Mountain bike pedals are an essential piece of kit that any avid owner of a decent mountain bike should consider. Flat pedals work a little differently to some of the other mountain bike pedals that are available right now, pedals that make every push as important as the last — more-so than normal! There’s never been a better time to look at upgrading the pedals on your bike. In total there must be well over a hundred flat pedals out right now, which if anything makes finding the right bike pedal for you quite a difficult task indeed.
The evolution of flats have come a long way, almost unrecognizable to some of the flats of old, which is arguably what makes them so sought after right now — not that the previous iterations were trash, but they’ve certainly gotten better in terms of quality/durability! There’s quite a lot that goes into making these pedals worth seeking out. We’ll get into the finer details further on in the review here, but first, let’s look at some of our own personal favorite mountain bike flat pedals available right now!
View The Best Mountain Bike Flat Pedal Below
1. FOOKER MTB Bike Pedal Nylon 3 Bearing
The first bike pedal in our list here comes to us from FOOKER, a rather popular name in the world of bikes right now, and with good reason! Available in a mix of different colors for one to choose from, this bike pedal is one of great power and durability. The nylon composite material used in the makeup of this pedal makes it not only waterproof, rustproof and anti-skid but one that can take a lot of power and never falter.
Pros:
+ Nylon material
+ Anti-skid
+ Waterproof
+ Durable
+ Easy installation
Why We Liked It – Durable is the best word we’d use to describe this one for obvious reasons. The needle roller bearing makes it quite unique also!
2. RockBros Mountain Bike Pedals Nylon Fibre
A shockproof set of pedals that work for you! RockBros’ nylon fiber pedals are incredibly reliable when it comes to riding your mountain bike places. The shockproof design of these pedals allows you to apply more pressure to your strides. Not only are these pedals dust-proof/waterproof, but they are also corrosion resistant which makes them even more durable than your average set of pedals. The non-slip nail only heightens one’s grip on the pedals also.
Pros:
+ Corrosion resistant
+ Non-Slip
+ Waterproof
+ Shock-resistant
+ Durable
Why We Liked It – When we ride we like to cycle at high velocity, the fact that these pedals are shock resistant allows us to go as hard as we like with no wasted motion.
3. Mzyrh Mountain Bike Pedals
Fitted with a roller bearing, Mzyrh’s mountain bike pedals stand out as one of the more consistent pedals that we came across. Made out of strong nylon materials, these pedals only get better in time once your feet are used to the traction. These pedals are incredibly easy to fit and come with an anti-skid nail that has been added to make sure that there’s more friction underneath your feet so that you can control your bike more fluidly.
Pros:
+ Warranty
+ Anti-skid nail
+ Easy installation
+ Nylon material
+ Roller bearing
Why We Liked It – There aren’t a lot of pedals out there right now that have the same level of quality as Mzyrh’s mountain bike pedals! Trust us on this one.
4. FOOKER MTB Bike Pedals Mountain Flat Alloy
FOOKER return at our fourth spot, this time with their flat alloy pedals, the kind that is perfect for long distance rides over rough terrain. Made out of aluminum alloy, these pedals promise durability on a mass scale. Unlike some of the other pedals in our list here, these pedals are implemented with reverse anti-skid nails, meaning they are placed back to front compared to other pedals. The structural design of these pedals only increases the lifespan of these pedals outright!
Pros:
+ Unique design
+ Aluminium build
+ Anti skid nail
+ Durable
+ Responsive
Why We Liked It – There’s a lot that we enjoy about this particular pedal. The aluminum metals used in its structure makes it one of the most consistent pedals on the market.
5. Shimano PD-MX80 Platform Pedals
Complete with a unique shape with a concave platform for better control and efficiency, Shimano has come through with a great pedal in at our halfway point. If you are looking for pedals that work well on low profile bikes, then you’ll find that these pedals offer quite a lot. These pedals are a lot wider than some of the other pedals in our list here, a purposeful decision from Shimano who were clearly looking at creating a pedal that can generate more friction once fixed to a mountain bike.
Pros:
+ Wide design
+ Low profile
+ Unique shape
+ Durable
+ Replaceable pins
Why We Liked It – If you find that you perform better on low profile pedals then these will be the pedals for you!
6. Imrider Lightweight Polyamide Bike Pedals
Looking to not weigh your bike down with pedals that are far too big? Then these Imrider Lightweight Polyamide Bike Pedals will be the pedals for you! The hard spindles found on these pedals have been designed to prevent a sudden disconnection from the pedals when riding, thus making them quite safe depending on the shoes you happen to be wearing. These pedals are made from high-quality polyamide, a material known to be abrasion resistant as well as corrosion resistant!
