MTB pedals test 2022: Ten plastic flat pedals compared

We tested these ten plastic MTB pedals:

• Crankbrothers Stamp 1
• DMR V11
• Ethirteen Base Flat Pedal
• HT PA03A
• OneUp Flat Pedal Comp
• SDG Comp Pedal
• Shimano PD-GR400
• Sixpack Millenium
• SQlab 50X
• Paw Link Composite

All topics in the test:

• This is how we tested
• Aluminium against plastic
• Statement by Laurin Lehner, Deputy Editor-in-Chief FREERIDE
• The pins
• The stand area
• Statement from Stefan Frey, BIKE test editor
• The plastic pedals remained hard
• The test results of the ten plastic platform pedals

This is how we tested the MTB pedals:

The pins bent or torn off. The pedal bodies bruised by rock contacts. Grease oozing out of the bearing seats. After a long day on the trails, some MTB pedals look as if they have just escaped from the dark corridors of a torture chamber. It's no wonder that many bikers are reluctant to invest a hundred euros or more in a set of stylish and lightweight aluminium pedals, only to cry crocodile tears at the first scratch. This is where the trend towards plastic pedals comes in handy. There is hardly a manufacturer left who doesn't have them in their range. As colourful as a bunch of Smarties, perfectly adaptable to personal colour tastes and, above all, cheap. The cheapest flat pedal in the test costs just fifty euros. A Bavarian for whom the saying "A Glump always buys zwoamoi", the question naturally arises: Is that money wasted?

The answer is provided by our test, in which the colourful plastic pedals were really not spared. A simulated endurance run in the laboratory was designed to expose defective seals. The axles of the fixed mountain bike pedals were rotated around 10,000 times while an abrasive emulsion containing extremely fine sand and surfactants was applied to the seal. The pedals were then completely dismantled and the bearing quality assessed. We did not record any total failures. However, on the MTB pedals from DMR and Shimano, the seals had worked their way out of the seat and dirt was getting in. On HT, the grease was oozing out of the seal. Not a big problem, but also not nice and a magnet for dust and dirt, as we found out in the practical test on the Geißkopf.

The freeride descent there served as a test track. Rocky boulders, jumps, drops and waist-high steps - including the odd pedal strike. Grip, stability and riding comfort were analysed using identical sole material. Although a bike park descent could be mastered with each pair of pedals, the differences were astonishing, and the test riders did not feel really comfortable with every model. The platform pedals themselves probably fared similarly. Despite mild temperatures and clear sunshine, the test day was nothing but pure torture for them.

MTB pedals: aluminium versus plastic

Price: A clear advantage for the plastic pedals. The price of the injection mould is uniquely high here. The mould must be well designed to ensure high quality. The material for production is then relatively inexpensive. Good aluminium pedals usually cost at least 100 euros or more.

Weight: The advantage of the lower weight of plastic MTB pedals is cancelled out by the greater amount of material used. Aluminium has a higher tensile strength and the material thickness can be reduced to 1.2 mm. In comparison, the wall thickness of plastic must be around 1 mm thicker to remain sufficiently stable.

Durability: With the right material, plastic flat pedals are brutally resistant. Glass fibre or carbon composites score particularly well here. Plastic is also more elastic than aluminium and will therefore probably never break. A pin tear-out can occur with both materials. In the case of aluminium, the pin is torn out of the thread, which is usually destroyed in the process.

Quality: The bearings and seals of MTB pedals must be of high quality to prevent wear. This is not always the case with cheap plastic pedals. The geometry and pin distribution of cheap models are also often less well thought out. Cheap plastic pedals then quickly become a disposable product.

Optics: Because MTB pedals made of plastic are coloured through, scratches and nicks are less visible, whereas with aluminium the bare metal is exposed under the anodised or powder coating. With a little cleaning agent and a cloth, plastic pedals can be easily freshened up and then look almost like new.

