, though if you're looking to clip them onto either ATAC or Crank Brothers Egg Beater pedals, then you'll need to shell out another $15 for an extra adapter. Shipping is slated for July 2014 if all goes to plan.

The team's pitch video can be viewed below.

Source: FlyPedals

View gallery - 6 images
7 comments
7 comments
Bob Stuart
I still like my pedals with toe clips, and my shoes unspecialized.
Michael Brendzel
Similar products have existed since the popularization of clipless pedals 30 yrs ago.
Harvey
I use my road bike for commuting and am really partial to my Shimano A530 pedals which have a platform for street shoes on one side and SPD on the other. The only downside is that they're a little slick when wet.
http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-PD-A530-Sport-Dual-sided-Pedal/dp/B0014UG3WE
wle
blah
these are also ''specific to one pedal system'' - after you buy the cleats for your pedal system and bolt them on
what is the difference?
for about 2 minutes work you can also just change the pedals to which ever ones you really like, not just these things
wle
Glen Aldridge
I use my Shimano Combo Pedals for the convenience of being able to make quick short trips without suiting up. Seems to me this is a solution looking for a problem.
kurtjens
I assumed this was just a variation on the Winwood adapter but I guess that works only with SPD-style pedals. So I guess this fills a niche.
hawc
We need this like we need another Pontiac scheme.