Race Face Announces New Atlas Flat Pedals

Jan 19, 2022 at 11:26
by Mike Kazimer  
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Nearly nine years after its initial launch, Race Face has released the next generation of the Atlas pedal. The new version gains taller pins, a new spindle design, and is now serviceable without the use of any proprietary tools. They're also available in a whopping 9 anodized colors, including purple, gold, and silver.

The aluminum body measures 110 x 108mm, and is 12mm thick. There are ten pins on each side, which stand 6.5mm tall when fully threaded in. Race Face supplies washers that can be used to adjust that height in order to tone down the grippiness, or to create a more concave feel by reducing the length of the pins in the center of the pedal and keeping the outer perimeter pins at full extension.
Atlas Pedal Details
• 110 x 108mm platform, 12mm thick
• 10 pins on each side
• Chromoly spindle, cartridge bearing + bushing
• Weight: 376 grams (pair)
• 9 color options
• Lifetime warranty
• MSRP: $180 USD
www.raceface.com

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The pins stand 6.5mm tall when fully threaded in.
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The included washers can be used to customize the pin height.

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Loosening one nut is all that's required to access the internals.
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The pedals spin on a cartridge bearing and a bushing.

The new spindle design allows the pedals to work with carbon cranks that use crank boots, a welcome change from the original. That chromoly spindle rotates on an oversized cartridge bearing (that's what's housed in the bulge that sits next to the crank arm), and a bushing. It's a very simple design, and accessing those internals only requires removing one nut. Cleaning the internals and adding fresh grease to the spindle takes less than five minutes – they're that easy to service.

The Atlas pedals recently showed up for testing, so I'll be putting the miles in on them over the next few months to see how they hold up to some seriously sloppy winter conditions. I have a couple rides in so far, and don't have any immediate criticisms - they're grippy, with a fairly wide platform, and I haven't noticed the bearing bulge getting in the way at all. I did drop the height of the center pins to get a more concave feel, and I'll likely do a little more experimentation with the pin configuration as time goes on. Look for a full review and comparison to other contenders later this year.

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Author Info:
mikekazimer avatar

Member since Feb 1, 2009
1,668 articles

237 Comments
  • 130 7
 Have the fixed the problem where the platform falls off the spindle?
  • 45 0
 This. Great pedal, until the platform falls off the spindle in the middle of nowhere and you have to ride out on the spindle (ask me how I know). Hopefully they fixed this.
  • 19 0
 Oh, so I'm not the only one that had that happen. Luckily it fell off during the road climb up and not after dropping in.
  • 66 2
 The new design should make that impossible - the threaded lockring would need to come all the way undone, and I don't think there's enough room between it and the crankarm for that to happen.
  • 15 9
 @mikekazimer: so now when they fail they don't fall off they just bind up?
  • 48 5
 The platform is meant to fall off the spindle. The spindle is the pedal, the platform is the packaging
  • 5 6
 @mikekazimer: the Kona Wah Wah pedal uses almost the same design, but they added a needle bearing to the end so it can't fall off.
  • 5 0
 Have also had this happen - was very bummed to stuff a muddy pedal in my bib pocket and ride back to the car on a spindle. Also happened to a buddy in the exact same way.
  • 5 2
 happened twice for me. Switched to crank brothers
  • 63 1
 Why yes, we have. Check out the details in our tech video on the Race Face YouTube!
  • 5 0
 how concave?
  • 5 3
 @raceface: so to prevent the platform from falling off you replaced the three outboard bearings with a bushing?
  • 12 1
 @freerider11: Resolving this was a critical part of the new design and we're stoked that it comes with a host of other nice updates as well!
  • 7 1
 @agnostic: Check out how the pedal assembles and you can see the update!
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: on the Vital review it say 5mm
  • 9 6
 @agnostic: Dude give it a rest. The old design was held on my a 2.5mm bolt at the end of the spindle. The new design is different in every way and very close to OneUp's design that has been rather bullet proof.... and yes, I also had a set of the old Atlas pedals that developed massive side-to-side play in less than 500 miles because of that original design.
  • 20 1
 @raceface: It's cool to see you acknowledge the problem, but why not recall them? I've had two pairs sitting in a drawer for years because I'm terrified they'd fail whilst riding somewhere that losing a pedal could be deadly (think Portal in Moab).
  • 14 0
 This happened to me twice and the second time led to one of my scariest crashes. The warranty department was a joke to work with at the time and basically told me to kick rocks when they finally responded.

I will say, since then (and i believe a sale or restructure of the company) I have had a wonderful experience with their warranty team and they totally redeemed themselves.

