Reviews You Can Rely On

Race Face Atlas Review

This top-performing pedal has excellent grip, and a well-rounded performance and is a great choice for a variety of terrain
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Race Face Atlas Review
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Price:  $180 List
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Manufacturer:   Race Face
By Tara Reddinger-Adams ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 20, 2023
79
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#3 of 22
  • Grip and Traction - 25% 8.0
  • Platform - 25% 8.0
  • Mobility - 20% 8.0
  • Servicing - 15% 8.0
  • Weight - 15% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Atlas impressed us with its ease of service, a well-designed platform with chamfered edges, and a fairly thin design. The ten adjustable pins are grippy yet allow some foot movement and work well with different shoes. Our feet stayed on chunky descents, and the platform felt stable and planted underfoot. The Atlas performed well in multiple metrics, and although it's designed more for gravity riding, we think it's also a great trail pedal.
REASONS TO BUY
Great grip
Easy to service
Large platform
Quality construction
Smooth rotation
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Editor's Note: This review was updated in May 2023 to reflect updated scoring across all metrics.

Compare to Similar Products

 
race face atlas
This Product
Race Face Atlas
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Flat Pedal
Top Pick Award
Best Gravity Flat Pedal
Best Buy Award
Best Pedal for your Buck
Best Buy Award
Best On A Tight Budget
Price Check Price at Backcountry
Compare at 4 sellers
Check Price at REI
Compare at 3 sellers
$180 List
$169.00 at Backcountry
$33.81 at Amazon
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$27 List
$24.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line A great performing, quality made pedal, with excellent grip that suits a variety of terrain and riding stylesThis pedal provides excellent grip, traction, and support and is easy to serviceIf you're searching for maximum grip, look no furtherLess-expensive flat pedal option for those who like to put their equipment to the testA budget oriented pedal that offers adequate grip and a midsize platform but may be less apealing compared to established brands
Rating Categories Race Face Atlas Wolf Tooth Waveform Deity TMAC Race Face Chester Fooker Nylon Fiber
Grip and Traction (25%)
8.0
9.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
Platform (25%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
Mobility (20%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
Servicing (15%)
8.0
7.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
Weight (15%)
7.0
8.0
5.0
8.0
8.0
Specs Race Face Atlas Wolf Tooth Waveform Deity TMAC Race Face Chester Fooker Nylon Fiber
Measured Weight (per pair) 383 g 373 g 440 g 358 g 370 g
Traction Pins (per side) 10, 3 mm hex head bottom loading, adjustable height 11, 3 mm head bottom loading 14, 2 mm hex head top loading 8, 2.5 mm hex head bottom loading 8, 2.5 mm hex head bottom loading
Measured Platform Dimensions (millimeters) 111 mm x 107 mm 105 mm x 99 mm 110 mm x 105 mm 110 mm x 101 mm 110 mm x 100 mm
Platform Profile (millimeters) - not including pins 14.8 mm leading and trailing edges, 12.8mm at axle 13.96 mm perimeter, 12.63 axle 19 mm leading and trailing edges, 14 mm at axle 14 mm leading and trailing edges, 17 mm center of spindle 14 mm at edges, 18 mm at axle
Concavity 1mm from edges to axle Dual concave 1.5mm difference permieter to center 5 mm difference from effective edges to center axle. Super concave 2.5mm pedal profile per side. 3 mm difference from effective edges to center of pedal 4 mm difference from effective edge to center of pedal
Q Factor / Distance from cranks to furthest pin 117mm 100mm 113 mm 103 mm 103 mm
Bearings 6802 sealed cartridge bearing Three sealed cartridge bearings and one igus bushing Multi micro sealed bearings and Deity DU bushing internals Cartridge bearings and DU bushings 3 sealed cartridge bearings
Body Material 6061 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum Forged 6061-T6 aluminum Nylon Composite Nylon Fiber
Pedal Wrench Type 8 mm hex 8 mm hex 15 mm pedal spanner, 8 mm hex 15 mm pedal spanner, 8 mm hex 8 mm hex

Our Analysis and Test Results

The newly redesigned Atlas from Race Face has a larger platform, is thinner, easier to service (with the proper tool) than its predecessor, and comes with a lifetime warranty. The Atlas is designed as a gravity-oriented pedal, but thanks to its lightweight design, slim profile with chamfered edges, and gobs of grip, this pedal is at home on almost any trail. The 6061 aluminum platform is concave and measures 111 mm x 107 mm and has chamfered edges making it less prone to getting hung up on rocks. The 10 adjustable height pins are long, measuring over 6mm in length out of the box, have loads of traction on a variety of terrain, and work great with a variety of shoes.

