3 Brands Taking On The Flat Pedal Market: Northwave, Ion and Vaude | Spd Pedals

At 333g, these are some of the lightest — and priciest — pedals on the market. A titanium axle helps save 50g (but adds £140/$150) over the less fancy Stamp 7s. Otherwise, they’re more or less the same. 

Before buying a pair of flat pedals, it’s well worth looking into the internals and how much it’ll cost you to service them. It’s no use having the best pedals in the world if they break and you can’t get spare parts.

Some shoes use one or two Boa dials in conjunction with thin plastic covered steel cables or ‘laces’. The dial can be released instantly loosening the shoes and then pushed down and rotated to tighten at small increments. These are easy and quick to use but can be vulnerable to breaking in a crash, this hasn’t happened to us though on shoes we have tested and we quite like them for their ability to distribute pressure evenly.  

Flat pedals and cleat-free shoes have been quieting the bike shop floor in recent years and for good reason. Folks are tossing themselves and their uber-capable bikes down steeper shoots and off larger hips, and want to be able to throw a foot out whenever they like. Riders often cite an appreciation for the skills required to ride with flats as a reason to stick with the pins, even if they also use clipless pedals and shoes occasionally.

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They are the easiest pedal to get in and out of, but the three-hole bolt system cleat is noticeably larger. A quality pedal, offering value for money that’s ideal for anyone who wants reliability without breaking the bank.

The stack height is just 13.5mm, which makes you feel engaged with the pedals and able to eke out every ounce of power. There’s also plenty of float when you need it, but out of the saddle I didn’t sense any unwanted lateral movement. The float is courtesy of Time’s Bioposition technology, which allows for 15 degrees of frictionless lateral movement and some angular float that is designed to move with the natural movement of the ankle, knee and hip joints.

Those who love Speedplays rave about the low weight, adjustability, and shallow stack. A recent redesign of the cleat added a rubber aero cover that makes them far easier to walk in than the previous version, or many other systems.However, it’s undeniable they need more looking after than most pedals and they’re susceptible to clogging from even the smallest amount of dirt.

The Maltese Falcon has a skate-style feel similar to the company’s Freerider Pro but is a bit narrower and has a stiffer feeling sole. Despite the narrower last, it’s still roomier than other comparable shoes, but the padding around the ankle and on the tongue keeps the fit snug. This shoe excels at repelling mud and water, and even when it does end up in a puddle, it dries pretty quickly. While out riding, the only time I was able to notice a major difference between the Freerider Pro and Maltese Falcon was on rock gardens; the SPD cleat on the latter gave me that little extra from each pedal stroke to get me through.

Asymmetric cleats allow you to tailor things even further, with a 13- or 17-degree release angle (though I found the latter a little hard on the knees).

The Stamps definitely saw the most damage of any pedals tested. Weighing in at 455 grams, they are reasonably light for their size. As with most Crank Brothers pedals, they are available in several different color, weights, and price options. The Stamp 3 Large pedals are the most affordable in this group, priced at $99.

More commonly used by mountain bikers and commuters, SPDs have been around for 20 years and they’ve seen little change since.