[Closed] Recommend me some flat pedals that may or may not win me medals...

Nukeproof Horizon Comps are great. Has taken me nearly 2 years to terminally kill a set by smashing them into rocks. I have a set of OneUp Composite pedals on another bike which don't feel as nice as the Np pedals due to a lack of concave, but are still good & look like they might take a hit better.

Just replaced the above NP pedals with the Composite Burgtecs, which feel nice as they have a good concave, size & shape.

I won't ever buy a metal pedal again 🙂

I thought my Superstar Nano Evo were grippy til I tried the OH's DMR Vaults. Ye gods they're lethal!

I'm a bit of a fan of SuperStar Components Nano stuff myself.

100% DMR Vaults, followed by Nukeproof Electrons but the vaults really are the best grip you can get combined with five tens. Nice and easy to do a basic service on and you can get a simple tool to knock the bearings out once they need replacing.

I would join in the vote for vaults. That said havent tried many others recently.

+1 for DMR Vaults.

Burgtec. Ti axle if you are flush (£150), steel axle (£100) if not, composite if skint (£40)

I'm a big fan of the Superstar Nano, easy to strip down and grease/replace bearings/etc. But those new Burgtec composites do look good!

I should also clarify, DMR Vaults - great feel let down by rubbish bearing & bushing life. Every pair i've seen has sounded like cheap, rattling mess, mine included 🙂

At OP maximum respect for the 'thousands of rhymes inside your mind, hit the button on recall etc etc...'.

Hope F20 for me. Bought Sept 2016, with no maintenance, and still running lovely.

Had various Superstar & Nukeproof ones before that.

I used to ride DMRs and they served me well, plenty of grip.

Now I ride Burgtec Penthouse and I prefer the feel and grip.

They’re also more durable than the DMRs they replaced - not lost a single pin!

At OP maximum respect for the ‘thousands of rhymes inside your mind, hit the button on recall etc etc…’.

Feel like I need to try & continue on my theme now!

Thanks for all the suggestions - I quite like the look of the burgtec composite ones, how do v12s compare to the vaults?

Another vote for Vaults.  I’ve got a couple of pairs of Superstar pedals, but prefer the larger more concave shape of the Vaults.  Only thing with Vaults is that I’ve found they need pulling apart and regreasing a couple of times a year - really simple job, but still a bit of a PIA if you’re short on time (my LBS don’t charge much to do it:)) Really like the shape and indestructible feel of Burgtec Penthouse, but find they run too close to the crank arms for my big plates.  I’ve also got some Specialized Boomslangs, which are hugely grippy for really rough trails - nice shape, but a total PIA to service (Specialized specific tool recommended).

My favourite flat that I’ve tried are the Superstar Nano Evos. Very very grippy and lasting well so far.

Second are the Carbon Cycle Exotic alloy pedals. Again with my usual 5-10’s they’re very grippy (only marginally less than the Nano’s but not noticeable unless you’re looking for it) and I’ve had them a chunk longer time and they’ve survived lots of rock strikes and general abuse. They’ve had no maintenance yet. One of the axle seals looks a little sorry for itself but the bearings are still very smooth. A rebuild kit is about a tenner I think.

In last place are my Wellgo mg-1’s - nothing massively wrong with them and them and they’re so so light - just they’re smaller and have less grip than the above 2 sets of pedals. Also heard painted (where the other pedals are anodised) and they looked scruffier quicker.

V12 Mags for me. Slightly narrower profile than a vault and a lot cheaper.

Vaults. SO comfy with a really nice concave shape. Hob nob is right though they do need servicing more often than I would like. I find the bearing lasts fine it's just the bushing which is crap but you can't buy just the bushing 🙁

John

I like my Vaults, but the rebuild kit is more expensive than for the Nukeproof plastic ones I also have. And I needed new axles so ordered a pair, but in the pack were two left ones. I'll get there in the end...

Anyhow I don't think I could justify the cost of new Vaults over plastics (mine were on a bike I got secondhand).

Nukeproof Neutron. Ive not worn a pair out yet, but if i do i won't bother rebuilding, just bin them and buy a new pair the same.

Nukeproof Horizons win all the tests and are the best all rounders IMO.

JP

Allways impressed with vaults till my new bike came with Hope. Good god they grip. Bloody lethal though as my shins and calfs will show.