I am very glad to see they updated these pedals since the old version was downright dangerous.
  • 1 0
 @freerider11: That happened to me too. 15 miles into a 25 mile loop. Not good.
  • 8 0
 @freerider11: They must have had a bad batch or I just got lucky. I've got a pair I've been riding on since '19 and they've taken some really hard Rock Strikes. Never had a problem with them.
  • 14 0
 I had this happen, mid jump on whistler - pretty scary stuff. I noticed that one of the spindles was not round (rolling on a workbench - no crashes on these pedals) which I assume killed the bearings, which exploded and then the whole thing came apart. My shop sent them to RF to ask about warranty, they took months to respond and they finally denied the claim. The whole thing was such a mess that my shop took pitty and credited the amount for the pedals. I've stopped buying anything RF.
  • 1 0
 @DaneL: This. I’ve had a similar issue with an SGD kids pedal that fell apart from limited use by my 6yro. They refused to warranty and said kids are harder on pedals than adults lol. It was CLEARLY a design failure that just didn’t hold up to extremely limited abuse…yet, my fault?? There is often no warranty for “bad design”
  • 5 0
 Yep mine fell off and two friends, f..king scary should have been a recall
  • 4 6
 @spencerbrawn: Atlas cranks are probably the best bang for $ crank out there.
  • 2 0
 @agnostic: After almost a decade, they've had plenty of time to think about this. You won't have issues.
  • 1 0
 @freerider11: Weight reduction, brah.
  • 61 3
 Evolution of my thoughts:
1- Hum, new pedal... might be fun
2- 180$! WTF!
3- Well, maybe, you know, you don't by new pedals every day, they do look good...
4- Let's see the comments
5- Previous model: platform falls... design flaws... ghosting... warranties
6- Ok, thank you but, no thanks, I'm out!
  • 3 1
 This feature you speak of is to compliment the Next and SixC crank breakage that Race Face is so famous for.
  • 6 0
 Had the same set of Atlas pedals on my Patrol for 3 years, probably 2000km on them on issues whatsoever, despite my bashing them into every rock in BC. Looking forward to seeing what the next gen brings to the table.
  • 28 2
 @robdonovan: switching to Crankbrothers for more reliability is a bold strategy.
  • 10 1
 @Jo-rides: Not the journey we were hoping for considering the full redesign, new Lifetime Warranty and updates. Perhaps you'll consider them down the line after the long-term review!
  • 4 0
 @Jo-rides: That's pretty typical for me too. Honestly, I loved the 1st version of the Atlas pedals, but the durability and warranty was terrible which was heartbreaking. It looks like they have taken care of both of those? I guess time will tell.
  • 5 0
 I have five pairs of the previous model at home starting 2017 and never had that issue. Only the AL cap with the spare pin gets loose / lost sometimes if there is enough grease in that thread.
But you have to take them appart upon arrival because sometimes there is grease on the spindle and sometimes not. Then you can check the screws and threads and tighten them.
@raceface I wear the scars on my calves with conviction Smile but 180 bucks...phew...let me know if you need a beta tester Smile
  • 15 1
 @raceface: No offence, and respect for you to answer the comments here! I've had RaceFace products I have ridden for years. But at this price point, even the shadow of having to use the warranty scares me. It's not you... it's me, I'm just... not ready.
  • 11 2
 @raceface: So what is the address people send the broken pair and a copy of the purchase receipt to redeem a new pair as replacements for a design you just admitted was a problem?
  • 4 0
 @tprojosh: Raceface reached out to me, offered to send me a new pair to try out. Pretty awesome stuff, and I'm looking forward to testing them out.
  • 3 0
 It was a long and lonely ride back to the car when my platform fell off the spindle. My buddy just looked at me and said "yeah everyone who runs those has that happen." No warranty support on that one even though they were maybe 6 months old. No warning before they failed either. No issues with Burgtecs for me now. Bummer because i liked the grip and shape of the Atlas.
  • 1 0
 @2pi: Also resolved on the new one! And let us know when you swing on by BC, we can do some testing.
  • 4 0
 @freerider11: This was because they didn't use a reverse thread design on the driveside like most other brands. I ran the originals back when I rode flats with a drop of Loctite 263. Honestly solved the problem... My issue was the 3 miniature bearings on the outboard end of the pedal would explode after 5 minutes. This new design with the IGUS bushing looks promising.
That being said, pin length wasn't an issue, so I would imagin these ones will probably go though the sole of your shoe like a hypodermic needle.
  • 11 2
 @raceface: How about all the folks that have had the original Atlas pedals fail? Two pairs failed this way for me, I had receipts, repeated contacted RF warranty and got absolutely no response. So no, I won't be buying these even if they're excellent, mainly out of pique.
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: not that I design pedals but why wouldn't this threaded locking be an element to the pedal design in the first place?
  • 5 0
 I almost got hit by a truck riding back to my car along a road when that happened. Out of nowhere my foot goes flying off the crank and my bike swerved into traffic before I could recover. Not to mention that after only 5 miles riding them after I bought them one of the bearing seized and they told me bearing weren't covered under warranty. Absolutely terrible design, and terrible customer service when I tried to contact them about it.
  • 2 1
 @geoffcalv: Same, it was disgraceful how warranty department made it sound like it was my fault.
  • 4 0
 @snl1200: Agreed, although I think people new to the sports don't have the same terror of anything CB that most of us do. I never understood how they stayed in business.
  • 2 0
 @Jo-rides:
Epic, I need a tissue (walks into the distance along the lake front, sun sets)
  • 1 2
 @mikekazimer: Yeah that doesn't seem true; as the nut (threaded lockring) unthreads the pedal body will be able to slide outwards, so if the nut loosens then the pedal will certainly be able to fall of eventually. Probably won't happen if there is a little thread lock on the nut, but could.
  • 1 0
 @robw515: the shape of the spindle means that the lock but can’t actually back off far enough (when mounted) that the pedal body can fall off. It’s the same sort of setup that the likes of Shimano, Look and others have been using for decades. I may have accidentally tested this theory myself last summer, pedal couldn’t come off
  • 2 0
 @mashrv1: The lock nut doesn't have to move inwards because as it unscrews the pedal body can move outwards, the nut doesn't have to move laterally at all for it to unscrew.
  • 2 2
 Bet solution is to never buy a Raceface product with a bearing in it. (Or a Raceface carbon product, but that's a different issue)
  • 1 0
 @robw515: but the threads will be directional so that you’d need to be back pedalling for that to happen. Really, there are millions of pedals out there built like this. RF haven’t invented anything new here
  • 1 1
 Maybe we should reconsider what Atlas name stands for, plese don't be weight weenie. RACE FACE.
  • 1 0
 @snl1200: Add to list of "things I thought I'd never hear"
  • 2 2
 @greg390: i have always wondered what the fascination with thinner lighter is for pedals ( understand the theory but it hardly affects me anywhere near enough to seriously consider it) it seems the world wants the moon on a stick, my bmx pedals when i raced werent thin or light and 20 years ago they were an inch thick had proper bearings and lasted till i smashed them repeatedly to death, nowadays you have guys worrying if the reports they read on line are true and if that part is going to fail
  • 1 0
 @agnostic: revolutionary new Floating Platform Design
  • 1 0
 @DaneL: THIS! I also have 2 pair I'm not using, how about a trade-in program @raceface ?
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: hold my beer. Haha
  • 3 0
 @Compositepro: Because apparently a 18mm thick pedal will smash into the ground un-thinkably more than a 12mm one, even though it will be a measly 3mm closer to the ground.

