In this article I’m going to give you my top picks for the best budget mountain bike flat pedals.
The list features a number of MTB flat pedals with nylon bodies, since nylon is much cheaper to produce than aluminum.
That being said, there are a number of great high-quality mountain bike flat pedals that do come with aluminum bodies, which make you wonder why you’d ever pay over 100 USD for some of the more premium options.
Pedals I did not include are pedals that do not come with steel pins to keep your foot in place. The difference between plastic ridges and steel pins simply makes such a difference when it comes to grip, and I just can’t recommend not using steel pins for any type of trail riding.
So without further ado, here’s my overview of the best budget mountain bike flat pedals.
OneUp Components Composite
If you want to go big you want to go for the OneUp Components Composite MTB flat pedals.
The platform measures 115 x 105 x 18.5 mm, but still only weighs 355 grams with 20 rear-loading pins to keep your feet firmly planted where they need to be.
It offers the same single cartridge bearing and bushing on a steel axle as many of the competitors.
- The biggest composite pedal available for big riders
- None
Crankbrothers Stamp 1 Small
The Crankbrothers Stamp 1 Small is the nylon composite version of their aluminum counterpart.
It measures 100 x 100 x 13 mm and offers a chromoly axle with both a glide and cartridge bearing.
Slightly concave with 18, rear-loading pins, it’s one of the best-looking and lightest nylon offerings out there, weighing only 299 grams.
- Tried-and-true design in an affordable composite setup with quality internal setup
- None
Crankbrothers Stamp 1 Large
The Crankbrothers Stamp 1 Large is the larger version measuring 114 x 111 x 13 mm.
This makes this pedal more suitable for riders with size 10-15 (us) or 43-49 (eu).
The large version is slightly heavier, but still very light, sitting at 329 grams.
- Tried-and-true design in an affordable composite setup with quality internal setup
- None
VP Aim
The VP Aim is another great product from this Taiwanese giant.
A barrel-polished aluminum body weighing 445 grams, comes equipped with 20, front-loading steel pins.
Just like many other MTB flat pedals from this brand, 2 cartridge bearings and a single bushing spin around a CNC machined chromoly axle.
A very durable pedal for people who don’t mind the extra bit of weight.
- Clean-looking dual bearing, single bushing aluminium flat pedal
- None
VP Vice
The VP Vice is one of the best budget mountain flat pedals on the market.
For less than 50 USD you get a CNC machined aluminum body measuring 105 x 96 x 13 mm, with a total of 24, front and rear-loading steel pins.
The pedal is finished with a chromoly axle running inside 2 cartridge bearings and a single bushing, and weighs 406 grams.
It means this pedal has no equal within its price category.
- Most affordable aluminium flat pedal with 2 cartridge bearings
- None
Burgtec MK4
The well-designed Burgtec MK4 is from the UK.
The nylon and glass fiber reinforced platform holds 18, rear-loading pins, and measures 102 x 96 x 16 mm.
The chromoly axle sits inside with a single cartridge bearing and bushing and weighs in at 376 grams.
- Well designed, very affordable pedal from the UK
- None
Fooker MTB Pedals
The Fooker MTB Pedals appear to have the exact same pedal design as the RaceFace Chester.
I don’t know what’s the story behind these apparent knock-off pedals, since there’s no brand website to visit.
What I do know is that there’s ample evidence that this blatant copy is about as good as the real deal for half the price. And judging by the amount of reviews on Amazon running in the many thousands, a lot of people care more about their wallet than about possible copyright infringement between manufacturers. And I understand that’s how things work.
These pedals are so cheap in comparison to similar products that it doesn’t really matter that Fooker doesn’t appear to offer service kits. When you’d need them, you can just as well buy a complete new pair of pedals.
And all of the other characteristics are the same as the Chester pedal. Except for the fact that the Fooker pedal is not a nylon composite, but simply a nylon pedal, which bumps up the weight to 450 grams, where the Chester sits at 360.
But from a financial perspective this is probably the most affordable value-for-money option on this list. And what you do with your money is not for me to judge.
- Excellent value-for-money composite entry
- It's a knock-off illustrative of the dark side of product development
DMR V8
The DMR V8 is the heaviest pedal on this list and one of the few mountain bike flat pedals that work with a cone and bearings setup.
A total of 18 small 5/32 inch bearings spin along a chromoly axle inside the aluminum body.
It’s reminiscent of how pedals used to work across the board, except for the fact that this one has a very modern design. With a platform measuring 100 x 95 mm, and 20, front-loading pins.
It’s pretty heavy, weighing almost half a kilo at 480 grams.
A great addition to this list since you can get a DMR pedal with an aluminium body for a decent enough price.
