VP Components Harrier Pedal - Review
VP Components Harrier Pedal VP Components manufacturers nearly every type of pedal imaginable, everything from hipster-friendly metal clip and leather strap options to plastic BMX pedals. For 2014 they decided to add a new design to their line of mountain bike pedals, and with the help of team rider Andrew Taylor came up with the Harrier, a flat pedal with dimensions that make its aluminum platform one of the widest on the market. To get the most benefit out of the wide body design, VP recommends the pedal for riders that wear a size 9 US or above. Weight: 360 grams (actual). Available in black, red, or silver, the Harrier retails for $120 USD. | Details • Forged aluminum body, chromoly spindle • Dimension: 120 x 110 x 12mm • DU bushing and igus bearing • 10 steel pins on each side • Colors: black, red, silver • Weight: 360g (actual) • Price: $120 USD |
As the name implies, VP Component's Harrier pedal has dimensions of aircraft carrier-like proportions, with a massive forged aluminum platform that measures 120mm wide and 110mm long. The Harrier's body spins on a chromoly axle with the help of a DU bushing and an IGUS bearing, and a lock nut sits on two washers to secure the body to the axle. The use of bushings instead of cartridge bearings allowed VP to keep the pedal's height down to only 12mm, and also let them avoid having the large inboard bulge on the platform that would have been required to accommodate a bearing. Ten steel pins provide traction on each side of the pedal, and the outermost six pins thread from the underside of the body for easy replacement as well as extra thread engagement for added strength.
Riders with Sasquatch-sized feet will appreciate the Harrier's larger-than-average platform.
On the Trail
From the very first pedal stroke, the Harrier's wide platform is immediately noticeable – the pedals are barely narrower than a than a pair of US size 11 shoes, providing plenty of room to find a comfortable pedalling position. However, despite this plus-sized platform, traction wasn't as flypaper grippy as I'd expected, even when wearing a pair of sticky rubber shoes. The platform's width and lack of concavity are likely the cause here – the outer pins rested on the very outer edge of my foot, a spot that doesn't have as much direct pressure applied to it when riding as the ball of the foot does. There's a gap between those outer pins and the two small center pins, and it's that gap that caused some of the lack of traction. This likely won't be a problem for riders with extra-wide feet, as the pins will end up further underfoot. The pins themselves are also a little thicker than most, which doesn't let them bite in as tenaciously as a narrower pin would. They did prove to be quite strong, though, and shrugged off a number of direct rock strikes without breaking or bending. The pedal body also survived the test period in decent condition, with only a few cosmetic scratches to show after weeks of being dragged over roots and rocks.
(left) The Harrier's steel pins have 5mm of thread engagement to help keep them from breaking.(right) The pedal internals are simple - a chromoly axle, two washers and a lockring, with bushings found inside the pedal body.
Issues
In theory, bushings are self lubricating and shouldn't need any grease to spin freely and quietly, but after a handful of rides the pedals developed a rhythmic creaking noise. It took only few minutes to remove the axle and apply a layer of grease to the dry-as-a-bone spindle, which kept the pedals quiet for the remainder of the test period. Other than that, a small amount of vertical play also developed after a few weeks, but it was only noticeable when initially stepping onto the pedals, and couldn't be felt on the trail. According to VP, this small bit of play is to be expected, and it is inherent with the use of bushings instead of roller bearings. The play is caused by the bushings being compressed, and VP says it shouldn't worsen until the bushings actually become worn, which typically takes a year or more.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | The flat pedal market is brimming with options of every size, shape and color. Rainbow pins, titanium axles, magnesium bodies - if you want it, someone probably makes it. VP's Harrier adds another option, one that will likely appeal to riders searching for the widest platform out there. With one of the simplest internal bearing configurations possible, they are easily maintained and less affected by grit and grime, although riders who desire absolutely no play in their pedals may end up looking elsewhere. The Harriers do fall somewhere in the middle of the road when it comes to overall grip, but riders with basketball-player sized feet might find them to be exactly what they're looking for. - Mike Kazimer |
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What are the best pedals/shoes to quickly clip back into? 647s are the best I've tried so far... after using Mallets for a long time.
