# Pedals for kids



## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

What would you guys recommend for pedals for a 20" trek mt60?

Never thought about it till now as I finally get back into upgrading my sons mt60. He has some cheap aluminum welgos I had laying around that were brand new. But their big and heavy. Standard steel axle for them etc. Not looking to spend $100 but something that's lighter and a bit more suited for kids feet.



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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Plastic/poly BMX pedals. Good pricing, come in lots of colors, work great, don't hurt as much when they whack you in the shin. Unless you guys riding in a lot of wet and muddy conditions, they're the way to go.

Bmx Platform Pedals at Danscomp


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Found some welgo kc001 aluminum pedals. Judging size based off spindle size, looks to be a very small platform. I saw some origin 8 pedals a while back that I thought would be cool to have till I saw in lbs, too small for me (or most adults) so used for size reference. And they come in red.

Anyone try the welgo kc001 pedals by chance, see it platform size is what im thinking it is?

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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

Red AEST CNC Titanium Spindle TI Axle 170g MTB BMX Bike Flat Platform Pedals | eBay

not the cheapest, but LIIIIIIIGHT.

the outer edge of cage has folded in a little, but my kiddo rides hard and after quite a few crashes on the trail, plus the usual kids bike abuse, they look alot better than they should.

axles still straight and bearings (bushings, whatev) are still good.

took 2-3 weeks to get here tho.


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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

after looking at those wellgo's, i like em.

unless the 100 grams matter, id go wellgo.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

My eldest uses some AEST Ti spindle pedals - they have a great flat platform, no sharp edges. The youngest uses some slightly smaller J&L pedals. Both sets of pedals have help up well under lots of abuse.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

AESTs look nice, but pedals that pricey Ill wait till its time to get him to a 24"= racing age about that time. Then I can go all weight weenie, best I can possibly afford parts. I really liek those AESTs though  Wife will say no 

Wellgos for 30 it probably is then, still lighter and cooler than what hes got. Freaking kid is going to have a more blinged bike than me hehe.


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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

actually, until i bought my wheels from mikesee, these WERE the most blinged out bikes ive EVER built.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Very nice, awesome bikes. Thankfully my son isn't about that much bling

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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

The sad thing is, my kids could care less. 

I had half the parts ordered and found out their favorite colors had changed. 

I think they look super dope, but my girls just wanted "lots of stickers" on em. 

But at least now I have a pool of bling I can steal from.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

gotta lovethe whole favorite color changes without warning. I had to tell my boy he cant change his mind now not colors, already bought all the stuff,lol. hes cool with it though.


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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

luckily, my kids got my wife's simple taste instead of my lust for flashiness.

it was pretty funny tho, cause my (normally bling hating) wife thinks the girls bikes are super cute.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

tigris99 said:


> ...Wellgos for 30 it probably is then...


Those AEST's were around $40 off evilbay. The J&L's were even cheaper.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Wow, I'm surprised people would run that aggressive of a pedal on kids' bikes. (Looking at those AESTs) Those things do not look fun at all to take a shin-scraping (or worse) from. You own stock in Johnson & Johnson?  

Seriously though, do the kids run pads or anything along with them? Have you ever seen what one can do to flesh? I'm not some wildly overprotective dad by any means, but I wouldn't feel safe putting my 9 y/o on a set of pinned pedals with any more than a couple millimeters of protrusion and body without sharp edges, and he can jump a car. Having taken a few people for stitches from pedal whacks in the past, I can tell ya it's a crappy way to end the day, and is rumored to hurt. For a young kid, something like that might be enough to discourage them about riding in general for awhile. Not to mention give them some nice scars. 

Not that it's any of my business what anybody puts on their bikes, but it's just one of those things that when I see it, I cringe a little. Learning to ride bikes involves crashing, specially off pavement. It's inevitable; that's how we learn. No need to throw a couple meat tenderizers into the equation. Performance wise, I can't believe any kid that's not racing DH or competing in trials would really need a set of pedals with that much bite. I regularly watch people throwing backflips and flairs and such on nothing more than the plastic ones. The trails most young kids will be riding aren't going to be anything where it's worth adding the risks of pedals like that IMHO. You'll get plenty of grip from something a little less...sharp. 

Sorry to ramble, just hate seeing kids get dinged up unnecessarily.


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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

The corners are fairly rounded. The pins (on hers) are the "blunt" ones, so it's not as bad. 

My 5 year old wears full pads on the trail. 

My 3 year old likes full pads all the time (she learned to ride 2 weeks ago). 

Big sis plays soccer so she's used to it. That, and she's rail thin, so even in the height of summer she wears jeans. She's whacked her shins a cpl times, but no blood or scars. 

They're light and pretty. What more could you want?

Even the plastic ones rough you up if you hit em hard enough. I got the scars to prove it. 

But I def see your point and if it ever becomes an issue I won't hesitate to get them different pedals. Having my kids ride their bikes is def more important than bling, weight, or anything else, really.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

ilmfat said:


> Even the plastic ones rough you up if you hit em hard enough. I got the scars to prove it.


I hear ya; exactly why the screw ends make me nervous. I've seen some nasty gashes from them, and not always on the shin. Just cuz it hasn't happened yet isn't a good indicator that it won't. High potential price for bling IMO, but again, that's just me. Pads'll help though, and are definitely a great idea in general IME. I can't count how many times my kid's full face helmet and pads paid off when he was starting out.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

A few years ago, my son saw Tioga Spider web pedals and had to have em. I put them on his bike with the blunt traction pins. After he got whacked in the back of the leg a few times, he asked me to take them off. I put his plastic pedals back on. 
After a few rides, he realized the plastic pedals sucked so he went back to the Tiogas. They're going on his third bike now.