Vaults feel lovely, but as above, the bushes at the crank end go quite quick.

New bushes (only) are available from a proper bearing supplier easily enough for not much £££.

I modified mine with a greaseport near the outer end of the axle, maybe 5 years ago, and bar an occasional squirt of grease haven't touched them since.

Superstar Nano's here which I really like as they can be serviced in 20 minutes and all the parts are available. Vaults are fine - no issue with those but like joebristol I've got to say that value for money you can't beat the Wellgo MG1's, 8 years old now and never been taken apart despite daily use.

Vaults were good, though required maintenance as said above.
Have had Burgtecs on my bikes for a few years now, only needed to service a pair once.

Following this thread with interest as also need some flats.

Anyone tried crankbrothers stamp pedals?

My SuperstarNano and Delta mags have been epic but I tried CB Stamps and the OneUp pedals recently and either of those will be my next purchase.

https://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/17-flat-pedals-tested-reviewed/

Spank Oozy trail pedals for me. I have 3 sets now on 3 bikes. absolutely love them. Love the idea of maintaining a large inboard bearing flush with the crank - allowing a super thin platform but without requiring tiny bearings that fall apart. Not the only company to do this but the best I have found. Also superb grip, lightweight and reasonable money. the silver ones are virtually impervious to scuffs too.

I have a couple of pairs of the small Stamps that I got cheap when they were being sold off. First impressions are that they grip well and fit my small feet. Will need to see what a winter in the Peak do for reliability. These are to replace my Specialized Mag Pros which just kept going for years and years without any fettling at all.

Best for grip by far that I have used are Boomslangs but they are too big for my feet, we do have the servicing tool that's needed to get into them.

We have a pair of Burgtec that don't get used as no one thinks they grip anywhere as good as the others, if they hadn't been bought as a present they would have been sold by now.

nukeproof plastic jobbies for me. the square ones not the horizon ones. (electrons?)

although i`ve gone bling and have some burgtec composites (council flats) to try. only just recieved than so not fitted yet.

Raceface Chester?
Had mine over a year - done nothing to them and no noticeable difference from when they were new.
Haven't tried any others.

Just bought a new pair of the Burgtec Mk4 composite. My Nukeproof Electrons finally died after 2 and a bit years of abuse. Could never justify the extra cost of metal pedals. These Mk4's have replaceable axles which is nice for longevity.

Loved my old vaults but they were a bit fragile , changed to nano's as they were cheaper than a vault rebuild kit .

Recently got myself a new bike and treated it to a set of burgtecs based on the reputation of reliability , they feel really solid and nice on the feet and grip well enough for me .

Nano's were fine but there was a difference in feel to the vaults and burgtecs , but then they are way cheaper .

If i was buying now i reckon i would go for the plastic burgtecs , if they feel and last the same as the steel ones why spend more

Just remembered how much I love Vaults. I've been using them since they came out so what's that, 8 or 9 years?

By far the best feeling, most comfortable pedal I've ever had. They can be noisy but it's so easy to pop the axle out and fill them with grease. Cheap bushes can be had from eBay or local bearing supplier. Never bought one of the overpriced dmr kits yet.

I won't change unless something significantly better comes out.

I’m hoping Burgtecs will be my holy grail of feel and low maintenance. Ordered the alloy version from 18 Bikes days before the plastic ones were announced but I think I would go for shiny alloy anyway

Pedals I’ve used

Superstar Nano X - good for the money but not the best feel and go through bushes

OneUp alloy - work well, bearings last well and are nice to replace when the time comes. Masses of grip, I had to shorten the pins to reduce it, but I’m not 100% happy with the feel. I  feel like I’m standing on the pins is the best way I can describe it

Gammut Podium - I really like these. Light, nice feel and the bearings last. The grip is just right for me. Negatives, they came with alloy pins that are fine until you ride somewhere rocky then they are doomed. £15 of stainless pins sorts that but replacing the bearings looks like being a bit of a pain when it has to be done

Ti axle if you are flush

I shied away from Ti as I was worried maybe it wasn’t the best material to run in a bushing. Am I being silly?

I had the Nukeproof Horizon Sam Hill ones for half a year. Really liked the grip and feel. The only gripe about them is that I keep eating pins away and the threads on the alloy body start to die.

