Hey y’all, a little background just because…. I raced mountain bikes competitively for about 30 years including about 10 years on the NORBA circuit in the NE and was always clipped in. Being clipped in was a must for me because I liked being able to move the bike around under me when need be and it made me a better climber! So, I am very familiar with the advantages and disadvantages being clipped in. While I still ride mountain bikes recreationally, I don’t race anymore. I just can’t do the distances and duration at race intensity anymore. I’m 63 years old and stopped racing mountain bikes when I turned 60, much to the delight of my wife who saw me suffer numerous injuries, including a broken neck, during my mountain bike racing career! However, my competitive nature wouldn’t let me rest and, I was pretty sure I could handle the 30 to 40 seconds it takes to complete a BMX race lap so, having never spent a minute on a BMX bike in my life, I decided to jump into the world of BMX racing, much to the shragrin of my wife! Anyway, for those who are not familiar, a BMX race starts at a “start gate” where the riders are required to “balance” with both feet on the pedals until the gate drops. And this is where the story of my Hustle Bike Labs REMtech pedal experience began! Learning to balance in the gate is essential in BMX racing in order to establish a strong start which is everything in BMX racing! I started on flat pedals and, as I developed the skills required to balance effectively, I was contemplating switching to being clipped in. As I was thinking about this transition, I thought about the things I observed in the start gate as I was learning the skill of balancing. I saw people lose their balance and fall over, even into the rider in the lane next to them, because they lost balance and couldn’t get unclipped! I saw people searching for the sweet spot to get their second foot clipped in at a crucial point when they needed to be concentrating on their start! I saw people come unclipped, and sometimes crash, right after the gate dropped because they weren’t completely clipped in at a time when they are applying maximum torque to the pedal stroke. And these things were happening to “seasoned” racers! So, I decided to research if there were any alternatives to tradition clipped in style pedals and that’s when I found Hustle Bike Labs and their REMtech pedals! Now, I had never heard of such a thing or, knew anyone who had but, I was in intrigued! Just to inform the unknowing, being attached to your BMX bike has its advantages just like being attached to your mountain bike does. So, long story short, I ordered my first pair of REMtech pedals and started my experiment! What I found was that these pedals provided me with all the advantages of being clipped in, and even more, without most, if not all, the disadvantages! And, I experienced none of the issues I witnessed my fellow racers have! I’ve never had to “search” for a sweet spot to get my second foot connected to the pedal. I just hover my foot over the pedal and “click” I’m in! I’ve never had my foot inadvertently come off the pedal, even at the point of applying maximum torque on a start! I have much more confidence because of these attributes and that allows me to focus on my technique and race strategies instead of worrying about having problems at the start gate or staying clipped in after the start! These pedals allow for more foot movement than traditional clips and that not only makes my pedal stroke more efficient but, it’s easier on my ankles and knees! So, how has it all worked out? These are my pedals for life and for all my bikes, mountain, gravel and BMX! They have helped me become the USABMX Tennessee State Champion in my age group for 2022 and 2023 and I’m on track to three-peat in 2024! These pedals helped me finish 3rd in the Tangent Southeast Gold Cup Series in 2023. These pedals help me consistently finish on the podium at every race level from District to State to Region and National. I’ve had so much fun in my new BMX racing career, great people, new experiences, that I decided to become a USABMX certified Coach. I thought this would be a way to give back to the sport and, help out my local track as well. Absolutely love working with the kids, especially the new riders! As a coach, as I work with riders transitioning from flat pedals, I’m working hard to promote the “magnetic” option and, of course, that means introducing them to Hustle Bike Labs REMtech pedals!! It’s new in the BMX world as best I can tell but… it’s starting to “click”…. see what I did there! Like I said earlier, I’m 63, still riding, still racing… get out there and live!! If you are thinking about trying these pedals, stop thinking about it and do it, you’ll never go back to being clipped in!
– Hustle Custie
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