Sweet Old Pedals From Specialized

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the really nice old Specialized "flag icon" triple cranks that were available in the 1980s. I've heard from a lot of people who liked those as much as I did. In that article I also mentioned some of the other components that Specialized offered in that decade -- many of which were equally nice designs, and made to some fantastic quality standards.

One of the components that they had back then -- and it's a shame nobody makes anything like them today -- was the pedals. Specialized had touring and racing versions, but I'm focusing mainly on the touring pedals today. I figure I'm pretty lucky in that I have two sets of these which I picked up pretty cheap in good used condition. One set is a little "cosmetically challenged," with scuffed up and faded cages, but functionally they are as good as any. The other pair, shown here, looks and functions awfully nice for their age.

These special touring pedals were manufactured for Specialized by MKS in Japan. With their extra-wide platform base, they were compatible with all manner of flat-soled touring shoes, or with slotted-cleats. 

Like the cranks, the pedals were also designed by Portland, Oregon framebuilder Jim Merz. Jim was an avid touring rider back in the days when touring bikes had to be assembled piecemeal with whatever parts one could find that were up to the task, which meant sourcing components from a wide variety of manufacturers and even countries. Putting together a good touring bike in those days was something that took a lot more knowledge and insight than putting together a racing bike. Building a top-level racing bike back then usually meant knowing only a couple of names: Campagnolo and Cinelli. Touring bikes were a different story.

As just a brief side note, Jim rode from Portland to Panama in 1972. His bike on that journey was a Raleigh Professional, which was not really intended as a touring bike, though he fitted it with racks, fenders, and other touring equipment. I saw an interview once where he said that he took a lot of what he learned from that experience and put it into his touring bike designs. Jim's touring bikes were notable for having quicker handling than most at that time, and equipped with his own custom-made integrated racks. Although he built some excellent road and track racing bikes, including a bike for George Mount, (1976 Olympian, and one of the first Americans to ride as a professional in Europe) Jim's touring bikes were what really stood out.

I assume that Jim also applied his touring bike experience - both riding and building - in the design of components like these pedals. They have a nice wide platform to suit a lot of footwear choices. They are made with forged bodies and replaceable aluminum cages, and fully serviceable bearings.

This scan from the '84 Specialized catalog shoes the racing and touring pedals. The racing pedals came in steel and titanium-axled versions and have a short cage, making them good for track racing as well as road. The closest thing one could probably find to those today would be the MKS Custom Nuevo or RX-1 models, which feature the company's best bearings and materials. Remember that MKS made the Specialized pedals, so they're probably pretty similar - though not exactly the same. On the other hand, NOBODY seems to make anything like these touring pedals anymore.

According to Jim, Specialized owned the tooling on their components, so even though their components were manufactured by various specialists like MKS, Sugino, Tange-Sekei, and others - the parts were unique, and nobody else was able to offer them.

The pedals feature normal ball and cone bearing assemblies that can be easily serviced or rebuilt. Although the bearings felt very smooth on this pair when I got them, I assumed (correctly, I believe) that they hadn't been opened since 1984 and could probably use some fresh grease. I disassembled this pair and took care of that. It was a quick, easy project on a too-cold-to-ride winter day.

As mentioned, the cages are also replaceable. Would you think a person could still find replacement cages for 30-year-old pedals that were only sold for a couple of years? Believe it or not, I spotted a full set of NOS cages for about $20 so I snapped them up. Between having two complete pairs of pedals and a full set of replacement cages, I should be able to keep these going and looking good for a long time.

The Specialized touring pedals were only available for a short time before disappearing. I couldn't say why exactly, other than the fact that in the mid-'80s mountain bikes were supplanting touring bikes in the marketplace, and their deeply grooved or jagged "bear-trap" cages became more popular. At the same time, clipless pedals were also sweeping the market for those who continued to ride on the road. Clean used versions of these sometimes pop up on places like eBay for not too much money. As I'm writing this, there's a brand new pair listed for $149, still in the box. Very tempting, but I'll pass, though they really are a pretty terrific blast from the past.