- One of the most affordable big-brand aluminium pedals
- Cup-and-cone bearing setup
DMR V12
The DMR V12 is a modern flat pedal with the tried and true sealed cartridge and bushing running on a chromoly axle.
It’s not the lightest pedal sitting at 430 grams, but you do get a fully serviceable pedal with 20, rear-loading pins in a body measuring 100 x 95 x 16 mm.
But for a retail price of 60 pounds, there are more budget-friendly options.
- Popular design for a budget-friendly price
- There are comparable pedals which cost less
Flat Pedals Weight Rating
As with any other aspect of a bicycle product, weight is always an important component of a high quality product. When looking at flat pedals, there’s an important tradeoff to make between the strength of the pedal, versus how much weight you’re trying to save.
And unlike many other products that use carbon, which is very expensive, budget-friendly composite pedals are actually both cheaper to produce and lighter than aluminum versions.
A popular way to lose weight is to use titanium spindles. It makes the pedals extremely expensive however, so you have to wonder how much money you’re willing to spend to save 100 grams.
In the following graphs you find the weight rating of flat pedals, which is calculated based on the place between the heaviest and lightest pedals researched. A 0 percent rating means you’re looking at the heaviest pedal, and a 100 percent rating the lightest.
Flat Pedals Bearing Rating
An important aspect of pedals is their internals and bearing setup. Almost all pedal manufacturers sell bearing kits, and it’s nice that you can rebuild your pedal internals if you need to.
What’s even better is that the quality of the bearings are of such a nature that you either don’t have to rebuild the internals at all, or after years of service. This saves you both time and money, and you simply enjoy your pedals more.
In the following graph you can find the bearing ratings in relation to the highest quality setup. The bearing rating is calculated based on the bearing setup and the maximum load it can endure. It’s an approximation of the quality of the setup that does not take into account how well the internals are sealed from outside elements. The setup deemed best receives a 100 percent rating.
Flat Pedals Grip Rating
Obviously the biggest difference between clipless pedals and flat pedals is that you’re not stuck to the platform. To have better grip than your standard flat pedal, pins were introduced. They dig into the soles of your shoes and provide the grip necessary on rocky trails.
The grip rating calculated here is based on the amount of pins in combination with platform size. Another factor is pin height. Since pins can be replaced, whereas platform size cannot, I didn’t factor it into the equation.
Another factor is how concave a pedal is, and how much you’re able to naturally place your foot on the platform. Feet with shoes on them aren’t totally flat, especially not when you’re actually starting moving or pedaling.
The grippiest pedal, even without pin height taking into consideration, is the Chromagg Dagga. Those pedals have set the baseline against which all other pedals are measured. You can see the respective flat pedal grip ratings in the graph below.
Specifications budget mountain bike flat pedals
Name | Price | Weight | Size | Length | Width | Height | Body | Spindle | Bearings and bushings | Pins | Service kit | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OneUp Components Composite | 49.5 USD | 355 | 115 x 105 x 18.5 mm | 115 mm | 105 mm | 18.5 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | 20, rear-loading | available | |
Crankbrothers Stamp 1 Small | 49.99 USD | 299 | 100 x 100 x 13 mm | 100 mm | 100 mm | 13 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 1 glide bearing, 1 cartridge bearing | 18, rear-loading | available | |
Crankbrothers Stamp 1 Large | 49.99 USD | 329 | 114 x 111 x 13 mm | 114 mm | 111 mm | 13 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 1 glide bearing, 1 cartridge bearing | 18, rear-loading | available | |
VP Aim | 60 USD | 445 | 105 x 105 x 18 mm | 105 mm | 105 mm | 18 mm | aluminium | Cr-Mo | 2 cartridge bearings, 1 bushing | 20, front-loading | ||
VP Vice | 44.99 USD | 406 | 105 x 96 x 13 mm | 105 mm | 96 mm | 13 mm | aluminium | Cr-Mo | 2 cartridge bearings, 1 bushing | 24, front and rear-loading | ||
Burgtec MK4 | 37.49 pounds | 376 | 102 x 96 x 16 mm | 102 mm | 96 mm | 16 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | 18, rear-loading | available | |
Fooker MTB Pedals | 26.99 USD | 450 | 110 x 101 x 18.4 mm | 110 mm | 101 mm | 18.4 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | cartridge | 18, rear-loading | not available | |
DMR V8 | 43 pounds | 480 | 100 x 95 x ? mm | 100 mm | 95 mm | aluminium | Cr-Mo | 18 5/32 inch ball bearings | 20, front-loading | |||
DMR V12 | 60 pounds | 430 | 100 x 95 x 16 mm | 100 mm | 95 mm | 16 mm | aluminium | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | 20, rear-loading | available |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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