Nukeproof Electron Evo Pedal - Review

Apr 11, 2015 at 19:39
by Chris Johannes  
Nukeproof Elelctro Evo pedal


Nukeproof has had its ups and downs over the years, but its current UK-based reincarnation is focused on staying relevant to the serious mountain bike crowd. From its humble beginnings many years ago in Michigan, the company has changed hands and has been shifting gears to now offer an expanded line of off-road bikes and components, including the interesting Electron Evo pedals reviewed below. The 354 gram (set) pedals claim to prove wrong that old saying about only being able to have two of three choices when talking about a product being cheap, light and strong. They retail for $60 USD, and are available in six colours: black, white, yellow, orange, blue and green. www.nukeproof.com
Electron Evo Pedal Details:

• Nylon-reinforced composite body
• Seven replaceable, adjustable pins per side
• Three moulded pins per side
• One DU bushing and two sealed cartridge bearings per pedal
• Dimensions: 98mm (w) x 95mm x 17mm
• Axle: CroMo
• Spare parts kit available
• Weight (per pair): 354g
• MSRP: $60 USD




Nukeproof Elelctro Evo pedal
The chromoly axles require an 8mm hex key to install and remove - there's no wrench flats to be found.
Nukeproof Elelctro Evo pedal
The set included seven spare pins, but they should also be easy to source if needed. Care should be taken with plastic threads, though.



Materials and Construction

The Electron Evo's parallelogram shape has been changed for 2015, with some center knurling and a raised edge profile being added to enhance the grip, and the wide yet thin body has a large surface platform that is closer to the crank arm while providing better ground and cornering clearance. The bodies are made from nylon reinforced composite to form a lightweight, stiff shape for the chromoly axle, bushings and two cartridge bearings found in each pedal. All seven pins per side conveniently appear to be three x ten millimetre long steel bolts and hexs nut that you should be able to track down at your local industrial supply or big box hardware store.

It's likely a cost effective pedal to manufacture with no machined wrench flats on the axles, and the price of mass producing plastic is typically lower than working with aluminium. Those facts don't mean that our bright yellow test pedals don't look great, though, as their $60 USD price tag contradicts their high-end appearance.

Nukeproof Elelctro Evo pedal
A high-end look with a lower end price.



Function

The nylon reinforced composite pedal bodies are noticeably hard and slippery underfoot, but it's the spike-to-shoe interface that provides the real grip needed on the trail. And while the moulded pins quickly become damaged and irrelevant, the steel pins bite hard into the sole of your shoes with a real authority. The long pins are pretty gnarly and can do some real damage to your shins and calves if it all goes south, but they also make for impressive grip regardless of how muddy and wet your ride is. How have the composite bodies held up? Just fine, actually, but that's not to say that they won't be showing signs of wear and tear after being smashed against rocks for months on end.

The two 6862 cartridge bearings in each pedal spin smoothly out of the box (as you'd hope for), although the black rubber seals are pretty basic and don't even appear to be making contact with the pedal surface. I'm not a real big fan of there not being any wrench flats on the axle, but it does give the Electron Evo pedals a clean look while likely cutting down on manufacturing costs. Disassembling the pedals requires both a 6mm and 8mm hex key, as well as an 8mm socket, but it's a pretty straightforward job that anyone should be able to handle when it does come time to show them some love.

Nukeproof Elelctro Evo pedal
The pedals can be maintained with a few basic tools, while an assortment of small parts can be found on Nukeproof's website.


Pinkbike's Take:
bigquotesThe Electron Evo pedals tick the boxes when it comes to grip, reliability and price, and I wouldn't let their composite construction scare you off - they've shown to be just as reliable as any of their aluminum counterparts. And at $60 USD, they are also less expensive than much of the competition. - Chris Johannes

