Top 5 Composite MTB Pedals

Deity has long been a household name in high end components, known for their performance focused design and beautiful design. The Deftraps are inspired by the best in class Deity TMAC aluminum pedals, with a squared off and symmetrical body that offers an impressive amount of grip. Featuring 10 pins per side, the Deftraps house two sealed bearings and a DU bushing, offering a completely rebuildable pedal to keep them feeling fresh season after season. Not only that, they come in 10 colors so they’re sure to match just about any bike you put them on, and Deity also offers grips in the same colors for the perfect color coordination.

Deity Deftrap Composite Pedals

• Chromoly axle

• 10 pins per side, 8 replaceable rear steel loading pins, 2 fixed nylon pins

• 8 color options

• $54.99

• Concave shape

• 113x103mm platform

• 391g

With 1.5mm of concavity, the Deftraps really take hold of your feet and offer a confidence inspiring grip in wet and dry conditions. The squared off shape and tall pins on the front and back of the pedal allow the front and back of your foot to do the gripping rather than your arch, and stiff soled shoes are going to be right at home on the top of the Deity Deftraps. While they might not have the largest platform, the concave shape offers some of the most grip we’ve ever seen from flat pedals, warranting their slightly higher price than the competitors.

Crankbrothers has long been known for their high end components, specifically their pedals, and now the Crankbrothers Stamp 1 takes the same silhouette and internals of the more expensive Stamp 7 and builds it into a more affordable composite package. All 10 of the replaceable top loading steel pins are placed around the outside of the pedal body and work together to keep your feet planted.

Much like the Deity Deftrap, our number one recommendation, the Crankbrother Stamp 1 have a slightly concave shape, helping to keep your feet connected to the pedals when the going gets tough. Inside the pedal, the axle is spinning on IGUS bushings rather than sealed bearings, allowing the pedal body to be a bit thinner at the axle than if there were bearings inside. They won’t last quite as long as a sealed bearing, which is why these pedals aren’t getting the number one spot today, but they still offer great grip and performance in all conditions. As a bonus, there are small and large options of the Stamp 1, so everyone can have a pedal that fits their foot perfectly!

Crankbrothers Stamp 1 Composite Pedals

• Chromoly axle

• 10 replaceable top loading pins per side

• 7 colors

• 348g

• 114x111mm platform

• 5 year warranty

• 2x IGUS bushings

• $59.99

• Concave shape

OneUp seems to make a splash with every single product they release, and their OneUp Composite Pedal has been a fan favorite since its release. With ten pins per side, the OneUp Composite Pedal is grippy, reliable, and affordable, and immediately shot to the top of many riders’ wishlists.

With a very thin and contoured leading edge, OneUp’s pedal is designed to deflect and slide past obstacles when you take a bad line rather than get caught and throw you over the bars. That thin edge does mean the pedal has a convex shape, which OneUp claims will hug your arch and give increased grip relative to a concave shape. The grip of these pedals is real, and there’s a reason they’re one of the leading composite pedals on the market today. OneUp also recently released a smaller version of their composite pedal for kids or anyone with smaller feet!

OneUp Composite Pedal

• Chromoly axle

• 10 replaceable rear loading pins per side

• 7 color options

• $49.99

• Convex shape

• 115x105mm platform

• 355g

• User Serviceable

Race Face has been one of the first names that comes to mind in the mountain bike component game forever, especially for their flat pedals. The Race Face Chester Composite Pedal was one of the first of the current generation of flat pedals, and the latest generation offers amazing performance for the price. Plus, it comes in both a Large and Small size to optimize for different size feet!

The Race Face Chester has angled leading edges, much like the OneUp Components Composite Pedal, to turn impacts into glancing blows that won’t ruin your ride. Again, similar to the OneUp pedal, the axle is the high point of the pedal body, resulting in an overall convex shape, and all pins are replaceable and rear loading. Those pins do extend beyond the axle bulge, giving riders plenty of grip on trail, and especially when paired with the perfect colorway, you’ll have all the confidence you need to tackle any trail.

Race Face Chester Composite Pedals

• Chromoly Axle

• 115x110mm(Large) or 105x100mm(Small) platform

• 8 replaceable back loading steel pins and 2 nylon pins per side

• 345g(Small) | 355g(Large)

• $55.00

• Convex shape

• 8 color options

The PNW Components Range Composite Pedal is built to offer the perfect blend of comfort, grip, affordability, and poppy colors that are sure to catch eyes out on the trail. The body is constructed from a glass-fiber reinforced nylon composite that’s tough as nails and will shrug off anything you throw at it, and in case something goes wrong out there, each of the 22 pins per pedal are replaceable, and the replaceable bearings make this user serviceable pedal something you can count on for years to come. With eleven sharp pins per side, the convex profile gives riders ample grip in both the wet and dry conditions you can expect in the PNW, and the PNW Range Composite Pedal offer another great option for flat pedal riders looking for a budget friendly and reliable pedal.

PNW Range Composite Pedal

• 390g

• Chromoly axle

• 7 color options

• Convex shape

• $49.00

• 11 replaceable rear loading steel pins per side

• User serviceable

• 113x105mm platform