Review: Spank Spoon Flat Pedals

In Issue #113 of Singletrack Magazine, we tested 17 different pedals as part of our Flat Pedal Group Test

Spank isn’t the only pedal manufacturer offering pedals in different sizes, but the brand is still very much in a minority, and these Spoon pedals are one of the cheaper options with sizing options. All sizes have a platform length of 105mm, but varying widths, respectively 90, 100 and 110 millimetres for the small, medium and large sizes. In EU shoe sizes, Spank recommends small pedals for 39 or below, medium for 39 – 45, and large for 46 up. We had large pedals, but they didn’t seem too big for my size 44 dew-beaters.

Partly that was thanks to the very rounded corners, preventing any bits peeking out from under my soles. Combined with that, forty-five-degree chamfered front and back edges deflect wayward pedal technique from rocks, stumps and other trail hazards. During the test, striking damage to the aluminium bodies was minimal.

If you look at them side on, the pedal bodies also aren’t as pan-flat as they might first appear, and between that and the varying pin heights, they have unexpectedly good concavity for your feet to settle into. They’re easily among the grippiest pedals in the test; the pins are quite savage and do tend to bite shins if you crash.

Those pins are also steel rather than alloy, so can take a hammering. The centre pins are stubby hex flat jobbies, whereas edge pins are much longer through pins.

Inside, they run on a single cartridge bearing and an IGUS bushing. IGUS make specialist bushings for all kinds of industrial applications, and in this case it’s a hardened plastic, self lubricating bushing that should give a relatively long service life before needing a replacement. What we did find was that the pedals were spinning very freely and getting a little crunchy by the end of the test, which, with a week of beach-going bikepacking thrown in at the end, was some pretty harsh treatment.

Internal construction is pretty typical, with an end cap and a nut underneath it retaining the pedal body on the axle. The end cap is, unusually, one you have to prise out with a screwdriver, and it has an o-ring at the back. A threaded one would be nicer to work with, but this one does seem to create a good seal at the outer end of the pedal.

On dismantling them, the bearings were still running clean and smooth, but some fine dirt had got in at the crank end near the bushings. It hadn’t worn the bushings away or created any play, but the bodies very much needed cleaning out and refilling with grease, which took about ten minutes and got them feeling like new again.

They’ll be rideable for a while yet before they need a full service with replacement bearings and bushings, but they’d definitely benefit from better sealing at the crank end, which could and should be much better than it is for winter weather. If it wasn’t for that, these would be some of my favourite pedals, as they feel great to ride.

Overall

Very grippy, relatively thin, average weight (360 – 420g depending on size) flat pedals that are tough, but may need a little extra attention if you’re riding them through winter weather. While they have platforms for the largest feet, different sizing could also make them a good option for kids, or small-footed adults.

Review Info