Popular Post fbhb Posted March 13, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 13, 2021 (edited) With the rising popularity of EUC pedal footplates and inserts fitted with pins/spikes/studs, I recently decided to convert my King Song S18 pedals. This mod was done in order to gain the massive improvement that I already knew from previous experience with my Z10 pedal mod is achieved compared to standard grip tape alone! I have on this occasion used these 4mm screw-in pedal pins from a brand called OneUp, due to having the very same pedal pins on 2 sets of OneUp MTB pedals fitted to my E-bikes. The OneUp pedal pins come in packs of 40 and there is are added benefits to these pins, as they can be used one of 2 ways around and also come with 80 1mm thick stainless steel spacers to adjust their height. I have chosen to use them Allen socket side up with 1x 1mm spacer, so the more aggressive hexagonal way around is still another option for me if needed in future The first thing that needed to be worked out was the actual positioning of each pin, due to way the S18 pedals have diagonal ribs throughout their construction. With careful placement each pin was positioned where it would not interfere with the ribs, which allowed maximum clearance for the hexagonal part of the pins to protrude through the footplates and also optimal load distribution. The S18 footplates offer an approximately 3mm thick Aluminium platform, which is plenty thick enough to take a 4mm tapped/threaded hole. The pedals were first screwed to a piece of timber and then the timber safely clamped in a vice for drilling the 2.5mm pilot holes Once all the pilot holes had been drilled, the first pedal was then bolted to the second one and carefully lined up to enable using the first set of pilot holes to be used to drill through the second pedal Now the second pedal can be drilled using the first one as a drill template Once all the hole positions have been drilled through both pedals, the holes are now ready to be opened up to the tapping size of 3.3mm The pedals can then be separated and the 38 holes tapped in each pedal All 38 holes have been tapped through using a 4mm tap The 38 threaded holes viewed from the underside of the pedal The underside of the pedals showing the 38 pins fitted, with the more aggressive hexagonal side of the pins facing down Both pedals fitted with all 38 pins each, with the Allen socket side facing up Upgraded Pedals fitted to the S18 Upgraded Pedals fitted to the S18 Edited on Sunday 14/03/2021 to include the addition of fresh New grip tape After removing the factory grip tape to carry out this pedal mod (which by the way was lifting anyway, as some S18 owners may be already aware!) I decided to take the pins back out and re-grip the pedals, with a much better adhering New grip tape! After cutting out the New grip tape and fixing it to each pedal, I used the tapping sized drill to pierce All the holes into the grip tape working from the underside of each pedal I then went ahead and replaced All of the 38 OneUp MTB 4mm pedal pins in each pedal These pins are reasonably wide across the top of the Allen head so Only cause a depression into the soles of your shoes, rather than actually penetrating like a spike would, so there is no concern over damaging your shoes by using these pinned pedals. My riding shoes have No marks, damage or any sign whatsoever from riding with the 4mm OneUp pedal pins fitted and the grip is a vast improvement without the risk of being unable to bail from sharp spikes in an emergency!!! Edited on: 13/04/2021 Just made a change to the OneUp pedal pins by reversing them for the more aggressive "Hex" side up! Another huge change in grip, without risk to the soles of your footwear or being unable to bail if required! I think I much prefer the pedals with the pins screwed in this way around, especially when riding off road...…it's definitely a keeper! Edited April 13, 2021 by fbhb 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurseMGV Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 This looks great. I am new to EUC and had been wondering why no one seemed to use one of the various MTB pedal pins, though I am guessing that may be what the aftermarket pedal folks are using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbhb Posted March 14, 2021 Author Share Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, MurseMGV said: I am new to EUC and had been wondering why no one seemed to use one of the various MTB pedal pins, though I am guessing that may be what the aftermarket pedal folks are using. It's interesting that you raise the question about the minimal use of MTB pedal pins, because the majority of the aftermarket options are either using spikes or just regular set screws etc. for some unknown reason. It is really hard to understand, as MTB pedal pins are widely available with plenty of different options and have obviously proven tried and tested on Downhill MTB's etc. during the extended length of time they have been around! Personally, I am not a fan of an actual "spikes" being used especially if they are sharp enough to perforate your footwear and IMHO this option can actually be very dangerous. @Rehab1, unfortunately had a very nasty accident and can vouch for how dangerous really sharp "spiked" pedal pins can be if you are unable to release from your pedals in an emergency! Edited March 14, 2021 by fbhb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurseMGV Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 (edited) Alrighty. Got my S18 a couple days ago and it was time to follow fbhb's lead. I had some Crank Brothers pins (you can use either the 10mm or 8mm but you will have a little more adjustment room with the 10mm) and I picked up another pack to have enough for both pedals. They come in packs of 50. You could probably figure out a way to make 25 holes/pedal, otherwise you need two packs. I linked the manufacturer there, but you can find these at your local bike shop. These pins are a bit different than the OneUp, which @fbhb used. Rather than a large hex side and sharp pin side, these are just the 4mm screw/pin rounded a bit on the non-hex side. I also didn't quite measure as carefully as fbhb but once it is all assembled you can't really tell. The nice thing about these pins is that you can adjust the