Crankbrothers Stamp 1 V2 flat pedals review

Fully redesigned, the composite-body Crankbrothers Stamp 1 flat pedals now look almost identical to their 7 and 11 metal counterparts.

Like all of Crankbrothers' Stamp range, the Stamp 1 pedals are available in small and large sizes, designed for riders with feet that range from EU35 up to EU49.

With ample grip and stability and removable metal pins, they're among the best mountain bike pedals you can buy, although some riders will want to replace the pins.

Crankbrothers Stamp 1 V2 flat pedals spec details

The Stamp 1 V2 pedals' symmetrical platform measures 109x109mm at its largest points. The leading and trailing edges are 16mm deep, the same as the central axle support. However, the outer edge is 13mm deep, creating slight concavity.

Sharing their internals with the pricier Stamp 7, they spin on a forged chromoly steel spindle using two IGUS bushings. They’re fully serviceable, although don’t feature the grease port employed on the Stamp 7.

They have 10 removable pins per side, each protruding 5mm from the pedal’s body. Innovatively, the 10 (per pedal) 23mm-long, bar-like pins screw in from one side using a 2mm Allen head and span the body’s entire depth.

The pin holes are threaded on both sides, so separate pins could be installed.

Tapered and chamfered edges are claimed to deflect impacts.

They’re covered by Crankbrothers' five-year warranty and are available in five colours. My black, size-large test sample weighed 350g a pair.

Crankbrothers Stamp 1 V2 flat pedals performance

It’s not possible to discern any significant differences in performance between the alloy Stamp 7 and Stamp 11 pedals and these composite Stamp 1s.

Thanks to a large surface area, there’s plenty of foot stability, and foot placement doesn’t have to be that precise for a solid connection.

The pins create concavity across the pedal’s surface, lifting your toe and heel away from the body. The central axle support can’t be felt, despite it being the same height as the front and rear portions.

Foot clawing is limited which further boosts the solid, stable feel and provides plenty of grip.

The pins have an asymmetrical design, where one end is solid and the other has a 2mm Allen key so they can be installed or removed. The result of this design is they have fractionally more grip on the side with the Allen key head.

Although minimal, the difference can be felt. Thankfully, replacement pins are a relatively easy, quick and inexpensive upgrade.

A tiny amount of foot walk is present, but generally your feet stay exactly where you place them.

Readjustment is possible by sliding your feet across the solid-ended pins, but if you’re using the hollow side, your foot will need to be lifted off and placed back on.

Subtle chamfering and tapering on the front, rear and side edges helps brush off rock strikes well and doesn’t negatively impact the platform size.

Spinning freely from the box, the bushings feel good. Regreasing the pedals is a five-minute job and only needs a single 3mm Allen key. This is worth doing regularly to maintain performance.

A lack of left or right indicator makes installation slower than models with a marker, though.

Crankbrothers Stamp 1 V2 flat pedals bottom line

With grip that’s virtually indistinguishable from the more expensive Stamp 7 and 11s, there’s little to put you off the Stamp 1 pedalss.

The fussiest flat-pedal riders will want to tune traction by replacing the bar-like pins with grippier ones, but this isn’t a hard job.