Flats, clickies… what’s better? Sorry, we don’t have an answer for you here either! But whether Spank Spoon Flat Pedals are any good… we can say for sure after our test. The debate about whether flat pedals or clipless pedals are better or worse will probably never end. But as long as Sam Hill himself wins races in the Enduro World Series without clipless, at least the case for flat pedals is more than proven.
And that’s exactly why we’ve screwed the new Spank Spoon platform pedal onto the test bike and tried it out for you!
Spank Flat pedals – all the info
Spank wanted to develop new pedals that, on the one hand, fit every shoe size and, on the other, convince with innovative features and technical refinements. What came out is the “Spoon” pedal. But did the fresh approach pay off, and are these Spoon pedals really worth talking about? You’ll find out here!
This is what Spank MTB pedals look like after a fun day ;-).
It comes down to size (...so the pedal fits your shoe!)
The pedal is available in three different sizes . That way, the riding surface matches your shoe size perfectly.
- Size S has a 90 mm wide pedal body
- Size M (the one we chose for the test) has a 100 mm wide pedal body
- In size L you get an 110 mm wide pedal.
The spec of the Spoon flat pedals for MTB
The pedal is only 14 mm thick overall, so you get very good contact with the bike. In the test it feels like we’re standing directly on the axle; the direct riding feel is genuinely pleasant. No rocking at all, and no impression that you’re standing too high.
We tested the grip of the pins on the Spank pedal; the broken edge unfortunately didn’t.
Also when it comes to pedal pins Spank didn’t hold back and fitted pro pedal with a total of 20 adjustable pins, which you screw into the pedal using the included hex key or mini spanner and can swap out quickly and easily if contact with a stone finishes them off. Only downside: the pins aren’t pre-installed. You need to screw in 40 pins before your first MTB ride.
The pedal is made from CNC-machined aluminium and comes with an oversized, multi-sealed industrial bearing.
The front and side edges of the “Spoon” pedal body are rounded. That means they’re flattened out; this is intended to stop you from getting caught on the ground when you hit stones or roots and going down.
So your wheels keep turning, but not the pedal…
Maybe you know the problem: when you take your foot off the pedal, it keeps rotating. If you want to put your foot back down, you first have to rotate the pedal back into position and find the top. The more intense the MTB fun, the harder it gets to fiddle around for the right pedal position! Here Spank has a solution: inside, a sealing lip is positioned so the pedal can hardly rotate on its own. And don’t worry, it’s still not stiff; while riding you can’t really feel this effect.
Should we have washed the test Spank pedals before the photo session??
The practical test: The Spank pedals on the trail
Enough talk, off to the trail!
Where did we test the Spank pedals?
We fitted the pedals to our long-term test bike from NS Bikes and rode it on not only numerous tours; we also made shorter trips to local bike parks.
😲 First impression: What grip!!
The Spoon pedal in size M fit perfectly; it gives a secure stance straight away. Right from the first metres it was clear, that grip wouldn’t be a problem, because the pins bit into the shoe soles like they were made for it. And if we’re testing, we do it properly: we were using three different shoes (Afton Keegan, Five Ten Freeride & Impact) and every pair of feet felt like they were set in concrete on the pedals. No matter whether it was rough singletrack, a rocky field or the Northshore Line, as long as you place your foot on the pedal, you stay on it. Even if you want to reposition your foot at all, you only need to lift it slightly, because with full load the shoe doesn’t move a millimetre. Overall that’s very comfortable and gives you a lot of confidence. You simply don’t have to think about your stance on the pedal. If you position your feet well at the start, the chances are good that you’ll end up in exactly the same place at the finish.
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The grip is spot on. |
A stable pedal position
The internal sealing lip mentioned also does a good job and prevents the pedals from twisting when you take your foot (intentionally or unintentionally) off the pedal. As long as the crank doesn’t keep turning, the pedal stays in the same position.
We haven’t been able to assess the rounded edges so far, thankfully because there were no stone or root contacts.
🔎 Specifications of the “Spoon” flat pedals
Here are the specs again sorted by pedal size:
|
Size S |
Size M |
Size L |
|
90 mm wide |
100 mm wide |
110 mm wide |
|
Shoe size 39 and smaller |
Shoe size 40 to 44 |
Shoe size 44 and larger |
|
375 g weight |
395 g weight |
425 g weight |
- 14 mm thick
- 20 adjustable pins
Spank pedals “Spoon” – our verdict
The Spank Spoon pedal is a complete success. It doesn’t just have a range of sensible features on paper; it’s also great fun on the trail. With an RRP well under €100, we can only recommend these pedals, even if they’re not lightweight at just under 400 grams.
You can find more tests in the Bike Blog here, covering helmets, bikes or bike parts.
Marzocchi Bomber Z1 suspension fork | Test: Marzocchi CR steel spring | SRAM G2 disc brake in the test | Test SQLab saddle
❗ Buy pedals in the BMO online shop❗
Pedals | Flat Pedals | Spank brand shop
