Which Flat Pedals?

Hello everyone,

I ride on flat pedals, I already have some 5:10s, which are great, but I need some new pedals, and was hoping to get some advice from you lot. I currently use some very battered DMR V12s and have found their grip sort of…meh.
I want some really grippy pedals, not that fussed about weight as my bike is light already.

I was looking at:
Kona Wahwahs
Superstar CNC Nano Thru Pins
Burgtecs
Straitlines
Atomlab aircorps
I really want pedals that are thin, grip well and have pins screwed in from beneath, not grub screws.

Thankyou for your help.

Here we go again, if anyone dares to mention Wellgos or Vans shoes with waffle soles from TK Maxx…..

From your list – Straitlines

Straitlines.

Straitlines

wellgo mags (highonbikes on ebay)

Sorry Dusty Lilac, didn’t realise this topic had been done, I did a search and couldn’t find anything really.
Whats so good about the Straitlines then?

I can only comment on the ones I have used.

Kona Wahwahs are pretty much Superstar CNC Nano’s, and the grip is very good and the platform decent size, and seem to be lasting well.

Straitlines are very good and much higher quality than the others you have listed. They are slightly thicker than the Nanos/Wahwahs and they don’t have an allen key fitting on the end of the axle, so you have to use a 15mm spanner. Don’t know how well they will last as I haven’t had them long.

Also you will need to put some threadlocker on the pins when you fit them as the standard pins aren’t threadlocked at the factory, and they are very sharp so you will cut your legs/hands/fingers without you even realizing it until you spot the blood.

Personally I would be happy with either of them if I was buying again so its just a matter of how much cash you have and what colour you like

I can only comment on the ones I have used.

Kona Wahwahs are pretty much Superstar CNC Nano’s, and the grip is very good and the platform decent size, and seem to be lasting well.

Straitlines are very good and much higher quality than the others you have listed. They are slightly thicker than the Nanos/Wahwahs and they don’t have an allen key fitting on the end of the axle, so you have to use a 15mm spanner. Don’t know how well they will last as I haven’t had them long.

Also you will need to put some threadlocker on the pins when you fit them as the standard pins aren’t threadlocked at the factory, and they are very sharp so you will cut your legs/hands/fingers without you even realizing it until you spot the blood. The pins also don’t screw in from behind, as they have a head on them so you can remove smashed ones with a ring spanner without wrecking the thread in the pedal.

Personally I would be happy with either of them if I was buying again, so its just a matter of how much cash you have and what colour you like

I want some really grippy pedals, not that fussed about weight as my bike is light already.

Whats so good about the Straitlines then?

They are exactly what you asked for, that’s what.

The Straitlines are just really nicely engineered, a few riding chums have them and if I hadn’t gotten all carried away with 50:50s I’d be using them too.

Thanks very much everyone.
I thought to myself “oh loads of WC riders use the Burgtecs, maybe I’ll splash out on them.”
But I think I’d be better saving the money clearly. Do any of you with experience of them know about their reliability in the mud?
Clearly I should think less.

I really want pedals that are thin, grip well and have pins screwed in from beneath, not grub screws.

With those requirements, The Superstar ones are the closest to what you have asked.

However, if you want more grip/strength and the ability to remove dead pins without killing the pedals the straitlines are better. The reliability should be good as they are designed/made in BC with is a similar climate to here.

As for strength, check out the blog entry:

http://straitline.blogspot.com/2009/01/wnt-to-see-pedal-get-smashed.html

😉

Atomlabs are lovely, nice big concave surface, loads of grip with 5.10s.

Straitlines and 5:10’s for teh win.

I’ve a pair on my ‘XC’ bike (Cove Stiffee) and another pair on my DH bike (Kona Stab Primo) and the grip is just fantastic in all conditions. Once you’ve spent the hour or so fitting the 56 pins yourself you’ll understand why.

They’re also just about the simplest and easiest component to service that I’ve come across. You can have both pedals done and back on the bike in 5 minutes or so.

Straitlines. No bearings to wear out (they use bushings instead), piece of piss to service, and while more pins doesn’t equal more grip, they have a hexagonal design that is way grippier than standard round pins.

NC-17 MG Magnesium Pedals very light grip very well and after 2 years still very smooth.

Mr Agreeable – Member

Straitlines. No bearings to wear out (they use bushings instead)

While i don’t disagree that straitlines might be be the best choice – surely bushings will wear just as quickly, if not quicker, than bearings?

