Best Flat Pedals for Gravel

[@polthedestroyer]

Every time a bike KZbinr recommends a good but cheap component, an angel gets its wings.

[@sandrochiavaro7831]

In these challenging times of division , thank you Russ for always being inclusive all the way to the flat pedals.

[@Schoenwalder_cycling]

Yes! I have found my people! Couldn't agree more, flats are great. Great overview of available options - thanks!

[@CristoffelBonorand]

I ride flatpedals on my everyday bikes, but spd‘s on my gravel and my road bike (no dedicated road pedals, I like to be able to walk in my shoes). Seriously thinking of switching the gravelbike to flats too, because it’s just so nice and simple. Just need a somewhat performance oriented shoe then, will check out the giro 👍

[@ostekuste3646]

Mine are the Chesters. Wide, flat, pinned, and cheap.

[@jefftoonstra5087]

Chester pedals are very similar to the Issi but a bigger platform with replaceable pins and reasonably priced, have you considered them?

[@poetac15]

Yeah I just got a pair for $29 shipped and they seem like a massive value.

[@jefftoonstra5087]

@@poetac15I have them on a gravel bike and a mt bike. Great pedal for the money!

[@blair-alan]

A new version of the Chester is available to two sizes- small/large. The small is same size as original. I tried the small and was able to adjust the pins to improve concavity but decided to return them and go with an allow pedal.

[@ostekuste3646]

Mine are about six years old and have a lot of miles on them. Just recently serviced them which just involved a good cleaning and new grease. Bushings and bearings were still like new

[@jeffandersen6233]

I switched some years ago (this channel helped) after many years of cleated shoes. No matter if it's gravel, hard pack, pavement riding flats has many benefits like riding wider tires has not slowed me down.

[@paulevans5455]

MKS for around 40 years, easily maintained, reliable.Have so many now that I'm a collector now!

[@patrickkwhite]

I love the XC-IIIs. I chose them mainly for the look, but they work great, too.

[@klarkolofsson]

@@patrickkwhite That's how you do it, begin with looks and make it work.

[@phildurry7004]

Great to see those iSSi pedals are still working for you Russ. Keep up the good work!

[@velocelt]

Flat pedals are SO practical for so many different situations. Clipless pedals have their uses and I rode with them for decades before finally giving up and switching to flat pedals. My go-to pedal now is the Pedaling Innovations Catalyst pedals. They're longer than any other pedal on the market and while I wish they were a skosh wider, I find they're plenty wide enough for me. What they slightly lack in width they make up for in length and grippyness. As to shoes, I find that "approach shoes" often make great flat pedal cycling shoes. I had some Oboz shoes for a few years that were fantastic but once they wore out I bought some new Oboz that were pretty similar but something about the shape/last/whatever bothered my feet and actually caused plantar fasciitis which took a LONG time to get over. But yeah, find the flatest soled shoes with good support for the best flat pedal footwear.

[@astro61362]

I'm a big fan of flats. I switched from spd's partly because of this channel and Grant Peterson's book.

[@anniebikes7002]

Thanks for these suggestions! My current favorite is the MKS Gordito pedals. Wide and grippy, simply styled, without pins.

[@peglor]

The DMR V8 greaseport pedal (If you can find them second hand) will outlast just about everything if you pump them full of grease (A lot more than the contents of the little syringe of grease they shipped with) and then top the grease up every year or so - once it starts to spin freely rather than being damped by the grease is a good guideline for refilling - or if you can't remember the last time you did it. DMR don't make them anymore unfortunately, having replaced them with pedals that use DU bushings rather than bearings, so whether these are durable depends on the quality of the seals or using it in a dry environment only. I've got literal decades out of them and after using them for a few years of XC/Marathon riding in proper mud and wet, they've been retired to daily commuting use for the past nearly 10 years. The only downside is that though the platform is very grippy, it's a lot smaller than most modern MTB pedals (Pretty similar to the smaller ones in the video), and because they use ball bearings on both sides of the pedal platform, the platform is a lot thicker than what is common in MTB pedals now, so it's easier to roll off the front or back of the pedal in off road/trials use or if you're very careless setting off and put your foot down on it awkwardly. My current favourite pedal, used on all my XC bikes is the Hope F20 pedals now though - much lighter, much thinner platform, bigger platform and so much loctite on the pedal pins that the hex key develops a twist after tightening a pedal's worth of pins, and fully rebuildable but they also cost a lot more. They're well enough sealed to need more or less no servicing at all in thousands of miles, but I discovered the axles will snap if you retire high mileage pedals from an XC bike to a trials bike, and have the scar on the inside of my knee from the axle stump left in the crank raking it open to prove it.

