Flat pedal suggestions for road/gravel bike please

[Deleted member 89407]

Not another pedal question! Yes. You may hate this topic with a passion, especially as it has been covered many times before. However, pedals are a very personal thing and other topics of the same or similar theme are focussed on an individual's needs.

I am interested in new flat pedals for my road/gravel bike. Personally, I don't like clipless. I like the freedom of movement of my feet on the pedals plus I have dodgy knees that don't take too kindly to that twisting motion synonymous with clipless pedals. Also, I'm not interested in smashing my PB's, not that I really have any and if I did I wouldn't really care) so I'm not bothered about the power transfer between shoe and pedal that I keep reading about.

All I am after are a decent set of flat pedals that are sturdy and grip well enough and are an improvement from the standard crappy nylon pedals. Are there other road cyclists out there with a preference for flat pedals and if so, what do you have? Any suggestions so I come up with an informed decision would be most appreciated, thanks.

 

[clid61]

https://crupibmxracing.com/collections/pedals/flat-pedals

 

[Deleted member 26715]

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/dmr-v8-flat-pedals/ these were recommended to me, only thing I would say is there is not enough grease in them when you get them, there is not enough grease in the pathetic little syringe they provide, so before you fir them make sure they are fully packed with grease & keep checking.

 

[Crackle]

Wellgo do a cheap copy of the DMR's as well. Don't get anything with too aggressive a pin setup because it bloomin hurts when you spin one into your shin. Those DMR's are OK though.

 

[clid61]

Yup been there Crupi are tenderisers but good when not racing

Wellgo do a cheap copy of the DMR's as well. Don't get anything with too aggressive a pin setup because it bloomin hurts when you spin one into your shin. Those DMR's are OK though.

 

[MontyVeda]

Wellgo or DMRs as Phaeton and Crackle recommend... they're very grippy and come in a wide range of colours to match your steed.

 

[rogerzilla]

Good flat pedals were common in the MTB world until everyone started on SPDs. Look for NOS DX or XT ones - they're not too big or aggressive.

 

[MichaelW2]

MKS make decent pedals at a good price . I use Sylvian touring.

 

[Deleted member 89407]

Thanks for your suggestions, definitely something to think about. Need to look into these before buying but first glance and there is some competition.

@clid61 Those look particularly vicious and animal trap-like. I can imagine they would hurt if caught on your shins. I haven't seen these before. Are they bmx specific?

@Phaeton I've looked at the DMR V8 before and others have said about the lack of lube in the syringe. How big are these pedals? They look quite chunky.

@Crackle and @MontyVeda What is classed as too aggressive? The number of pins? They have a mtb feel to them but as I could do some offroad on my bike they wouldn't look out of place.

@rogerzilla What is the difference between the DX and XT models?

@MichaelW2 I quite like the look of the solid polished alloy style.....retro. But there's quite a lot to choose from. Sylvian Road Next look pretty good.

Next question would be, what footwear is best for the flat pedal? I just use some old trainers because I don't mind if they get dirty or messed up. They are not waterproof though and quite thin-soled but they grip the pedals well enough. I will, however, need to replace soon and the struggle to choose will begin all over again.

 

[vickster]

Maybe get a Gore Tex waterproof but breathable type walking / trail running shoe from the likes of Merrell? Something with a solid sole with a little tread but not too deep

How long are your rides?

 

[Kajjal]

I use these on my gravel bike, they are fairly light and relatively thin.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nukeproof-neutron-evo-electron-evo-flat-pedals/rp-prod122950

For footwear anything with a fairly flat solid sole is fine. Just avoid large padded or ridged soles as they work against the grip of the pedals.

 

[Deleted member 89407]

Maybe get a Gore Tex waterproof but breathable type walking / trail running shoe from the likes of Merrell? Something with a solid sole with a little tread but not too deep

How long are your rides?

@vickster Thanks. I was thinking of something similar. My partner uses trail running shoes, which she says are great off road (exactly what they're designed for) but can be slippy on the road. Maybe they're the same on pedals, slippy when wet. I will look into them but don't want anything with too deep a tread on the sole.

 

[Deleted member 89407]

I use these on my gravel bike, they are fairly light and relatively thin.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nukeproof-neutron-evo-electron-evo-flat-pedals/rp-prod122950

For footwear anything with a fairly flat solid sole is fine. Just avoid large padded or ridged soles as they work against the grip of the pedals.

@Kajjal They look quite large but I like that they are relatively thin. Do they do an alloy version?

Re shoes, I was just saying to vickster about not having too deep a tread in the sole. The soles on my current trainers are great because the tread is not too deep and not too shallow, they seem to grip quite well. But the shoe as a whole is quite thin and absorbs water for fun and I'm not too keen on wet feet when on rides.

I've heard about five ten shoes, some mixed reviews, but I'm not yet convinced and they seem to have inflated prices.

 

[MontyVeda]

...

@Crackle and @MontyVeda What is classed as too aggressive? The number of pins? They have a mtb feel to them but as I could do some offroad on my bike they wouldn't look out of place.
...

I wouldn't class them as aggressive at all... they're big and flat and grippy. They can hurt if they end up in the shin, but they're so blummin' grippy this only happens to me when i'm pushing it... user error!

 

[KneesUp]

I just have el-cheapo Decathlon plastic pedals on my bike - I've added plastic 'MTB' toe clips and ride in what seem to now be called 'approach shoes' unless I'm commuting, in which case I wear the shoes I want to wear the rest of the day.