I think people forget you have to halve the difference in thickness between the thickest and thinnest pedals....
  • 1 0
 @justanotherusername: The alternative argument is it drops your center of gravity...
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: off the bat, I don't think light pedals make any real appreciable difference outside of racing and, maybe, when you have more money than sense. However, BMX bikes have a way, way lower centre of gravity than mountain bikes, and being up higher on your pedals makes a silly amount of difference in handling feel and plantedness on a bike. I would have felt the exact same as you until I rode a friend's bike that was identical model to mine with the exception of grips and pedals. It can make a world of difference. It feels like the difference of riding on top of a bike vs riding in a bike.
  • 1 0
 One more confirmation of the originals falling apart. It happened to my dad while pedalling to the lift line. He properly looked at them in the shop later and never trusted them enough to put them on a bike again. He’a stokes the OneUp pedals now if people are looking for alternatives.
  • 1 0
 @robdonovan: Same has happened to me on crank bros stamp pedals. And Kona wahwah...
  • 1 0
 Exactly !!! Ask that question again please......!!!
  • 1 0
 @freerider11: Amen!! Happened to also !!
  • 1 0
 @agnostic: No Mike - the platform (with pins) slides completely off the spindle.
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: I have a pair or two of the last version somewhere in my garage that RF wouldn't warranty. Wonder if they will now? (Like new, platforms separated from the spindle). Or maybe I'll send them to recycling for something more useful?
  • 1 0
 @Compasteedee: I might try the taste test.
  • 1 0
 @jomacba: so you buy a pedal 3mm thinner are the soles of all the shoes the same thickness .

Do i take the insoles out of my shoes for the marginal competition gains
  • 1 0
 @jomacba: not if the middle of your 12mm pedal is 18mm thick you don’t.