[@ipemontoya3609]

Dual sided pedals...one side cleats the other is flat. Best of both worlds!!

[@slantedorbit]

I’m a Lamda/Grip King guy. I have crazy wide feet but pedal length is more important to me. MKS bearings are silky smooth. OneUp also makes great pedals.

[@robappleby583]

Crocs and Catalysts here. Stamps are also good.

[@markroberts6971]

The MKS Simworks Bubbly look pretty good too.

[@jimmycalzone2416]

Thanks!

[@varez93]

I use the MKS Allways on all my bikes. Best pedal I have ever tried.

[@James.Gornell]

One up pedals have been my go to for a while now

[@edzeppelin933]

Their composites have been great for me

[@James.Gornell]

@@edzeppelin933 really good price nice and wide and last years. I like the extra pin in the middle area

[@stevekelly6544]

Crust Northbank flats have been excellent for me…love MKS Gammas too, and the Crust MKS Gordito is really comfortable and great for city riding…

[@alsmit5]

Funny I love my worn Hokas on flats. Worked for me on the NM-CO great divide for 1200 mi or so. So light and comfy. I dont feel the need for a stiff sole on flats, but maybe i should try it out. Thanks for the video!

[@markp353]

I have a flat bar gravel bike that I mostly commute on to work. Tried some flat pinned pedals, they were very grippy, almost too grippy. So, I replaced the pins with smaller ones, still had plenty of grip and removing my foot away was easier. Though I did like the ease and quickness you could remove my feet from either pedal, I still ended up going back to my SPD pedals for the following reasons: (1) with SPDs, you click in, and your foot is in the right spot, I wasn't shuffling my feet around to find that right spot as I was on the flats (2) due to previous knee injuries, my knees were happiest with the float that the SPDs have, with the flats I was locked in with no float. I am glad there are numerous pedal options out there for people to choose what works best for them. I would just encourage people not to be afraid to experiment with different equipment options and to find that happy place and customize your bike to suit you.

[@jcmuellner]

Broke a couple pair of Chester axles dirt touring, so switched to DEITY Deftraps and they are wider, stronger and retail at the same price. Love them.

[@Fatbutnotflat]

MKS pedals are functional and affordable jewelry under your feet. Just the best. My feet gels best with the Allways.

[@MrWotamonkey]

I’ve been riding the MKS Lamba/Grip King for a while and also found them a bit narrow for my UK 10 feet. I added the wing additions and while they look a bit fugly, the support is night and day different; they’re now the most comfortable pedals I’ve ridden. I’d also cast my vote for Nukeproof Horizons which have been good to me over the years.

[@MaciejNaumienko]

Great overview. For my tours adding pedal length was a major ride quality improvement. One extra dimension I'd add here is also safety features. That reflective bit is the most visible stuff a car behind you can see.

[@natacha2050]

Blue Crankbrothers Stamp 1 here. Love them!

[@bartonpoulson]

I have flat pedals on all my bikes, including my cyclocross, gravel, and randonneuring bikes. I love Crankbrothers Stamp pedals, and even have a pair of blingy Yoshimura pedals. Unless I'm racing, I wear lightweight hiking boots (big toe box) or Chaco sandals (very stiff!).

[@kevinwildberger3407]

I thought I was the only one who did this. I’m running some super wide toebox Altra hiking boots now. Even ran a pair of minimalist flat soled Doc Martens for cross country races.

[@nthonyholden]

I love the All-ways! It's a great pedal. Not flashy (in terms of looks or price), grippy enough for road riding and fairly rough gravel/light trails.

[@rident]

There's also a lot of great, cheap composite pedals in the BMX world. Haro, Odyssey, Shadow Conspiracy and others all have comfortable, durable pairs for $20-30 and they come in a ton of colors! With mini velo growing in popularity, maybe exploring some BMX components is in your future.

[@johnfowler4820]

Gusset make fabulous serviceable flats for around fifty pounds

[@davetbassbos]

I was going to say the first one he showed was basically a BMX pedal at twice the price, lol! Odyssey Twisted Pro are $19.95 and are a bit cleaner in design

[@daletillett]

i use the mks always pedals on all my bikes. love the.

[@michaelhayward7572]

MKS XC lll Bear Traps here...with sandals...

