Many European quill-type road pedals, including Campy, are too narrow to be comfortable for typical American-size feet, especially when wearing something other than old-style narrow racing shoes. I wear an 8 1/2 size shoe, probably quite a bit smaller than average, and even I find many quill-type road pedals too narrow.
The best solution I have found is to use track pedals on the road. The lack of the quill on the outside of track pedals gives your foot a lot more room. I've used track pedals on the road for decades. If you look at old pictures from In The Day you will see it was fairly common for pros to use track pedals on the road. I once saw photos of the Gitane on which Lucien Van Impe won the 1976 Tour de France (although he rode LeJeune most of his career). That bike had Campy track pedals. The pros probably weren't looking for more comfort. They often used track pedals for criteriums and kermesses to give additional cornering clearance. A climber like Van Impe probably used them for more clearance through downhill turns on mountain descents.
Most of the major pedal manufacturers In The Day made track as well as road pedals, so you should be able to find track pedals that are correct for whatever bike you will use them on. If you don't have to have a specific brand, MKS still makes the Sylvan Track pedal, which is an excellent clone of the old Campy NR Pista pedal at an amazingly low price. They also make some slighly newer style track pedals at a higher price.
Beside track pedals, another option is "rattrap" pedals typically used for touring. There were numerous French-made rattrap pedals In The Day, and MKS also still makes excellent pedals of this type. Also there are platform pedals, which like track and rattrap pedals do not have the outside quill. The most famous classic platform pedal was the Lyotard model 23 Marcel Berthet. Berthet, despite running Tron & Berthet, makers of Ideale saddle, of which he inherited control from his father-in-law, is best know for his decades-long duel with Oscar Egg, in which they swaped possession of the World Hour Record back and forth several times. So one assumes the Lyotard Berthet was originally designed as a track pedal, but it is certainly suitable for road use as well and no doubt was used by more than a few pros on the road. MKS, once again, also still produces a platform pedal, although it has little resemblance to the Lyotard Berthet.
Finally, there are some quill-type road pedals that are much wider than Campy or its clones. One of the best is the TA road pedal, which is wide enough for all but the largest feet. TA pedals are still being made, although the quality is not quite as good as In The Day. The TA pedal is also available in a track version.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: kfhume@hotmail.com <kfhume@hotmail.com>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR] Wide Pedals for wide feet
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 2:17 AM
\r?\n> Hi,
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I measured my Campagnolo Record pedals today and found that
\r?\n> these are only
\r?\n> 3" wide so I then measured my feet and was dismayed to
\r?\n> find that these are
\r?\n> 4.25" wide and hence I now understand why my feet will
\r?\n> not sit comfortably
\r?\n> for very long on the Campags. Is the idea that one should
\r?\n> use shoe plates in
\r?\n> combination with the Campags ? I have a brand new set of TA
\r?\n> shoe plates but
\r?\n> do not possess a pair of old leather cycling shoes to which
\r?\n> these can be
\r?\n> nailed. Does anyone still make this kind of shoe ?
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I used to ride on Chaterlee pedals when I was a teenager
\r?\n> which I think are
\r?\n> similar in width to Campag pedals but in those days I just
\r?\n> used ordinary
\r?\n> walking shoes and so I am left wondering if feet spread as
\r?\n> one gets older ?
\r?\n>
\r?\n> My winter bike is fitted with cheap and chearfull Loytard
\r?\n> pedals and since
\r?\n> these are a healthy 4" wide I have not experienced any
\r?\n> problems fitting into
\r?\n> and pushing on these pedals but they are a bit basic.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Can anyone suggest a good make of wide fitting pedals
\r?\n> suitable for and
\r?\n> contemporary with a late 1960's steel framed racing
\r?\n> bike that will
\r?\n> accomodate a wide foot / shoe ?
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Regards
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Ken Hume
\r?\n> London, England