Either way, 3mm?
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: Simple solution... Ride in those socks with the grippy compound on the bottom.
  • 1 0
 @justanotherusername: Engineers thought this through... By creating a convex surface, your foot has to wrap around the pedal face thus dropping your heel due to your foot anatomically adapting to the surface. This in turn lowers the whole body and in turn your center of gravity. #Science!
  • 1 0
 @jomacba: #totalbullshit
  • 2 1
 @jomacba: #iknowimnotthatdumb
  • 2 0
 @raceface: gosh, don't post the link or anything

clever, clever, to make us look through the page. I see you!! heh
  • 2 0
 Came here to complain that the platform has fallen off the spindle under a 50kg boy. Saw a lot of the same problem.
  • 1 0
 @Drew-O: @spencerbrawn said he was gonna send you his pair since raceface is only gonna select certain people to use a pedal that stays on the spindle.
  • 1 0
 @olegzoom: @raceface loves giving away free stuff, here is another one for you boys to warranty!
  • 1 0
 @jomacba: That's why I ride without shoes, LOWER CENTER MANNNNN
  • 2 0
 Same here. Handy tip for others, I tried tying my foot onto the spindle using a spare shoelace. Even better tip.... just walk
  • 2 0
 @kiwikiter: amateur the committed have started drilling through their foot and siding those bad boys on
  • 50 3
 Atlas a decent pedal!
  • 16 0
 Etta James fan I see.
  • 2 2
 Superstar nano’s at £40 are good enough for me !
  • 3 0
 Nice pun, bet you were glad to get that one off your Chester...
  • 46 0
 PNW must be feeling pretty good for almost half the price
  • 15 0
 And all bearing internals.
  • 3 0
 Publicly traded company - gotta pad those margins for the shareholders!
  • 35 3
 RaceFace announces a functioning warranty and warranty department would've been a better announcement. When my Atlas pedals broke a month in they ghosted me
  • 10 0
 Had a similar experience with their Cinch power meter, which wasn't an inexpensive part! It was problematic connecting to anything, even their own app, for the first year of use and then the battery wouldn't keep a charge. Come to find out they aren't supporting it anymore and the battery isn't serviceable! Nothing they can really do for me...sorry. Huh? Lesson learned, don't buy Race Face.
  • 1 0
 Wonder if they learned that from DMR?
  • 17 1
 I made the mistake of buying two pair of the prior-gen Atlas. Experienced constant lateral play on both sets in addition to the platform falling off that others have described. Bad design. Bad execution. The solution should have been to recall and replace defective pedals. Instead, they didn't own up to the problem until years later. Never buying RaceFace again. Way too many other companies that make a more durable product, for less money.
  • 2 0
 I have one pair that has been great, bought them when they first came out and I've replace the bearings once. The second pair developed lateral play within a month or two of purchase and after a few $50 rebuild kits they still have lateral play and have had for years now. I'm glad to have never paid full price for a pair because they aren't worth it if they aren't reliable. They are too costly to gamble on the new design and hope it works.
  • 17 2
 Race Face peddles need to come with a couple of rebuild kits. I've never gotten the full season out of a pair.
  • 13 17
flag raceface (Jan 20, 2022 at 9:17) (Below Threshold)
 The updated spindle design, Igus bushing and oversize bearing will help with that. You sound like you might be our target market.
  • 9 4
 @raceface: I remember when raceface treated riders like buddies rather than targets. You've widely acknowledged the previous design had an issue, and yet it was available for 9 years! Not many people here are praising how you responded to selling problematic product.
  • 14 1
 @raceface: PinkBike commentors never forgot when a company leaves them stranded with a known defective product. I think your target market is the new to the sport mountain biker that has no memory and doesn't read PinkBike
  • 4 0
 Why would you bother to buy something that can't last a season??? I have Shimano SPD pedals that are 5-7 years old. If a pedal can't last one season dont buy it?
  • 15 0
 One hundred and eighty-f*cking dollars for pedals is normal now?
  • 6 7
 On the top end, yes, but there are other options like Aeffect, Chester and the Ride pedal if you're on the hunt for other price-points between $120 and $40.
  • 8 3
 Seems in the ballpark compared to other companies. Have to decide what price point suits your purposes.