Pros:
+ Polyamide
+ Anti-skid
+ Comfortable
+ Hard spindles
+ Durable
Why We Liked It – One of the best lightweight pedals in the game right now and with good reason, check out these pedals if you’re looking at pedals that don’t weigh your bike down.
7. SHIMANO PD-GR500 Multi-Use Flat Mountain Bike Pedals
Outfitted with a concave platform that allows for better control and efficiency, these ultra-wide pedals are tailor-made for those who enjoy riding low profile bikes. Fitted with three different pin heights, you’ll find these pedals incredibly versatile when it comes to the sorts of mountain bikes that they can be attached to/journeys you can take. The extra strong axle makes it one of the most durable pedals going also!
Pros:
+ Unique shape
+ Concave platform
+ Multiple pin heights
+ Durable axle
+ Versatile
Why We Liked It – There aren’t an awful lot of pedals out there that can do what this one can do. If you plan on taking different trips over various forms of terrain, be sure to have these pedals on your bike!
8. BC Bicycle Company- Wide Platform Mountain Bike Pedals
Another lightweight set of pedals for you to consider, the kind that is incredibly helpful to those going off-road. These flat metal pedals are made out of solid aluminum, meaning they are weather resistant as well as dust proof. Most sites have these pedals listed as ‘performance pedals’ and with good reason, you see, these pedals can be fitted to most mountain bikes and allow for excellent traction no matter the journey!
Pros:
+ Wide platform
+ Lightweight
+ Aluminium
+ Removable pins
+ Durable
Why We Liked It – This appears to be an all-around product that comes with a lot of uses! Check it out if you like going on various sorts of trips with your bike.
9. ThinkTop TRADE 3 Bearing Road Mountain
Available in a myriad of different colors, ThinkTop’s TRADE 3 Bearing Road bike pedals appear to be one of the most experimental pedals going today for many different reasons. The unique design of these pedals is only elevated due to the pedals smooth bearing and control. The anti-skid design allows for a much stronger grip once you’re out riding around. If we were to pick one pedal out of our list here that’s our favorite, it would be this one for obvious reasons!
Pros:
+ Anti-skid technology
+ Unique frame
+ Durable
+ Smoother feel
+ Comfortable
Why We Liked It – There aren’t a lot of bike pedals out there that come with this level of detail/benefits, our personal favorite, one that we think you’ll enjoy!
10. VP Components VP-Vice Pedals
The last pedal in our list here is arguably one of the very best! VP Components have had a hand in crafting some of our favorite pedals over the years, it’s good to see that this trend continues with their VP Vice Pedals. These pedals are available in various sorts of colors and are deceptively lightweight given their appearance. The superior grip on these low profile pedals makes them ideal for riders who enjoy a somewhat durable ride. There’s not a lot we don’t like about these pedals, they’re fantastic!
Pros:
+ Superior grip
+ Low profile
+ Durable
+ Flat pedal
+ Lightweight
Why We Liked It – We found these pedals to be rather fun to use and incredibly effective to those who enjoy a smooth ride with no loss in control!
Mountain Bike Flat Pedals Buyers Guide
Welcome to the buyers guide section of our article here, a section where we will be going over some questions you might have concerning mountain bike flat pedals, as well as a few additional pieces of info that you should know beforehand! There is no cap on the amount of information you should be cramming in beforehand when it comes to bike pedals! Ask any rider, and they’ll happily tell you the same thing!
How we made our list
We consider ourselves avid mountain bike enthusiasts, we are always going on trips with friends/family, traversing countless forms of terrain in all sorts of weather; we are the perfect group of individuals for this sort of article basically. Having the wrong kind of pedals attached to your bike can make a massive difference in not only the feel of your ride but the safety involved also. In many ways, we wanted to make an article that educates those in need of some much-needed advice/those looking to take their first strides in the world of mountain biking!
To begin, we compiled a massive list of pedals found from various sorts of sources that we felt would fit an article of this magnitude. Our list must have had well over 40 pedals on it. We should mention that we were not the only ones involved in the creation of this article. Having multiple eyes on this project throughout the process was the desired effect; without assembling a close-knit team of friends/professionals, we might not have been able to pull this off!
We obviously had an idea on the sorts of pedals that we wanted to include here beforehand, but if anything this article was a learning curve for all involved. Countless products are being added daily in the world of bikes, which if anything, makes it even harder to stay on top of it all and make the right decision, we touched on this at the beginning of the article. Avoiding bias was difficult, but we think we did a good job in towing that very thin line.
Once we had established a base of some of the best mountain bike pedals out right now, we then needed to trim the fat so to speak. Each pedal was evaluated on a scale that we set beforehand, this scale took into consideration the price and the features of each pedal outright! This scale allowed us to eliminate around 10-15 pedals almost instantly.