www.nukeproof.com


Visit the high-res gallery for more images from this review



Author Info:
ChrisJohannes avatar

Member since Nov 20, 2014
17 articles

98 Comments
  • 57 3
 Comments about wrench flats, on pedals, on PB of all places? Backside hex is the best thing ever.
  • 12 0
 However it's worth mentioning, as the previous version had a wrench flat, and was cheaper.
  • 7 0
 I have to think machining wrench flats isn't that expensive. At, least not compared to broaching an 8mm hex pocket on the inside. The absence of wrench flats might be a space limitation.
  • 2 0
 Yeah, but I have nukeproof pedals, but my pedals also have wrench flats. While I like the hex tool fixing, there's been a few times when maybe I didn't use enough grease, or didn't take my pedals off after a wet, muddy ride, that I've been glad to see those little flat spots...
  • 7 0
 Backside hex keys are NOT the best thing ever. I bought a used bike, and the dummy who installed the pedals decided to gorilla fist them on. Due to the fact that they didn't have wrench flats, I couldn't get enough leverage to get them off.
  • 39 1
 shoulda given them to your brother chuck to have a go @mnorris122
  • 4 1
 A box end wrench slid over an allen key for leverage, can generate more torque than most wrench flats can handle, before rounding off. If these pedals used a small hex or something I get it, but look at the monster hex key wrench in the picture!
  • 4 0
 Yeah, I like having the flats. On a used bike I had to remove some pedals with a hex and a breaker bar (piece of tubing) for extra leverage to get it off. Ended up rounding off my hex wrench and ruining the pedals. Did get em off though....
  • 2 0
 If pedals are really stuck on, some penetrating oil or ATF overnight coupled with an impact on the backside hex has pulled them off every time for me. Just takes a few impacts, and then they come off nice and smooth. That's a nice feature of a hex style mount, especially an 8mm one.
  • 1 0
 You can get the 2014 pedals for less on rcycld.com
  • 1 0
 Not a fan of the lack of spanner flats. Allen keys/bolts are way too easy to round off, especially if you're a bit ham-fisted and/or have cheap allen keys. It's much easier to make accurate/cheap spanners that don't round bolts off.

The pedals themselves look great though - or they would if I ever rode flat pedals any more.
  • 1 0
 Just buy some Neutron axles, they fit the Electron, Electron Evo, and of course the Neutron. And they have wrench flats. All for $14!

Personally, I use the Hex and flat wrench together.
  • 36 5
 Nuke proof a creating quite a foot hold in the market!
  • 29 2
 yeah it seems so. They certainly have much more traction than earlier years.
  • 29 2
 Gripping concept, these pedals are.
  • 14 5
 I get a kick out of these pun threads
  • 21 4
 Looks like they are creating a great platform to stand on
  • 16 8
 Good option for riding flat out
  • 30 3
 Yeah, something about them just speaks to my sole.
  • 18 4
 i think they've got the flat pedal market pinned
  • 2 12
flag WAKIdesigns (Apr 15, 2015 at 22:07) (Below Threshold)
 Bearings are ok I like U Bush honey
  • 2 13
flag shuwukong (Apr 15, 2015 at 22:41) (Below Threshold)
 No hill for Hill before he heals
  • 4 11
flag Kainerm (Apr 15, 2015 at 23:05) (Below Threshold)
 About time for some plaSticky pedals...
  • 10 1
 how long can you spin these puns out for?
  • 9 1
 Do you think we can pedal the puns out all day?
  • 5 3
 Nukeproof, now into plastic explosive... at that price it is anyway.
  • 10 2
 i can never get a good bearing on these threads!
  • 2 6
flag WAKIdesigns (Apr 16, 2015 at 9:58) (Below Threshold)
 I don't know why you people have problems with bushes...
  • 22 1
 Glad that I dont need to spend $100+ for grippy and light pedals anymore, keep it up Nukeproof
  • 11 1
 These are just catalog nylon pedals. Many companies sell them, not to mention cheaper. Diety, Fyxation, HT, etc etc. I've had 3 pairs of Diety compounds and they've been great.
  • 7 1
 These are my BLKMRKT nylon pedals I got last year. They cost me 4,90 Euro new with packaging and a sticker. I invested another 1.89 Euro in bolts and the result is, I now have the best pedals I have ever owned. The coolest part is, even in dollars I am well under 7,50$ Big Grin
ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb12126249/p5pb12126249.jpg
  • 2 0
 Be careful though. I cased a log with one of these and it broke in half!
  • 1 0
 Oh I always have them in mind, but I have them on my dirt/street bike... with which I ride more DH than with the Glory Big Grin
But still, for the price and quality, I'll change pedals every two years without a care, they are still running strong I I would recommend them with a set of bolts to a set of Sixpack pedals.
  • 24 7
 Oh look they made Deity pedals!
  • 6 0
 Actually the original Electrons were out way befote Deity Compounds
  • 4 0
 Deity compounds are the exact same pedal except they are lighter, cheaper and the spindle is black.
  • 2 0
 Yeah, serously. The Deity's are almost exactly the same at $12 cheaper. Not sure what the fuss is about with these Nukeproofs. Plus, let's be real, a nuclear explosion would melt those instantaneously. Not really all that nuke-proof.
  • 6 0
 they are all HT pedals
  • 13 1
 I have been riding 2 years on the older model, and they are the best flats I ever had. I shattered one aluminum pedal on a rock back in the days but these apparently flex on cases like that. No cracks or other than abrasion visible. Very light too!
  • 13 1
 It says "EVO" on it so I gotta have it!
  • 7 0
 Anything EVO is twice as cool (much better than enduro Wink )
  • 30 1
 Said no fox owner ever again
  • 10 0
 and nylon composite likes to slide off of rocks rather than get stuck on them.
  • 9 2
 I am sure that these pedals are made by HT, and it looks that the same pedals with HT logo are cheaper.