Chromag:

Dagga $197
Scarab $163
Contact $133
Radar $107
Synth $69

One-up:
Aluminum $140
Composite $60

Raceface:
Atlas $180
Affect $120
Chester $50
  • 1 0
 @mdinger: please add deity lol
  • 4 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: think this was a joke but whatever

Deity:

Tmac $180
Blade runner $150
Black kat $120
Deftrap $55
  • 13 1
 Looks like they have made some solid changes. My current Atlas pedals seem to go forever so these should be mint.
  • 12 0
 Why do we never get side profile images for pedals, the amount of concave is one of the key things I want to know.
  • 4 0
 Agreed. Some of these companies provide the most vague info with terminology such as "concave feeling." If it's flat say flat, if it's concave provide those dimensions. Burgtec and Chromag are great with providing pertinent info. You know exactly what you are buying when you get them.
  • 3 0
 @otterdirt: its not concave unless you go short pins in the middle; I did this and like the result
  • 1 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: I get it and happy you found a setup that works for you. I think that the amount of concave should apply to the pedal platform, pins excluded. Pins wear down and/or break much sooner (especially in rocky terrain) than the platform so its a sliding scale of how concave it is. I just prefer a concave platform, pins aside but hell at the end of the day I love flat pedals, been on them 20 years exclusively, and love seeing other folks such as yourself rippin' flats no matter what flavor they are...
  • 1 0
 @otterdirt: i respect your opinion, I would say the steel RF pins have held up very well

Going to a more concave profile means a thicker pedal or a smaller bearing and spindle, Which would you prefer? Personally I prefer a thicker pedal in that scenario.
  • 1 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: same here dude...stoked to hear those pins hold up...
I've never been into super thin pedals and haven't been into thick pedals since the early 2000's when Easton flatboys were everywhere...a 15mm platform with 2mm dish has worked the best for me...Burgtec MK5's and the MK4's before them (with a slightly smaller platform and 1mm dish.) That being said, a pedal with similar numbers to the MK5, the TMAC with even more dish has been my worst pedal experience. So within what I prefer I have experienced my favorite and least favorite pedal. Thankfully there are a lot of options. One day I'll have to try thin pedal again...I have thought about it before just to feel the added clearance since our trails are quite rocky.
  • 1 0
 @otterdirt: Tmac has a cult following surprised you didn't like it
  • 1 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: I do like the under foot feel of the TMAC. I know this pedal works for tons of riders. Many of my riding buddies ride them. It's the only high end pedal I've bent spindles on. The pedals retail for $180. A replacement spindle retails for $7.50. So to me it seems like the overall price is greatly inflated. I would rather have a simpler platform and a better spindle for that price...it just seems lop-sided to me...
  • 2 0
 @otterdirt: I actually know more on this than I should,

Metal choice, do you prefer if they bend vs snap, also consider weight and cost. From their its a lathe part so the are pretty cheap.

Bearings obv have their cost, platforms I assume are pricey due to machine OP and or forging.

Consider all bike components have a 400% markup so $45 to make. A $7 spindle would be $15% of the cost of manufacturing. Maybe diety has a cost+ shipping pricing on repair parts instead of being Jerks and marking up parts for a profit (example fork stanchions get a 10x price gouge).

ASSuming those factors may add some levity to the situation; but I don't have insider knowledge at diety thats @26griz

As far as thin pedals go, the RF have been a welcome improvement over my spank spikes
  • 1 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: definitely prefer bend vs. snap and not concerned with weight. I've never snapped a spindle, just bent the spindles...I am very grateful they did not snap. Your price break down makes sense and I'm sure it is close to actual if not spot on. Believe me, as I was typing I felt kind of dumb bitching about how cheap a replacement part was. I am thankful they were not expensive repairs but I guess I would be more thankful if I didn't have to make the repair. They are the only pedals that I have had this happen with. FWIW Deity has it's place on both my bikes in a couple areas. Good to know about the RF pedals. I have had a pair of Spikes so that is a solid reference for me.
  • 2 0
 @otterdirt: I used to have access to look at cost on a certain brands products, my metrics are based in factual experience.

I had pedals with titanium spindles, they more often snapped than bent. Same thing with wrenches for example, if you harden them, they snap when you try and bend them to get into those silly spots.

I agree that they certainly should not bend without really earning it.

