ProtonLocks Magnetic Pedal Locks – First look and thoughts
by Manster on Oct.14, 2009, under Pics and Videos, Reviews
Clipless pedals have never appealed to me because I come from a strong old-school BMX background. For one, if you only have one bike, having to wear special shoes just to ride is a big pain in the ass. Even the Crank Brothers Mallet, with its eggbeater center and platform, is very awkward with flat shoes because there is a ~1/4″ protruding lump rolling around under your sole. Don’t forget that wearing those ‘special’ shoes off the bike will make you sound like a tap dancer and look like a bowler. I prefer to grab my bike on a whim, wearing whatever I want, whenever I want.
I admit, the Mallet’s have been invaluable on xc and trail days but using those pedals for an urban assault session is a sure-fire way to get yourself nutted. With that said, I longed for a pedal that would give me the benefits of flats AND clipless. Enter the ProtonLocks.
I learned of these pedals in January 2008 and immediately put my order in. I received the product and found that one of the axles (also handmade) fit poorly so I never tested the them to their full potential (ok, I got 4 minutes worth). Almost 2 years go by and I’m thinking these pedals are a lost cause… until a new set showed up in the mail this week.
This is the 2nd iteration of the ProtonLocks magnetic pedals. I’m no machinist but the first gen set look to be painstakingly machined from a solid hunk of aluminum. Now, it’s a refined die cast beauty.
“An alternative to clamp-ons, cleats and cages. No moving attachment parts, springs, clamps or clips” – ProtonLocks flyer
It features:
- Neodymium nickel plated magnet with ~80lb pull force
- Cast A380 aluminum body
- Cro-Mo spindle
- Sealed bearings
SP-ISIS mount ready.
How do they look and feel in my hands? They are solid units. A bit heavy, I’ll get them weighed on a scale at work tomorrow.
How big are they compared to the Mallets? The platform’s footprint is smaller and they are thicker. I’ll get comparison pictures after I pull off the old pedals.
What don’t you like about them? I wished they used traction screws instead of the triangular protruding wedges. Who knows, maybe they’ll work out.
What do you expect? I expect them to hold my feet better on certain sections of Noble Canyon. I expect them to collect a lot of iron filings. I expect them to not replace the PULL I get from real clipless. I expect them to trash the data on a laptop hard drive if someone puts their bag near my pedals (these magnets are farkin STRONG!), I expect them to be slippery when wet (wearing regular shoes).
Stay tuned for an update after I give ‘em a go doing urban, xc and dh duty.
UPDATE 10/15/09 – Protonlocks vs Crank Brothers Mallet weights and pictures
| ProtonLocks | Mallet | |
|---|---|---|
| Pedals (g) | 281.9 | 234.7 |
| Cleats & Hardware (g) | 39.6 | 18.1 |
| Total (g) | 321.5 | 252.8 |
**I am not affiliated with ProtonLocks. I’m just a biker that has a love/hate relationship with traditional clipless pedals.
October 15th, 2009 on 10:53 am
Hihihihi..
October 20th, 2009 on 12:11 pm
Hey I’ll buy the mallets off you if you end up getting rid of them