Review: Burgtec Penthouse MK4 Flat Pedals

In Issue #112 of Singletrack Magazine, James tested, reviewed and recommended the Burgtec Mk4 Penthouse pedals.

This particular pair of Penthouse MK4 pedals from Burgtec has been supporting my feet for a good while now. All told it’s been 18 months worth of riding in all weathers. They have encountered some dust, but more often than not they’ve been dripping with muck and filth.

Round these parts there are a couple of favourite, thread-the-needle trails where rock strikes are absolutely going to happen. Impacts and the abrasive wet-grit paste from season after season of riding have changed the look of these pedals over time. Scuffed and scraped, they are now a little rough around the edges. But they are far from worn out.

Striking rocks and snagging roots is very much par for the course. The Penthouse MK4s have taken countless whacks and whammos in their stride with nary a whimper or whisper of complaint. On one occasion they stopped the bike dead when I collided with a stump. No bent axle. Nothing. Sure the use and long service shows. Scratches and wear to the anodising are clearly visible. This particular set is historied and could tell a tale or two of many good-time and death-grip moments alike.

Designed and realised in the UK, the construction and finish is spot on. Burgtec is a small rider-owned company; these pedals are a labour of love and it shows. Burgtec started out with pedals and these are the fourth iteration. The Penthouse MK4s are high-quality items, and really well put together.

They’re simple looking with no cutouts between faces, and somehow manage to appear both stout and slimline.
All-in weight is 450g for the pair with steel axles. The platform is a good supportive size measuring up at 98mm x 100mm and sits close to the crank-arm, significantly further inboard than some others… something that I noticed first off and then quickly adjusted to.
Profile is pretty low at 16mm and there’s a slight concavity to them that feet sit into nicely. Eight stainless steel pins run around the perimeter. The pins are strong themselves and easy to replace if/when they do eventually disappear.

From the get-go, grip levels are copious. In all this time they have resolutely kept feet in place. Steadfast, unwavering performance, slop or not. So, very good.

They spin slow and smooth on a double bushing and single bearing arrangement that took forever and an age to develop any detectable signs of play. Even then it was slight. I put off servicing again and again, and got away with this lackadaisical approach to maintenance for a good while with no ill effects. Servicing is easy to do when you do make time though, and it takes all of half an hour to refresh bushings, bearings and seals using common tools. It is safe to say that these pedals are supremely low maintenance.

Overall

These pedals are the embodiment of flat pedal thunder! They have a great feel, the grip is tenacious, and they offer class-leading longevity. Burgtec Penthouse MK4s are seemingly pedals that do not die, they just become more storied.

Review Info