Good chat btw, refreshing
  • 1 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: That's some cool knowledge to have gained. Definitely a good conversation. I appreciate your insight.
  • 10 1
 Those look sweet but it is hard to beat the Chester for performance and value.
  • 3 2
 We do love us some Chester.
  • 6 0
 Been running RF Atlas a couple years. I beat the hell out of them over hundreds of miles and nail rocks with them occasionally, but never had the pedal come off. I did have the black bolt come out by itself twice - scary. RF sent me a rebuild kit - good dudes in my opinion. They need to provide a rebuild kit and many more replacement pins with a set of pedals IMHO.
  • 8 0
 I love looking at flat pedals almost as much as I hate how few I see actually ridden.
  • 5 0
 I had issues with the large bearing wearing out fast. I think these bearings wear fast because there’s a lot of leverage there from riding and pedal strikes which can destroy bearings quickly. But Shimano pedal bearings which are located under foot seem to last forever with minimal once a year adjustment and service.
  • 8 1
 I have never been more scared by pins.
  • 1 0
 My shins are afraid, very afraid.
  • 9 0
 Have you seen the Chromag Dagga pedals?
  • 11 0
 @ChristianToole:
Those are a spatula compared to a Brooklyn Machine Works shinburger.
  • 2 0
 @brassinne: oh my gosh, those look brutal
  • 1 0
 Those are wall anchors
  • 2 0
 Bah, I've changed out the pins to 14mm long on my Chesters so that I can use them with my snow boots on my fatbike and I'm not afraid of them (they do scuff my calfs up on a regular basis though - nasty when you first discover new scratches when the soap hits them in the shower).
  • 1 0
 3 mm. is enough for me, 6.5mm. is too much for my calfs!
  • 2 0
 @blacktea: *shins
  • 2 0
 @leftypumpkin: well i usually dont wear snowboots on normal riding days
  • 1 0
 @michaelbozof: I opened my calves twice Smile
  • 2 0
 @blacktea: jeezus
  • 8 0
 Morerer concave plez
  • 4 1
 Been running Pedalling Innovations Catalyst pedals for almost 6 years and thousands of Km now, apart from a few grub screws ripped out (would prefer back loaded pins) they have been flawless. I've literally never done anything to them and they still spin for 30+ seconds with no play. And once you get used to the longer pedal body you can't go back to "normal" pedals.
  • 2 0
 Those are the ones bikejames.com used to push hard eh? Seems legit, how hard was it to get used to?
  • 1 0
 @inside-plus: personally not hard at all, it seems from reviews there's a minority of people who hate them but overall response seems to be positive. I would highly recommend trying them, I believe they still have a 30 day money back guarantee if you don't like them.
  • 1 0
 @Mr-Gilsch: yes, but unfortunately they seem to always be sold out Frown
  • 2 0
 @DasProfessor: I've never really understood the love for backloading pins. Any pedals I've had (which is most of them these days) where I have bent or broken the pins seems next to impossible to then unthread back through the pedal body (due to the pin being bent or smashed out of shape).
  • 7 1
 at that price, go big and pony up the little extra for the dagga
  • 5 1
 these would be interesting, but $180 seems a bit steep compared to crankbrothers or even oneup. $80 more than the new pnw ones. i love the look though
  • 5 1
 Question to the flatters: How much difference is there in feel, comfort, control etc between all the variants you can buy?

Best regard
Clippers United
  • 2 16
flag justinfoil (Jan 20, 2022 at 10:37) (Below Threshold)
 How much difference is there in all the clip-in variants you can buy? Probably about the same as that.
  • 3 2
 @justinfoil:
There are like 2 big players in the clipping business, SPD and CB, and some smaller like HT and Time. In the flat world, i feelt like there are 50+++ types of fairly similar pedals, and i would assume the difference isn't that big? If not, please enlighten me.
  • 1 13
flag justinfoil (Jan 20, 2022 at 11:06) (Below Threshold)
 @j0lsrud: Besides that all of the clip mechanisms you noted are very different, how many different clip pedals do each of those "players" make? Lots, with many different bodies surrounding those different clips. "Eh, they're all clips, is there any different in feel, comfort, etc?" is pretty much the same question. So if you know that answer, you know the other.