The grub pins on the sides sometimes are pulled away stripping the threads.
The through pins (nothing more than standard metric screws) get damaged and then hurt the threads when being unscrewed. PIA to have to cut them and then remove the remaining.

For this reason I might try plastic pedals in the future, the pins are generally held by standard replaceable nuts. New Burgtec Penthouse are tempting

The Deity TMAC is the best pedal on the planet. They are very grippy and come in adult size.

https://www.deitycomponents.com/tmac-signature-pedals.html

Straitline Defacto for me. 14 pins for max grip.

I should also clarify, DMR Vaults – great feel let down by rubbish bearing & bushing life. Every pair i’ve seen has sounded like cheap, rattling mess, mine included 🙂

Yup, made of cheese, brilliant when new, shite soon after.

Burgtec are best I've tried, not tried the composite ones though.

Always loved my Burgtec pedals, been running hope F20 for a while now, never really gotten on with them, but they are not ‘bad’ likely I will give the composite Burgtecs ago shortly as my hopes are due a service/bearing change

The answer is Burgtec Penthouse mk4.

My Superstar pedals have been terrific. They’re looking a little worn in now but have taken 8+ years of abuse in their stride. And amazingly only 1 change of bearings.

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Just bought the composite Burtecs for a try a short while ago. Not fitted yet though.

I'm a big fan of composite pedals. Very little reason I can see to buy alloy these days?

I have two pairs of nano's that need servicing. I've yet to be able to find a socket of the correct width/length for the outboard nut. Anyone recommend me somethihg?

I do like Nano's, cheap and last a long time.
I also like my One-Ups but they are pretty big and tend to get clattered by my clumsiness
Might go composite next.

Nanos here too, "tuning" the pins to give a more concave feel. I regard pedals as a consumable, but the current pairs have lasted a few years now with only bushing replacement, the odd new pin and a couple of fresh axles after heavy hits on rocks.

Tried some plastic Nano clones and they were OK, but the current Nanos with the through pins just work well for bashing into rocks and stuff.

Is this what you need Alex?
https://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/nano-pedal-service-tool.htm

I got a mini-socket off ebay for same job, think it's a 9mm.

DMR VAULTS +1

I've tried a huge amount of flats.

My favourites are:

DMR Vault - massive platform, all the grips. Most grip of any pedal. A bit fat, not by loads. Sealing is terrible, so they need servicing regular, which is super easy, but a pain. ~17mm thick

Burgtec Penthouse - super grippy, not as grippy as Vaults, bearings are amazing, super tight. Come in awesome colours. ~16mm thick

Raceface Atlas - very grippy, super slim, light. Stock bearings are awful, but if you replace them they are amazing. ~13mm thick

Hope F20 - seals are amazing, bearings are brilliant, tough. No concavity, but can be faked out by removing pins. Not the grippest. ~16mm

My all-time favourite would be specialized Boomslang. Super thin, light, super grippy. But... You can't really service them properly, even with the propriety tool. So can't recommend them, unless you're happy to spend like £120 and throw them away in a couple of months.

Vaults are good but I've got sick of the bushing rattle, it's a change bushing every 6 months relube every 3 for me and I'm a bit sick of it! The sealing arrangement is rubbish so im not surprised the grease gets washed out.

The superstar nano-x Evo pedals I have are ok, the nut uses standard thread to screw onto the axle so I've had the driveside pedal fall off a couple of times.

I'm thinking either stamp 1 (composite) or oneup composite will be my next pedals. I like the sealing on the stamps (especially since every pedal had the same spares and it's available in every bike shop!) I have been impressed with the design of oneup stuff recently

Yeah, the Stamps are pretty good. Grease port for when they get some play. And the pins are very grippy grub screws.

Chainreaction have a BIG10 code that gets a further 10% of Stamps at the moment

Apologies for the thread hijack, but Rickon and Tracey - how’ve you got on (or not) with servicing the Boomslangs? Reason I ask is because the bearings in mine have just started to feel dry and notchy, and I don’t want to run them into the ground.

I was wondering about dropping the pedals in at my local Specialized dealer for them to regrease/service - main thing that’s putting me off is flaky reputation of local dealer (JEJames), and I’d service them myself if I had the tool.

