In June of 2016 I did a “first impressions” video on my thoughts of the Catalyst Pedal by Pedaling Innovations. At the time I was a bit skeptical about some of the claims behind these pedals but after spending a considerable amount of time riding on them in a few different disciples (XC, AM, and DH) I’m convinced that they are the real deal.
The Catalyst Pedal is by far the biggest pedal on the market at 128mm x 95mm x 16mm. It’s heavy at 505g but that weight, is only as important as the efficiency it helps you gain (or lose). In this case, the increased power and improved comport outweigh the small weight savings you would obtain by using a smaller pedal.
The main idea of the massive platform is to move your foot on the pedal to a more mid foot position, rather than placing the pedal on the ball of your foot. This allows for a more forceful downward motion, creating more power than a standard flat pedal where you have to drive slightly forward and down.
Although I did feel an increase in power over standard flat pedals the Catalyst did not convince me to ditch my clipless pedals and light race shoes. Call me a “weight weenie” or “racer boi” if you must, but that is what works best for me. I consistently found that I was faster and hit more PR’ with my clips than I did with the Catalyst. This really boils down to a personal preference thing. If you typically use flat pedals I think you will definitely feel more comfortable on the Catalyst than a smaller pedal. If you ride clipless like I do, I think that the Catalyst is a phenomenal training tool and an excellent choice for any enduro or downhill rides.
MSRP: $99
I had been looking at these reeeeealy hard for a about a week now. I heard about them on the MTB Tribe podcast (A pretty good podcast but not as good as the singletracks podcast of course). I rode BMX in my teen years and always used Primo “Super Tenderizers” which are heavy as hell but solid as a rock. The feel they provided has been something I have not found in a MTB flat pedal as of yet. I will admit that I have not tried all that many (not being sent free stuff to test being the #1 reason for this) but I have read many reviews and visually compared designs and dimentions without seeing anything like the Primo pedals from my youth.
Then I heard about these pedals and I started thinking. “The reason I loved those shin obliterating meat tenderizers was the solid feel and support from the massive size of them…hmmm”.
I had read a few reviews of the “catalyst” pedals and honestly most of them sounded like an add. You on the other hand seem to have been as fair and impartial as you could be, and now I am sold. I am going to order a set tonight.