Statement by Laurin Lehner, Deputy Editor-in-Chief FREERIDE:

"If you don't like the scratched look of aluminium pedals, you're better off with plastic pedals."

The pins

With plastic pedals, the pins are usually secured with a nut and not screwed into a thread in the pedal body. This is why almost all manufacturers in the test use three millimetre thin standard steel pins.

The stand area

The larger your feet, the larger the footprint of the MTB pedal should be. Only then will you quickly find a suitable position and sufficient support on long descents. Be careful with particularly thin platforms: If the axle is higher than the platform, this can lead to pressure points and loss of grip.

The use of carbon fibres usually makes flat pedals unnecessarily expensive - with almost no advantage in terms of functionality and stability compared to glass fibres and only a minimal reduction in weight.

Statement from Stefan Frey, BIKE test editor:

"The sole of the shoe and the profile also play a major role: soft rubber mixtures literally bake together with the pins. However, the tread trickles off the sole like parmesan from a cheese grater."

The plastic pedals remained hard

The different quality levels of plastics cannot actually be determined with the naked eye. However, extremely soft plastics bend noticeably when the MTB pedals are pressed hard against the edge of a table with the palm of your hand. During the ride, such flat pedals can bend downwards at the ends and are virtually unrideable for mountain bikers. However, we were unable to find such a problem with any of the platform pedals in our test.

The test results of the ten plastic MTB pedals

Crankbrothers Stamp 1

The most affordable Stamp model cannot match the solid performance of its big brothers. Even feet in size 46 can easily fit on the extremely large footprint, which guarantees plenty of freedom of movement and sufficient stability even if the foot is not optimally positioned. However, the somewhat short pins have little grip on the profile of the shoes. The biggest problem is the bulging centre bar, which can cause pressure points in the long term and through which four of the nine pins in total can make almost no contact with the sole of the shoe. The workmanship, weight and storage are good. The Stamp 1 is also available in a smaller version up to shoe size 42.

Technical data Crankbrothers Stamp 1

• Price: 50 Euro >> available from Maciag Offroad
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 328 g / 111 x 110 x 19 mm / 12.2 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 3.5 mm / 9 per side
• Material / Bearing: Composite / 1 Igus plain bearing, 1 Enduro ball bearing
• Special features: 2 sizes; 7 colours

Test notes Crankbrothers Stamp 1

• Grip (50 %): 5 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 8 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 8 out of 10 points

BIKE RATING³: 40 POINTS - satisfactory

DMR V11

The classic from DMR is now also available in a plastic version. It is the only MTB pedal in the test with slightly thicker, partly star-shaped serrated pins. These worked surprisingly well in the test with a slightly harder sole. Otherwise, the V11 ranks in the grippy midfield. The feet find a comfortable grip on the slightly concave base and can still be repositioned easily. A special spanner is required to change the pins. During testing, the seal worked its way out of its seat a little, and there was also slight bearing play. The bulky pedal body is quite heavy in comparison.

Technical data DMR V11

• Price: 59,99 Euro >> at Bike-Componets available
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 442 g / 106 x 105 x 19 mm / 11.1 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 5 mm / 11 per side
• Material / Bearing: Glass fibre reinforced nylon / 1 plain bearing, 1 ball bearing
• Special features: 8 colours

Test notes DMR V11

• Grip (50 %): 7 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 8 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 5 out of 10 points

BIKE RATING³: 43 POINTS - satisfactory

Ethirteen Base Flat Pedal

Not just a visually successful MTB pedal, Ethirteen's workmanship and bearing quality are also spot on. The Base Flat pedal strikes a pleasant balance between grip and comfort. Although your feet move slightly on the pedal in bumpy sections, the loss of grip remains controlled and is never jerky. The feet can also be easily repositioned on the pedals. The arrangement of the eleven standard pins seems well thought out and gives the feet sufficient support even if they are not in the optimum position on the pedals. Additional bars increase the contact area and comfort on long descents.