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## Spectre (Jan 23, 2004)

*Basic Plastic BMX pedals are great*

One of my kids' bikes came with really small pedals. After checking out all of the "nicer" options, I realized that having aggressive metal pedals for kids that crash a lot aren't so great. The plastic BMX pedals that come on Specialized Hotrock bikes are great. The bearings on these Wellgo pedals are decent and they provide a good sized platform without an aggressive cage that can cause damage.

Eleven81 Resin BMX Bike Pedals - LU-984 (1/2): Bikes & Riding Toys : Walmart.com
Amazon.com: Eleven81 Resin BMX Bike Pedals - LU-984: Sports & Outdoors


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

I was thinking more along the lines of something like this


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Ya there is no way I would do threaded stud pedals, those things hurt lol. Have them on my bike and not fun on bare shins, but the grip makes it worth the occasional battle scar. I'll only buy the rounded stub type studs. I just know the difference in grip from studded vs plastic, water on the plastic at all become real slick. Studded never matters what gets on the pedals, shoes stay. And son has complained about bumps and such knocking his feet off the pedals too easy.

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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

Full face AND chest plate for my girls on the trail.


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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

I run these on a cpla my loaners.

Good grip.

https://www.danscomp.com/products/465008/Stolen_Thermalite_PC_Pedals.html


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## joe_j (Feb 21, 2014)

I just got my son these. Super low profile, sealed bearings and they have reflectors. Before these, he was running a set of éclat PC platforms. They were okay, but kind of heavy and bulky.


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## 08FXT (May 3, 2012)

Great thread! Thanks for all the contributions.
I have used Gusset plastic pedals that I got from chainreaction for my two boys. One set with pins the other all plastic. Very light and durable, however the ones without pins are too slippery for my 9 years old. He's been asking for clips several times, but they grow so fast at that age that I'm not sure I want to invest in shoes.
Thoughts / suggestions?


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

My son so far is actually really happy with his pins. But being sure that its the more smooth pins for him to keep him from getting cut up.

Personally no clipless used on any of my bikes, and for trails no way id let a kid use them unless he is solid skilled on the trails. If yours is comfortable to that point, dont buy high end shoes, kids are alot less affected by the finer details. Find some shoes hat are comfortable for him but aren't pricey.

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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

my 3 yr old tried one handing on a curve just now.

let's just say im starting to 2nd guess my choice in pedals.

luckily her sweat pants are pretty thick, so only a nasty scrape. if she had been wearing shorts, she'd have teeth marks.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

08FXT said:


> Great thread! Thanks for all the contributions.
> I have used Gusset plastic pedals that I got from chainreaction for my two boys. One set with pins the other all plastic. Very light and durable, however the ones without pins are too slippery for my 9 years old. He's been asking for clips several times, but they grow so fast at that age that I'm not sure I want to invest in shoes.
> Thoughts / suggestions?


You can usually find some decent deals on kids size shoes on BMX websites. Obviously there are pitfalls to buying without trying them on first, and there are limited sizes available for clearance stuff, but they're pretty good about returns in general.

Shoes - Clipless Shoes - J&R BMX Superstore - BMX Bikes, Parts and Gear- Custom Bikes and Wheels - BMX Shoes for clipless pedals at J&R


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## 08FXT (May 3, 2012)

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'll have him try platforms with pins before going clipless. 

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## cboyd1974 (Sep 7, 2012)

My son was having problems with his feet slipping off his pedals for a while. I switched over to SINZ Mini Platform Pedal. Aluminum with about 6 pins in them. He hasn't had a problem with them at all. Even when the pedal hits him, it barely leaves a mark. About 340g and cost us under $30 shipped.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

got the welgos, kc001s. Worth a try for $30. Nice and LIGHT!!! Look good and boy so far loves them, his feet dont slip anymore and he loves they are red!!!

See how they do in a few weeks when trails open, but bit of weight savings, his feet stay better and he likes them I call it a win so far.


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## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

wore shorts for the first time with my new pedals:

Deity Compound Pedals > Components > Pedals > Platform Pedals | Jenson USA Online Bike Shop

i get the concern now.

the girls pedals have the "blunt" pins, so bruises and scrapes.

the skinny pin ones are SHARP!!!!!


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## indianadave (Apr 27, 2010)

My 8 year old had Sinz mini BMX pedals on her bike. Rides it a lot, and fortunately hasn't had a shin/pedal conflict yet.
She is the one who first requested better pedals. She told me on one ride that her feet kept slipping off the pedals and she needed some better ones.


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## 08FXT (May 3, 2012)

Found a deal on jensonusa for some shimano shoes MT32L in size 38 for $25 plus pedals PDM530 at $30. My son has been bugging me so much that I'll try him out on clipless. We'll see how it goes.


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## paulski1966 (Jun 10, 2013)

My sons bike runs HT nylon pedals - they're real grippy, provide a very large platform and the nylon pins are a lot more gentle than the ali ones although he doesn't ride in shorts. They can also be picked up for a reasonable price.


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## 08FXT (May 3, 2012)

Wow that is one nice little bike! 

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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Aight heres pedals on the bike. Nice size for him, light weight too so im happy.


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## Fourstringsquire (Aug 12, 2012)

I put my son on a set of Primo Plastic platform pedals. Fairly light and plenty of traction for his little foot. I'm with a lot of you and don't want my son to get a shin full of pins too early in his mtb career. I figure I'll let him make the decision when he feels he needs more grip.


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