Hi All,

Am considering flat pedals and have read an old thread on what brands/models people recommend, what I would like to know is what do existing users dislike about them.

Thanks

The bearings in my Crank Bros 50:50s didn’t last very long, and they weren’t very grippy either.

A pair of Superstar Nano’s would not be the worst decision you have ever made.

Mind you my DMR V8’s have been superb and never missed a beat.

I would recommend Wellgo MG-1’s. Bad things about them; The colour easily rubs off, doesn’t really notice if you buy them in grey. They don’t come with enough grease in them, fill them when you get them.

Will I be buying another pair…. Yes !

btw Liking the idea of recommending something and only listing the bad points, is this an STW first?

Just spent three full days riding flats in Wales, normally ride clips for everything except DH. Found the superstar pedals very good in terms of grip and comfort – one bad point, there’s a worrying buildup of grease around the driveside pedal at the seals. For the amount of miles they’ve done, it’s not a great sign.

Straitline pedals = v grippy but need new bushes & grease every 3 months
Superstar Nanos = v grippy, low profile, light and have lasted 2 years without needing a moments attention

You also need to consider what shoes you use too, oh and DMR V8 V12’s are still the ones I get on with best

and 50/50’s suck very badly (IMO)

wellgo MG-1’s are much better value than some of the more fashionable models..

the only downside of flats..?

shinslap.. although it’s been a good few years thankfully..

MG1s are like V12s, only better and cheaper. Made by the same people too.

Nanos are decent… Not the grippiest out there, but reliable, well priced, thin too. The pins come out of the mag ones very easily though. if you’re a rider that feels like they must have ultimate grip, then they’re probably not for you but for everyone else they’re good.

Wellgos or Superstar nanos are best value IME. DMR V8/12s are kinda small but well made, depends if you know what you like yet. Bigger platforms can catch on the ground on rock/turns, thinner pedlas generally costs more.

The new Spesh one look good but not for sale yet.

Oh, and longer pins are cheap on ebay.

If you’re pedalling then I don’t think the Straitlines are great. You will frequently be replacing the bushings and I was regreasing every week. There is also a set of plastic washers which wear out quick.

Superstar Nano’s last for ages and are great. Bad points… there may be a bit of variation depending on what batch you get? (That’s based on a couple of comments from people having problems with them).

I’m also using a set of Nukeproof electrons which I find good (ish). Bad points… they’re not as grippy as the Nano’s.

If you want more details (and of course the good points) then I reviewed each of them on my site.
Straitline pedal review
Superstar Nano pedal review
Nukeproof Electron pedal review

Atomblab AirCorp Pedals: Look great, great platform and very grippy but they run on bushes rather than bearings and when the bushes wear the pedal body develops a very annoying & noisy ‘play’ on the axle. Couldn’t find repalacement parts so keep them as ‘spare’.

Superstar Pedals: Found no technical issues but looks/branding and general appeal not to everyone’s tastes…

Nuke Proof Electron (plastic) pedal: Currently running 2 sets of these. I find you really have to screw the pins in fully to get a decent amount of grip (they come 50% into their screw-in limits). Other than that very light and I like the matt black looks too. Certainly seem plenty strong too.

I really hate shinslap so much that I don’t climb 100% with them to try and avoid it.

Nanos.

Wellgos v8 and v12 are long overdue the chop!

Vaults if i had money to burn 😛

i’ve a pair of kona jack shit primos that have lasted for years with the occasional greasing when they start to creak. downside – heavy.

Used a pair of those Crank Bros pedals that are two colours – is it the 50:50?

They weren’t very good – not much grip.

Nanos are decent… Not the grippiest out there, but reliable… if you’re a rider that feels like they must have ultimate grip, then they’re probably not for you but for everyone else they’re good

Not the case with 5.Tens though Northwind, I can’t imagine you’d want anymore grip than that provided by nano’s and a pair of 5.tens. Maybe not the case with your AM40s but grippy as hell with 5.Tens! 😉

Nanos with 2mm longer pins and AM41s = EPIC WIN!

Perhaps you’ve misunderstood Neallyman? They have more than enough grip for me, but they have less grip than my MG1s (whether in my AM40s or my 5 10s, or in any other shoe). So someone who wants ridiculous amounts of grip wouldn’t be happy with them, but everyone else would.

Too much grip’s just annoying, I’ve taken pins out of the MG1s but the Nanos don’t need that as they’re not that grippy in the first place.

Sticky shoes- whether it’s Vans, Shimanos, 5 10s, whatever- all provide enough grip on pretty much any pedal, but some people like the confidence boost of too much grip, and others need it to make up for bad footwork.

Gusset Slim Jims on both of my bikes, work well.

Ok cheers, I’ll take your good word for it. And yeah I like ‘too much grip’, helps keep my feet on the pedals in all eventualities but ‘bad footwork’…at least give me a clue as to what game, tennis ❓

Got some Straitline pedals in white and have had them for a couple of years now and they are really good. Only slight niggles as below.