The answer is "yes, duh", for both, BTW.
  • 1 0
 I can feel the difference between excellent (issi stomp/thump), ok (chesters, oneup), and terrible (tons here). I run five10 trailcross shoes btw.
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: I can only speak for ATACs, but the body only matters if your foot comes off. Otherwise all ATACs feel the same unless they interfere with your shoe.
  • 3 0
 A lot. Flats are way more personal preference than clip-in pedals. More like grip, saddle, or shoe and less like a mechanical component. My flats are one of the very last things I'd be willing to switch.
  • 7 1
 still running DMR V12 mags from 2007, bearings are still good as new!
  • 2 0
 DMR Brendog, many reliable years, have them on multiple bikes. Regrease twice a year, rebuild kit with new bearing and bushing once every two years. Strong, wide, problem free, and in the best color- black.
  • 2 0
 Wow. Years and years following this site and this might be the most hate for any one product I’ve seen. Right there next to reverb droppers. Glad I found pedaling innovations catalyst and not these. Zero complaints about atlas bars though!
  • 2 0
 I'm not buying any pedals at this price point, but like this design more now that the size deficiency is resolved. Seems like a good balance of thin but not convex, and the new internals don't look like they suck..silver would be a nice colour option to keep your spendy rock hammers looking good longer.
  • 2 0
 Surprised they went away from the angled pin idea seen on the first Atlas pedals. That feature alone made it my favourite pedal by far. Glad I've got 3 pairs, some have been on my bikes since the release and only ever need some bearings.
  • 1 0
 Is it the previous model that had the angled pins? I really liked the pedals, but never knew why I liked them more than the Crankbros at ~equivalent price.
Been loving my Vaults, but excited to try some OneUp pedals.
Anyone wanna tell me which I'll like more?
  • 2 0
 Bearing bulge splits opinions. Fact is, much depends on foot placement and angle. Some walk by putting their feet parallel to each other, and will always hate the bulge. Others put feet at angle, hone their chainstays with their heels, ale their foot-balls will never contact the bulge. I am the former, and will always choose low Q-factor cranks and pedals with no bulge. Anyway, bulge or not, pedals that fall apart will never be on my shopping list.
  • 5 3
 IMO Any pedal using bushes needs grease nipples to regularly put more grease in as the bushes will naturally squeeze it out past the seals. Using Bushes are a bloody stupid design for longlife pedals.
  • 6 1
 Self-lubricating bushings like these don't require grease, since they contain solid lubricants and can't corrode.
  • 3 0
 For the most part i despise bushings. Pedals are one of the few places I'll let them slide cause they are so easy to service.
  • 3 0
 @mikekazimer what does the lifetime warranty includes ? new pedals every month ? as far as i know bearings are not covered under warranty, right ?
  • 3 1
 180$US is rather steep for such a mechanically simple device. I understand folks need to make a living, put the profit margin on these must be extremely high. Good looking product however…
  • 2 0
 Twenty years of riding and Raceface is probably the only brand, even over Crankbros, that has had more clothes, parts, accessories, etc. fail on me than any other brand. Lost my business forever.
  • 1 0
 how the hell are my xt trail pedals more reliable than a flat pedal? well race face makes nice tailgate pads, rims and cranks I suppose, I do like them. Anyhow Go RF! Evolve into the BMW's of the PNW to embrace true durability!
  • 1 0
 riding atlas since 2015 on my 3 bikes - am, dh & trial mod. I can tell that pedal falling off from the spindle has happened to me twice throughout this period. but what is most annoying is this 0.3-0.5 mm 'free move' if you take the pedal and try to move it along the spindle. every day I ride first 3 minutes is omg, is this crap has the same amount of 'free movement' or it is larger today (meaning I need to tighten it a bit). But, apart from falling off and free movement, I'd like to suggest making S version of it - 5 mm shorter in width and of the same length as the old ones, so when I'm riding in something like 'five-ten sleuth' it doesn't look like shovel under the sneaker.
  • 1 0
 Awesome.. I was a fairly early adopter of the original version and loved the platform, thin-ness & grip, though they were fairly terrifying if you slipped a pedal. Had the falling off issue and blew through bearings as well as problems with threads stripping so I eventually moved on.

These look like a great evolution, though not sure if enough to get me off of my beloved CB Stamp 7's.
  • 1 0
 It seems to me that no one has tested model 2022, because it is not possible to use carbon handle caps, even though the review says yes. I have Sram handles and caps and it's the same as with the previous model. It does not work.
  • 3 0
 All pedal ads should have a side view staring directly at the outside of the spindle.
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: he's likely referencing the prior press release from PNW that was missing a side photo
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: thanks so much!
  • 4 0
 It looks good, but 180$ for a set of pedals still hurts
  • 4 0
 Love the changes. Very close to OneUps but with boot clearance.
  • 3 0
 Maybe Raceface should have looked at PNW pedals before releasing these.$180 or $99 hmmm
  • 2 0
 These pedals aren’t my cup of tea, but at least they put the thickness of the pedal unlike PNW and their newly released pedals
  • 4 2
 16-20mm. www.vitalmtb.com/features/First-Ride-PNW-Components-Launches-Loam-Pedal,3437

@j0lsrud: concave: best for grip, but less comfortable for longer pedals, as they work against your arches. Convex: best for pedaling. Pin concavity: somewhere inbetween. All influenced by sole rubber compound, temp and moisture
  • 4 1
 @ceecee: says who? PNW who are marketing a pedal with that bullshit?

