Best flat road bike pedals 2025: 12 options if you don't want to go clipless

➕ Grippy
➕ Affordable
➖ Not all pins are replaceable

HT's PA03-A strikes the perfect balance: it's large without being cumbersome and lightweight without sacrificing durability. The pedals feature 2 in-mould grip pins and 8 steel replaceable pins so you can fine tune the grip to your preference. The slim, 18mm glass-reinforced nylon composite body material makes these pedals remarkably durable and lightweight—ideal for any type of cycling.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly, jack of all trades to see you through road, gravel, commuting and MTB, then these pedals should be at the top of your list. The pedal shape is good and concave too, which is my preference, and locks your feet in place.

➕ Highly visible
➕ Won't damage shoes
➖ High RRP

If you're looking to upgrade your commuter bike pedals then the Redshift Arclight could be for you. While they're on the heavier side and the grip won't rival top MTB options, they offer game-changing visibility for commuters. The Arclight Pedals claim to amplify your biological motion, making you up to 57% more visible than standard bike lights. In place of the traditional amber reflectors, Redshift has swapped in a pair of modular lighting bars that automatically swap from white to red depending on the orientation of the pedal, and they're removable for recharging in a handy dock.

We think these are a fantastic option for commuters cycling home in the dark.

➕ Low RRP
➕ Many colours
➖ Bearings not the best

If you're simply looking for an affordable yet reliable option, then this is it. The DMR V6 has been the go-to budget pedal for years and the design has been more or less unchanged. While it shares the same body as the more premium V8 and V12, the build here is a durable nylon plastic, including the pins. At 97mm x 102mm, the platform size is a tad smaller than the HT option, and the bearings are not so smooth or durable either. That said, if price is your number one priority then you could definitely do a whole lot worse.

➕ Blocks, not pins
➕ Many colours
➖ Not as grippy as pins

Flat pedals, especially MTB pedals, aren't always kind to your shoes. Pins provide excellent grip to keep you secure on bumpy terrain, but they can quickly erode your shoe soles if you're not wearing appropriate footwear. The Ride from Race Face takes its standard MTB body shape but replaces the pins with 9 SHCS hex rectangular blocks on each pedal. This tweak slightly reduces grip but it significantly extends the life of your work shoes.

We think the Race Face Ride's are a great option for those looking for a solid, long-lasting pedal that doesn't destroy the soles of your shoes.

➕ Reversible
➕ Relatively low RRP
➖ Platform not as big as Double Shot

Featured in my guide on the best gravel pedals, this option is ideal if you want the freedom to use cleats sometimes and normal shoes the rest of the time. In my testing, the internals are excellent—nearly bombproof—and given the widespread use of the Shimano SPD system, it's likely the choice you'll make if you're already using cleats on your other bikes. The similar Crank Brothers system, the Double Shot, does have a slightly larger platform though, but there's not a great deal in it.

All in all, these are user-friendly, durable and fairly priced dual-platform pedals.

➕ Bigger platform
➕ Tiered performance levels
➖ Less common system

Conceptually, these are identical to the Shimano option. These pedals feature a dual-sided design: one flat platform on one side and a Crank Brothers cleat on the other. You can pick your performance level, with the '1' being all plastic, '2' being half metal, and the '3' (here) adding replaceable pins. While you do get a bigger platform than the Shimano system, the trade-off is that the cleat system is less commonly used and therefore less compatible. If you're starting from scratch that's not really a problem.

➕ Smaller platform
➕ Wide pins don't hurt shoes
➖ Convex shape


In the flat pedal world, an arms race has emerged as brands continually design larger pedals to deliver more grip and greater stability. This is all well and good but it has resulted in pedals that are cumbersome for riders with smaller feet. Fortunately, OneUp Components has considered this and released their Composite pedals with a 'small' version too. Aside from catering for smaller feet, there are 10 pins per pedal which are broader to minimise wear and tear to your shoes. My only qualm is the convex shape (the body slopes downwards away from the centre), but that's just a personal preference.

➕ Massive platform
➕ Mid-foot position
➖ High RRP

There's a trend in road cycling to shift your cleats rearwards but this is difficult with flat road bike pedals that are designed to be used on the ball of your foot. Thanks to the size of Pedalling Innovation's Catalyst pedals, you can place the pedal spindle in a more central position. Weighing 505g/pair, they're definitely heavier and a little unorthodox compared to other pedals, but the stability they provide is remarkable. The 10 pins per side are adjustable, and I recommend making those at the front and rear a little longer to make the pedal feel a little more concave.

➕ Removable pedal body
➕ Better than Brompton pedals
➖ Still small

If you've ever ridden a Brompton (or any folding bike), it's likely that the pedals are pretty terrible. The fact that one side folds away and has a different Q factor than the other has always bugged me. Thankfully, the Compact Ezy from Japanese brand MKS offers a pedal that's a little better than the standard Brompton offering but with a removable body. Simply clip the pedals off the axles when it is time to fold your bike away and pop them in the included drawstring bag. No more Q factor annoyances, and smoother bearings too - MKS are some of the best in the business.

➕ Low profile body
➕ Tiered performance
➖ Not the kindest to shoes

Large and available in a variety of colours, the Stamp features ten widely spaced pins to keep your foot secure. It's a staple of mine whenever I need a reliable flat pedal, and I've been very happy using both the entry-level '1' and the premium '7' models. What really stands out to me is their low profile
Clipless pedal systems talk about getting a low stack height, and the same benefits (claimed improvements in pedalling efficiency and stability) can be had with a low-profile flat pedal. For general use, I'd suggest the entry-level '1' is more than enough, unless you have a particular want for an alloy body.

➕ Looks cool
➖ Not as grippy as modern pedals

Looks count too and choosing bike tech- purely on its aesthetic value is entirely valid. I run these modern remakes of classic beartrap pedals on my vintage-inspired all-road bike simply because they look the part.

At (W) 100mm x (L) 90mm, the wide platform provides plenty of grip and a super stable feel. The MKS bearings are top-quality too. While they don't perform quite as well as modern platform pedals and are slightly heavier, I rate these for the overall vibe and aesthetic.

➕ Beautifully machined
➕ Super-adjustable pins
➖ Install pins yourself

The Hope F22 is very similar in shape to the body of the DMR V6, except it sits at the other end of the commercial spectrum. The F22 has one of the higher RRPs in this guide, but the quality of the machining is beautiful. The pins can be easily adjusted using a bag of included wasters to adjust the height—I'd suggest setting them low, as the taller setting is a little vicious. They're a little chunky compared to the Stamps, and you do have to install all the pins yourself, but they have the most 'built to last' feel of any on this list.