Your knees and your feet do not move symmetrically through your gait, so why should they be forced to on the bike? Believing your pedals should adapt to your body and not the other way around, 3ax is the world’s first clipless pedal that gives your feet the freedom to tilt sideways, delivering a more natural pedal stroke and better leg alignment.
Invented by Dutch cyclist Stefan van Eijk and designed with the help of engineering firm TSG Group, the 3ax pedal lets your foot move laterally or sway sideways up to 2 degrees–this lateral movement is in addition to the normal rotational float you get in classic clipless pedals (the 3ax pedals can be set up with 0, 4.5, or 9 degrees of float). Think of it as correcting for over pronation or under pronation in running. Instead of forcing your foot in a neutral position, the pedal lets your leg move naturally through the stroke.
The result is better overall leg alignment and therefore increased efficiency–I would also imagine comfort on long rides and a reduction in overuse injuries. In user tests conducted by the University of Applied Sciences in The Hague, your knees move 17 percent less sideways when cycling on 3ax pedals with an improvement in efficiency up to 5.4 percent.
Here are the dimensions of the 3ax pedal:
– Stack height: 13.2 mm (excl. cleat)
– Distance from centre of the spindle to lowest part of the pedal: 11.5 mm
– Length: 95 mm
– Pedal width (housing, ex. spindle): 54 mm
– Pedal width (incl. spindle): 93 mm
The 3ax pedals can be used with Look Keo compatible cleats.
In an already fully funded Kickstarter campaign, you can get your own pair of 3ax pedals in one of three colors (Ruby Red, Deep Black, and Stealth Gray) for $199–expected retail is $299 with delivery planned for January 2016.