Review: Funn Ripper Pedals – does a huge platform deliver big smiles? | Bike Flat Pedals

Each pedal consists of a stainless steel bar with an inner flange and slight taper at the outside edge. The pedal is a little wider than the cleat, so there’s some fudge room to clip in. But I found the strongest bite when the cleat butted up against the flange.

One of the coolest features is the full-length chromoly-steel spindle. This makes the pedals feel incredibly stable, and should prove beneficial for heavier riders. The only downside is this adds weight and thickness to the pedals. At 18mm thick, the Stomps are the thickest pedals I tested by far.

While some of the team arrived to Shimano pedals from their first road bikes, others got here through issues or failure elsewhere. For example, Neal recalls his break-up with Speedplay vividly.

“Heiruspecs is an unusual name for a flat pedal, as it seems to be entirely derived from a Minnesota hip hop band. What these pedals have to do with hip hop, I don’t know, but 45NRTH do also come from the same US state, and they get plenty of snow there, which these pedals are specifically designed for. Bearing that in mind, I gave the pedals a little…” Read the full review here.

As well as looking at these high scoring pedals we have also written a buyer’s guide to mountain bike pedals so you can make sure you are getting the right ones for you. Read on for our top-rated pedals, just click on the picture of the pedal to go straight to the full review. 

That’s not my experience: when clean and in decent condition,  I find they’re solid even with quick or sturdy upstrokes on hills, and that they need a bit of a ‘flick’ to disengage, which suits me fine.

Do you have a favorite pair of mountain bike specific flats that are not included here? Let us know in the comments and we will periodically add new kicks to this list.

Wil and the clip-in crew have spent the last few months trying to work out which are the best platform clip-in pedals. For this group test, they took eight of the latest platform clip-in pedals to see what each brand has to offer. Each pedal has been tested under various riders with a variety of shoes and in a range of conditions, to determine four category winners: Best Feel, Most Durable, Best In Mud, and Best All Round.

In short: The Pitbull pedals and cleats will immediately conjure visions of the AeroLites. While Lohmeyer and his partner have worked to address issues those pedals faced, it’s still the same principle. But these pedals lived up to their hype — near instant engagement, strong grip, and ease of use. It may not be for the Tour de France, but the Pitbull Pedal system provides a simple, reliable option new riders and weekend warriors.

Five Ten is known for its grippy flat shoes, particularly the Stealth rubber it incorporates on all of its models. The Maltese Falcon uses a Stealth S1 rubber compound sole that is stiff enough for riding yet flexible enough for walking on rocky trails. But this flat riding shoe also comes with an SPD cleat, giving you the option to clip in while still retaining a casual, relaxed look. A lace-up closure gives it a skate-style look, and a Velcro strap helps with mid-ride adjustability. Sitting between the company’s heavier and more downhill-oriented Hellcat and stiffer-soled, more race-oriented Kestrel, the Maltese Falcon is an all-around, comfortable mountain bike shoe. Soft padding throughout keeps your feet from getting too hot during the summer months but also keeps them warm all winter.

Off road though I just want to throw a foot out or down every so often, so flats all the way for MTB.

So you’ve converted at least one person, Valley Metro. For the rest of us, it at least made us feel a tad guilty about getting into our car every day to go to work.