We have the tool so no problems. I don't think JE James have the tool, they didn't when I asked.
There is a guy on line who gets into them without the tool but didn't want to risk it.

Hi Tracey, that's really helpful - thank you (saved me a wasted journey to JEJ!).  Somewhere in the depths of my garage/workshop, I'm sure I have some of the needle nosed pliers he uses:))

Thats ok. I have the pliers as well but didn't want to mess up.

Hmm, just tried the needle nosed pliers, and flipping heck, those bearing caps do not want to move.  Looks like I’ll have to have a word with the fellas at 18 Bikes and see if they have a suitable tool in their box😄

Dont think anything other than the proper tool will shift it then

Personally, I find the burgtec penthouse pedals sit far too close to the crank arm... causing your feet to rub the crank arm.

Is this what you need Alex?
https://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/nano-pedal-service-tool.htm

I got a mini-socket off ebay for same job, think it’s a 9mm.

Thanks for that. I borrowed that tool off a mate and it didn’t fit! Need to check which versions he has. I’ll try and find a thin 9mm socket. Well another one, I’ve bought 2, neither of which have been quite long enough.

Vaults and recently upgraded v12s on winter bike to Burgtec Penthouse alloy,

they are easily as good as the vaults and I like that they sit close to the crankarms.
I’ve noticed on the vaults I struggled over the rock garden on pbw above Marsden, maybe tired legs but seem to scrape them here and there

I recommended a mate to upgrade from v12 to vaults he was amazed the difference in grip, if you ride both clipped and flats, spend the money on flats as m520 clips at £20 are as good as the clipped rest

Ps blacks have had both vaults and burgtec well under retail £65-72 just wait for the next 10-15% code

What dark times we live in when cyclists are recommending plastic bushed pedals to each other.

Ever heard of ball bearings? Say no to this plastic bushing nonsense with the higher friction and short lifespan.

Sad but understandable that bike companies will push this inferior design to minimise their cost and follow the thin and shiny pedal trend if enough mugs will buy them. 100 quid for a pedal with a shitty bushing and a tiny cartridge bearing!? (Dmr vaults) if you're going to peddle such trash you should at least make it cheap.

At least Shimano make a couple of decent ball bearing flat pedals. Not in anodised bling colours though.

How can folk seriously recommend dmr Pedal's, I have had 2 sets and they both only lasted a few months before bearing destroyed, I would rather use the free pedals you get with a bike to get you going

I noticed someone said they found the Burtec 4's say too close to the cranks?

My composite ones haven't arrived yet but I notice from the web that they fit further away from the cranks than the alloy ones.👍

Alloy below.

Cranks always get trashed anyway. Even with my big plates of meat, I've never noticed the inward position as an issue. Mibbe different if you're hen toed or something.

Not sure anyone asked but:

"New bushes (only) are available from a proper bearing supplier easily enough for not much £££"

Can anyone post a link please?

Bushings can be better than really small bearings in some applications , see Sram jockey wheels for example . £30 Plastic Nuke Proof's for me , throw them away when they wear out after a couple of years , seems like decent value to me .

Any tips on servicing DMR V12s? Anywhere to get bearings/bushings cheap? I quite like mine, have regreased them but at 5 years old they probably need a proper service

A pedal axle bearing/bushing sees quite different loads to a jockey wheel. The only arguments for using them in a pedal are cost and overall height.

 The only arguments for using them in a pedal are cost and overall height.

Given the cost of some of these pedals I think we can whittle that down to overall height. Slim pedals with ball bearings tend to put a big bearing in a bulge next to the crank.  This doesn't bother me but others don't like it, guess you just have to choose your compromises

Raceface Atlas for me, decent sized platform, good bearings, tough, light and low profile.

Not sure how this happened but I've got a pair of Burgtec composite and Stamp 1 composites Large on the way...lol going to send back the set I like the size/look of the least. Not used of course.

Excluded the OneUps as they are

convex

rather than concave and I don't ride much at all with the pedal in the arch of my foot as they are designed for apparently.... It's usually a bit further forward so they aren't for me.

I noticed someone said they found the Burtec 4’s say too close to the cranks?

It's a valid point, and one to consider, especially if you run carbon cranks, and crank boots. There is basically no space left.