Technical data Ethirteen Base Flat Pedal

• Price: 54,90 Euro >> at Bike components available
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 401 g / 101 x 111 x 17 mm / 11.2 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 5 mm / 11 per side
• Material / bearing: Nylon reinforced plastic / 2 industrial bearings, 1 plain bearing
• Special features: 5 colours; replacement pins 4 mm

Test notes Ethirteen Base Flat Pedal

• Grip (50 %): 7 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 9 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 6 out of 10 points

BIKE RATING³: 46 POINTS - good

HT PA03A

A sideways glance reveals how strongly the HT pedal is concave. This gives your feet a decent grip, even if the eight standard pins don't provide too much grip. The two plastic pins on the crank side are hardly used in practice as they don't offer any additional grip. Similar to Ethirteen, the feet move slightly on the pedals in hard terrain, but can be easily re-aligned correctly. Although the bearings ran smoothly in the test, grease leaked from the seal, which also attracts dirt. The MTB pedals from HT did not leave a very good impression in terms of workmanship.

Technical data HT PA03A

• Price: 54,99 Euro >> available at Alltricks
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 348 g / 107 x 105 x 18 mm / 11.2 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 4.5 mm / 8 + 2 (plastic) per side
• Material / bearing: Nylon reinforced plastic / 2 ball bearings, 1 plain bearing
• Special features: 12 colours

Test notes HT PA03A

• Grip (50 %): 7 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 8 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 9 out of 10 points

BIKE RATING³: 48 POINTS - good

OneUp Flat Pedal Comp

The plastic pedals from OneUp have been on test for some time and have so far impressed with their delicate appearance, impeccable durability and convincing grip. The black material conceals imperfections particularly well. Only in comparison with the competition do the differences become clear, and it becomes apparent that the grip is surprisingly less than expected. Even the total of ten pins and the ribbed pedal surface cannot change this. But position changes are all the easier. The rounded base of these MTB pedals offers sufficient comfort even for large feet.

Technical data OneUp Flat Pedal Comp

• Price: 49,50 Euro >> available at Alltricks
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 364 g / 105 x 112 x 18.5 mm / 11.8 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 4.5 mm / 10 per side
• Material / bearing: nylon composite / plain and ball bearings
• Special features: 6 colours

Test notes OneUp Flat Pedal Comp

• Grip (50 %): 6 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 9 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 8 out of 10 points

BIKE RATING³: 45 POINTS - good

SDG Comp Pedal

Because the pedal body of the SDG Comp Flat Pedal is rather compact, riders with large feet don't always find the ideal position straight away. The SGD doesn't deliver the best grip either. Striking: There are only two pins on the rear side of the platform pedal. This allows the foot to move relatively freely - which is nice in slow, technical sections. However, if you are travelling on fast, bumpy trails, your feet will noticeably move on the pedals. In terms of workmanship and bearing quality, the simple Comp remains inconspicuous.

Technical data SDG Comp Pedal

• Price: 59,99 Euro >> available at Alltricks
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 384 g / 105 x 107 x 17 mm / 11.2 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 4 mm / 9 per side
• Material / bearing: plastic / plain and ball bearing
• Special features: 6 colours

Test marks SDG Comp Pedal

• Grip (50 %): 7 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 8 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 7 out of 10 points

BIKE RATING³: 46 POINTS - good

Shimano PD-GR400

Compared to the competition, the pedal body of the PD-GR400 is significantly smaller. This means that particularly large feet do not always find the optimum position. On the other hand, the very thin pins drill reliably into the profile of the sole and generate an amazing amount of grip, especially on soft rubber compounds. Nevertheless, you don't have to take your feet completely off the pedals to change position. Unfortunately, Shimano's inexpensive platform pedal cannot score with the usual quality. The sliding seal can migrate and allow dirt to get inside the pedal. After our test, both pedals exhibited significant bearing play - unusual for a Japanese product.