[@Josukegaming]

So many flat pedals aren't large enough! I have US size 13 feet and I always have to go for the longest pedals possible, which really limits my options. Even if you don't have as massive feet as I do, larger pedals allow you to objectively put more of your muscle power into and be more stable on the bike. I haven't heard of the Pretzels before, but I definitely want to check them out! Really appreciate how big and wide they are, plus a cool name and look! I typically ride on raceface Chester pedals. Also thank you for covering shoes, I only wear minimalist/ barefoot shoes, you should make more videos about untypical shoes for cycling!

[@bonbones4890]

Eclat has a great one too. Sealed bearings, durable plastic pedal

[@brianrand7191]

I thought this was going to be promoting flat bars and I was excited 😆

[@billydeewilliams8909]

I'm flats for life and primarily a mountain biker. I just put extra large Pedaling Innovations flats on my allroad bike, and the bike got a lot faster without any extra effort. They are extremely expensive and fancy, but so far they're fantastic.

[@Jugomugo]

OneUp Composites plus Bedrock Sandals has been a winning combo.

[@subliminalfreedom]

Mks looks cool

[@cozmicmike6800]

Decathlon's own brand pedals are worth a look. Not expensive, and serviceable. I have a set of composite ones on my velo voyage which look similar to the ones you have, but have the addition that the studs are user replaceable.

[@BuckleyJonathan-nr1wu]

I like their pedals too- although their price has gone up quite a bit recently. They are made for Decathlon by VP components.

[@francoispayen]

Flats on all my bikes. RaceFace Chesters on my commuter, Shimano PD-GR500 on my gravel / touring bike. Both very grippy when used with mountain bike shoes.

[@Mike-vd2qt]

My favorite flat pedals: Specialized Bennies. Sealed bearing, standard pedal wrench, slightly curved surface to cradle foot, great support, excellent grip, $80. Have about 6,000 miles on them on my road touring bike.

[@davidjfife]

I like the LOOK Trail Grip pedals with Activ Grip by Vibram. With composite stud and rubber lug tread inserts.

[@KennethWuAU]

The first thing I changed on my Brompton was the Pedals. I used to own the Allways from MKS, but I decided to go clip-less on my Brommie full-time. The Allways is my favourite MKS pedal.

[@BicycleTouringExplorer]

I am using the DMR Vault V2 pedals with the Moto pins

[@tomordr]

I really like my Velo orange flat pedals

[@brankosabol]

I've been riding road and gravel for 10 years, never felt the need to even try clipless. I have smallish feet so prefer small flat pedals, Wellgo R146R are my favorites. That Giro shoes are great.

[@blair-alan]

Thanks, Russ. Good stuff. I'm trying to give flats a fair try after riding hybrid SPDs for many years. Still on the fence. I tried the updated Chester and returned it. Found a deal on the obscenely expensive Race Face Atlas 22. The Atlas is very grippy and I've dialed in the concavity with some pin adjustment. I'm still trying to get used to adjusting my feet and finding the sweet spot. clipping in is second nature to me as is unclipping. My move to flats is the eliminate the need for an extra pair of shoes on tours/backpacking.

[@eltamarindo]

Odyssey Twisted is a good value plastic pedal and you can't go wrong with MKS Lamda pedals. The Lamdas are the best ever test ride pedals --good threads and integral washers that won't marr the finish on high end cranks and an ugly funky look so that customers won't try to take them home for free. Plastic pedals like the Twisted above are great so long as you replace them before you have worn off the plastic pins. There are a variety of great metal BMX and dirt jump pedals however tourists should swap out the metal pins for less sharp and aggressive designs that won't cut you open if you take a pedal to a bare shin. If you look at BMX suppliers you can buy replacement pins like those shown at 6:12 that have external wrench flats. These will not inject a piece of dirt into you shin if you catch a pedal.

[@keithcampbell5914]

I have the Chesters on my cargo bike, and some Black Ops squatches on my road klunker and road bike. I used to have campus pedals (one side flat and one side clippy) on both of my curly bar bikes but decided that the flat side wasn’t wide enough and ultimately I preferred having the flexibility to just jump on and ride to being able to clip in.

[@keithcampbell5914]

One thing with the Black Ops though is that they are fairly uneven in terms of quality. The set on my road klunker needed some additional lubrication lest they be "clicky" while I pedaled. Luckily this was as easy as a couple drops of Tri Flow on the axle by the pedal bearings.

[@trep53]

I put Race Face Ride nylon composite w/molded pins on my bikes. I didn’t know flat pedals could be so satisfying.

[@michaelfleming4015]

Terminal Grip pedals are the best flats out there. I have tried and have other very good ones, but the replaceable pins have rubber fenders to prevent beartraps. The rubber fenders also increase the secure contact and comfort when pedaling. Counterintuitively this feeling of secure contact continues in rain. I ride with Giro shoes (I also have 5/10s). I used to ride clipped in, but these TGs are just great pedals!

