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Best platform for DH?

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
I tried searching but it was too overwhelming because it wouldn't let me search best. Anyways...

After 14+ years riding clipped in, I recently discovered 5-10 shoes and figured out that platforms can be faster.
I'd like to get a good set of platforms for my race bike. I've heard that the Specialized are good. I know several people who ride the Easton/Wellgos.
I like the idea of the new bearingless atomlab but they are rare and pricey (ie, not on ebay)
Anything I'm missing?
 

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
Forget the crankbros. They are overly heavy, overpriced, and have a horrid design. The thick section in the middle of the pedal makes them feel convex, which is the exact opposite of what you want from a good pedal.

If you are weight concious, the wellgo MG-1 is an excellent pedal and weighs only 380g/pair. The specialized lo-pro mags are also good, have reverse entry pins (and lots of em), 498g/pair. I run the speshys and the only change I made was longer pins around the outside (for more grip and a bit of virtual concave).

If weight doesn't matter, anything with a low profile and decent concave will do the trick just fine. Also if you have large feet, the platform size may be something to look at (the speshys are a touch small - fine for small to med feet though).
 

davep

Turbo Monkey
Jan 7, 2005
3,276
0
seattle
I like big, lo-profile pedals with lots of grip and very open for mud (yea seattle). For cheapies (to make sure tht this is the way you want to go).. some of the wellgo pedals like the b-27's. They can be found under some other names as well as smu for large shops. The tioga MX pedals are a more refined of the same design and are good. I also have a pair of the atomlabs and they have held up well.

I have found for myself, that pedals with lots of surface area do not work well in mud...drilliums, 5050s, a-frames. They all have a good rep for durability, but I like more 'open' pedals for our glue.

For any lo pro pedal, the bearings are very small and can die with out much notice...BUT the bearing is about $1 so buy a few extra just incase one dies...1 min change out, and i know you are mech. inclined!!
 

SPrider

Monkey
Feb 18, 2005
135
0
so the wellgo mg-1 pedals sound good, there light, have replacable pins, good size platform for foot placement, are there any weaknesses that I should look out for before buying a pair?
 

davep

Turbo Monkey
Jan 7, 2005
3,276
0
seattle
They are magnesiun and that is not a very durable material. The pins are set pins that thread in from the top (typical for most pedals), but some have cap head screws that come in from from under the pedal that are a little more robust...

It is all a comprimise, if you are looking mostly for lightweight pedals and dont need them to last forever (5 yrs) , go for it!
 

xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
yeah, the mg-1's are a bit soft, so you do lose pins rather easily. keeping a box of set screws (and maybe some jb weld) handy is a good idea. they're great bang for the buck though (you can usually find them for $50 or so) & i've yet to find anything lighter. the axles & bearings seem to hold up, and they grip and clear mud well. i don't really believe in spending big $$ on bling pedals that are destined to be smashed into the ground (and offer minimal actual performance benefits), nor do i like super grippy pedals like the syncros mentals - too hard to shift the foot around, so the wellgos have been my pedal of choice for several years now.
 

JohnnyC

Monkey
Feb 10, 2006
399
1
Rotorua, New Zealand
Wellgo do some excellent, super wide and low profile pedals, I'm running the B-57 w/5-10's and it rocks. Tioga also do a couple of nice ones but the atomlab Trailking and Aircorp seem the best out there. Wellgo's are really well priced though so go with them if you want a mint platform cheap.
 
J

J5ive

Guest
I like the 5050 shape. The spec pedals are stupidly small and flat.
 

manitouman28

Chimp
Jul 1, 2005
26
0
Spencer, MA
Im loving my Azonic A-frames. Super grippy, set your footing right at the start of a run and you most likely wont have any slippage throughout your run.
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,644
1,214
Nilbog
Udi said:
Forget the crankbros. They are overly heavy, overpriced, and have a horrid design. The thick section in the middle of the pedal makes them feel convex, which is the exact opposite of what you want from a good pedal.

Totally agree, i rode mine for a while and sold them and that was prior to riding outside in the mud...Tioga MX's are incredible...
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
The fact is, you're going to ask 25 people and get about 20 different answers. Here, let me add one to the mix: I like my Odyssey Twisted Pros for a cheap set ($30/pair).

Have you ridden any for any length of time? Do you like a big, wide stomping platform? Do you tend to whack them?

You want a set where the pins screw in from the back so if you shear one off, it's not stuck in there.

Lower profile generally feels better.

You can go narrower or wider depending on the size of your feet.

There are lots of choices, try a couple :). Maybe start with something like Sun Ringle ZuZu's or the Welgo B-52s or whatever they are, to get a cheap platform and see if there's something you do or do not like about them.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Specialized Mags. I ahven't seen a set of pedals pop up on more flat pedal lovers bikes than these things. Myself, I've ran Azonic A-Frames and they're super durable and have great grip...but you can definitely feel the thinner profile of the Specialized pedals. It's a noticeable improvement to be closer to the pedal center.

I'm a convert to flats so I don't count...but long time flat pedal guys around here are swearing by them. Profro, Bloch, T-Pirate..all sporting them with a grin..well...Bloch grins...sometimes??/
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
I'm not a fan of A-frames or LoPros. A-frames are too thick and they don't grip well, and I feel LoPros are too flat and small, and don't have enough grip.

I just ordered some Odyssey Twisted Pros for my street bike, I'll see how I like 'em.
 

FarkinRyan

Monkey
Dec 15, 2003
611
192
Pemberton, BC
5050's are horrible, and not to circlejerk but UDI did put it perfectly; to me, they feel exactly how you don't want a flat pedal to feel.

The new AtomLab pedals are expensive (cheaper than the 5050s in Aus still) but they are absolutely amazing pedals to ride. Unbelievably low profile so they feel super stable, excellent pin placement and plenty of concave. I run Trailkings which are :drool: for me, but if you prefer a slightly larger platform then you'd go for the Aircorps. Both models are only 15mm / 0.59" tall at their narrowest point which is pretty ridiculous.

My Trailkings developed a small amount of play (~1mm) on the axle within the first week of riding them but that hasn't got any worse in the six months since then. That's a little bit irritating for a pedal that costs ~$180AU retail, but it seriously hasn't worsened AT ALL since it started happening. Whether it's more durable in the long term than the woeful AtomLab bearings of old...I guess I'll find out in another 6 months or so.
 

frznnomad

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
2,226
0
a-town biatches
ill agree with bicyclist on his first post. i love my tiogas and i plan on running them on all my other dh bikes. the only other pair of flats i see myself running is a set of 5050xx's just to try them out and see what all the hype is about. so i know its not much help but more of a one sided opinion. so if you get a set of tioga's i hope you enjoy them and that they treat you as well as they have treated me.
 

bjanga

Turbo Monkey
Dec 25, 2004
1,356
0
San Diego
I run the MG-1. I am a closet weight weenie and cannot bring myself to pay more for something that is heavier and is going to get thrashed. I am definately considering some other pedals out there, those tiogas are nice.

Anyone had sucess with removing pins on the MG-1 for more traction? I think I am going to yank the center pin to try and get some more weight on to the outer ones.
 

Guntruck

Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
210
0
Mill Creek, WA
I've been running Xdpedo MX-3's on my DH rig for two years. Have not lost one pin yet. I usually lose most of the pins in my pedals in about 6 months of riding. They're bearingless and mine feel exactly like they did the day I bought them. Weigh in at about 416g. Plus they look pimp.