If you would like to purchase a set of Catalyst pedals, consider using this affiliate link. These pedals RIP! I liked them so much, I bought 3 sets for myself. You can try the pedals, and if you don't love them, you can send them back for a full refund. bit.ly/catalystpedals
Been using them for years, love them. still going strong, but wore down the paint and plenty of scrapes. Anything apart from mid foot position or around 1cm to the back, anything further pack and it's unstable. And regular pedals don't cut it for me. To help with ankles and feet even more I recommend ankle braces, I use Space Brace 2. My ankles are very unstable, which caused pain, I think I twisted my ankle on a hike up a steep section. hurt for a 2 months, one month before I could walk without the new braces I bought.
I agree with how bigger is better…I use the Kona Alloy Wah Wah II (120 long x 118 wide). They’re only 20mm less long, but 20mm wider (!) than the catalyst pedals. I’m a bit duck footed so the extra width allows me a comfortable foot position I can never get with narrower pedals (the catalysts may be too narrow for me), and I get most of the benefits of a longer platform. I do a lot of small drops, sidehits and general goofing around , so proper foot support is important!
Basically, if you take small drops with some speed and pop/push over them, it ends up being less jarring than rolling with front wheel first then rear wheel. You can do the same in janky sections--pop off one root to clear a bunch of others (you only need a few cm of clearance). It can work in rock gardens too. You sort of pop off one rock and float over some of the other jank. Have a look at the difference of the section I take at the 0:15 second mark vs the 0:42 second mark--committing to floating off the drop smoothened out the whole section.
I currently use the chromag dagga with my US12 size shoes, I usually have softer skate shoes because I wrap my feet on the pedals when I ride, more monkey than jumping marsupial... I'm 40 and I didn't feel the need for bigger pedals ever but I'm still curious just to know what it feels like, it would probably affect me less I run also a lot and I'm always on the tip of my toes...
Funny, I'm a 40 year old man from Norway who just bought a pair of Chromag Dagga's from Canada, which I love. I'm Also a size US12, and so far the Dagga's pairs best with my Five Ten Freerider and Impact shoes.
I'm internet famous! Thanks. I personally do not jump or do drops, however the catalyst pedals make me feel more planted on the bike, which in turn makes me more confident. Maybe I'll try a jump or drop in the near future.
i'm still waiting on a pedal thats atleast 12cm wide because I do have 12cm US15 / EU49 shoezise and it feels I always slip to the outer side because my wide feet never really stand on the pedal....
Have you tried pedal extenders? They helped me a lot. One of the best upgrades on my bike. Catalyst pedals are an even better upgrade. I run Catalysts with extenders.
Definitely not pedals for trials, but for slow sections or general technical climbs, they're fine. I'm not a bunny hopper so not the best to comment on that. You can place your foot wherever you want, so I imagine in the context of Enduro or DH, they'd be fine for it.
@@IDoBluesThanks for taking time to answer. I am curious about this pedals but as was think if it would throw my balance off. I do a lot semi trials slow stuff. I saw your video it seem nice when you blast down those mtb trails. I do 50% just exploring trails which is kept almost at walking speed because they are not really speed friendly =) More game and maintence trails through swedish wood and some half steep trails
For sure. But then you have to sometimes hike challenging sections of jank or navigate busy lines at the brewery post-ride with stiff shoes (both which suck) and you don't get the benefit of having the option to ride with the axle sitting more centered. Plus, with stiff soles on flat pedals, you lose some grip & feel.
It's fine that you like big pedals and appreciate extra support under your feet, but don't bullshit us. Looking at the image at 2:29, it should be very obvious that you can position the axle further back on your foot with normal sized pedals too..
@@Finnspin_unicycles I struggle in the steeps & rough stuff with small pedals too far back. Feel way less controlled if I don't have something to push against under the balls of my feet. And landing huck-to-flats with a small pedal sitting axle center is tough on the feet--bio-mechanically for sure, but maybe your feet are tough as nails. I just don't see the downside to having more platform and pins up front with that position--only upside. Made a huge difference in how aggressive I could approach more challenging trails. Could you imagine snowboarding with a binding platform that sat 1/2 a foot length? I guess you could, but why? But if small pedals sitting axle centered works for you, who am I to say differently.
@Finnspin_unicycles Yes you are right. A rider can position a short pedal in the center of the foot. And it is better than having the axle under the ball of the foot - absolutely. However, the Catalyst gives way better support. Imagine wanting to jump over a fallen tree (remove the bike from this scenario). If you can clear the tree and land solidly in balance on the other side, you would win $100 million dollars. The starting and ending spots are flat ground. You have a choice of using just your shoes or gluing a 2" high x 2 " long piece of wood to the bottom of each shoe. Which do you choose? That is similar to riding Catalyst pedals versus standard length pedals.