The Composite ones do sit out like a normal pedal. I'm now a few rides into mine, first set of Burgtec pedals I have had in years (because of the closeness to cranks issue) & they are a lovely shape, with loads of grip.

They really do highlight the convex shape of the OneUp pedals on my other bike. which might now be for the spares box.

Solid thumbs up from me, so far 🙂

So what's the downfall with composite pedals then?

I'm seriously lowering my budget and still able to to get some good pedals after reading this thread.

Narrowed it down to the new burgtec composites or superstar nano evo pedals.. any opinions out the 2??

I can have a new pair of riding shoes with the left over cash. It's a win win situation

I just watched the video of the Boomslang service and I made a pin wrench tool like you would need to service them for my old X-fusion forks. you just need some steel rod of the diameter of the holes.

CRC

Hob Nob

The Composite ones do sit out like a normal pedal. I’m now a few rides into mine, first set of Burgtec pedals I have had in years (because of the closeness to cranks issue) & they are a lovely shape, with loads of grip.

They really do highlight the convex shape of the OneUp pedals on my other bike. which might now be for the spares box.

Solid thumbs up from me, so far

Nice to hear the feedback on the Burtecs comps.

I think in going to be hard pressed to choose between the Burtecs and the Stamp 1's.🤔

souster4

Member
So what’s the downfall with composite pedals then?

You know what, it's really hard to find many negatives about composite pedals these days.

Very strong, light, cheaper, don't show scratches and gouges. Some even say it (being plastic) removes some of the feedback when hit on rocks etc but I can't vouch for that particular point.

Boomslang pedals really good for grip but cracked the little trapdoor that holds the needle bearing. Specialized dont do this as a spare part so pedal useless now.Burgtec do all parts for penthouse so much better option for me. Using with boost axle as i have big feet. Dont find grip a problem but not as grippy as spesh ones.

I've got a new pair of nuke proof plastics in the spares bin. I thought my ss nanos were toast and thier (ss) customer service weren't playing ball.

Turns out my pedals were fine it was a crank issue identified by my Lbs.

They both use the same axles and bearings though but the plastics are a fair bit lighter.

I'd certainly go plastic in future, purely not to give super star any more business. They are really un helpful if you have questions about thier product quality.

Well....

Got the Penthouse composites.... And the Stamp (large) composites sat in front of me.

A bit surprised with the Stamps! They are NOT concave. The axle is easily above the front and back of the pedal. You could only call them concave if you allow for the pins, which I think is a bit cheeky.

Was fairly sure I was going to keep the Stamps... Not so sure now.

The Penthouses? Smaller pedal obvs, less pins but very concave.👍

So, obviously, all this is based on just looking at them and a bit of measuring not using them... So hardly conclusive! Lol

It's just that I tend not to like convex pedals so really not to sure which of these to keep now and which to send back.

First world problems,eh?

Hello mattyfez I’m sorry you are having an issue with your nanos, can you tell me more as 99% of problems can be fixed in seconds as they are epically simple to work on. All the spare parts are listed online. If you can tell me the order number I can find out the model/age to give more accurate information

Most of the time if you remove the axle, wipe clean, degrease and maybe push a new bush in they will be as new again. Literally 2 minutes work.

Ok for the person complaining about bushes in pedals, I’ll respond with my perspective as someone who designs, machines and sells tens of thousands of Uk made pedals a year. In a pedal you have to allow for thrust load to hold the body on the axle, if you want a thin pedal your options are limited. You either have a big bearing and bulge at the inside, you have a fat cartridge axle like shimano or you use a bearings and bush system. If you want thin you go for the latter

Bushes are a very good solution as their load rating for their outer diameter is much better than a bearing. At the inner position where bushes are used the axle is about 10mm so a bearing would be 18mm outer diameter probably so you end up with a brick of a pedal 22mm+ thick in the middle.

The second reason is to make a proper 2bearing pedal the accuracy requirements of the pedal body and the axle goes crazy, and the cost will sky rocket. If you use a bush which allows axial tolerance it’s a much more sane way of doing it.

So in conclusion yes we could make a bearing only pedal but nobody would buy a 24mm thick, heavy, £300 pedal. And don’t get me started on the rubbishness of plastic pedals....

That said we have some more pedals in the works once we have finished all the new entry level uk made hubs and wheels

Neil Superstar Components