Every set of pedals that anyone else has ever had have fallen to bits right? But your favourite models have always treated you well though? So you may of had a pair of these that fell to bits, but these ones didn't, so here we go...

With this deeply subjective weight bearing part always in the firing line, whether it be the torque of rotation or the odd crank/pedal strike, the attrition rate between failure and success in pedals can literally hang on picking a bad line on a fairly easy trail. I won't dwell on what everyone knows; that BB's are lower and crank-arms are not getting any shorter in the realm of general specification, so the super slim pedal has been the ongoing "solution" to the problem. The pragmatically named high-end offering from the San Jose component gurus is one of the top drawer attempts at making a difference.

These pedals have been fitted exclusively onto my Santa Cruz Bronson which is probably more the type of bike that you'd expect to see these on. They have been ragged to death with no servicing so far. Dragged through local dusty days, trail centre muddy days and 50 mile back-country rides with river crossings and sandy beaches giving them hell along the way.

These are firstly pretty light for a set of pedals with 4 sets of cartridge bearings and a cro-mo axle inside and with a 298g claimed weight Vs 305g on our scales they'll be at home on any bike where you're worried about that kind of thing. But they're flats though right? so they're probably gonna be put on a bike that will be put through the wringer at some point with aforementioned rock strikes being a daily issue so what's a few grams to potentially avoid that hit that sends you OTB eh?

Some other reviewers have noted that the platform is not big enough but at 100x100mm but you'd think this would be big enough for most feet? The issue is that the inner bearing sits firmly against the crank arm presumably to reduce leverage and allow some axle & bearing girth, this bearing is obviously inside the cage and the cage is where you put your foot. So the first pin you find is around 10mm from the crank arm meaning you have to have your foot in pretty tight to take full advantage of that part of the platform.

Theoretically this means your foot may roll off the outside of the platform. This does make sense "on paper" and is pretty obvious when you look at the product, but to be honest, I have never noticed this as being a problem even with my size ten Five Ten VXI's which have pretty wide soles. I suppose this depends on your riding style?

This all looks very cool too and lends itself to the sleek design, but it also removes the ability for the traditional 15mm fastening method, instead opting for the 8mm Allen key through the back of the crank arm. So don't go overtightnin'

These pedals are just 10mm at their fattest and 8mm at their thinnest, but impressively there are 4 sealed bearings crammed inside each cage which is pretty good going considering some pedals that are just as thin as this still rely on bushes that squeal and rattle after a few hard weeks of riding (granted they are not usually £110) After all this time I've had zero issues with them and they only have a very slight bit of movement which is to be expected, but they don't rattle when you drop the bike, you have to coax the movement out of them by hand.

The pins are super long & super grippy. I've had the soles of my shoes stick to the pedals momentarily (and regularly) which has made my heart beat pretty quick sometimes whilst getting off the bike. They are pretty evil and also hollow, which most likely adds to their effectiveness as mini apple-corers on your shoes.

As good as they function though, the pins are really fragile and bend without much persuasion on just about any significant contact. These are the first incarnation of the Podium pedals and apparently the ones that ship now are coming with heat treated pins, so this should not be an issue moving on. The good news is the pins are available as replacement kits in black, blue, red and silver colours.

I've loved these pedals if I'm honest. I just don't have any issues with them and only came across the opinion on the platform size as I was researching for this article. Hopefully I won't consciously look for this issue when I next use them. They are super grippy, light, low profile and very nicely styled too. The bearings have been great and the finish has stood up rather well considering the abuse they've had.

I suppose at £110 they should do everything I have experienced with them? But really nothing is sold for RRP these days is it, so as with everything else, support your LBS and see if we can hook you up with a deal.

In conclusion

"A great pedal at a price that isn't really unusually high these days. Savage grip and bearing longevity seems to be built in too. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them."

Remember if it's online then it's in stock in store at Sprockets Cycles!

 

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