TMB's Favorite Flat Pedals: Our Top 3 Platform Picks

Our staff, wrenches, and riders weigh in on with their top three platform picks.

There’s no simple answer to the question of whether to ride flat pedals or clipless. But most people agree that flat pedals are optimal for anyone new to mountain biking as they allow for quick dismounts and the ability to focus on body positioning without the risk of a fall.

Top riders favor them for similar reasons: the ease of letting the bike free when jumps go awry or big tech moves don’t work out.

And some riders simply prefer the riding experience of flats.

“If you come from the racing side of things, putting on a pair of clipless cleats can feel like going to work,” says XC national champ and 2012 Olympian Sam Schultz. “Flats are more casual, so riding with them can feel more fun.”

With the platform market exploding, however, it can be tough to wade through the options and find the perfect pair.

In general, the rule of thumb is big and grippy.

“A large platform gives you more room to make footwork and body position adjustments. And lots of pins keep you planted on the bike,” says Evan Puglia, past GM at Thunder Mountain Bikes and co-founder of Sedona Mountain Bike Academy (SMBA).

That narrows it down a bit, but there’s still a lot of options out there. To help you out, we surveyed our team and put together a sampling of our favorites.

Best Premium Flat

Deity TMAC Some reviewers will say the TMacs are too grippy, though when it comes to keeping your feet planted on the hairiest terrain, we say there’s no such thing as too secure. The stability comes from these pedals’ huge footprint (110x105mm), the concave shape (2.5mm of drop from edge to center), and the profusion of adjustable pins (14 per pedal side). The concavity in particular—think of a slight bowl shape in the pedal profile—lets your foot sink down into the platform and encourages the scoop and claw foot movements that make pushing around the bike easier. And though these aren’t the thinnest pedals out there, they are trim enough to avoid much rock strike. Best of all, the burly machined aluminum and sealed bearing and bushing internals insure that these flats will keep spinning for years to come. Shop Deity TMAC Flat Pedals

Deity TMAC Some reviewers will say the TMacs are too grippy, though when it comes to keeping your feet planted on the hairiest terrain, we say there’s no such thing as too secure. The stability comes from these pedals’ huge footprint (110x105mm), the concave shape (2.5mm of drop from edge to center), and the profusion of adjustable pins (14 per pedal side). The concavity in particular—think of a slight bowl shape in the pedal profile—lets your foot sink down into the platform and encourages the scoop and claw foot movements that make pushing around the bike easier. And though these aren’t the thinnest pedals out there, they are trim enough to avoid much rock strike. Best of all, the burly machined aluminum and sealed bearing and bushing internals insure that these flats will keep spinning for years to come. Shop Deity TMAC Flat Pedals

Best All-Around Flat

Tenet Occult We probably like the Occults so much because they bear many similarities to the TMacs: rugged CNC’d aluminum body, large square platform (105x110mm), adjustable pins (only 11 per side), and a (slightly less) concave profile. They make up for the minimal difference in shaping with thinner leading and trailing edges, which means the Occults are modestly lower profile in chunder. Tenet has many added touches of its own, including a bottom-loading pin design, which makes it possible to customize pin height with washers, a set of grub screws for riders who prefer them, and an included socket for working on the pedals yourself. They are also made in the USA and come with a lifetime crash replacement program and one free pedal refresh in the first year you own them. That’s a lot of benefits at a pretty approachable price. Shop Tenet Occult Flat Pedals

Tenet Occult We probably like the Occults so much because they bear many similarities to the TMacs: rugged CNC’d aluminum body, large square platform (105x110mm), adjustable pins (only 11 per side), and a (slightly less) concave profile. They make up for the minimal difference in shaping with thinner leading and trailing edges, which means the Occults are modestly lower profile in chunder. Tenet has many added touches of its own, including a bottom-loading pin design, which makes it possible to customize pin height with washers, a set of grub screws for riders who prefer them, and an included socket for working on the pedals yourself. They are also made in the USA and come with a lifetime crash replacement program and one free pedal refresh in the first year you own them. That’s a lot of benefits at a pretty approachable price. Shop Tenet Occult Flat Pedals

Best Budget Flat

OneUP Composite For those seeking a big, versatile pedal without the accompanying large price tag, these OneUps are choice. The platform is actually one of the biggest out there at 115x105mm, though shaping here is convex (i.e. slightly raised in the middle) instead of concave, which favors riders who like to move around and adjust their feet more. There’s 10 pins per side, all removable from the bottom, and OneUp sells an easy bearing rebuild kit for just $17.50. The slight drawback of the composite (plastic) design over aluminum is the overall profile gets somewhat thicker (17mm vs. 14mm for the Occults and TMacs), which can translate to more rock bashing and possibly more frequent damage. Then again, we’ve seen these pedals hold up great over time, and, since you can get three pairs for the price of a single set of TMacs, it’s a pretty low risk investment. Shop OneUP Composite Flat Pedals

OneUP Composite For those seeking a big, versatile pedal without the accompanying large price tag, these OneUps are choice. The platform is actually one of the biggest out there at 115x105mm, though shaping here is convex (i.e. slightly raised in the middle) instead of concave, which favors riders who like to move around and adjust their feet more. There’s 10 pins per side, all removable from the bottom, and OneUp sells an easy bearing rebuild kit for just $17.50. The slight drawback of the composite (plastic) design over aluminum is the overall profile gets somewhat thicker (17mm vs. 14mm for the Occults and TMacs), which can translate to more rock bashing and possibly more frequent damage. Then again, we’ve seen these pedals hold up great over time, and, since you can get three pairs for the price of a single set of TMacs, it’s a pretty low risk investment. Shop OneUP Composite Flat Pedals