www.ht-components.com/ht_portal/product/list?cname=pedal&cname2=dh%2Ffr%2F4x&productCname=nano-p
  • 1 0
 Only some colours are cheaper, others are more expensive
  • 1 0
 That's just MSRP, I've bought 2 pairs of such HT pedals at the price of 200yuan(about 30$), however, Nukeproof's pedal is about 600yuan(about 100$) pre pair in China.
  • 8 1
 Best flat pedals I've ever owned.
  • 1 0
 Seconded, Went from DMR Vaults to these, expecting them to be miles behind in terms of grip and I prefer them!
  • 1 0
 Agreed, I had a set of these for about 2 years. When I bought my new bike I decided to buy the TItainium versions, still have he plastic ones on my hardtail. After about 2 years or riding every week and Rock strikes the pins on the plastic ones are starting to wear down a bit.
  • 1 0
 Agreed, also. The only "upgrade" was bigger screws (2mm) .They're perfect now.
  • 1 0
 except for the entirely revised body shape from the original ones...
  • 1 0
 @tomcrowther I'm sorry, I was not clear. I meant the "upgrade" I made to my pedals. I've changed the screws myself.
  • 2 0
 "although the black rubber seals are pretty basic and don't even appear to be making contact with the pedal surface"

^ This. I have a blue pair and they started squeaking about one and a half months in.