[@joeroche552]

Coming from mountain biking I only use DMR from cheap to pricey they’re all brilliant

[@jonmarshall1502]

Always ride flats. Bike and I are always to ride without looking for another pair of shoes. I’ve got all sorts of pedals , old shimanoDX , Saints, Kona Woohoo? , old Easton Cullies? And lately Pedaling Innovations Catalysts (big platform) . I’ve got some MKS but haven’t tried them yet. Basically I can wear almost anything,usually Vans or my old FiveTens, especially on the Catalysts and have no issues. You really can mash away on the Catalysts because they are so big and I’ve never slipped off them. Flats for the win.

[@markday1714]

without question, my go-to pedal is pedaling innovation's catalyst pedal!

[@phillipcowan1444]

Fyxation Mesa MP and Xpedo SPRY are my go to pedals.

[@acebikemedia]

flats all day. found a brand called terminal grip that has a really interesting pedal. use it more for MTB but love it on my gravel bikes too

[@georgeskuse3076]

MKS Bear Traps! Only pedal I’ll ever buy.

[@robest334]

I was expecting you to show MKS Bear Traps.

[@Solid-Pancake]

Using OneUp flats, so far so good

[@jasonisaac1]

The pretzel pedals are a cool design. Also like flat pedals on all my bikes. Have metal mtb style pedals on my gravel bike (One Up) and drop bar atb/Ritchey Ascent (Race Face Atlas). Have found the ones with sealed cartridge bearings work better in long run for rebuilds.

[@ezr168]

Tag metals T3 made from composite are a good size for my feet and the pins work great. They are easy to service and cost about $ 25. Also have a pair of Look Trail Roc and Jenson Foundation cnc pedals that are working well. Flats FTW

[@hutchy_4297]

CrankBrothers Stamp(I have 11) are awesome! If you can afford them, they are spendy:)

[@benjaminmirt5029]

I use the Trekking Pro from NC-17 and are saving up for Hope F22s

[@bikecommuter24]

I changed my stock pedals to a little bigger MTB pedal with pins and I'm strictly a street commuter but I get good grip with them, my bike is a used hybrid that I done few mods to it.

[@donnydread7631]

I’m also a big fan of MKS. I run bear traps for a classic look.

[@veijopitkanen8385]

RIVENDELL BIKES use to promote some bulky unbranded flat pedals made of composite material (nylon?). I bought a pair pretty identical to those at my local bike shop and they are by far the best pedals I've ever had. The bearings are serviceable! I think the package only said BMX. Factory name might have been Victor(?). From Taiwan obviously. Have not found them since but RACEFACE Ride Pedals look pretty similar.

[@matthewshultz8762]

Flat pedals are great for wintertime when cleated shoes are just not appropriate for walking around in snow and ice. Hiking boots are much warmer and more grippy!

[@bikaci]

MKS ALLWAYS all the way!!! concave, light, nike-shoe-friendly-not-too-aggressive pins

[@rvssellcarson]

I actually like the Gammas because they aren’t as wide. Mostly for tight turns and such. I also like the reflectors 😊

[@Avatar1983]

MKS FD-7 on my Vello folding Gravelbike. Love them 1000% better then the Stock Vello Pedals.

[@jwallz]

The issi thumps are great. Switched from the mks lambdas and never looked back.

[@jonathanbenn2241]

Love flats-been using them exclusively for about 5 years and 30,000 miles.

[@yarly3180]

Shimano PD-GR500 , I have the XT PD-T8000 combi pedals installed now but I'll put back the GR500's because I'm always faffing around with te pedals falling to the 'wrong' , non flat side lol

[@woduk]

One up composite pedals I use on a few bikes.

[@bravobravoi-ball5818]

That parallelogram shape makes your shoe find the good spot right away, Sun-Ringle', early Shimano style. I learned this early in pre-clip BMX racing & MTB. The square styles allow landing on tbe edge, which is obviously bad & potentially dangerous.

[@alien-bass]

Shoes, Specialized 2FO’s, Foot Out, Flat Out. Size 46.

[@kevindean9613]

My favourite is the MOTO pedal.

[@jonwishon1]

Pnw loam pedals are where its at for me. They are a bigger than some but i have size 13 feet . They come in a variety of colorways and perform extremely well for me.

[@fid420]

Yes yes and yes!

