OneUp Platform Pedal Composite: Customer Review

Overview

The stock pedals that came on my bike were made of metal and were kind of cheap. They bent quickly after some pedal strikes and became useless. Having used plastic pedals in BMX, I didn’t have the same apprehension some might when it comes to using a plastic (nylon composite) pedal. However, these are still very durable and take strikes very well. The only drawback to plastic is that they can become stained by dirt after a few muddy rides. I’ve smashed both the OneUp Platform and the Raceface Chesters into rocks at high enough speed that I have no fear they will break. It would take so much shearing force to break these that your body wouldn’t take it either - it seems like any part of your bike could break as easily.

How Do They Compare?

My first nice pedal was a Raceface Chester. They were much grippier than the cheap amazon pedals I had. The downside to them is that people with large feet (I’m US14) can find they lack grip. The lack of pins on the Chester makes it feel like your sole is twisting. I think they wore through my shoes more quickly because of this. There’s also a noticeable axle hump that becomes a pain - kind of like balancing on monkey bars with flip flops on.

First Impressions

These OneUp platform pedals are around the same price at 50$. The OneUp Components pedals have two more pins to grip your foot. These pins are larger and more widely spaced and the whole pedal is fully flat - there’s no noticeable spindle on the ball of your foot. I found them to be a huge improvement, harder to slip off of and more comfortable. The result is my shoe gripping the pedal without twisting or sliding side to side. This made riding rough trails so much easier where jostling the rear of the bike won’t move my feet around whatsoever, even when just wearing a standard skate shoe. With FiveTens, they are extremely grippy to the point of being hard to move your feet around. That’s how I like it.

There are plastic caps on each pedal and one of them wiggled its way halfway loose. Inside, the bolt was loosened enough that the two pieces began to back out. It’s therefore important to have someone check them over and make sure they’re fully tightened and won’t come loose. You also have to accept that they have DU bearings (bushings). They feel as smooth as a normal bearing but can make noise if not tightened properly.

Final Thoughts

Since I went cheap, I ended up buying two sets of plastic pedals. I would’ve got a more reliable pedal perhaps by just spending more but I just can’t bring myself to spend more than $50. If you’re like me then you should be very happy with the OneUp platform pedal. Just make sure it has no play in it, have the bike shop tighten it up first or just use a deep socket and do it yourself.