height of the pin from nothing all the way to super high. You just screw them up/down to the height you want and you can change them at any time. For those following at home, here were my steps: Remove pedal. Remove grip tape. Remove back of pedal (5 small screws). Measure where you want your holes to ensure they don't interfere with the cross braces on the back. Drill a pilot hole. I did this because the bit I had with my tap wasn't quite as sharp, but it ended up working out well. [If you are confident you like where the holes are - clamp the other pedal to the drilled one and mark where to drill for the next pedal.] Put grip tape back on. Drill correct size hole for a 4mm x 0.7 tap through pedal and grip tape. Tap with the 4mm x 0.7 tap. (I actually used my power drill on a low speed setting because I didn't want to spend forever screwing the tap by hand and my tap jig/holder sucks - it worked surprisingly well.) Insert a billion pins, or 64, or however many you use. Again I cheated a bit and snapped off one of my allen wrenches so I could put it in the drill. It made it a ton quicker. I also drilled out the grip tape for the holes with the screws to mount the pedals so I can easily removed the back whenever I want to adjust the pins. I will probably pick up some black screws instead of the silver ones and you won't even notice they are visible. Total time was a few hours. The figuring out where to drill the holes took a while. It is also a just lot of holes to drill, tap, and then screw in the pins. I already had the drill bits, the tap, and some pins so total cost was $12...unless my wife buys the $5000 mountain bike she demoed at the bike store when I went to pick up the pins, in which case that was a damn expensive project! Edited March 22, 2021 by MurseMGV 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unipsycho Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 Thanks for posting guys, I am going to make some pinned pedals for my S18 as well, might just do a layer on top with pins in that like Marty's recent video so I can try different things, but if it works great, I'll probably do what you guys have and just dril/tap the stock pedals for the pins. Nice and thanks for the pics and pin link! I'm considering some DIY power pads just carved out of a yoga block or some other hard foam, to at least add something, as I find the pedals are a bit small for my size 11 feet to get full leverage for accell/braking, so pads should help immensely, plus they should give me more control for rough terrain and one foot recoveries when I nearly lose it! haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post freego Posted March 26, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 26, 2021 My solution for inspiration 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unipsycho Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 (edited) 15 hours ago, freego said: My solution for inspiration Right on, looks good, was going to try something like that as well. Does the underside of the S18 pedals just pry out? Or are are there screws under the grip tape to pop that off with. I think threading into the pedal may be easier than adding a layer with the spikes in it, plus is add pedal height (small but still) so in the pedals might be best. Thanks! NEVERMIND, I see the steps in top post now, screws under grip tape! Sweet! Edited March 27, 2021 by Unipsycho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freego Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 36 minutes ago, Unipsycho said: Right on, looks good, was going to try something like that as well. Does the underside of the S18 pedals just pry out? Or are are there screws under the grip tape to pop that off with. I think threading into the pedal may be easier than adding a layer with the spikes in it, plus is add pedal height (small but still) so in the pedals might be best. Thanks! NEVERMIND, I see the steps in top post now, screws under grip tape! Sweet! No, the blue object is not an extra layer. I only printed this as a form for cutting grip tape and also as a pattern for drilling holes. Personally, I don't like the solution of the additional layer. For both aesthetic and practical reasons. In my opinion, it is not very safe and I do not like the idea of a permanent attachment. Either way, it is necessary to drill into the pedal with the additional layer and then it does not make sense. And using some extra strong glue is impractical in case of disassembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post freego Posted March 27, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 27, 2021 Here is my recommendation: 1. Remove the pedal and carefully peel off the original grip tape 2. Stick the original grip tape onto the scanner glass 3. Scan the shape of the grip tape 4. Adjust the image for the best contrast and sharpness (Adobe Photoshop, Krita - free alternative, etc.) 5. Apply an "inner stroke" filter of the same color as the background (white background, black object shape). Try to achieve an estimate of approximately 1 mm cut (this is necessary to create a tolerance - a relative reduction of the object - for subsequent cutting with a knife) 6. Export the resulting image as SVG 7. Import SVG image into Blender (free 3D software). You get a planar object. Select it and select the "extrude" modifier along the Z axis. 8. Export as OBJ file 9. Open TinkerCad (free online). Import the OJB object into the scene and adjust the appropriate dimensions (250x108x5 mm in my case) 10. Export the object as an STL 11. Open Cura (or another program you use to prepare the GCODE file for 3D printing), import the STL. I used PLA filament (hotend 230 deg. C, bed 60 deg. C, bottom / top 0.8 mm, wall 1.2 mm, 35 percent infill) 12. Print the preparation form (blue object in my first photo) 13. Remove the five screws on the top of the pedal to loosen the bottom cover 14. Turn the pedal to the bottom. Use a pencil to mark the holes. Leave some space away from the reinforcing profiles. 