In this article I’m going to give you an overview of the very best composite mountain bike flat pedals.
The main attraction of composite mountain bike flat pedals is price. In general composite MTB flat pedals are less than half their aluminum counterpart, or even less.
And especially considering the fact brands offer the same model in both an aluminum and composite version, the extra cash you need to lay down for the aluminum version is a hard pill to swallow.
Besides the coolness factor of a CNC-machined flat pedal, longevity is a core aspect to pay the extra money. But you could argue that if you ride carefully enough without that many pedal strikes, the difference between the two could be negligible, especially since some brands offer service kits for their composite models as well.
And, as far as pedal strikes are concerned, composite MTB pedals stick less when the impact occurs. So they might even be safer.
You can find a table with an overview of all the flat pedals at the end of the article.
Anyway, with that little introduction out of the way, let’s get to my top picks for the best composite mountain bike flat pedals.
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
RaceFace Chester
We at least know that the design of the RaceFace Chester was deemed nice enough to be copied. And it’s a nice-looking mountain bike flat pedal.
It has a big non-concave shape measuring 110 x 101 x 18.4 mm, with 18, rear-loading pins.
The weight is average, sitting at 360 grams.
It offers the same single cartridge bearing and bushing on a steel axle as many of the competitors.
- Very affordable, classic-shaped flat pedal
- It will forever be linked with the cheaper Fooker pedal
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
HT PA03A
The HT PA03A is a premium nylon composite MTB flat pedal.
It’s the most expensive on this list for good reasons. It has a big concave platform measuring 105 x 107 x 18 mm.
Weighing 345 grams, the platform has 16 rear-loading pins, and 4 nylon ones sitting at the axle.
The machined chromoly axle holds dual cartridge bearings and a single bushing, which sets these pedals apart from the rest of the competition. These dual bearings ensure a longer lifespan, because the load get’s spread out.
The concave design and relatively large platform is simple but very effective in keeping your foot in place.
- Only composite pedal with dual bearing setup
- None
Chromag Synth
The Chromag Synth is not a carbon copy, but (almost) a nylon composite copy of the Chromag Scarab.
It means that where the Scarab sits far above a hundred dollars, the Synth is half that price.
For that price you get an 18-pin, front- and rear-loading, nylon composite MTB flat pedal measuring 100 x 107 x 13 mm, sitting at 380 grams.
Probably one of the biggest advantages of this nylon composite pedal is that you can buy a replacement pedal body should you smash it. If you ask me, every other pedal manufacturer should follow this, because it makes it much more attractive to choose a certain brand.
- Affordable composite pedal with replaceable body
- 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
E*Thirteen Base
With 24, front and rear-loading pins on a big platform measuring 110 x 100 mm, the E*Thirteen Base flat pedals promise great levels of grip in an affordable package.
Other specs are very similar to what the competition offers. A 399 gram pedal with a single cartridge bearing and bushing spinning on a chromoly axle.
And lots of color options, but you can see that with every other composite pedal as well.
- Budget friendly, single bearing and bushing composite pedal
- Excels at nothing
DMR V11
The DMR V11 is the composite version of the renowned DMR Vault.
A middle-of-the-road 105 x 105 mm concave platform with 20, front and rear-loading pins, which is fully serviceable.
It’s one of the heaviest pedals at 450 grams, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It offers the same single cartridge bearing and bushing on a steel axle as many of the competitors.
- Popular design for a budget-friendly price
- There are cheaper composite alternatives
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
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 composite mountain bike flat pedals
Name | Price | Weight | Size | Length | Width | Height | Body | Spindle | Bearings and bushings | Pins | Service kit | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | |
RaceFace Chester | 59.99 USD | 360 | 110 x 101 x 18.4 mm | 110 mm | 101 mm | 18.4 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | 18, 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 | |
HT PA03A | 69 USD | 345 | 105 x 107 x 18 mm | 105 mm | 107 mm | 18 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 2 cartridge bearings, 1 bushing | 16, rear-loading | available | |
Chromag Synth | 56.95 euros | 380 | 107 x 100 x 13 mm | 107 mm | 100 mm | 13 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | 18, rear-loading | available | |
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 | |
E*Thirteen Base | 54.95 USD | 399 | 110 x 100 x ? mm | 110 mm | 100 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | 24, front and rear-loading | available | ||
DMR V11 | 55 pounds | 450 | 105 x 105 x ? mm | 105 mm | 105 mm | nylon composite | Cr-Mo | 1 cartridge bearing, 1 bushing | 20, front and rear-loading | available | ||
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 |
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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