Who will love this:
Intermediate to advanced riders, especially those who like to trail ride will love the locked in feeling of these studded footplates which will almost immediately instill confidence allowing you to ride harder, carve with purpose, and turn sharper.
If you are interested in purchasing these, contact Murland via Facebook. Currently offers studded plates to fit Nikola, MSX/MSP, ACM, and King Song 16x pedals. He charges $80 shipped in the USA. Outside the US the buyer pays for shipping. Message him on Facebook Messenger to get details.
If you ride a King Song 16x, check out ewheels. They carry something similar called the sport pedal with spikes you can check out here.
My thoughts:
Every now and then something comes along that you never knew you needed. These studded footplates by Murland fall under such a category.
The stock Gotway Nikola footplates with their rubber grip textured surface look good and are easy to clean, but they do little to boost confidence while riding as the grip strength is mild at best. Check out my entire Nikola review here.
Having ridden through the winter, sometimes in snowy conditions, I found that snow and ice caked on to my footplates can make them dangerously slippery to ride on.
With the spring season, I’ve been riding a lot on trails and the rough terrain tended to cause my feet to shift forward while riding. Sliding my feet back into position was no problem as the stock grip tape allows one to slide their foot around without difficulty.
I first learned about these studded footplates while mindlessly scrolling through one of the EUC Facebook groups. The reviews were so impressive that I had to give them a try on my Nikola.
You can watch my install and test video here, but in summary, these things are awesome.
I did a side by side comparison of the studded footplate with the stock rubber footplate. I installed the studded footplate on one side and planned to go for a short ride around the block.
Before I knew it I was 12 miles into my ride and on some abandoned road in a state park. The studded footplate felt so good, I just wanted to keep riding. I rode with more confidence, carved and turned with more purpose, and all while feeling less foot fatigue.
For a guy that rides really conservatively, I was going down curbs and even stairs, something I had never done. The studded footplate had transformed the feel of the ride and the entire way I ride. It was exhilarating.
Installation:
Fast (will destroy existing grip tape):
- Use heat gun or hair dryer to loosen grip tape adhesive in one corner.
- Grab the corner and peel off the grip tape.
- Remove screws.
- Remove the old footplate.
- Position studded foot plate.
- Use Loctite to keep screws from loosening over time.
- Tighten screws.
- Clean and enjoy.
Slow (will save the existing grip tape for future use)
- Place studded footplate over the existing footplate as a template.
- Use a pen to mark the screw positions.
- Use a knife to cut away the grip tape directly over the screws.
- Remove screws.
- Remove the old footplate.
- Position studded foot plate.
- Use Loctite to keep screws from loosening over time.
- Tighten screws
- Clean and enjoy.
The flaws:
Because the studs extend out several millimeters, your foot pedal will no longer fold up flush against the body of your EUC on some models. The studs, which are basically small screws will poke the body of your EUC and cause some small divots. You can place padding to protect those areas.
In addition to the small divots on the outer shell, on the Nikola, the studs prevent the magnets that keep your foot plates folded up from engaging very well. Your folded up foot pedals will occasionally open up when not in use.
If you like to shift your feet around while riding, something I was used to doing on my stock footplates, you will find a harder time doing so as the studs really do keep your feet locked into position. Instead of sliding your feet, you’ll have to slightly lift up your foot to reposition.
Another flaw I see is this product is great, but it is handcrafted by one person on a small scale in the Pacific Northwest. If you live out of the US, shipping costs and times may be an issue.
Finally, no more barefoot riding. Not a big deal for me as I usually never ride barefoot for safety reasons.
If you are interested in purchasing these, contact Murland via Facebook. He offers studded plates to fit Nikola, MSX/MSP, ACM, and King Song 16x pedals. He charges $80 shipped in the USA. Outside the US the buyer pays for shipping. Message him on Facebook Messenger to get details.
If you ride a King Song 16x, check out ewheels. They carry something similar called the sport pedal with spikes you can check out here.