I might be getting a bit amateur engineer here, but I think that the greater surface contact area of bushings means it will be longer before they go rattly, compared to a set of very small gauge ball bearings. They are a bit draggy compared to pedals with bearings in, but not so you actually notice when riding.

Bushings used in the Straitlines

http://www.igus.com/show_bronze.asp

Thanks for your help everyone.
Its great to hear advice from people who have used the various pedals.

burgtecs are neither light nor thin, the is aren’t pins either, bolts would be a better description!

I’m selling an unused pair of you wan them, i’ve done my knee in so never got chance to ride them!

Truvative oes are very gripy, i liked them as the platform is quite big so the weights spread arround and they dont hurt like some smaller pedals (DMR’s)

hey here is a review[/url] of the straitlines I have just taken the delivery of a set myself, for £80 they should come a socket or spanner to fit the pins, time will tell on performance but a trust that websites reviews.

I was just looking at Easton Cullys too, they look pretty good. They have grub screw pins, but any opinions on these?

Good as the Straitline’s may well be, £100 on a set of pedals that you’re going to smash into rocks and the like seems totally ridiculous to me. They also look a little dainty, and a bit too girlie if you ask me.

My Easton Flatboy’s may not be the last word in slimness, lightweight or ease of pin replacement, but by god they’re tough! They’ve shrugged off years of abuse and all sorts of smashes into massive rocks. Certainly the cranks would bend before anything on the Flatboys gets damaged!

Anyway, there’s loads of decent flat pedals for well under half what the Straitlines will cost (though still more than some cheap V8’s or copies etc.), and you’d be far less upset if they got scratched/scraped/damaged when it comes down to it! Those Wellgo MG1’s do look a killer deal in particular.

mansonsoul – Member

I was just looking at Easton Cullys too, they look pretty good. They have grub screw pins, but any opinions on these?

Just saw this after I’d hit post.

BIG thumbs up. Have the Flatboys myself, which essentially are a slightly wider and less shaped Cully (or the cully is a narrower more shaped Flatboy). Easton pedals are tough as old boots, know people who’ve destroyed all sorts of other pedals smashing them into rocks and the like, and who now pretty much exclusively use Easton pedals.

I have some AMAZING flat pedals – XPEDO MX mags. sealed replaceable cartridge bearings, replaceable pins, 410g the pair, large area and grippy as F*CK. but good luck finding them.

Can’t fault my Wellgo MG1s. Bargain.

what allyharp said!

Two sets of Wahwahs.

Reasonable weight (0.5 kg ish I reckon) and price (£40 to 50 IIRC).

Thin and pins that load from behind. Plenty grippy for me.

Really like my WahWahs.

First flats i’ve tried that actually feel more secure than clips. Haven’t managed to roll them either – they are very thin.

Burgtecs aren’t thin by any stretch of the imagination. Straitlines look lovely, but as above they’r going to get mashed into big rocks.

(oh, and Steve Jones likes Wahwahs, so they *must* be good 😉 )

I’ve been using straightlines for the past 6 months. For the last 2 months I’ve been riding 4 or 5 days a week so here’s my honest experiences.

The grip is great. They don’t spin as freely as other pedals but it’s not significant on the trail. I’ve been a bit clumsy with them and they’re holding up to the knocks well.

Maintenance! I didn’t bother with this until about a month ago when they started squeaking. Stupid! They need regular maintenance. You have to flip the two poodle clips off and grease the bearings. It takes less than 5 mins and you only need a flat screwdriver. There’s also a wee PTFE spacer ring that’s completely worn out on my pedals; probably due to the lack of greasing! I spoke to Straightline and they were great to deal with and sent me a replacement straight away FOC.

That’s my 2p’s worth!

I’d recommend the wah wahs. They’re thin, grip very well, have a good sized platform for bigger feet, pins screw in from behind, and they’ve taken a beating without breaking. They’ve also required no maintenance after a years riding.

Syncros Race, very grippy, shed mud…….. 🙂

you missed off and weigh a ton.

I’ve had Easton Cullys for about 3 months and they are going well. Light, thin, loads of grip. I’ve not tried the others though (apart from V8’s which lasted about a week) so I can’t really compare.

rich they are a tad heavy but its a small trade off for performance…. or just eat one pie less!

I’m still waiting on NS bikes to finally release these beauties:

Thanks for the opinions everyone. I’ve decided to buy the Kona Wahwahs because they are thin and cheap, Steve Jones likes them (I think he’s ace) and they look fine. Think I’ll save the difference for something else.
Really appreciate everyone who proffered their opinions, ta.

Good choice, you won’t regret it!