Top 5 Alloy MTB Pedals

With Tyler McCaul's endorsement, do we even need to say anything else? The Deity TMAC set the standard for all out shoe hugging grip when they released this pedal almost 10 years ago in 2015, and they're still at the top of the pile all these years later. With an all aluminum body and 14 pins strategically placed pins per side, the Deity TMAC shrugs off hits and keeps your shoes exactly where you place them. Plus, if you ever break a pin, their top loading design makes it incredibly easy to extract mangled pins and get back on the trail.

Deity TMAC Pedals

• Chromoly axle

• 14 replaceable top loading pins per side

• 9 color options

• 2.5mm deep concave shape

• 110x105mm platform

• 440g
• $179.99

With 2.5mm of concavity, the TMACs really take hold of your feet and offer so much grip that it can be hard to readjust your feet if they're not quite in the right spot, but with the large platform, it's hard to be in the wrong spot. The pedal spins on three bearings and a DU bushing, and is rebuildable at home without any tools you wouldn't expect. Not only that, there are 9 color options to choose from, and each of them have some serious pop that's sure to turn heads out on the trail. If you want to buy your last flat pedal ever, the Deity TMAC is a great place to start.

If we were ranking these pedals by which intimidated me the most, the Chromag Dagga would be at the top of the list and it wouldn't even be close. These aptly named pedals have some of the longest pins I've seen, and with 24 of them pointed directly at you at all times, these pedals aren't for the faint of heart. The CNC machined pedal body comes in 5 different color options, and spins on a chromoly axle with user serviceable internals.

The Chromag Dagga pedals are wider than other options, and will effectively give your bike a larger Q Factor. A wider stance can be more or less comfortable for some riders, so it's not necessarily a pro or con, just a fact of the pedals. Much like the TMACs, these pedals have a concave profile, cupping your feet while tearing into the soles of your shoes. The pins are back loading, which could make them tricky to get out after smashing them into rocks, but also makes for easy height adjustment.

Chromag Dagga Pedal

• Chromoly axle

• 12 replaceable bottom loading pins per side

• 5 color options

• 120mm x 115mm platform

• One bearing and one bushing

• $197.00

• 480g

• Concave shape

Burgtec isn't typically the first company that comes to mind when it comes to flat pedals, but they've been in the game for 20 years, and they've directed all of that experience into the Penthouse MK5. Machined from a single block of 7075 aluminum, the Penthouse hold 8 pins per side, a relatively small number, but that isn't to say there isn't ample grip. With a bearing and 2 IGUS bushings around the steel axle housed in the pedal, the Penthouse MK5 spins smoothly and is completely user serviceable so it'll be reliable for countless seasons of abuse.

The thin edge of the Burgtec Penthouse MK5 makes it a smaller target for pedal strikes, preventing those catastrophic crashes where your bike stops and you keep moving. Making micro adjustments to get in the perfect position is definitely possible with the Penthouse MK5s, so dabbing in a corner and shimmying the feet around is definitely on the table.

Burgtec Penthouse MK5

• Chromoly axle

• 8 replaceable top loading pins per side

• 11 color options

• $158.39

• 2mm concavity

• 100mm x 102mm platform

• 379g

• User Serviceable
• 7075 Aluminum platform

ANVL has quickly become known as a good value proposition in the component game, with their Tilt pedals being no different. Coming in at a significantly lower price point than everything else on this list while offering very similar performance, it's hard to deny the value that the ANVL Tilt offers. Not only is the pedal itself more affordable than the other options, the rebuild kits are the lowest price as well, keeping your wallet happy for seasons to come.

With 10 big pins per side, I've found the ANVL Tilts offer some huge grip, without being overbearing. I can still shift my feet around if they ever get a little sideways, but there's never a moment where I don't trust my connection between rubber and metal. Slightly rounded corners means that the Tilts are more likely to slide past whatever they may meet on the trail, keeping you from those scary pedal catch moments on trail.

ANVL Tilt Pedals

• Chromoly Axle

• 105mm x 105mm platform

• 10 replaceable top loading steel pins per side

• 408g

• $119.99

• 2mm of concavity

• 7 color options

• User Serviceable

It's hard to name a flat pedal that's been around as long as the DMR Vaults, and their latest generation strikes a balance between a slim and sleek profile that cuts through the air, and a stout construction ready to shrug off every rock it encounters. With 11 pins per side, 7 of which can be flipped around for increased grip, the DMR Vaults are sure to keep your feet where they belong no matter what trails you're dropping into.

Machined from 6061 Aluminum, the body spins around the 4140 chromoly axles on a DU bushing and a cartrdidge bearing, and is user serviceable without the need for any special tools. Whether you're lapping the bike park, dirt jumping, or just out for a trail ride, the DMR Vaults should be toward the top of your list, especially with the wide range of color options to make this a great fit for any bike's color theme.

DMR Vault Pedals

• 430g

• Chromoly axle

• 7 color options

• Concave shape

• $164.00

• 11 replaceable rear loading steel pins per side

• User serviceable

• 105x105mm platform