Is 2011 going to be the year of the pedal? We've seen a number of new options for the coming season, but the new Spank Spike pedal stands out from the crowd with their rather striking body profile and chamfered leading edges that are designed to glance off of whatever trail obstacle that you catch them on, as opposed to simply stopping you dead. I think we've all hit the deck hard from pedal strikes, you're on the ground before you knew what hit you, so I'm all for anything that lessens the chance of that happening. Further helping the cause is the slim body height, measured out at a thin 12 mm. The Spike's spin on a combination of oversized, sealed bearings and IGUS bushings that allow the pedal body to have a thinner footbed, but it flares out to house the bearing close to the crankarm. There are 18 pins per side, with all but the single central pin threading in from the opposite side to make removal of damaged pins easier, and they weigh in at a competitive 400 grams. MSRP starts at $119 USD.