15. Stick double-sided adhesive tape on the printed form and place it on the pedal 16. Drill small initiation holes from below (I used a 1.5 mm drill bit). Drill through the pedal and the printed form (at the same time you will create a pattern for the second pedal) 17. Drill small holes to the required diameter (3.5 mm) 18. Cut the thread (M4) 19. For now, just screw in the pins for the test (Be sure to use 8 mm pins! They are long enough to use the lower self-locking nut and at the same time still allow the cover to be fitted without any problems) 20. Try closing the pedal and focus on those pins that hit the unicycle cover. Remove these pins! In the event of a crash and a strong pedal lock, these pins will destroy the unicycle cover! There will still be enough pins to perform their function. Cover these holes with black insulating tape. This will be useful when punching grip tape. You must omit these holes. 21. Now remove the remaining pins again 22. Cover five holes used for bottom cover with black insulating tape. Let the tape stick over the edge of the pedal (from above). This will make it easier for you to peel off the grip tape in the place later for screwing in the five screws of the bottom cover. This will keep these screws hidden under the grip tape. If you still want to have these screws easily accessible, skip this step. 23. Gently stick the grip tape to the printed form and carefully trim the shape with a knife 24. Stick prepared grip tape to the pedal. Hold the pedal against the light. You will see the holes that need to be perforated through the grip tape. Pierce these holes from above. Then enlarge them with a wide Phillips screwdriver. Clean the threads from grip tape abrasives residua 25. Screw the pins into the holes and tighten properly 26. Screw the M4 self-locking nuts onto the pins from below and tighten properly with a socket wrench (the pins must be secured with an Allen key from the other side) 27. Replace the bottom pedal cover, peel off the grip tape at the five mounting holes and screw on. Remove these black insulating tapes (if step 22). Then glue the grip tape back. This will cover these screws (unless you have skipped point 22) 28. Put the pedal back and it's done! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freego Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 I have been riding the S18 for the third day with this pedals "spikes mod". If you are at least a little skilled, be sure to adjust your pedals like this! It's a must-to-do. Buy standard grip tape for skateboards. They come in a variety of colors, adhere great, and one roll will last you on three pairs of pedals. In addition, the pins ensure that the grip tape wears minimally and lasts a very long time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post freego Posted March 27, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 27, 2021 Here is the STL object. s18_pedal_optimized.stl 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unipsycho Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 5 hours ago, freego said: I have been riding the S18 for the third day with this pedals "spikes mod". If you are at least a little skilled, be sure to adjust your pedals like this! It's a must-to-do. Buy standard grip tape for skateboards. They come in a variety of colors, adhere great, and one roll will last you on three pairs of pedals. In addition, the pins ensure that the grip tape wears minimally and lasts a very long time. Awesome freego, thanks so much for all the extra details, I will definitely be getting some pins in mine soon. Very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachboy Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Well done guys.. really neat..👍👍👍 btw, a bit off topic, @fbhbwhat size is that tyre anyway..looks tightly fit how it rides?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbhb Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, Beachboy said: btw, a bit off topic, @fbhbwhat size is that tyre anyway..looks tightly fit how it rides?? @Beachboy the best way for me to answer your question is to link you to previous conversations about this epic tyre (CST 6004 2.75-14), although virtually impossible to purchase away from Chinese online sites it IMHO is well worth tracking one down! Have a read through the topic I'm linking to for more details and hit me up if you decide you need a link to go ahead and purchase as a number of other S18 owners have asked me where they can get one: Edited April 7, 2021 by fbhb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phi1osopher Posted April 11, 2021 Share Posted April 11, 2021 I bought an S18 tonight and was already thinking about modifying the pedals this way. Cool to see other folks already have this one figured out! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phi1osopher Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 I am loving this thread. I have a lot of experience tapping threads, and this looks like an intuitive and helpful mod! I have a question for you guys who have completed the project and have some miles on your 'spiked' pedals: For @freego it appears has pics show a more heavy concentration of spikes in the heel area of the pedal, @fbhb shows a more even distribution of spikes across the pedal. (I couldn't discern @MurseMGV's pedal orientation.) It seems to me if I did not have an even distribution, I would want the higher concentration in the ball of my foot, or near the toes. Does anyone have some feed back about this? Was there a thought process that you used to determine spike distribution other than accommodating the underside of the pedal's reinforcement/webbing? Also, the pedals look like they are reversible left-to-right, so if one style (heels vs toes) felt better they could be swapped? Is this correct? Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ubute Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 I've also spiked my S18 pedals by tapping in 3mm set screws. I went for the real spikey finish by using cone tipped screws, 8mm long, which protrude about 4mm above the pedals. These grip really well, don't mark or damage the soles of my shoes and allow me to adjust my feet fairly easily. The great advantage of tapping the pedals is you can try different types of screws and adjust them for length. My set screws have no heads which allows for more depth adjustment. I use Loctite to hold them in place. I haven't tried blunt headed screws but I doubt they grip as well as my sharp spikes. I've always used an EUC Bodyguard to protect the wheel and it deals with the spikes as well. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.