Ergon PC2-S Ergonomic Contour Pedals

The Ergon PC2-S pedals are ergonomically designed, comfortable and efficient, for commuters, tourers and recreational riders.

For those who aren't familiar with the work of Ergon, the company's raison d'etre is – the name's a bit of a giveaway here - to produce ergonomically designed bike components and accessories. Most famous for their handlebar grips, the PC2 is Ergon's first foray into the murky world of pedal production.

When you first remove the PC2s from their environmentally friendly packaging, it's quite a surprise how bulky they look. The pedalling platform is generously foot sized (the pedals come in two sizes to suit most feet), and at 452g for the size small pair, they're not that light either. What is immediately apparent is the thought that has gone into their design. There's no confusing left and right pedal – the shape is obvious. The pedalling surface is coated in a sticky abrasive (but not sole damaging) surface designed to improve traction. In terms of looks, they only really suit commuter, hybrid and recreational type bikes, looking quite out of place on anything overly sporty. That said, it's quite a pleasing design, all curves and, erm, ergonomics.

In use, the pedals spin freely and smoothly and have a reassuringly solid feel. The pedalling surface gives a good platform from which to pedal smoothly and the grippy patch gives decent traction, but my feet still slipped from time to time. I think this is the trade off from not using studs as many flat pedals do, but the grippy surface of the PC2s is a reasonable compromise in my opinion, and would certainly appeal to those who cycle in smarter shoes.

The broad surface area gives good efficiency to each stroke and pedalling on the flat feels comfortable and relaxed. The weight penalty is not obvious and Ergon will soon have some lighter models anyway. The large size does make storage in a multi-bike shed trickier, but there are no sharp edges to to damage other bikes (or shins).

The PC2s were pleasant to use, effective at providing a grippy, reasonably efficient alternative to more normal flat pedals, but they do mark quite an investment. If you use flat pedals daily with all sorts of shoes and want something with a more technical character that will last and last, that investment is probably worthwhile. For others, these may not quite be worth the money.

Verdict

Good pedals offering comfort, efficiency and decent grip, but they're only worth the investment for regular and long-term flat pedal users.