Seven years ago he went for a bike ride on one of the many mountain biking trails found in the Stellenbosch area. Coming downhill at high speed the front wheel of his bicycle got stuck and Terblanche was flung into the air by the sudden halt. Because his feet were stuck due to the traditional clip on pedals and cleats, he could not kick himself away from the bike. He suffered a severe neck injury from the crash – the end result being a broken neck, bruises and cuts.
Five years after the injury, Terblanche thought long and hard about that fateful crash and what could have prevented the severity of it. He came to the conclusion that if his feet were loose he would not have gotten hurt so badly. “Something that’s really important,” Terblanche noted, “when we were children, all of us used to cycle a lot – to different places, fast, everywhere. We also fell a lot, but our falls were never serious. Why? Because our feet were not stuck to the pedals”. Terblanche explains that you fall in a different manner when your feet are loose for a quick release to stop the out-of-control bike and for other reflexes to prevent injuries. From here he saw the opportunity to develop something that will allow for a quick release.
Even though he had no idea where to begin or how to do it, but thoroughly believed that something will come up. He applied his life coaching skills of visualisation and belief and eventually got sponsors and investors to see the value in his idea. His initial idea was to only develop a shoe that will hopefully change the cycling world, but that turned out to be impractical.
After two and a half years, through trial and error, Terblanche’s idea finally came to life in the form of Footloose Pedals. “This was such an exciting journey and learning experience,” Terblanche said. He is the sole developer of the pedals – even when he approached the engineering company he sat with the designer to oversee the development. The different pedals created during production was tried and tested by Linus van Onselen, former world masters mountain bike champion in cross country and the marathon, until the final product was approved.
By being true to its name, the Footloose Pedal is a revolutionary breakthrough that allows a natural attach and detach action that allows for a quick release when something goes wrong. The innovative pedal set builds on traditional pedals, but makes cycling much safer. Take control of your movements with Footloose and enjoy the wonderful sport of cycling fearlessly.
For more information on Footloose Pedals, go to http://www.footloosepedals.co.za/, or contact them on Facebook (@footloosepedals).
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