| Your pedalling will suffer at first but gradually you will learn the "scrape shit off your shoe" method through the bottom of the stroke and things will come back significantly. I won't go as far as to say that flats are the only way to freeride. One of the best shore riders I know uses spds (keep in mind that he wears lycra as well) and almost all serious downhillers are spudded. Andrew Shandro uses spd's for everything - including those sick Utah lines from Ride To The Hills. For most of us Freeride types flat pedals will make you a better rider. Here are 7 options distributed by our friends at Norco. |  |
Axiom platforms
 |
The axiom Anti Gravity pedal began life as a knock-off of the Easton FatBoy. It isn't identical like some copies and Norco has actually improved on the design in several areas. Easton uses a much finer gauge of studs that are more easily damaged and more difficult to change and replace. The Axioms are also lighter - often a dirty word for freeride gear but these seem to be strong enough for the task as well. The studs can be independently adjusted for height so you can create just the right concavity or screw them in for protection when things are particularly rocky. They spin on cartridge bearings which feel somewhat less smooth than those in the Ringl¨¦s or Eastons. |
I found the grip to be really good because of the tall allen head studs. When
you fasten pins from the top of the pedal with allen head fittings you run the
risk of shearing them, rendering the hole useless. Despite this the Axioms,
Eastons, Shimanos, Snafus and many other pedals are made this way. Something
that puzzles me is why the top face of the platform is offset towards the front
of the bike so the overall shape is a parallelogram. This is essential on designs
that require access to the pins from beneath but the axiom's pins mount from
the top. This puts you closer to the front of the bike and moves your foot away
from the optimum pedalling position. If someone knows why many pedals are made
this way please fill me in (A couple of helpful folks emailed me on this and
told me pedals are made this way so that they right themselves if you happen
to put your foot on the edge of the pedal instead of the platform. Much bettter
than trying to ride on a half inch wide pedal. It makes perfect sense to me
now.).
These pedals have few flaws and are a tasty deal to boot.
Sugg. Ret. $110 CDN Weight 474 grams
Easton FlatBoy
The Eastons have a pretty typical design: standard parallelogram body; lots of tiny pins ready to bite into your shoes or your shins; and a hardened steel axle. An etched logo combined with a sexy matte black finish rounds out a fine looking set of pedals.
| The pedals initially worked very well. The pins stuck into my shoes like an elephant in quicksand - they would not slip. I was sold. However, after about two weeks of riding, the problems began. Those tiny pins that stuck so well into my shoes began to bend and I was starting to think that easton had made them a little too small. By week two, I'd lost 2 pins: not good for a pair of $220 pedals. I didn't lose any more pins though and the pedals worked fairly well for the remainder of the trial period. They'd been through all sorts of abuse: they'd been smashed countless times against rocks, metal bars and walls for all those countless times I misjudged a landing and I left them in the rain quite a few times. The pedals took it all. |  |
I'd recommend these pedals to anyone who doesn't have a habit of smashing pedals
into large inanimate objects and has a lot of money to burn. If you don't smash
into things too often, these pedals will last you for years to come.
$220 CDN 602 g
Norman Tan
Funn Soljam Vipers
Funn is a company that is making inroads into the North American freeride market. Norco recently began importing and specing Funn parts on their bikes.
 |
The Soljam Vipers, their foray into the world of pedals combine the best features of everything on the market. The metal body is beefy and the pins are strong. Of course, one cannot simply imitate the competition and expect to succeed. That is why the funn pedals have an exclusive "friction grip" area that I've never seen on any other flats. Most flats start off grippy - that's a given. How long they stay grippy is a testament to the quality of the pedals. Thes funns did not disappoint. They stuck like a fly to molasses and never let go. I can't say I could feel the "friction grip" area working, but it certainly did not take away from the feel. The word I'd use to describe these pedals would be solid. As hard as I tried, I couldn't break the pins off. |
They won't hurt your wallet as much as some in this test and it is clear that
you are paying for the beef. . They definitely added new confidence to my riding
and I did not want to give them back. Two thumbs up.
