Re: Catalyst Pedals?

On 4/23/2025 7:57 PM, Ted Heise wrote:

Hi all,
 I've had a tailor's bunion much of my life, and it's really gotten
painful the last week or so.  On closer attention, it seems the
Bontrager shoes I wear are one of the main culprits in aggravating
it (a pair of sandals is another).  I've ordered a ball and ring
shoe stretcher to alleviate the pressure on the affected area.
 In looking for solutions, I also came across something caled
Catalyst Pedals.  They are platforms that are larger than most and
also have pins to aid grip between shoe and pedal.  The main
benefit is ability to wear optimal athletic shoes.  Here's more...
 https://naturalfootgear.com/blogs/shoe-footgear-reviews/catalyst-pedals-review
 Has anyone ever used these and have experience they could share?
I've ridden on clipless for 30 years, so I'm not sure if I could
get used to platforms (though I do have Campy Super Leggeri pedals
with toe straps on my fixed gear bike).

I've not used that brand of pedals, but I've long been a fan of more conventional platform pedals. Some bikes have had Lyotard Model 23s for decades:
https://classicrendezvous.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Lyo_berL.jpg
A couple now have modern copies by MKS:
https://mkspedal.com/?q=en/product/node/76
Those are not equivalent to your proposed pedals because the force of the foot is still applied through the ball of the foot, not the arch and certainly not the heel. But for me, at least, those are comfortable for riding with ordinary footwear. They make a stiff shoe sole much less important.
But I'm a bit skeptical of what seem to be claims that it's more natural to push with the entire foot. (I'll confess to not watching the video all the way through.) ISTM that pushing with the entire foot is not normally done in situations where we want extra power.
What are those situations in non-bicycling life? The first is climbing stairs. Another might be walking up a fairly steep hill. In those cases, I certainly push off with the ball of my foot, bringing my calf muscles into action. I just tried climbing stairs using my entire foot on the stair, and it felt clumsy, literally "flat footed."
I do agree with the website regarding pulling up on the backstroke. It's been pretty conclusively shown that cyclists exert upward force on the rear pedal only rarely. It does help climbing and low cadence acceleration to _try_ to pull up in the rear, because it lessens the unproductive backward torque on the crank.
So sorry, no direct experience, but some skepticism about benefits of those pedals for ordinary use. And I don't know about your physical ailment, so I don't have an opinion about how they might or might not help you.
--
- Frank Krygowski