Technical data Shimano PD-GR400

• Price: 62,95 Euro >> available at Alltricks
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 395 g / 96 x 102 x 19 mm / 9.8 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 5.5 mm / 9 per side
• Material / bearing: synthetic resin composite / 1 plain bearing, 2 ball bearings
• Special features: 3 colours

Test marks Shimano PD-GR400

• Grip (50 %): 8 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 7 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 7 out of 10 points

BIKE RATING³: 46 POINTS - good

Sixpack Millenium CF

Sixpack manufactures the new Millenium CF MTB pedal from carbon blends from the industry near Ravensburg - which is already a strong argument. The pedal body offers an enormous footprint and plenty of space to find the optimum position. The flat and open design of these flat pedals saves weight. The slightly raised centre bar puts pressure on soft shoes, although not as much as with Crankbrothers. In addition, the two centre pins hardly interfere with the shoe profile. In off-road terrain, your feet move noticeably on the pedals and the overall grip is only moderately high. Repositioning is all the easier. Annoying: You have to fit the pins yourself.

Technical data Sixpack Millenium CF

• Price: 89,95 Euro >> available from Maciag Offroad
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 357 g / 104 x 114 x 18 mm / 11.9 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 5 mm / 9 per side
• Material / bearing: Recycled carbon / 2 ball bearings, 1 plain bearing
• Special features: Pins not mounted

Test notes Sixpack Millenium CF

• Grip (50 %): 5 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 8 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 8 out of 10 points

BIKE RATING³: 41 POINTS - satisfactory

SQlab 5OX

With its massive footprint, the brand new SQlab MTB pedal is not exactly a lightweight. On the other hand, the pedal body made of plastic-fibreglass composite makes an extremely robust impression. Even hard rock contact left hardly any marks on the 50X. More important than the weight, however, is the grip, which is very good. This is partly due to the large contact area and partly due to the eleven pins on each side of the pedal, which ensure good interlocking with the sole. Depending on your taste and shoe size, you can choose from three different axle lengths. The 50X is an extremely good choice, especially for large-footed bikers.

Technical data SQlab 50X

• Price: 79,95 Euro >> available at Amazon
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 442 g / 105 x 111 x 20 mm / 11.7 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 4 mm / 11 per side
• Material / bearing: plastic, glass fibre / 1 plain bearing, 1 ball bearing
• Special features: 3 spare pins, 3 axle lengths

Test marks SQlab 50X

• Grip (50 %): 9 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 9 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 5 out of 10 points

BIKE-URTEIL³: 50 POINTS - very good

Paw Link Composite

The Austrians do everything right with their first plastic pedal: the flat design increases ground clearance. The Link Composite has high-quality bearings, is double-sealed and also looks good. The enormous grip is noticeable from the very first few metres. The pins seem to drill into the shoe profile and the outer pins are slightly raised for optimum contact. When you put your foot down, you can feel the metal pins pulling out of the sole. This ensures maximum grip on the descent, but also makes it difficult to reposition the foot on the flat pedal. Riders with large feet will want a slightly larger footprint.

Technical data Tatze Link Composite

• Price: 89 Euro >> available at Fitstore24
• Weight¹ / dimensions (W x L x H) / surface area: 358 g / 98 x 111 x 16.5 mm / 10.9 cm²
• Pin length¹ / number of pins: 5 mm / 10 per side
• Material / bearing: GRP / 2 ball bearings, 1 plain bearing
• Special features: 2 spare pins, refresh kit for bearings

Test marks Tatze Link Composite

• Grip (50 %): 10 out of 10 points
• Ride comfort² (30 %): 8 out of 10 points
• Weight (20 %): 8 out of 10 points

BIKE-URTEIL³: 52 POINTS - very good

>> You can find more articles on the topic of MTB pedals here <<

¹ BIKE measured values

² Riding comfort includes the size and shape of the standing surface, repositioning and foot support.

The BIKE judgement is independent of price: super (55 points or more), very good (54 to 50 points), good (49 to 45 points), satisfactory (44 and less points)