Rehab, old man pedals, which is fine, but don't try to sell this as the messiah. Just try to bunnyhop with the pedal axle under the middle of your foot... it's comfortable because it's lazy, planted, stable. The problem is: your sport is an extreme sport, nimble, fast, agile, dangerous...and not comfy or safe
Disagree. If you want to bunny hop, you can ride axle forward like a more traditional pedals (if that suits you). No gear is for everyone, but I bet loads of MTBers would appreciate what these can do for them. I'd argue because the sport is extreme, nimble, fast, agile, dangerous, using gear that helps add stability and a planted feel isn't lazy at all. It's smart. If you ride clipped in, these aren't for you. If you ride flats and aren't bunny hopping and wheeling your way down the trails, these might really surprise you.
@thomas930409 I wonder why people feel the need to broadcast their willful ignorance by posting uniformed opinions. The foot action during a bunnyhop is exactly the same regardless of the pedal size - until the landing. Only a moron would claim that having just the front of the foot supported is superior for landing. Speaking of comfy and safe, are you afraid to test your old notions by trying something new? Or maybe you are a sheep-like slave to fashion and your group's leader has not yet made the switch?
@@IDoBlues I'm going to disagree with you a little here. I run Catalysts. I hop, drop, manual, jump, pop up ledges, etc just fine. I don't need to move my feet from the axle-centered position for any reason. There is one scenario where I do reposition my feet. When I'm on a long, boring, seated climb I will move my feet forward so that my heels are above the pedal spindles. That makes my pedal stroke more glute-driven, making the climb easier and giving my quads a rest. Quads do most of the work when pedaling while off the saddle, which is how I ride whenever I'm on fun terrain.
If you would like to purchase a set of Catalyst pedals, consider using this affiliate link. These pedals RIP! I liked them so much, I bought 3 sets for myself. You can try the pedals, and if you don't love them, you can send them back for a full refund. bit.ly/catalystpedals
Been using them for years, love them. still going strong, but wore down the paint and plenty of scrapes. Anything apart from mid foot position or around 1cm to the back, anything further pack and it's unstable.
And regular pedals don't cut it for me. To help with ankles and feet even more I recommend ankle braces, I use Space Brace 2. My ankles are very unstable, which caused pain, I think I twisted my ankle on a hike up a steep section. hurt for a 2 months, one month before I could walk without the new braces I bought.
I agree with how bigger is better…I use the Kona Alloy Wah Wah II (120 long x 118 wide). They’re only 20mm less long, but 20mm wider (!) than the catalyst pedals. I’m a bit duck footed so the extra width allows me a comfortable foot position I can never get with narrower pedals (the catalysts may be too narrow for me), and I get most of the benefits of a longer platform. I do a lot of small drops, sidehits and general goofing around , so proper foot support is important!
My son uses the Wah Wahs and loves them. You can also get XL Catalysts that are wider & longer designed for shoe size 12+.
awesome suggestion…. but tell us more about “floating” i kind of roll everything right now
Basically, if you take small drops with some speed and pop/push over them, it ends up being less jarring than rolling with front wheel first then rear wheel. You can do the same in janky sections--pop off one root to clear a bunch of others (you only need a few cm of clearance). It can work in rock gardens too. You sort of pop off one rock and float over some of the other jank. Have a look at the difference of the section I take at the 0:15 second mark vs the 0:42 second mark--committing to floating off the drop smoothened out the whole section.
I currently use the chromag dagga with my US12 size shoes, I usually have softer skate shoes because I wrap my feet on the pedals when I ride, more monkey than jumping marsupial...
I'm 40 and I didn't feel the need for bigger pedals ever but I'm still curious just to know what it feels like, it would probably affect me less I run also a lot and I'm always on the tip of my toes...
The Catalyst also come in an XL size for size 12+. Longer and wider. Makes even more sense to give them a try if you use a softer soled shoe.
Funny, I'm a 40 year old man from Norway who just bought a pair of Chromag Dagga's from Canada, which I love. I'm Also a size US12, and so far the Dagga's pairs best with my Five Ten Freerider and Impact shoes.
I'm internet famous! Thanks. I personally do not jump or do drops, however the catalyst pedals make me feel more planted on the bike, which in turn makes me more confident. Maybe I'll try a jump or drop in the near future.
Thanks for that comment Moose!
i'm still waiting on a pedal thats atleast 12cm wide because I do have 12cm US15 / EU49 shoezise and it feels I always slip to the outer side because my wide feet never really stand on the pedal....