There's a reason the vast majority of WC downhillers use clip-in pedals, if you plan on racing much you should probably learn how to clip in. you can shave a second out of the start gate alone
You might like this then:
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Our idea is to have something that is durable and will last a very long time. If you commute to work on harriers you will need to rebuild yearly, otherwise you should get more time between services.
Cold, grimy, wet.
Clay and wet.
Sand, dust, salt.
Bushings pain in the ass. Crunchy.
Commuting - anything goes - 20$ small chinese flat pedals worry free for couple years now.
we could have damped out play by using orings, old atom labs do this, but it really increases rolling friction and we wanted this to be a pedal that can pedal for big 5 hour epics as well as shuttle laps. An extra spring (oring) will take care of it, and we left space for one... Anybody who wants one can email and ask for it.
Here is some technical background nobody cares about:
All pedals using only solid bearings require a certain level of functional play. For a rolling metal bearing play=death, but for solid bearings this isnt the case. The advantage here is that we can eliminate any inboard bulge, keep the pedal really light, and really thin without under sizing any parts so we can retain strength. Compared to others we have a pedal that is supremely strong, and internals that are very durable and easy to maintain and will not fail catastrophically like tiny ball bearings can and will. The trade off, if there is one, is that there is a tiny bit of play which is not noticeable in use.
Look at reviews of other thin/light pedals using all solid bearings... They all can and will have some play, but they still work great over time and their users love them. Someone mentioned the straitline amp here already. We have the advantage of coming in lighter and cheaper than most of them and still offering something different with features some riders want (platform size, durability, thin, light)
Thanks.
We should acknowledge though that peer pressure causes many people to ride clipped in when they would actually be better served by platforms. They do it to fit in and because some moderately talented/knowledgeable ride buddies told them that only beginners aren't clipped in. Meanwhile, it is the truly experienced and talented riders that recognize the appeal of both types of pedals.
I'm a frustrated flat rider trying to break too many bad habits created by decades of clipless use.
I love riding on flats but I'm so shit at it! It's frustrating to have to relearn to jump, bunny hop and the rest. But I keep telling myself that it's only that way because I was useing clips as a crutch.
Anyone else want to read a 'how to' article for clipless pedal tragics?
Perhaps borrowing a pals dj bike for an afternoon would help you guys as well? And it's fun...I'm now recognizing a dj bike is a necessary bike in the quiver, even though I never plan on hitting anything huge. I'm on the hunt for an affordable one now, and I plan on using it at the local indoor park during the rainy season to help keep my skills up.
Unfortunately the LG1+ already covers this market and is a BRILLIANT pedal in every single way.
on another note the pedals look nice and really thin
Magnesium can combust and for us is not worth the risk to the entire factory to do it. we typically don't use outside vendors if we have the capacity to create in house. It s not a problem for a specialty magnesium casting Vendor to do, but we can't offer the same precision and quality at the end of the day of we use outside vendors all the time. So we probably won't ever do anything magnesium for those two reasons.
Furthermore, I would not be confident in the strength of a cast magnesium part over a forged aluminum part. Magnesium is already brittle, and casting doesn't produce a part as strong as forging.
Bushings are self lubricating by design: metallic bushings are sintered (metal dust pressed together at high heat) and soaked in oil, the oiled gets held in the tiny pores and releases itself through the life cycle of the bushing. Synthetic bushings (like the ones in the found on bikes) are also made by compressing material into shape while being subjected to heat, but they have graphite dust added into the main material, graphite is an extremely good dry lubricant, and again new graphite is exposed as the bushings wear.
In applications such as pedals and suspension pivots, good bushings actually fare far better than good bearings. In pedals, where there is lots of impact action, the balls in the bearings can form flat spots that lead to bearing play and accelerate wear rates. In suspension pivots, the small, irregular, and fast angular movement of the components means that bearings often do not move enough for the balls to actually start rolling, instead the bearing is relying on the grease packed into it, this also leads to premature wear and failure.
Finally, bushings have HUGE benefits over bearings when considering max load capacity to weight ratios.
Source: 3 years of Mechanical Engineering school.