Biking while clipped in has its advantages in terms of power and efficiency but for those just learning, it can seem like everything is more difficult. The mere action of clipping in and clipping out of pedals can seem insurmountable, giving most people enough of an excuse to stay away. And when you’re not clipped in, the option of casually riding your bike around isn’t so casual anymore. The MagLOCK Bike Pedal wants to convince you that their magnetically clipping bike pedals are superior.
The MagLOCK Bike Pedal is the best of both worlds, providing a platform on which to magnetically clip in to with SPD-compatible shoes and the steel clips that come with the bike pedal or on which to ride normally with ordinary street shoes. The result is the versatility to choose whether or not to clip in depending on the type of ride. Embedded magnets are easily adjustable so that the pedal’s attractive force can be next to nothing up to 50 pounds, enough to keep your foot firmly in place on both the up and down strokes. The pedals themselves, though, can seem ungainly and quite bulky compared to how slim the profiles of normal pedals are. They’re expensive, too, at $175 for a set. The campaign is looking for $30,000 to get cyclists’ feet clipped in by May 2015.