Recommended flat pedals and shoes

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The right shoes and pedals will help even the stiffest ex-roadie rock the kung fu.

You can get great pedals and shoes anywhere. Here are some suggestions from Jenson USA.

In general

• So-so shoes and so-so pedals kind of suck.
• Great pedals and so-so shoes work well.
• Great shoes and so-so pedals work well.
• The best pedals AND the best shoes are very sticky. Some say too sticky, but I think there’s no such thing.

Flat pedals

Sun/Ringle Zu-Zu Pedals
$49.99
I’ve rocked these and cheaper imitations on various bikes, and they work just fine — especially with sticky shoes.

Shimano MX30 Deore DX Pedal
$84.00 30% off $120.00 msrp
The understated classic and still a ripper.

Truvativ Holzfeller Pedals
$93.00
I won a pair of these at a SRAM-sponsored BMX race, and they have been great for five years. Very sticky with the Five.Tens. As a matter of fact, they’re currently on my Stumpy 26.

Straitline Jeff Lenosky Pedals
$169.99
Gold pins for extra bling, and you know they work with Teva shoes. Plus Lenosky knows what’s up.

See the rest of Jenson USA’s flat pedals >>

And get yourself a pair of Five.Ten shoes. Jenson has several models.

NOTE: If you buy items from Jenson using links from this site, I get a small commission. Thanks for your support!

Other favorites
• Answer Rove FR – At about $70, a great pedal at an awesome price. On the Enduro.
• Point One Racing Podium – Pure low-profile radness. Sticky shoes highly recommended. On Captain America.
• Specialized Lo Pro Mag – My original pair has been spinning since 2004, now on the Tricross

Rip it!

Lee

8 replies
  1. James says:

    I bought a pair of 510 Impacts and Spank pedals from Jenson. They were very good to deal with and a great price. Love the pedals. They are Spank Spikes–very thin great traction. I use them exclusively for trail riding. No more clips for me.

  4. Brad says:

    What are your thoughts on flat vs concave platform pedals. been riding Lp Pro Mag since 07 for both DH and Trail.

  5. leelikesbikes says:

    Concave, a la the Lo Pro Mag, seems to work well. The philosophy there is your foot settles “into” the pedal.

    I think it’s time to devise some comparative test protocols.

  6. Alex says:

    If you’re somewhere perennially wet, like the UK, the Shimano AM40s (and the subsequent AM41) and the Teva Links feel really nice, with good stiffness for pedalling and plenty of grip (less than Five Tens but I’ve never had a foot come loose with either) and they keep the wet out longer and dry much quicker than Five Tens. I use them with DMR Vaults which have massive concave platforms, and lots of pins (which can be flipped to vary the grip) yet are thin and light. Not cheap though…

  7. Eric says:

    I’ve crossed three continents on big wide flats and Chaco sandals. I don’t like velcro. It just won’t last long enough.

  8. leelikesbikes says:

    Right on Eric, making us all look like fools.

    Reminds me of Grant Peterson from Rivendell Bicycle Works, famous for tooling people on his beautiful retro bikes — in sandals.

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