Tech Thursday: Ekoi Develops New Take On The Clipless Pedal

Of three important touchpoints on a bicycle, pedals are obviously the most essential. Without pedals, you’d have to use your feet to somehow give yourself forward movement. Picture the Flintstones cartoon and you’ll get what I mean. Historically, in the sport of cycling, there are two major types of pedals.

One is flat platform pedals that have two sides, much like the pedals you see in the image above. The second is clipless pedals that require a shoe and cleat system, and this is the one most dedicated cyclists, amateurs, and pro riders are familiar with. Ekoi has invented a new pedal, cleat, and shoe system that could improve and change cycling for years to come.

Who Is Ekoi and What Do They Do?

Ekoi is a French company based in Fréjus, France, not far from where Paris Roubaix (the “Hell of the North”) takes place. It was founded by Jean Christophe Rattel in 2001. It is considered a major player in the European cycling equipment market.

Ekoi makes and distributes clothing, helmets, sunglasses, and (very soon) pedals. It claims it is a direct-to-consumer brand, a “pioneer in direct Internet sales” that cuts out the middleman and offers high-end equipment at competitive prices that are 30% to 40% less than the competition.

The brand entered the pro peloton in 2008 by sponsoring the Agritubel cycling team in the Tour de France. Currently, Ekoi works with four pro teams with a preference for supporting and sponsoring French riders and French teams.

History of the Bicycle Pedal

Pedals were first developed and then added to the Laufmaschine (running machine) in 1864 by Pierre Michaux, a carriage maker based in Paris. Then, in the 1970s, the platform or flat pedal was developed. It was a flat pedal made of metal or plastic with two sides.

Eventually, a cage system that became known as the “Quill Pedal” was developed. “It consists of a main axle section that is attached to the bicycle crank arm and contains extensions from the axle to which parallel cage plates are attached at the front and rear of the pedal. To use the quill pedal, the cyclist pushes his foot against the platform formed by the parallel cage plates.”

In 1895, Charles Hanson invented what we all know as the “clipless pedal.” But it was Cino Cinelli with his M71 pedal who developed the plastic cleat. A cyclist would have to secure a cleat to the shoe, then he would push his foot forward (or “clip in”) to the pedal and it would lock his foot in place.

By 1984, the French company Look developed a more advanced cleat and pedal system based on its downhill snow skiing binding. Bernard Hinault used the system for the first time in the 1985 edition of the Tour de France, which he won, and then the “clipless pedal” system gained acceptance among racers.

Ekoi’s New Prototype Pedal and Cleat System

Over the years, the bicycle clipless pedal has evolved and become more sophisticated but basically retained the same principles of design established by Look. Today, pedals can have one side, two sides, or multiple sides like in the “Eggbeater” pedal developed by Crank Brothers.

A rider would have to use a shoe specifically designed to accept the cleat system, which would be either two or three screw holes. Cleats are either made of metal or plastic. And systems were developed for both road cyclists and mountain bikers.

Ekoi’s new pedals are a meeting between the platform pedal and clipless pedal systems of old. As you can see in the picture above, the pedal (which is still in development) looks like a thinner but longer version of a Look pedal system.

When clipped in, most of a rider’s foot is supported versus the old system that would primarily support the ball of a cyclist’s foot. Ekoi’s system has two small metal cleats that attach to the shoe. If a cyclist chooses to use this, it will require not only the purchase of the pedals but also shoes that support the new cleat system.

Last Thoughts

Right now Ekoi’s new pedals are still in development and only a few pro teams have tried them out. No word on the cost, their final name, or when they’ll be available to consumers. Subscribe to Ekoi’s website and be the first to know.

A new pedal system is definitely an exciting thing to see in the world of cycling where the equipment continues to improve. But at the moment, there’s no data available that talks about how much of an improvement or even any tech specifications, such as weight, or if performance gains are possible over current cleat and pedal systems.