Customer Reviews

MKS Sylvan Touring Pedal Double Sided

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The MKS Sylvan Touring pedals are an excellent product. Far better quality than any similar looking pedals carried by any of my local bike shops. Their style is based on very similar touring pedals popular many decades ago. Steel axle with an all-alloy body and cage plates. These are very nicely finished and offer a good wide platform for wide feet, casual or athletic shoes and skate shoes as well as modern MTB style cycling shoes which you can also use - but without their usual SPD cleats.

I have recently taken to riding without modern MTB or Road style clipless pedals - and even without older style toe-clips and straps on some bikes. These fit my needs extremely well. They are attractive enough to use on a cherished Vintage bike and would look equally at home on your modern $3,000 Rivendell bike as well.

These are an excellent choice for a commuter bike where you may not want to bother with toe-clips and straps, and they will even work well wearing construction boots. Whereas your old school Campagnolo quill-style racing pedals were designed for toe-clips and had one proper side of the pedal to accept your shoe, these are double-sided so you can plant your shoe or (even sandal) comfortably to which ever side it lands on. That's something I really appreciate - no more fussing to correctly position the pedal when frequently stopped at traffic lights. A nice alternative to either more bulky BMX style pedals or the cheap and poorly made plastic pedals more commonly available.

The bearings which these use (simple loose balls) can be serviced if this is ever needed. The threaded alloy dust cover on the end of the pedal will remove using a vintage Campagnolo pedal tool [catalogue item #710] and although still quite uncommon in the US, MKS also makes their own (similar) small serrated wrench to remove the dust caps. - I recently found those available from www.velo-orange.com (selling for $12.50). In a pinch, you can also use a slip-joint pliers, but I think these pedals are really too nice to tear up.

The bearings may feel a bit tight as factory set. So, you can either adjust them or just leave them as they are and they will soon seat themselves for a smoother feel. Personally, I did open up my pedals as soon as they were received, adjusted the bearing cones and added a bit of grease... but, that's just because I'm a bit fussy and obsessive about such things.

These pedals should last for many thousands of pleasant cycling miles. For the price and overall quality they are one of the best cycling bargains around.

I purchased these pedals because I bought a set of strapless clips, and I needed pedals with the proper screw holes. A lot has been covered by the other reviewers. The pedals are easy to install, look very good on my bike, and even though I just used them today for the first time they seem to be of very good quality. Also the price is reasonable.

I recommend strapless toe clips to go with this. I reviewed the Delta Bicycle Strapless Toe Clips, which you can find on Amazon as well.

These pedals will give new life to an older bike. They are made by the MKS (Mikashima) company in Japan. i'm a practical type of guy. there are 3 older (and very nice and lightweight) cannondale bikes currently in my stable and i really don't need fancy cleats or pedals down under. when i'm ready to cross a busy street or intersection in my hiking boots i just want to ride like NOW, with no fiddling to worry about. these superb pedals are fairly lightweight (400 grams per pair) and are perfectly constructed. they are indeed doubled sided are are always ready. they're serrated too, so they'll cling nicely to any type of everyday shoe you happen to be wearing that day. others have commented that they are campy knock-offs. it's true, but they are well made enough to be a serious investment for cyclists. i even went to velo orange as well to get the special wrench (also made by MKS) to remove the dust caps (as well as a few spare caps) since i really think i will keep these for years and i anticipate i'll need to service them myself. i had no problem with the factory lubrication of the bearings. as soon as i put them on, they spun a dozen times around with no problem with a slight kick. good job, MKS ! still, i suppose purists can't help but to fiddle around with them and give them some fresh grease. for those of you who are intimidated by changing pedals by yourself and think you need your local bike shop to do it for you, fear not. all you need is a strong arm, a good Park 15 mm pedal wrench and 5 minutes of your time and you're in business. So, get yourself a pair and ride like the breeze...

Pedals are great on my single speed that is styled like an old english 3 speed for style and comfort. Turned an old 1984 Schwinn World Sport in to my multifunctional beast. It will serve as a grocery getter commuter and all round big boy toy with the help of MKS touring pedals. I have large size 13 feet and this wide pedal keeps long rides comfortable and enjoyable. Keep riding and if you see a fat kid of a Schwinn in the SFBay area it might just be me!

Big, wide platform touring pedals, like they used to make in the '70's. Toe-clips can be attached in desired. Great pedals, and are easy to rebuild if you want to, but will go many thousands of miles with no service at all.

I bought the MKS Sylvan Touring Pedals for my Specialized Steel Allez for commuter service. These pedals look right at home on the classic red steel frame with silver accessories. The pedals arrived with rough feeling bearings, so I overhauled them immediately. The bearings were nearly dry. Once cleaned, lubed, and adjusted, the bearings now feel like butter. I rated the purchase down to four stars instead of five because of the condition of bearings when I received the pedals. The pedals are long enough for my wide feet to be comfortable. My usual commute is 27 miles round trip, through many stop signs. These pedals grip my shoes well, so I don't miss using clipless pedals/shoes. The longest ride I've used them for was a 60 mile group ride. I was the only one not using clipless pedals/shoes. Many people commented that I would be more efficient with clipless pedals, though I finished the ride in better shape than many of the others. Goes to show that the bike's motor is more important than the pedals.

I recently bought a Schwinn Midmoor bicycle from Amazon and I wanted to put some strapless toe clips on them. Excellent bike by the way. This was impossible with the stock pedals so I bought these MKS pedals from Amazon. Bike pedals are real easy to take off. Use a 15mm open end wrench and turn both left and right pedal nuts toward the real wheel to remove. If your normal wrench is too wide, go to a bike store and get a special Park Tools 15mm pedal wrench. I thought the bearings on the MKS pedals felt a little gravelly right out of the box, so I took the end caps off and put some extra grease in them. I took the end caps off with a channel lock with masking tape on the teeth to prevent scratching the pedal. If you do this, and it probably isn't necessary, keep in mind that the bearings are loose and fall out easily. After I lubed them I can spin them about seven times as opposed to the stock plastic pedals which spun about once. My impression is that this is a really good pedal. I bought some Delta strapless toe clips on the advice of the fella from New York, and they work just fine with this pedal. Be advised that the Delta strapless toe clips wouldn't work on a shoe larger than a man's 11 though. My shoes are size 11, and they just barely fit.

I've owned these pedals for several months and have become a huge fan. They're indestructible and reliable, and give a vintage bike that true period-correct look.

If you've decided to go with pedals as opposed to clips, don't look any further. These pedals are worth every cent, and will be around for you to pass on to your grandkids.

As a commuter and occasional touring Sunday rider I prefer pedal that allows use of regular shoes. The Sylvan Touring is wide enough to accommodate my E width feet , and allows mountain bike toeclip use. It is a snap to reinsert my foot into these clips in traffic without looking. They are beautifully finished and rebuildable. They are elegant copies of classic Lyotard pedals from the golden age of French touring.

Terrific pedals for general street or commuting use. They can be improved by filing or grinding the edges to roughen/sharpen the rounded edges. Your shoes will then not slip off the pedals.