Kona alloy wah wah 2 (found in another commentary)
Ya, even the XL Catalysts aren't 12 cm wide--they come in at 10.5 cm. Sounds like the Wah Wah 2's might be what you're looking for!
Have you tried pedal extenders? They helped me a lot. One of the best upgrades on my bike. Catalyst pedals are an even better upgrade. I run Catalysts with extenders.
How do these feel like when you do bunny hops or balane and more technical slow stuff ?
Definitely not pedals for trials, but for slow sections or general technical climbs, they're fine. I'm not a bunny hopper so not the best to comment on that. You can place your foot wherever you want, so I imagine in the context of Enduro or DH, they'd be fine for it.
@@IDoBluesThanks for taking time to answer. I am curious about this pedals but as was think if it would throw my balance off. I do a lot semi trials slow stuff. I saw your video it seem nice when you blast down those mtb trails. I do 50% just exploring trails which is kept almost at walking speed because they are not really speed friendly =) More game and maintence trails through swedish wood and some half steep trails
Catalysts are excellent for slow, technical riding. They will not throw your balance off. In fact, they will enhance your balance.
Moral of the story is don't be a Kangaroo. Be Chris 😂
Spoken like the Dalai Lama himself.
Maybe getting stiffer shoes would also be helpful?
For sure. But then you have to sometimes hike challenging sections of jank or navigate busy lines at the brewery post-ride with stiff shoes (both which suck) and you don't get the benefit of having the option to ride with the axle sitting more centered. Plus, with stiff soles on flat pedals, you lose some grip & feel.
They have a new model that is lighter (for those who do care about grams).
It's fine that you like big pedals and appreciate extra support under your feet, but don't bullshit us. Looking at the image at 2:29, it should be very obvious that you can position the axle further back on your foot with normal sized pedals too..
Position those small pedals that far back and you lose loads of grip & control. No bullshit.
@@IDoBlues works just fine for me, no loss in grip 🤷
@@Finnspin_unicycles I struggle in the steeps & rough stuff with small pedals too far back. Feel way less controlled if I don't have something to push against under the balls of my feet. And landing huck-to-flats with a small pedal sitting axle center is tough on the feet--bio-mechanically for sure, but maybe your feet are tough as nails. I just don't see the downside to having more platform and pins up front with that position--only upside. Made a huge difference in how aggressive I could approach more challenging trails. Could you imagine snowboarding with a binding platform that sat 1/2 a foot length? I guess you could, but why? But if small pedals sitting axle centered works for you, who am I to say differently.
@Finnspin_unicycles Yes you are right. A rider can position a short pedal in the center of the foot. And it is better than having the axle under the ball of the foot - absolutely. However, the Catalyst gives way better support. Imagine wanting to jump over a fallen tree (remove the bike from this scenario). If you can clear the tree and land solidly in balance on the other side, you would win $100 million dollars. The starting and ending spots are flat ground. You have a choice of using just your shoes or gluing a 2" high x 2 " long piece of wood to the bottom of each shoe. Which do you choose? That is similar to riding Catalyst pedals versus standard length pedals.
Rehab, old man pedals, which is fine, but don't try to sell this as the messiah. Just try to bunnyhop with the pedal axle under the middle of your foot... it's comfortable because it's lazy, planted, stable. The problem is: your sport is an extreme sport, nimble, fast, agile, dangerous...and not comfy or safe
Disagree. If you want to bunny hop, you can ride axle forward like a more traditional pedals (if that suits you). No gear is for everyone, but I bet loads of MTBers would appreciate what these can do for them. I'd argue because the sport is extreme, nimble, fast, agile, dangerous, using gear that helps add stability and a planted feel isn't lazy at all. It's smart. If you ride clipped in, these aren't for you. If you ride flats and aren't bunny hopping and wheeling your way down the trails, these might really surprise you.
@thomas930409 I wonder why people feel the need to broadcast their willful ignorance by posting uniformed opinions. The foot action during a bunnyhop is exactly the same regardless of the pedal size - until the landing. Only a moron would claim that having just the front of the foot supported is superior for landing.
Speaking of comfy and safe, are you afraid to test your old notions by trying something new? Or maybe you are a sheep-like slave to fashion and your group's leader has not yet made the switch?
@@IDoBlues I'm going to disagree with you a little here. I run Catalysts. I hop, drop, manual, jump, pop up ledges, etc just fine. I don't need to move my feet from the axle-centered position for any reason.
There is one scenario where I do reposition my feet. When I'm on a long, boring, seated climb I will move my feet forward so that my heels are above the pedal spindles. That makes my pedal stroke more glute-driven, making the climb easier and giving my quads a rest. Quads do most of the work when pedaling while off the saddle, which is how I ride whenever I'm on fun terrain.
Bro science
So true. Stay in school kids.