Pembree R1V flat pedal review

Pembree’s R1V flat mountain bike pedals are claimed to take performance and durability to new levels by using replaceable traction plates (the gold bars on the pedal’s leading and trailing edges) and pins, and SKF sealed ball and needle bearings to help ensure they remain trouble-free for as long as possible.

Pembree R1V flat pedals specification and details

At the heart of the R1V pedal is its 2014 T6 aluminium body that’s claimed to be significantly stronger than the 6062 aluminium most of Pembree’s competitors’ pedals are made from.

Its chamfered internal edges are claimed to help shed mud easily, while its concave shape provides better grip.

The pedals' bodies are 100mm wide × 110mm long × 20mm deep at their widest point. The concavity’s depth is roughly 5mm, where the narrowest point of the pedal is 15mm. Anodising thickness is high to help maintain looks for longer.

My set of black and bronze coloured R1V pedals weighed 621g.

The traction rails – which are secured to the pedal’s body using two Torx head bolts per side – are made from 6082 T6 aluminium.

Each rail has three removable and replaceable 304 stainless steel traction pins, measuring 5mm. The body has four replaceable pins per side – also 5mm tall – taking the total number of pins per side to 10.

Its spindle is made from 17-4 precipitation hardening (PH) stainless steel and runs on three bearings. There’s a single inboard SKF needle roller bearing with double sealing and two SKF sealed cartridge ball bearings that sit on the outboard end of the pedal.

A nitrile rubber shaft seal on the inboard end of the axle helps to keep contaminants out of the pedal, while a 6082 T6 aluminium end cap seals the outboard end.

Pembree is so confident the pedals will last, they come with a five-year warranty. Furthering Pembree’s for-life credentials is its manufacturing process that’s carbon neutral, and all the materials used in the pedal’s construction are 95 per cent recyclable.

Pembree R1V flat pedals performance

The R1V’s large concave surface with minimal edge tapering provided a very stable platform for my feet and meant I was never trying to generate extra grip by clawing my toes around the pedals to create extra traction.

Their size also reduced any feeling of my feet pivoting back and forth over the tops of the pedals, instead, my heels and toes were supported simultaneously and needed no conscious effort to remain in place. This helped to further improve control by reducing unwanted ankle pivoting and foot flex.

The six sharp leading and trailing edge pins did a commendable job of penetrating into the soles of my shoes to provide excellent twist-free grip. Likewise, the four inner and outer edge pins are well placed to provide additional grip.

The concave shape with no central axle bulge and no central pins meant more of my foot’s pressure was focused on the pins, which also helped to increase grip.

Their shape and pin placement combined to offer a large margin of error for foot placement. When my feet weren’t placed centrally over the pedal, grip wasn’t significantly compromised until they were a long way off from where they should be.

Over the nine-month test period, the pedals’ axles remained bend-free and the bearings felt as-new with no play or roughness when they rotated.

When spinning, they remained entirely silent despite being ridden in some of the toughest conditions and not being serviced, cleaned or particularly well cared for.

Even though the anodising began to wear, especially on the outer and front edges, and there were plenty of superficial scratches and marks from rock and floor strikes, there was no significant damage that could compromise the pedal’s strength or performance.

All of the pins remained in place and perfectly straight, not getting stripped out during impacts or unthreading themselves.

The round edges and smooth sides helped to deflect impacts while the large central cutaways provided plenty of space for mud to shed and not fill up the contact area.

Pembree R1V flat pedals bottom line

The R1V pedals are extremely grippy, have proven to be reliable when subjected to some of the worst riding conditions and slack maintenance procedures, and are undeniably well-made by a small UK outfit.

Yes, they are heavier than the majority of their competition and the cost is considerable, but I can confidently say you won’t have any issues with them and, if you do, they’re backed by a five-year warranty.

If performance and longevity are your priorities above all else, these are the pedals to buy.