We tried to limit the number of duplicate companies included in our list, allowing for only one or two products of the same manufacturer to be included. This definitely helped us trim our list down exponentially also. Looking at some of the products from some of the most reputable brands out there was one of the most efficient ways of sourcing these pedals, to begin with, to be perfectly honest!
Now that we had a list of around 15 products or so, we then were able to try them out physically to see how they handled the outdoors. Not all of the pedals we tested followed through with the promises they’d made beforehand which was somewhat disappointing, although some actually surprised us and far surpassed our own expectations. We actually kept some of the pedals we included in our final list since we were so impressed with them.
Once our final 10 products were finalized, we tried to avoid changing our list and swapping out certain pedals. We were generally quite happy with the list we assembled and wouldn’t change any mountain bike pedal for the world! The goal was to find the best mountain bike flat peddle, something we believe we more than accomplished with the final products you see above.
What to look out for
There are countless factors to consider when purchasing flat pedals of your own. When buying these pedals, you should always be looking to fulfill your own requirements, the kind that is outlined before you even think about purchasing pedals of your own! Set your expectations accordingly and you’ll never find yourself disappointed at the end result. Take your time when it comes to your purchases also, some find that it takes time to find a pedal that works for them!
If you find that you are a tad skeptical with your purchase, then you should be looking for pedals that come with a warranty included. Now, not all pedals offer this bonus but it never hurts to have it in your back pocket should anything happen to your pedals from cycling. Most warranties cover you for around three years total, which is ideal as you might find that you are in need of a new set of peddles before that timeframe closes.
There are multiple kinds of pedal shapes out there for one to look out for. Each shape you see will react differently depending on the sort of locations you are cycling to as well as other factors that one should consider before making a purchase of their own.
Generally speaking, there are two main styles that prove to be the most popular: the standard offset parallelograms that fully cover axles and bearings (the kind that are drastically taller), and then you have the super slim platforms that normally taper the axles or special setups (these are known to be a lot lighter in comparison).
All pedals come with a broad range of widths, prices, and shapes, so knowing which ticks all the boxes for you is essential in finding the best mountain bike flat pedal! We understand that this can be relatively confusing to those that don’t understand the importance of these features. If you found that you were slightly confused at some of the features we listed above, then hopefully this helps:
Platform Shape
The platform shape is one of the most important factors of any bike pedal. Slimmer, lighter platforms have become more of a priority when it comes to your more modern flat pedal designs out there. Taller pedals tend to offer less clearance from off the ground and aren’t as stable as you’d expect. If you do purchase taller pedals then you might find that your balance is slightly off base, you have more chances of flipping should you spin out of control.
Pedal Stance
Using axles without the pedal plats means that your platforms can sit a lot closer to the crank arms, as well as to the pedal body of the bike. The further away the pedal is from the bike, the greater the stroke of each pedal. Finding a bike with stubby axles will allow brands to position themselves much further into the board. However, one thing that can appear from this is rubbing where the feet latch onto the crank arms.
Pins
Pins are in place to make sure that your feet don’t slide off the pedals as you cycle. The more protruding the pin, the better the traction! Pins have been designed to take the most damage/wear and tear of the pedal for obvious reasons.
One of the best things about these pins is that they can be replaced should they take enough damage to warrant a tune-up of some kind. Each pin will vary in terms of the height, width, and thickness, so be sure to find one that works for your pedals or risk wasting money.
Can I apply these pedals on other bikes?
Yes, if you find that the pedals you are using are fitting for the sorts of places you visit on your bike, then we see no issue in taking these pedals off and applying them to another bike you might own. Remember to attach them properly and pay attention to anything that’s come loose. These pedals have been designed to take a lot of damage and allow you to maintain control, so use them accordingly in whatever situations you deem them necessary.
Why not use any kind of pedal?
This is a simple one to answer. Mountain bike flat pedals have been expertly designed to help take the impact of cycling over rough surfaces that could cause you to spiral out of control when moving at certain speeds. These pedals have been made to give you the most traction possible when out cycling, something that is to be considered vital in traveling long distances over various forms of terrain with the greatest of ease. Pins are used in these sorts of pedals to provide a lot more grip also, giving you plenty of control in the process.
Amazon Recommends:
- STURDY & DURABLE: Rugged nylon fiber surface+high strength Cr-Mo spindle...
- GREAT GRIPS: Anti-skid nails on each side provide more secure on the pedals...
- WIDER PLATFORM & LIGHTWEIGHT: 4.1" wide platform and 0.8lb ultralight...
- LEFT & RIGHT PEDALS : To easy installation,We have divided the pedals on...
- LIGHTWEIGHT AND DURABLE: This mountain bike pedals weight only...
- WIDE PLATFORM & SUPER GRIPPY: With 101mm wide platform pedals supports the...
- Built for: Trail / DH / FR.
- Platform Size: 110mm x 101mm.
- Weight: 340g
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