Crankbrothers Introduces New 5050 Flat

Crankbrothers' latest innovation is the new 5050 flat pedal. Debuting August, 2005, the 5050 is a study of duality and balance. It’s an uncluttered, straightforward design which offers imaginative options for customization. The 5050 is extremely strong yet has interchangeable parts. It’s an aesthetic design accomplishment which achieves maximum durability on downhill and freeride terrain. Each pedal is made of two different materials and two different colors, and it’s offered in two models and price points.Removable plates allow for pin customization
The plates of the 5050 are removable so riders can have full freedom to customize pin placement from the inside of the pedal. Other flats have pin hex-holes on the top surface of the pedal, which makes pins very difficult to remove if they break or are ground down. Other flats have hexes on the bottom of the pins, but they offer limited pin placement options as they require access from the front side of the pedal to install and remove pins. Crankbrothers eliminates the restrictions on pin placement with this removable plate design.


The pedals come pre-installed with eighteen 3.2mm pins per pedal, yet there are thirty-six pin holes per pedal. This allows full customization of traction pin location to rider’s preference and terrain conditions.

Dual material design adds durability
The modular design of the pedal also allows for the plates to be made from a material that is harder than the main body. The plates are located on the leading edge of the pedal, the area of the pedal that takes the most abuse, so stronger material provides a durability advantage. The 5050 body is 6061-t6 aluminum, and the plates are 6061-t8 (harder) aluminum. Tough 6061-t8 aluminum is a challenging material to work with for most applications. The unique design of the 5050 plates maximizes the qualities of 6061-t8 without difficulty.

Two Models: X and XX
The pedal is available in two models, the “X” and “XX”. The main difference is in the bearing systems. The 5050 X is the opening price model, available in two colors: blue body with silver plates or a black body with silver plates. The X uses a "cup and cone" loose ball bearing system. This system is economical to manufacture, allowing for an affordable retail price of $80.00 US. This type of bearing system adds size, weight and bulk to the design, so the 5050 X weighs in at 618g per pair.

The 5050 XX is the premium model, available in two colors: gold body with black plates or silver body with black plates. The XX uses cartridge bearings which result in a slightly lower profile pedal with a lower stack height and weight. They are completely serviceable with a rebuild kit and have a built-in grease port for easy maintenance. The 5050 XX come packaged with additional accessories that the X doesn’t offer: a set of red plates, and an extra set of 36 long pins (4.8mm). The 5050 XX weighs 578g per pair and retails for $120.00 US.

Pedal Specifications:

5050 X

weight 309g per pedal, 618g per pair
body anodized 6061-t6 aluminum
plates anodized 6061-t8 aluminum
bearings sealed cup and cone
spindle forged scm435 chromoly steel
end plug composite
pins boron steel, 18 per pedal
pin placement options 36 per pedal, 72 per pair
warranty 1 year
color options blue body / silver plates
black body / silver plates
retail price $80.00 US, €80.00

5050 XX

weight 289g per pedal, 578g per pair
body anodized 6061-t6 aluminum
plates anodized 6061-t8 aluminum
outboard bearing oversized sealed roller
inboard bearing high precision oversized needle
spindle forged scm435 chromoly steel
end plug composite with grease port
pins boron steel, 18 per pedal
pin placement options 36 per pedal, 72 per pair
includes 2nd plate set (red), long pin kit (36)
warranty 2 years
color options gold body / black plates
silver body / black plates
retail price $120.00 US, €120.00

Accessories for the pedals
An innovative accessory program is in place for the 5050. The concept is to offer riders and teams color options to customize the look of their bike or team kit. Crankbrothers offers plate kits in ten different colors: red, light blue, orange, army green, light green, pink, gold, silver, black and grey. Additionally, riders can choose from two different pin colors in two different lengths, silver or gold, short or long. Plate kits are $25.00 (retail) and pin kits are $10.00. Both the plate kits and pin kits are available directly from crankbrothers.com, on a page dubbed the “colormixer”. The pin kits will be available through retailers as well.

Colormixer on crankbrothers.com
The colormixer lets pedal owners see the custom plates and pins options for their 5050’s before purchase. The colormixer will be live in August at the following url www.crankbrothers.com/5050_plates.php. The plate and pin kits will be available for purchase September, 2005

With a refreshing focus on design, Crank Brothers offers a selective assortment of highly inventive, yet obviously simple products that make cycling more enjoyable. The Company’s products include the Egg Beater, Candy, Mallet and Quattro pedals, the Power Pump, the Multi-19 and Multi-17 tools.

Christina Orlandella
Crankbrothers
949-464-9916
www.crankbrothers.com