Pads, Why or Why Not

[GothamMike]

On 3/25/2023 at 11:40 AM, Punxatawneyjoe said:

I'm no expert, but if the pads are placed correctly, you have plenty of room in between them to bend your knees/absorb the bumps and move forward and back on the wheel. I think a lot of people think they should be "locked in" with them like a ski boot but i find if you can't move around in them then shifting your weight around doesn't happen and you need to be able to do that in an instant. I keep mine far enough apart to be able to lean forward and hit them for acceleration and back to use them for de-cell and just the toe part over my foot enough to catch it if i jump something.

 

I would not have the Power Pads so tight your feet and shins cannot move. I find them more comfortable especially when leaning forward. The back of the pads help you decelerate quickly.

With studded pedals, you need extra wiggle room.

[rcgldr]

A rider has to exert the same torque onto the EUC that the motor exerts onto the wheel+tire (otherwise the EUC would tilt forwards or backwards). In order to exert that torque, the rider's lean angle is somewhat greater than the lean angle related to acceleration or deceleration. There is a vector of force that is the sum of the vector related to gravity and the vector related to acceleration. If not for the torque the rider exerts onto an EUC, the vector of force travels would through the center of the riders feet, but in order to generate a torque, the vector of force is shifted forwards or backwards. If using pedals only that vector can't be shifted beyond the edges of the pedals, but power pads provide leverage to exert a torque that would allow the vector to be shifted even beyond the contact points of the pads.

As an analogy, say a person is standing on pressure sensing pedals mounted to the ground, such as standing on two bathroom scales with their bases attached to the ground, balls of the feet on one scale, heels on the other. If a person shifts their weight laterally, a torque is generated onto the pedals (the scales will show a difference in weight). However, a person can't shift their weight beyond the balls or heels of their feet (without falling). Now imagine something similar to power pads rigidly attached to the scales: the lower legs are locked into place (resting against front or rear upper pads), and the person can shift their weight even beyond the pads (one scale could show a weight larger than person's weight, the other scale showing a negative weight).

Edited April 1, 2023 by rcgldr

[bpong]

i have been wrestling with the idea of getting some pads.  the only reason for acquiring them is because im hoping that their use could reduce the possibility of losing contact with the pedals after hitting a sizeable pothole.  this has happened to me while travelling along at 45kph,  so if i can reduce this kind of reaction after hitting potholes,  then im all in for pad useage.  im thinking perhaps having a small pad for the top of my shoes plus one for braking and forward motion would suffice.  i wouldnt go for a tight fit but rather as pointed out by other posters,  a somewhat loose fit.  ive been riding for the past 5 years without pads so im hoping the transition to pads will not be too discerning.  i dont squeeze the wheel with my legs too tightly cause i find that affects my directional control.  im riding abit loosely on the wheel, with the occasional gripping of the wheel tightly when i feel the need to exert abit more forceful directional control.  if i clamp down too much on the wheel, i tend to get a negative reaction such as the euc beginning to wobble and such.  im closely watching the Patton thread... if i do get that euc,  then im also thinking installing pads on that wheel since its much bigger and faster than my old Tesla V2.  i will try them out on my tesla first to see if their 'feel' is not too foreign.  this thread is a good read and answers alot of my questions about whether or not one should use pads...

[Flying W]

@bpong I mainly use pads for keeping my feet on the pedals. I like to ride off road and having the right pads is a life saver. 

My pads are older, Clark pads Mike Leahy, but they were made to have a larger opening and wider toe hooks. Breaking is immediate but the front part is far enough away to let you absorb the larger hits. The front still works for very steep climbs. There are on my RST. 

Modern pads come in multiple pieces so fining the right placement is even better. I think you will be very happy with a good pad setup.

[bpong]

flyingw;

good to know.  i find that we tend to ignore older equipment.  we think that newer is better,....  which in alot of cases, thats not what one actually experiences.  i will further investigate, including pads from a few years ago.  the fact that the clark pads have a larger opening does have more appeal to me.  im not into the school of closer fitting pads... thanx for the posting...bp

[Flying W]

On 4/3/2023 at 9:54 AM, bpong said:

flyingw;

good to know.  i find that we tend to ignore older equipment.  we think that newer is better,....  which in alot of cases, thats not what one actually experiences.  i will further investigate, including pads from a few years ago.  the fact that the clark pads have a larger opening does have more appeal to me.  im not into the school of closer fitting pads... thanx for the posting...bp

Just keep in mine that it's specifically the Mike Lahey  pads that have the wider opening. The normal ones are quite tite is you have big calves. 

[bpong]

2 hours ago, Flying W said:

Just keep in mine that it's specifically the Mike Lahey  pads that have the wider opening. The normal ones are quite tite is you have big calves. 

will remember that note too, thanx for the reminder !!!

[Hellkitten]

On 4/3/2023 at 11:40 AM, bpong said:

im hoping that their use could reduce the possibility of losing contact with the pedals after hitting a sizeable pothole.  this has happened to me while travelling along at 45kph

They absolutely will help with that. Having pads has saved me a number of time’s hitting unexpected potholes or steep curbs.  I’d never go back to padless.