[@jaafarvandenberghe]

You should try the German CUBE (Acid) flat pedals..! I now use these for 2 yrs...never let me down and the perfect size

[@mountaindweller4514]

You should have weighed the Thump Pedals. I currently use Cube RFR Pedals Flat SLT 2.0. They made of aluminium with CrMo axle, has replaceable pins and weigh 298g. Very happy with them so far. Another one I've been considering is the Cube RFR Pedals Flat HPC 14224. Has a carbon body and only weighs 227g.

[@songfta]

A question, Russ: do you have wider feet? I see the emphasis on width of the pedal and the comment that your Giro shoes "are on the wider side." Just curious - keep up the great work!

[@mikeroneniner]

MKS every time . They feel so good underfoot . It would take a lot to change . Various models . Best of the lambda.

[@peterbedford2610]

I'm old school. 2002 MTB pedals

[@werttius]

Metal pedals may be nigh unusable in freezing temperatures due to conducting heat (so in this case the freezing cold) onto your feet. Get some made of composite if you need them during a real winter.

[@ronatd1]

VP-538 / Rivendell Clem pedals ... light weight (

[@alien-bass]

Thinking of a set of DMR V12 pedals.

[@thecheshirecat5564]

Wanted to mention the V6 -they are the same shape, in cheap all plastic. But _really_ grippy and supportive.

[@alien-bass]

@ thanks. Just liked the colour of the V12, Galaxy, sort of camouflage.

[@JohnnyRabbitQC]

Using flats for touring long distance is also safer than clipped in as it's easier to compensate if your bike fit is not on point. ☺

[@musclelessfitness2045]

I tried clip-less but never liked the experience. I like flat pedals for the same reasons, even as a road biker.

[@laingconley5316]

You should try the wing extensions on the MKS Gammas. I didn’t like them at all until I put the wings on. Now I have them on 6 bikes. I also have several bikes with Deity TMAC - much lighter, but also much more expensive.

[@nthonyholden]

Deity pedals are amazing! But they are also expensive...

[@michaelichioka3267]

@@nthonyholden Deity Deftrap are pretty affordable (and nice and wide)!

[@nthonyholden]

@@michaelichioka3267 yup! I've got a set of those!

[@GreggBennett-j3p]

VP 001 pedals are the best flat gravel pedal, imo.

[@Colleenann61]

I’m trying out a set of MagPed magnetic pedals. I’m hoping it is a compromise between clipless and flats. I’ve not previously liked riding flat pedals, but I want to, so I’m giving these a go.

[@dancing8595]

Any thoughts on redshift's led pedals?

[@BrandonNevermind]

I've got stamps on every bike I own! :)

[@spektrumB]

I look for flat pedals with real ball bearings, not plastic bushing. OneUp used to make one. But now the outside small ball bearings are replaced with bushing. So, I stick with Shimano GR500, rebuildable and super reliable.

[@jezzarisky]

It looks like OneUp's aluminum pedals swapped the copper bushing for an "IGUS bearing" but I can't tell, is that plastic? That's too bad if they dropped the copper bushing for plastic.

[@spektrumB]

@@jezzarisky Yes, technically IGUS bearing is made of some sort of plastic.

[@jezzarisky]

@@spektrumB That's unfortunate, I'll have to look for a new set of pedals as my OneUp's wear out.

[@leanid2380]

Got some MKS Sylvan Touring pedals on my Disc Trucker, because they accommodate sturdy half-clips for longer rides. They serve me well enough, but I've got a pair of Velo Orange Sabots waiting in the wings for when I want to go full platform pedal; I'll see if they're any good this year.

[@JamesFryerCreative]

Chesters are mediocre pedals that are ok for light riding, but One Up pedals have much more grip and are great for mountain biking. I took a chance on a pair of cheap pedals from Gewage and they turned to be pretty good. I bought them specifically because I didn’t want the sharp pins that most pedals use (great for mountain biking, but not so great for casual riding). They have blunt pins but still hold really well!

[@frthdo]

Have you tried the DMR V6? its more MTB focus with quite prominent pins. They have a really good concave shape.

[@cjones7854]

I run the Always on my gravel bike with wide toe box Astrals. I do wish that they had a little more width with a shape like the pretzels. If I am standing and pedaling for a while, I do feel some fatigue in my foot.

[@russswanson3820]

MKS Gammas with Bedrock sandals (clogs if it's too cold)

[@charlesblithfield6182]

I have those Giro shoes and they are great. Light and just stiff and grippy enough. I haven’t found my ideal flat pedal yet but this summary helps. I want a very concave platform. QUESTION: what do you think of the single sided Pendulum flat pedal?