Caged Bearing model $88 CDN cartridges $150. 683g
Norman Tan
Sun Ringl¨¦ ZuZu Pedals
| These are some nice footrests. There are 8 replaceable studs per side of each pedal. 8 of these screw in with a philips head from beneath and 6 are press fitted. Tons o' grip with these. They also spin smoothly on cartridge bearings that are backed up with a rubber seal around the spindle. These are expensively machined components, iced with a powder coat to keep them looking black. One downside to these pedals is that they break. Perhaps because of the number of stud holes, the underside of ZuZu's often fall victim to rocks and rambunctious riding. |  |
I would only recommend these if you live in an area that isn't too rocky and
you aren't prone to breaking stuff. They are great pedals and would be amazing
if they were just a little tougher. 578 grams $108 CDN
(for you whipper snappers Zuzu's pedals -petals in the movie- is a reference
to the Frank Capra movie starring Jackie Stewart "It's a wonderful Life")
Snafu
These come to us from a bmx company and in that world burl is everything. To
that end these are the heaviest pegs in the group at 714 grams. They are offset
only slightly and have only 8 studs per side. This makes them nice and grippy
because each stud supports more weight on average when compared to pedals with
more pins. When your foot is in the right spot they grip really well but if
you are like me there are times when you have very little rubber down - sometimes
just the corner of my heel. If you aren't in the right spot you will suffer
some because of the absence of pins in the middle of these pedals. The snafus
have a very thick paint like finish that seems to be powder coat (I couldn't
confirm that) which makes installing the pins tricky. The good news is that
once they are in they will stay there. Snafu also supplies a generous helping
of extra pins. These are not a cartridge bearing pedal so to keep them running
smoothly you will need to overhaul them and install new balls occasionally.
714 grams $54 CDN
 |
What's a Snafu? The saying originated in the U.S. Military during World War 2 as a sarcastic comment about standard operating procedures. "Situation Normal, All F*cked Up!" |
Fishbones
| These folks stole the castings from the Ringl¨¦ factory - the
shape is exactly the same. The Fishbones are a good pedal for someone who
wants to check out flats or have a pair for muddy days only. They have steel
studs press fit into the aluminum but once they are gone you are SOL. The
good news is that they are grippy and cheap and they even have a rubber
seal to keep the grime out. I am not against cheap pedals - after all they
take a beating - but a pedal without replaceable pins is not a great call
over the long haul. 584 grams $30 CDN |
 |
RPM
 |
These are even cheaper but have 5 replaceable pins per side. The other
pins are part of the cast aluminum and won't be good for much after a couple
of decent rides. Once again these would be a good choice if you want to
try flats without dropping too much dough. 550 grams $18 CDN |
The final analysis.
If your pedals don't have replaceable pins they start off slippery and quickly
get worse. If you are thinking about taking the plunge, spend the money and
hook up an inexpensive pair with replaceable pins so you get a real taste of
the flat pedal experience.
I like cartridge bearings. They are smooth, maintenance free and they last longer thanUnless you are a dedicated mechanic, who faithfully repacks and adjusts cups and cones your caged ball pedals are going to start rattling after a few weeks. If that doesn't worry you save your cash and buy a couple of pairs at a time. I can't stand having my thoroughbred sound like a '84 Hyundai so I will bite the bullet and pay the cartridge premium.
My picks would have to come from the 3 cartridge bearing pedals: the Eastons, Axioms and Ringl¨¦s. The Funns we had were not cartridges but they do make some. I loved the feel and grip of the Ringl¨¦s but I wasn't confident about their ability to take a pounding. The Eastons supplied really sticky action because of the small diameter pins but I found that when it came time to adjust my foot position that stickiness became a liability. I also know that the pins would succumb to rock before too long and shred my shoes. Out of this litter my pick would be the Axioms thanks to the cartridge bearings, sensible pins and a nice price.
Tricks and Tips
Larger studs are burlier and easier to replace. Smaller ones offer more friction
but tend to shred your shoes and are easily damaged. Instead of using stainless
pins find a fastener supplier (around here Fuller Metric) and buy regular steel
pins that bend instead of shearing. That way you can get them out with some
vise grips. You'll also pay less coin (thanks Bill). If you need to replace
pins that are straight but no longer have any grip try using a hammer and a
fairly fine screwdriver to bang a slot into the top of the pin. Then grab a
larger driver and unscrew the offending fastener (thanks Whitey). It sounds
like a fair amount of work but flatties with no grip are as much fun as Cross
Country mtb videos. Start with a pair of relatively inexpensive pedals while
you get the feel and then drop the card when you are sure of what you like.
It is always great to have a spare set around anyway. Move your foot forward
so the ball of your foot is over the pedal spindle. That way you can wrap your
foot around to bunny hop or place your rear wheell. But flat, waffle soled shoes
with lots of flex. Flat pedals won't work well with stiff soled shoes or ones
that have an arch on the sole. Many skate shoes can handle the task.
Cam McRae
