Crank Brothers Stamp 11 Pedals: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Being two of the five contact points you have with your bike, it's needless to say the pedals are a very important upgrade to your rig. Whether you rid flats or clipless this can make or break how the mountain bike can feel. Our friend Geoff gives us the lowdown on the Crank Brothers Stamp 11 pedals. Check it out!

Overview

I will start with the obvious, there are a lot of good flat pedals on the market these days and the number seems to just keep increasing. I knew when I was setting up my new bike, a Yeti SB140, that I did not want to settle for just good enough and wanted to look beyond the tried and true composite pedals I had used in the past. After reading more online (and some traditional print media) reviews of bicycle pedals that seemed reasonable or appropriate for a functional adult, it quickly became apparent that alloy pedals while more expensive were not in and of themselves inherently better than composite pedals.

A lot of the pedals I reviewed presented serious concerns regarding durability, maintenance, fit, weight, value for money, or performance. As I was looking for a smaller pedal for my size 8 feet, many of the most readily available options were off the table as being too large and heavy. Further, as I ride rocky east coast trails, the thickness was of additional emphasis for me. The weight penalty of many aluminum pedals was also a significant issue, as I had invested in the Yeti Turq 1 Shimano build and did not want to give back any of the weight savings unnecessarily.

That is where the Crank Brothers Stamp 11 Pedals come in. These legitimately checked all the boxes on my list. First, they come in size small or large, so they can better fit riders of different sizes. Also, since they come in size small, I did not have to make a weight compromise. The size small pedals come in at a claimed 299 grams and feel light on the bike. However, with that lightweight, there is no noticeable trade-off in quality or durability. This is likely due to the weight saving from the titanium shaft.

Performance-wise, the pedals are stellar. This is where the concave profile of the pedals really shines as the comfort and grip far exceeds any of my other pedals. At just 11 millimeters at the center, increasing to 13 millimeters at the edges, you really do get extra clearance through rock gardens and roots. While I still have pedal strikes, this is largely due to rider error and muscling over large rocks. The pedals themselves are incredibly thin under your feet, but at the same time still provide a large stable platform.

Final Thoughts

The concave structure and 10 pin design definitely increase the grip and traction of these pedals. Even compared to other Crank Brothers Stamp pedals, the grip is noticeably increased. I have not had my foot slip at all on these pedals and with five tens shoes, you truly need to lift your foot to readjust placement as the interface is so strong. Durability wise, the pedals have so far held up well to multiple stream crossings and rock gardens and seem rock solid. 
To top it off, the gold and black color looks pretty awesome with Kashima.