OneUp Components Aluminum Review

The OneUp Components Aluminum Pedals were an easy choice for our Editor's Choice award. Simply put, they are some of the best all-around flat pedals we have ridden. The OneUp pedals deliver a very well-rounded performance and posted impressive scores in all performance metrics. Grip/traction were fantastic. The platform has a great shape and a super-thin profile. Weight is relatively low and the pedals are straightforward to service with replacement parts readily available.

Performance Comparison

Grip/Traction

The Aluminum pedals delivered fantastic levels of grip and traction. In fact, they posted a perfect score in this metric. These pedals feature ten very sizable traction pins. Two testers used these pedals. One had Specialized 2FO shoes with SlipNot rubber and the other had Bontrager Flatline pedals with Vibram rubber. Both testers agreed, these pedals deliver impressive, but not overwhelming grip.

The ten bottom-loading traction pins are among the longest pins in our review and they measure approximately 5mm in height. The pins are well-placed, with 4 at the front, three in the back, and three across the middle along the axle. Textured ridges have also been machined into the pedal body in the open space between the pins. Riders can purchase a height adjustment spacer kit from OneUp if they want to shorten up all or some of the pins. The traction pins hooked up beautifully with our shoes. On the chunkiest and choppiest of downhills, our feet stayed in place. Other pedals require a bit of focus to keep your feet in the correct position. The OneUp pedals offer a secure hold so you can focus more on shredding and less on keeping your feet in the correct position.

One area that was especially impressive was climbing traction. We found these pedals to offer mind-blowing grip while climbing in all situations. On technical pitches where you really need to put some power into the pedals and use a lot of full-body movement, these pedals maintain excellent grip on your soles. Our feet stayed in place noticeably better than the competition on the ascent.

Platform

The Aluminum pedals feature a large platform constructed of, you guessed it, aluminum. The platform is 114mm x 104mm. The distance from the crank arm to the furthest outboard pin is 107.6mm. These large platforms were easy to find when popping your foot back on the cranks after drifting a corner or dabbing on a tricky section of trail.

The platform is generally symmetrical with a slightly chamfered/angled lead and front side edges. At 114mm long and 104mm wide, they are among the largest platforms of all the models we tested. The 114mm length provides plenty of support, even for people with larger feet. The 104mm width is a nice middle ground that felt neither too narrow or too wide, and helped to keep pedals strikes to a minumum. The platform is 12.1mm thick at the axle and 8.8mm at the leading and trailing edges giving the pedal a slightly convex shape. It is typically a matter of personal preference, but concave pedals tend to be preferred by many riders. The reality is that when all of your weight is on your shoe, it tends to flex slightly, and a convex pedal shape matches that flex. Our testers did not take issue with the conexity of this pedal, and frankly never noticed it out on the trail. There is a large bearing and bulge in the platform at the inboard side of the axle. This bulge may be annoying for some riders, though we found it work well as a bumper to keep our feet from rubbing on our cranks while pedaling.

The platform is quite thin and we find this to be tremendously beneficial for alot of riders. The thin 12.1mm platform with 8.8mm thick leading edges is one of the slimmest we tested. While they might only be a few millimeters thinner than other pedals, this can be the difference between a bone-shaking pedal strike and lightly grazing a rock. We feel that a thinner profile helps expand these pedal's versatility, making them a great option for everyone from trail riders to downhillers.

The aluminum body of the platform is tough and durable. Less-expensive pedals often feature a composite (plastic) body but we prefer the tough and durable aluminum feel.

Mobility

Mobility was fine aboard the OneUp pedals. Due to the high levels of grip and traction, these aren't necessarily the best pedals for those who like to adjust their feet frequently. Mobility can be quite important as you might drop a foot to slash a corner or put a foot down real fast at the top of a sketchy roll-in. Being able to get your foot into the right position in a hurry can be critical.

Simply put, the burly traction pins aren't conducive to gently repositioning your foot. When your foot is weighted on this pedal, it isn't moving easily. A quick bounce and unweighting of the foot and there can be an adjustment, it just requires a very intentional movement.

The reason we didn't hit this pedal too hard in this metric is the fact that OneUp makes a spacer kit readily available. This allows you to shorten the pins by adding a washer on the loading side of the pedal. If mobility is important to you, we recommend shortening some, or all, of the pins. These spacers can also be used to simulate concavity on the pedal by shortening the pins in the middle and keep the front and rear pins long.

The pedal spun an appropriate amount on the axle. You can easily kick the platform and have it spin slightly to get it into the correct position. If anything, they have a tiny bit of extra drag which we feel is far better than the alternative. When a pedal spins too freely on the axle, it can accidentally spin too much if you pull your foot off the pedal leading to poor pedal positioning when it's time to put the foot back on.

Servicing/Build

The OneUp Aluminum Pedals have a high-quality build/finish. The sleek and attractive appearance is paired with some critical details that OneUp nailed. For example, the pins load with a slightly larger 3mm allen key making them harder to strip. It is the details that count. OneUp also includes 4 replacement pins with the pedals, and pin kits and bearing rebuild kits are reasonably priced and readily available.

The service procedure is impressive. It does require a few more tools than some other pedals, but the process is straightforward and OneUp has great instructions on their website. First, you need to pull off a seal/washer that is pressed into the axle assembly. Next, use a cassette lockring tool to pull off the retaining nut. This exposes the axle. Pull the axle out, give it a thorough cleaning, and you're good to go. OneUp recommends servicing the axle/bearings every 50-hours. This is likely a little over the top, but it really is only a 20-minute procedure. Should you need to fully rebuild your pedals, OneUp sells a bearing rebuild kit for $22. OneUp also sells a pin kit for the aluminum pedals for $16 that includes 40 replacement pins and 40-0.8mm height adjustment washers.

Weight

The OneUp Components Aluminum Pedals hit the scale at 370-grams per set. This puts them in the middle-of-the-pack leaning towards the lighter end of the spectrum. Just holding them in your hand, they feel lighter than other alloy pedals. On the bike, you'll never notice the few grams they weigh more than the lightest competitors. That said, you will likely notice the 60+ grams lighter they are than the heaviest models we tested.

Value

We feel the Aluminum pedals are a great value. Obviously, we were highly impressed with their on-trail performance. Pair that with a price tag that is significantly lower than other top performers, and there is a lot to like. Additionally, these pedals are easily serviceable and we feel they should stand the test of time.

Conclusion

The OneUp Components Aluminum were an easy choice for our Best Buy award. We love nearly everything about these pedals. The grip/traction is outstanding and your feet stay glued to the pedals on the chunkiest of downhills. The platform is large, yet quite thin and low-profile. These pedals are easy to service and the manufacturer makes the instructions readily available and easily digestible. Best of all, the price tag comes in significantly lower than most of the other high-end pedals in our test class. These pedals are a no-brainer for those seeking a versatile and well-rounded pedal with high levels of grip at a reasonable price.