Singletrack Unscripted – Talking about flat pedals

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What makes for a good flat pedal? Are metal flatties better than plastic flatties? Thick pins? Thin pins? Loads of pins? Minimal pins? Thin versus fat. Concavity issues.

We’ve been getting a whole heap of flat pedals sent in for a group test later in the year. Time was there was nary an edition of Fresh Goods Friday that didn’t contain one or two pairs of flat pedals.

Flat pedals are one of the key components to get right. There are a lot of very capable flat pedals around these days yet there are instances when we encounter a duff design and woah! It’s alarming the difference it makes to whole bike riding experience.

Pedals don’t just do pedalling. They’re a control contact point. Think of them as handlebar grips for your feet. Or something. The placement of the back end (and middle) of your bike comes down to what your feet are able to input into things.

Although we’d be vary of judging a pedal from looks alone (sometimes pedals don’t perform like you’d expect) there are certain things you can look out for when browsing the bike shop cabinets. Watch the vid…

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https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/best-flat-pedal-shoes/
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/singletrack-unscripted-talking-about-hoods-on-riding-jackets/

Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

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Home Forums Singletrack Unscripted – Talking about flat pedals

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Singletrack Unscripted – Talking about flat pedals
  • Blackflag
    Free Member

    Anyone else find Benji reminds them of Jarvis Cocker?

    Mark
    Full Member

    You are not the first to notice 🙂

    Anyone else find Hope flats real slippy to the point of believing they have grease smeared all over surface with no pins.

    Even though pins installed and using 5:10s

    tomparkin
    Full Member

    Anyone else find Benji reminds them of Jarvis Cocker?

    Has anyone seen them together at the same time, hmmm?

    Makes you think, eh…

    stevextc
    Free Member

    notjustacyclingaddict

    Anyone else find Hope flats real slippy to the point of believing they have grease smeared all over surface with no pins.

    Tried on other people’s bikes and I’m always wearing 5 tens if riding flats … I’ve truly no idea how anyone can use F20’s (felt like rising in ice skates) but I guess each pedal has an optimum shoe size and perhaps sole and this doesn’t play well with your size and mine?

    Maybe they just don’t play well with 8.5UK 5 tens???

    seriousrikk
    Full Member

    Anyone else find Hope flats real slippy to the point of believing they have grease smeared all over surface with no pins.

    Even though pins installed and using 5:10s

    Yup. Tried a set of F20 a couple of years back and they were way less grippy than my cheap nukeproof nylon – talking slip off the pedals on a small hop slippy. The oneup pedals I replaced them with are a huge improvement.

    rickon
    Free Member

    Hope F20s can be grippy, but you need the hollow pins, and you need to not install all of them.

    If you use the standard pins, they lack anything for rubber soles to grip to as they’re rounded.

    And if you install all of the pins they have a flat profile. Just removing two pins from each pedal can make them feel concave.

    Doing both makes them perfectly fine.

    They’re still never going to be as grippy as a DMR Vault or Burgtec Penthouse though. But, if you like the colours and the bearings – then put the effect in to make them as good as they can be before giving up.

    Yep newerhollow pins with middle ones not fitted.

    Still utter shizer

    mashr
    Full Member

    rickon
    Free Member

    Hope F20s can be grippy, but you need the hollow pins, and you need to not install all of them.

    I still felt them massively underwhelming after removing the middle pins. Cheap Nukeproofs and Deitys were both an improvement

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