Product review - AEST pedals
supersonic
Posts: 82,708
http://www.dx.com/p/aest-ympd-09t-alumi ... aign=super
Whilst they are not advertised for any particular style of cycling, these super-light flatties from AEST will certainly raise an eyebrow or two amongst the weight weenies in the MTB world. Hitting the scales at just 252g for the pair (that's less than a single DMR V8!), they were bolted on to a XC race bike and taken for a spin.
For such a lightweight pedal it would be expected that the platform is on the small side, but it comes in at a reasonable 98x85x17mm. A slight concave profile allows the foot to sit neatly in the pedal and helps clear the bulge at the axle (a problem on many other designs), while the classic parallelogram shape adds to the ergonomics. The cage however sits very close to the cranks:
Compared to the Wellgo MG1 you can easily see that the Wellgo offers much more clearance - many may find the inner pins to not even make contact with your shoe, though in practice it worked ok, albeit with a few heel clips of the crank. Six screw in studs per side offer reasonable grip, but are rather short - luckily they are of the common type and are easily replaceable for longer versions should you require more adhesion.
The bearings have been excellent. A slight bit of play was noticeable when fitting, but after many miles this has not developed into anything more sinister, and they spin extremely smoothly. Oh the axles are titanium too, not bad at all considering they cost £23 for the pair! The end caps are easily removed for servicing too.
It's fair to say that these are not going to be the pedal for you if you are a gravity merchant or require the highest levels of grip and strength. The larger footed may not find them to their taste either, but my size nines coped admirably and, once I had adjusted to the foot positioning, I found them to be a reasonable performer and actually pedaled more efficiently. If you are not a fan of SPDs and want something light for XC or trail work this good be the perfect solution. Even on faster road oriented machines they will do a sterling job if you want to keep the weight down. At 23 quid it's hard to grumble for what is a beautifully made (and good looking) pedal - just watch that shape!
Price: £23.20
Performance 7/10
Value 10/10
Whilst they are not advertised for any particular style of cycling, these super-light flatties from AEST will certainly raise an eyebrow or two amongst the weight weenies in the MTB world. Hitting the scales at just 252g for the pair (that's less than a single DMR V8!), they were bolted on to a XC race bike and taken for a spin.
For such a lightweight pedal it would be expected that the platform is on the small side, but it comes in at a reasonable 98x85x17mm. A slight concave profile allows the foot to sit neatly in the pedal and helps clear the bulge at the axle (a problem on many other designs), while the classic parallelogram shape adds to the ergonomics. The cage however sits very close to the cranks:
Compared to the Wellgo MG1 you can easily see that the Wellgo offers much more clearance - many may find the inner pins to not even make contact with your shoe, though in practice it worked ok, albeit with a few heel clips of the crank. Six screw in studs per side offer reasonable grip, but are rather short - luckily they are of the common type and are easily replaceable for longer versions should you require more adhesion.
The bearings have been excellent. A slight bit of play was noticeable when fitting, but after many miles this has not developed into anything more sinister, and they spin extremely smoothly. Oh the axles are titanium too, not bad at all considering they cost £23 for the pair! The end caps are easily removed for servicing too.
It's fair to say that these are not going to be the pedal for you if you are a gravity merchant or require the highest levels of grip and strength. The larger footed may not find them to their taste either, but my size nines coped admirably and, once I had adjusted to the foot positioning, I found them to be a reasonable performer and actually pedaled more efficiently. If you are not a fan of SPDs and want something light for XC or trail work this good be the perfect solution. Even on faster road oriented machines they will do a sterling job if you want to keep the weight down. At 23 quid it's hard to grumble for what is a beautifully made (and good looking) pedal - just watch that shape!
Price: £23.20
Performance 7/10
Value 10/10
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Comments
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They look good, may have to go on my shopping list.0
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Hard not to like the price or the weight.
Do worry that they don't look that grippy but that's just from the photo obviously and you suggest it's not an issue.
Think with a set of longer screw in studs these could be great0 -
Just seen the Nukeproof Electrons for £19.95 so I'm not sure these are quite as good value as they first seem.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
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I'll stick to my MG1sI don't do smileys.
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Parktools0 -
Flats on an XC race bike? Heretic!0
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Lol ;-). I think they have their place, I'm getting on well with mine. I appreciate that the shape and size will not be to everyones' liking, and had a few opinions off others too.
The Electrons are indeed great value at £20!0 -
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I got a pair of their 170g versions too lol.But on the commuter. My MG1 now on the IDrive, where I need the extra grip as I work the bike a lot harder.0
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My favourite flat pedal and at a ridiculously good priceAngus Young wrote:Just seen the Nukeproof Electrons for £19.95 so I'm not sure these are quite as good value as they first seem.
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RockmonkeySC wrote:Are Electrons the same as Superstar Nanos?
I can't believe you don't know the answer to that.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
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I have never had Electrons so why would I know?Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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RockmonkeySC wrote:I have never had Electrons so why would I know?
Because they're not exactly obscure and, as you already own two NP bikes, it's reasonable to assume that they'd have popped up on your radar at some point. So, should we assume, then, that you know nothing of any product that you've not owned?
And the answer is, no.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
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Electrons are a plastic bodied pedal, rather than the alu or mag of Nanos:
http://www.globalbike.co.uk/nuke-proof- ... tAod8AwANg
At 20 quid are a good price for the weight and size, but as with the AEST, the shape and pin locations may not suit all.0 -
Because they have plastic bodies I imagine them to be flexy, yet that hasn't been mentioned in the reviews I've read so they must be fine. Almost worth a punt just out of interest for £20.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
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Just two pins back and front may limit grip, and the middle section looks a bit fat, but yeah, worth a go, they often perform better than you expect and I know the plastic bodies are much tougher than you'd think.0
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Mmm... now you mention it, I've only just noticed how few pins there are.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=129946070
