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Nov 05, 2024

Best mountain bike flat pedals reviewed and rated by experts - MBR

Looking for the best mountain bike flat pedals, no matter what your budget? Here's our comprehensive buyer's guide to all things flat pedal. Big ol' pile of flatties Credit: Mick Kirkman Combined with

Looking for the best mountain bike flat pedals, no matter what your budget? Here's our comprehensive buyer's guide to all things flat pedal.

Big ol' pile of flatties Credit: Mick Kirkman

Combined with a pair of the best mountain bike shoes for flat pedals, the extra feedback and enhanced connection with the bike and terrain you get by riding flat pedals are the main reasons that most of us here at MBR choose them over clip-in/clipless pedals. So we’re sold on the principle then, but which pedal should you buy with so many options on the market and only minimal differences in terms of appearance? If you’re looking for a guide to the best clip-in pedals, we have one of those as well.

The Burgtec MK4 Composite pedal is cheap and robust.

Weight: 390g | Platform size: 101 x 97mm | Rating: 10/10

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Burgtec has recreated its acclaimed Penthouse pedal in budget nylon, almost halving the price but without really compromising the performance. The beauty of plastic for flat pedals is that they tend to bounce, rather than crack, so they take a load of abuse. And should the worst happen, replacing them is significantly cheaper.

The Burgtec shape is superb, with a nice concavity that cups the sole of your foot. Traction via the pins is excellent and security is top notch, even on the roughest terrain. A high performance pedal at a bargain price.

Read our full test review of the Burgtec MK4 Composite flat pedals

Hope’s F22 pedals are UK made and brilliantly engineered.

Weight: 360g | Size: 105 x 102mm | Rating: 9/10

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Massively improved over the original version, Hope’s F22 is now worthy of your hard earned cash on a performance basis as well as in terms of looks and build quality. As you’d expect, it’s CNC-machined at Hope’s Lancashire factory, to the highest aircraft standards, and backed up by comprehensive spares and full serviceability.

Grip is now on par with all the top alloy pedals, with an improved platform shape and sharper, taller pins. Available in a rainbow of anodised colours, these pedals will be the finishing touch to any custom build.

Read our full test review of the Hope F22 pedals

Carder TenFour pedals are exquisitely made

Weight: 422g | Size: 104 x 100mm | Rating: 9/10

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Carder’s TenFour pedal is a sight to behold, with a stunning CNC-machined body bristling with ridges and crisp detailing. It’s made right here in the UK, and the first class construction is backed up by excellent foot security thanks to the concave platform and nine stainless steel pins.

Read our full test review of the Carder TenFour pedal

The DMR Vaults hold your feet as securely as a Swiss bank.

Weight: 418g | Size: 115 x 105mm | Rating: 9/10

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DMR was there at the very start of the flat pedal boom, and has been at the top of the game ever since with the classic Vault. Styled after the original Shimano flat pedal, the Vault has loads of concavity to lock the ball of your foot. It’s comfortable too, but upgrading to one of the brand’s more aggressive pins will help keep your feet secure on rough alpine downhill tracks. A huge array of colours and finishes means there’s a set of pedals to suit every taste.

Read our full test review of the DMR Vault flat pedal

Pembree is another UK brand making a great flat pedal – the D2A

Weight: 442g | Size: 110 x 100mm | Rating: 9/10

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Another UK brand making CNC-machined pedals, Pembree’s offering gets a large platform with 10 stainless steep pins per side. There’s a stainless steep axle, Igus bushing and two SKF outer bearings, so they’re built to last.

For such a high quality pedal, the price is quite reasonable, and the five year warranty gives additional peace of mind.

Read our full test review of the Pembree D2A flat pedals

We swapped between three of the best mountain bike shoes for flatties (Five Ten, Ride Concepts and Specialized 2FO) when testing the flat pedals here. The softness of the rubber is directly proportional to the amount of grip, but the tread pattern also influences how well a shoe grips, hence trying several designs.

‘Flat pedals win medals’, or so the saying goes. While mountain bike flat pedals aren’t for everyone, they are incredibly popular with a lot of mountain bikers and for good reason; you can put your foot down when you need to, reposition your foot on the pedal, and not being attached to the bike is a definite plus when things start getting sketchy. They also force you to learn correct technique when it comes to bunny-hopping, pumping, and even pedalling, as you can’t be lazy and rely on an attachment between your foot and the pedal – click here for a guide to learning how to ride with flat pedals.

A good flat pedal paired with a grippy shoe gives the best combination of feel, security, and comfort.

Slimmer, lighter platforms tend to rule modern flat pedal design, since taller pedals afford less ground clearance and aren’t as stable. Further benefits are reduced rider centre of gravity, resistance to flipping, and improved efficiency by spinning closer to the pedalling axis centre. Thinner pedals can also be made wider with equivalent clearance, which increases shoe contact for more stability and control.

A good flat pedal usually has a concave profile that lets your foot settle into.

The best mountain bike flat pedals have a concave platform. This means the centre is dished to keep the ball of your foot centred and also allow you to reset it easily if removed for a dab or to stabilise in a corner. Being concave also means shoes are more resistant to inching back and forth or bouncing off on really rough terrain.

Pins engage with the sole of your shoe, helping keep your feet locked in position.

The rule of thumb is if you have big feet you want a big pedal but a bigger platform also means there’s more to aim at and it also offers more support. The downside is you have less cornering and ground clearance.

Close to the crank arm, or far away?

Using axles without pedal spanner flats means designers can get platforms closer to the crank arms. Platforms closer to the bike improve ground clearance and pedal stroke efficiency. One compromise can be rubbing if feet are too close to crank arms, and platforms with oversized bearing housings might also push feet outwards and dig into effective shoe area for bigger feet too. Really wide pedals generate more twist and flex in cranks, so this is a performance consideration too.

Back-loading pins are the best

Stud size, layout and shape affect traction and grip. In the firing line for ground strikes, pins inevitably suffer; bottom-mounting ones are harder to strip out in an impact, and easier to move or replace because Allen key heads are less prone to damage or getting crammed with crud. Some pedal brands also offer a choice of traction studs, and height, width and thickness are critical to grip and performance.

Most mid to high-end pedals have sufficient sealing, usually in the form of one or two rubber-lipped seals or O-rings to resist moisture or grit entering the bearings or bushes. The best pedals use multiple seals, with price also usually dictating bearing quality. Look for some resistance to spinning too freely too, as this can help stop pedals flipping over too readily.

SPD or flat pedals: they both need a little TLC to keep rolling smoothly

A bearing or axle rebuild is a job most home mechanics can tackle and will make tired or baggy pedals feel fresh again (for under £20 on some models). It’s worth checking beforehand the price of new bearings or an axle on really expensive set of pedals, as, chances are, the platforms will far outlast the internals in UK conditions.

Burgtec MK4 Composite pedals are cheap, sturdy, and grippy.

Until recently, the answer to this question was always alloy if you were looking for a serious MTB flat pedal. But recently a crop of excellent composite/plastic/nylon pedals have emerged that are as good, and in some ways better, than their alloy competitors. Why? Well you can now get them with proper traction pins, rather than studs moulded into the body. The pins are usually secured with recessed nuts, so they’re replaceable, and in many cases the shape of the body exactly mirrors their alloy cousins. Weights are usually similar (aside from the ultra-expensive alloy pedals with titanium axles), axles and bearings are the same, and they can often be better at resisting pedal strikes – composite pedals can bounce or slide on impact rather than stick or crack. And obviously the price is very appealing – often half the price of alloy options.