Introducing PNW Range Composite Pedals

If you missed the release of PNW's original Loam pedal in aluminum, it was way back in January. I have been riding them since that time and my initial impressions hold true; they have good grip, an excellent bearing selection and configuration has kept them spinning smoothly, and their diminutive thickness (14mm at the leading and trailing edges including pins have kept them from egregiously snagging roots and rocks.

The bearing configuration is similar here, but the inboard bearing on the Loam version is too large in diameter to fit inside the pedal body so it's next to the pedal, pressed up against the crank arm. They have the same shape (despite the Ranges being 2mm thicker and lighter @ 398 g a pair vs. 445 g claimed), similar bearings and pins, and equivalent grip. The difference however is that you can get two pairs of the composite version for the cost of the already reasonably-priced aluminum model.

PNW Range Aluminum Pedal Features (from PNW)

• Weight: 390 Grams (pair)  
• Pedal Body Material: Glass fiber-reinforced nylon composite
• Axle: Chromoly steel
• Cartridge bearing, roller bearing and inboard bushing
• Platform size: 115mm x 108mm
• 22 steel removable pins per pedal
• Fully rebuildable and serviceable

So what's the catch? These are almost as thin, just as grippy, and come with good bearings for half the price. And composite has some advantages over aluminum. If you buy them in a pretty colour they will, more or less, remain that colour for the duration, while aluminum pedals in anything other than silver show their war wounds by exposing the shiny material beneath. In this case the composite version is a little lighter so you save both 50 USD and close to 50 grams. Another benefit of a non-metallic pedal body is damping of both sound and shock. Smacking a pretty aluminum pedal or scratching it across the top of a snarling spike of granite produces a terrible sound. And you'll feel it in your bones as well. Composite absorbs a lot of that energy, appealing to both ears and ankles.

The catch is that threading tiny pedal pins into a softer and more porous material is an expiring gambit. It takes much less force to rip a pin out of reinforced nylon than to pull the same pedal out of aluminum. And if you do massacre a pin in your aluminum platform, you may be able to tap the threads and reinstall said pin. Or if not, you can drill a new hole nearby and tap that. In my experience, a violently dislodged pin isn't going back into your composite pedal. And if it does, it's not going to stay.

Hold the phone a second... It turns out PNW has adopted a nut and bolt system for the Range pedals' pins. Rather than having to accommodate finely cut threads, all that is needed is a hexagonal seat for the tiny nut. It seems much more likely you'll be able to salvage a savaged pin in this instance. Beyond that this isn't any ordinary nut; it's got a nylon insert that acts as a thread locker. This is really nice attention to detail and it may render the biggest disadvantage of nylon composite flat pedals inapplicable here. Unless of course you rip both pin and nut out of the seat. Then you're screwed.

Assuming pins rip out of these pedals at a similar rate to other composite pedals (which they may not based on the nut and bolt system), a counterpoint to this failing is that sometimes aluminum pedals suffer a similar fate and you may not be the sort of person who tries to repair their pedals anyway. And it's possibly two pairs of Range pedals will last you as long or longer than one pair of Ranges, for the same cash - and look better in the process.

A word about warranty from PNW Components:

"The Range Pedal ships in compostable and biodegradable packaging, and like all PNW Components branded products, the Range Pedals are covered by their industry-leading Lifetime Warranty. PNW is committed to cover any failure due to a manufacturing defect and will repair or replace without charge to the original owner."

For my money, I could be perfectly happy riding a pedal like this full time. The durability of the pin system remains to be seen, but it seems promising, and it may prove to be advantageous. If it does, in the future it may be difficult to justify spending more money on aluminum flats.

PNW Components