After taking it apart, there was dirt beyond the seal on the crank side.
It's pretty easy and quick to take them apart, clean and rebuild, but it's not the no fuss, long reliability I was looking for.
  • 1 0
 To be honest, at this price they're almost disposable!
  • 2 0
 I've just switched to these after running penthouse flats. They feel solid offer excellent grip with 510 free riders. I've had a few nasty pedal strikes and they are holding up well. I don't ride DH but do ride 'All' of the mountain and bmx tracks and so far I can't fault them. If people are aiming they broke after two weeks I would love to see how they broke them because I'm calling shenanigans on the 'my buddy' snapped three in one ride bs
  • 2 0
 Nukeproof isn't the OEM for these pedals, or if they are, they are letting other people sell them. Deity and Black-ops (which is J&B importers bmx line) sell nearly identical pedals. i have a pair of the black-ops ones, they don't really have a model name. The Deity ones are their compound pedal.. They're not a bad pedal, but the fact that there are three companies selling the exact same product kind of puts a bad taste in my mouth about them.
  • 1 0
 Ran these pedals for 6 months and have to say they are excellent, super grippy even in the gnarliest of Scottish Muddy descents they never clog up or fail to remain grippy! Much better than my Hope pedals which I felt had next to zero grip!! For the money there isn't much out there than can compete!! get them bought!!
  • 1 0
 I have had these pedals (OnOff version, same exact design, they come in other brands also) for almost 3 years now. They are PERFECT. Cheap (does not hurt your heart to rub them against rocks), light (if you care), no the thinnest but pretty thin, durable, replaceable pins, they even look good, did I say cheap? Have rode them many times in La Fenasosa, Andorra, La Pinilla (Madrid), 2 full weeks at the Alps (Portes du Soleil), etc. Mud, rocks, rain, dust, rocks, rocks (yeah, Spain), and they are still good. I see no reason whatsoever to buy any other pedal, and when they die, I will get the same without even looking on the internet.
  • 1 0
 I've been smashing a set of the old ones for about 2 years now and never felt like I had made a bad decision buying them. aparently they will also take the same ti upgrade axl as othe very similar looking pedals from other manufacturers so you can get them down to 270g per pair.
  • 4 1
 Alright, but for the same price you can get their Neutron pedals; any reason for getting the plastic ones over the metal ones?
  • 6 1
 Weight if you care about that
  • 7 1
 The plastic version is as light as the titanium one so thats a good one
  • 8 1
 The plastic ones will look considerably better after a few months of use as there's no anodising to wear off.
  • 1 0
 Have to say one of these snapped in half on me on an enduro race run after impact with a root (the weak point being the holes that the pins screw through) - not pleased. That said, it was replaced on warrenty without fuss and I've no complaints with the replacements, and as said in the review, the grip is brilliant (and they can do some real damage to the calves)....
  • 1 0
 Had a set on for a few weeks. Bonkers light (for decent flat pedals), tons of grip and unlike normal pedals, the paint/ colour doesn't get removed by scrapes and general wear and tear. Taken a few knocks too and no damage. For the price I doubt I'll go back to metal pedals.
  • 1 0
 anyone give me an idea of long term longevity of these? I was going to buy some DMR vaults for my trail bike (deciding to change over from SPDs) but might as well get these for half the price. Are Vaults a bit cumbersome for climbing in?
  • 1 1
 I had the first incarnation of the Electron pedal. They weren't long attached to my bike. Slippery as hell because of that mid channel where axle is situated. These are looking much better with their more concave shape. Light and pins can be bought fron a hardware store. If I wasn't so in love with my DMR Vaults, I might give these a second chance.
  • 1 0
 I'll have to look into these. I've been really liking the looks of the comparable(At least I think they are) Deity-Compound pedals. $48 USD.
  • 1 0
 best pedals!!!!true nukeproof !!!!!i had buyed used before i year and they smash them in every rock you can imagine and still work!!!!
  • 1 1
 That's a pretty good price point. Sucks that they seem to not be that durable though. Buy once, Cry once. I'm loving my bang for the buck Gravity Pirates Pedals w/ free pin replacement.
  • 4 1
 But will they work for enduro??
  • 3 1
 I have a pair in white I weight 320 and I have thrown all sorts of shit at these pedals and haven't had a issue
  • 7 8
 I have these pedals. .. well my wife does now. They are poor at best. The grip... poor The feel under foot... poor they Will spin on you under pedalling especially over rough stuff which is annoying. That's the HONEST review of a purchaser. don't waste your money.
  • 3 2
 Grip is indeed very poor compared to the aluminium counterpart from Nukeproof. I also lost a lot of these pins. Even with loctite they kept falling out. Not recommended.
  • 2 1
 I had three replacement pairs of the origional incarnation. They kept working loose for no reason.
I hope the Evo addressed this problem (or was I the only one who had this problem)
  • 2 0
 These look identical to diety compounds, which are amazing pedals. Possibly they produced them together?
  • 1 0
 Yes, love this. Ride plastic flats on my BMX. And they got the pricing right, $60 or £30 unlike most brands that would be $60 or £60
  • 1 1
 Had these pedals for 3 rides before outer of pedal hit I log and snapped sheeted the outer edge clean off had to upgrade to protons avoid at all costs
  • 1 0
 Damn right. These pedals are superb value for money, I have the old version and not slipped a pedal in months!
  • 3 2
 look like superstar El plastique pedals which are £25 V £35 for the nukeproof
  • 1 0
 If the rubber seals are the weakest link, I'm wondering - would it be easy to replace them with something better?
  • 1 1
 I'll take $60 pedals over the over priced Deity Blades at $140 anyday, all day. It's a shame too because I generally love Deity products.
  • 2 0
 Nukeproof, Superstar, as well as many others, all made by HT.
  • 1 1
 These are the same exact peddles as Deity Compound and Black Ops DH peddles. Am I the only one who noticed?
  • 1 0
 No, they are more concave
  • 1 1
 Yes they are. OnOff also sells them, and many other brands which names' I can't remember now.
  • 1 0
 no, no they aren't. the diety compounds are the same as the older version of the electron. these are different
  • 1 0
 cool, rebranded NRG hippie killers
  • 1 1
 £35 for a pedal that still has Nylon pins on the platform?

Just get Fireyes.
  • 1 0
 are these BOOST compatible??
  • 1 1
 ElectroN perhaps?
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