Never had a problem with long rides on concave pedals (it’s literally 2-3mm per side max for a pedal) - are people riding in flip flops or crocs?
  • 2 1
 @ceecee: That's been my experience exactly
  • 8 0
 @justanotherusername: We like our slip on Vans, but we're old, so we also put in orthotics.
  • 1 1
 @justanotherusername: thanks for mentioning midsole stiffness. For a heavier rider with worn midsoles and/or too-flexible arches and/or insufficient arch support, the effect must be worse. I noticed it when hardtailing on relatively mushy Freeriders with substantial orthotics. Oozy Trail vs. Scarab pedals on two hour rides. At 2.5mm per foot per revolution on a 2000 pedal revolution ride, that's literally 10m of additional accumulated footstay flex
  • 3 0
 Loosening one nut is all that's required to access the internals. That's what the Dr said when I got a vasectomy.
  • 1 0
 Just received mine and big surprise…. they do not work with carbon cranks if you have the protective boots installed. Adding additional washers is a must just like oneup aluminum.
  • 4 0
 Looks like a food mixer.
  • 7 0
 Depends, do you consider loam a food group?
  • 1 1
 Dutch know what is a mixer but don't what food is, so play again! Just kidding...
  • 1 0
 Stamppot Boerenkool over Bœuf Bourguignon any day!
  • 1 0
 @raceface: Depends on how many times I crash this month!
  • 1 0
 Still can't get behind a pedal with the big inboard bearing... I've never gotten along with pedals that have that. Otherwise looks nice
  • 3 1
 I don't get why anyone is buying these expensive flats when composite pedals are just so good these days
  • 2 1
 My experience has been far less grip, and looks super cheap.
  • 1 0
 @BoneDog: my experience has been when aluminum pedals hir a rock i OTB, when my composite pedals hit a rock it bounces off or rips out a pin or breaks a pedal. I dont care about "looking cheap" im all about composites. Never had a grip problem.

As a bonus they tend to be lighter too.
  • 1 0
 @BoneDog: That doesn't make sense to me, polished aluminum is far more slippery than composite.
  • 1 0
 Had a pair fail exactly like everyone else and had them warrantied thru my LBS then those failed on me. They were really grippy tho
  • 2 0
 Pinkbike picture looks gold.
Raceface website looks bronze.
Which is it?
  • 8 1
 Kashima.
  • 1 0
 So ranging between gold and bronze depending on the batch? Big Grin
  • 1 0
 @khue: That was kind of my point, too. 50 shades of Kashima lol
  • 1 0
 I think I'll stick with my Chesters, thank you. I can buy three pairs for the price of a single set of Atlases.
  • 2 0
 We never said stop riding Chesters. We love Chesters.
  • 2 0
 fwiwI needed new pedals and I bought some
  • 1 0
 excuzes moi qui de la foc 180 dollary doos for pedals that aren't even great
  • 2 0
 Lol…..the answer is DEITY
  • 1 0
 So the shims allow you to customize the pin’s exposed part increasing it from 6.5mm or decreasing it?
  • 1 0
 They'll decrease it from 6.5mm.
  • 1 0
 I know this is long old, but has anyone noticed a substantial amount of peddle strike with these pedals?
  • 2 2
 Why do 90% of pedals have bushings???
I'm all for the big inner bearing .....but....a bushing?
#dobetterforpedalsover100$
  • 2 0
 The Igus bushing is a solid lubricant - check out the tech behind solid lubricants and you'll see why it's a great choice for the location on the spindle.
  • 1 0
 Hope pedals have a bush and I have a friend with 8 years on the same set, Burgtec and Pembree too, both great longevity. You are probably being out off by poorly sealed and manufactured junk - the bush needs a bore and axle that have good tolerances to work together and this is likely also key.
  • 1 0
 The answer is simply one of size. People want thin pedals, and a solid bush is thin. There is a space for roller bearing on the inside, but to mount one one the outside results in a fat pedal.
There are all roller bearing pedals, but they are fatter. DMR v8 & V12 for example.
Bushes are also lighter than roller bearings, but in most flat pedal design that is a secondary concern.
  • 1 0
 Nothing beats Chromag dagga
  • 1 0
 No thanks…stick with my Spanks
  • 1 0
 how can i know if this pedals are for trail riding or DH ?
  • 1 0
 They can be for both - our Atlas series is designed to handle the rigours of DH if that's what you chose!
  • 1 0
 Will they still come apart??

Bearing design looks the same.
  • 1 0
 They will not, and you can check out the details on the site!
  • 1 0
 Do the bearings last more than 5 rides now?
  • 1 0
 Will this replace the chester
  • 1 0
 No, the Chester is still a great option!
  • 1 0
 Too late RF I bought the PNW pedals yesterday
  • 1 0
 That kind of price, I'm going Yoshimura instead.
  • 1 0
 Shape looks like a food mixer
  • 1 1
 Wtf is with flats shaped like an spd these days. Make that t square to get as much support as possible underfoot.
  • 1 0
 Do the chesters granade also?
  • 1 0
 Never heard anything but praise for the Chester pedal, if you like the size.
  • 1 0
 atlas race face has some new pedals!
  • 1 0
 It's like the Iphone line... looks the same but somehow works better.
  • 1 0
 Looks like the old po1nt podium pedals!
  • 1 0
 AEC has a new pedal coming soon
  • 1 1
 Nothing new design just choices of colors and this similar with shimano deore XT pedals
  • 3 4
 Shimano DX called and still wants royalties.
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