I have had to strip them down and clean the bushings twice (I think) now, never greased them just left them dry. But they are really easy to strip you actually take them apart with a fork!

They are so much lower profile than my DX SPD’s that I actually have to drop my seatpost for the leg extension to be spot on!

Too much grip’s just annoying

That’s very true.. I recently replaced some old vans with cheapy bmx shoes.. they have a too grippy sole that can make adjusting your foot position a bit hairy..

To be fair if you’re just considering using flats then I’d just buy the cheapest pedal you can that has decent reviews. I sure as heck wouldn’t be buying straitlines (or even nanos probably) just to try out flats!

standard nanos with 5/10s are more than enough for flying down any downhill track, don’t think I’ve blown a foot once this summer in the Alps and I’ve probably done around 1000 runs of black / double blacks and lots of off piste

Burgtech Penthouse Flats MK2

Good – the best flat pedals ever meade? Insane levels of grip, indestructable body and pins, bearings ahve lasted 2 years and still feel slightly ‘not quite bedded in’.

Bad – MK2’s weigh 750g a pair! (but its at the BB so you dont notice it while riding)

Good – Mk3’s weigh a smidge under 500g/pair, significantly less with the Ti axle kit.

Whatever flavour of Wellgo you like the look of really, can’t fault MG-1s, the paint falling off just makes them look more rad’n’gnar 😀

The bearings in my Crank Bros 50:50s didn’t last very long, and they weren’t very grippy either.

Good job. I do dislike grippy bearings. 😉

I hate “too much grip” so 5:10s or long pins are out for me and a decent shaped pedal is far more important.
slimjims = shit mud clogging/slippy edge design if you ever ride in mud/wet conditions (fine for dirtjumping/street/park or dry weather mtb rides)
DMR V8/12= awkward shaped small (but tall) uncomfortable platform and weak axles.
Crank Bros = awful design/non concave shape and fall apart easily
MG1s = slightly better shape than a DMR and lighter but at the expense of weaker bodies (pins rip out even more easily)
HT/SS nanos = nice shape/size platform (as concave as possible really considering the thickness), surprisingly strong bodies and pretty cheap

if you are a pedal twatter all of the above have fairly weak axles (easy and cheap to replace on DMR/nano’s tho).

Never had an issue with my Wellgo V12 copies, dunno why you’d need to spend more money on pedals – mine have been on various bikes for years and cost less than £20.

I had a go on a bike with those nukeproof plastic slimline pedals (think they’re the same shape as ss nanos etc) and it felt weird, they have a lump in the middle of the pedal where the axle is..

I’ve had a set of nano’s for about 2 years now, had to regrease them once, but they were used nearly every day last winter, so took a beating. Wouldn’t buy wheels from them again, but wouldn’t hesitate on more pedals!

I’ve just got some Outland CNC Slimlines. Changed from some, only very occasionally used, Shimanos. A couple of rides in and I’m quite impressed so far: light (370g), cheap, slim.

Cons: not ‘super’ grippy with my AM41s, but definitely grippy enough for me. I think they’d be ideal if they just had an extra pin on the outer edge. Can’t comment on longevity either, but I had a bit of a tinker before fitting them and they seem servicable enough.

“Pedal twatter” – never been called that before!! 😆

I like Shimano MX30s but by today’s standards they’re probably unfashionably thick, the upside of the thickness though, is that they have a great concave shape that cups the ball of the foot.

I recently replaced them with much thinner Superstar Nanos. They’re nice pedals too but, imho, too thin in the sense that they seem absolutely flat with no concave shape and consequently more slippy. With 10mm pins fitted in place of the supplied 8mm ones they feel much better though.

Got a pair of both Wellgo’s MG-1, cheap & light and have lasted for about 5 years, yes the paint job doesn’t last that long though, but I havn’t had to do any maintainance at all. However my mate, who is a bit larger than me killed his bearings within about a year.
My main steed has a pair of the Nanos, yeah they weight a bit more, but I much prefer the grip (coupled with 5-10’s). Also the wider profile supports the foot much better IMHO. Replacement axels are also nice and cheap should the need arise. My only grumble with the Nano’s is that the anodising is starting to rub off in the middle of the pedal around the logo.
A mate has some V12 copies, they are fine too, though have a very similar shape to the MG-1’s

I’ve just gone from SPD’s to riding with Shimano AM40’s and DMR Vaults Pricey but worth it.

Burgtec penthouse flats over here – ubber grippy with 5.10s, and quite large in platform size.

Only downside is the price.

Kona wah wah same pedal as superstar nano but cheaper and not from superstar. Also like easton flatboy for grip feel and durability but they are twice the weight of some.

Where are wahwahs cheaper than Nanos?