Performance Comparison


race face atlas - this pedal has a great grip, a thin profile, and a supportive...
This pedal has a great grip, a thin profile, and a supportive platform.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Grip and Traction


The Atlas strikes a great balance for grip. With 10 long hex-shaped pins per side, your feet will stay confidently planted to the pedals, and be warned they are sharp and will draw some blood if you accidentally hit your calf or shin with them.

race face atlas - the pins come installed at about 6mm in length and provide great...
The pins come installed at about 6mm in length and provide great grip on the shoe's outsole.
Credit: Byron Adams

Out of the box, the installed pins are a little over six millimeters in length, and in our testing, we found this length great for biting into our shoe's outsole. Race Face uses a bottom load pin design and provides a bag of additional pins and washers to adjust their height so that you can dial in the pin's grip to your tastes. This also allows you to create a more concave platform if you wish.

The pins are placed along the perimeter of the pedal body, and there are no pins on the axle. We tested the pedals with full-length pins and were impressed with the grip. While the Atlas is not the grippiest pedal in our test, it does strike a great balanced feel that keeps your feet in place while still being able to reposition without too much difficulty. You can remove your foot easily enough, but it does not slide around under the pedal, even on loose and chunky descents.

When first riding the pedal, it took a few moments to find the sweet spot, but once we did, our feet were firmly planted on the pedal, and the placement was easy to remember. We found we could feel more of the Atlas' pins through thinner and softer soles and prefer a shoe with a slightly stiffer midsole with them.

Platform


The Atlas has an average profile size compared to other pedals in our test, measuring 111 mm x 107 mm. We found them to work well with shoe sizes from a women's EU 39 to a men's EU 45. However, riders with smaller feet may find the platform a tad too wide for their liking. Some riders have stated the outboard bearing design interferes with the inside of their shoe, but our tester with size EU 45 feet did not experience this problem.

The Atlas has a concave design measuring 14.8 mm at the leading and trailing edges and tapering to 12.8 mm at the axle. It's not the thinnest profile in our testing, but we have fewer pedal strikes with the Atlas than with thicker pedals. This is in part due to the chamfered sides of the platform. This means the edges have a symmetrical slope to them and are able to slide or bounce off rocks more easily than a pedal with a square edge.

race face atlas - the pedal has a fairly thin profile measuring 14.8mm at the leading...
The pedal has a fairly thin profile measuring 14.8mm at the leading and trailing edges and 12.8mm at the axle.
Credit: Byron Adams

Ten pins line the perimeter of the concave 6061 aluminum body; depending on your shoe's stiffness, your foot will sink into the pedal's platform. There is no feeling of holes or soft spots underfoot thanks to the diagonal support brace that runs from the axle to the body's perimeter.

race face atlas - the 111mm x 107mm platform is supportive and thin.
The 111mm x 107mm platform is supportive and thin.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Mobility


The redesigned Atlas is compatible with crank booties without using multiple pedal washers. The spindle design interfaces well with SRAM and Race Face crank booties and does not impede the rotation of the pedals. The rotation is smooth and rotates about one revolution with an intentional foot flick, meaning the pedal won't rotate freely if you flick it or take your foot off.

The Atlas is one of the easier pedals in our test to adjust your feet. Unlike pedals that require a total unweighting of the pedal to adjust your foot position, we can make small adjustments by only slightly unweighting our foot. Riders can also use the provided washers to reduce the pin height and make the pedals less grippy or add additional concavity to the pedal.

race face atlas - the bearings have a great smooth rotation to them and are...
The bearings have a great smooth rotation to them and are predictable with just the right amount of spin.
Credit: Byron Adams

Servicing


The redesigned Atlas is the simplest pedal to service in our test with the proper tools. Unlike most pedals that require two hex wrenches or a hex and socket, the Atlas only requires a 30 mm socket or a vice to reach the axle. We disassembled our pedals using a 30 mm chamfer-less socket with a ratcheting handle, although a non-chamfer-less socket can also be used. Since we didn't have our vice set up, we put the socket on the Body Cap, placed the pedal on a rubber mat, and stood on the pedal, and with one pull of the ratchet, the Body Cap was loose. The process was simple. On the website, Race Face says you can also use Knipex pliers to loosen the Body Cap.

race face atlas - the pins can be removed or replaced easily with a 3mm hex.
The pins can be removed or replaced easily with a 3mm hex.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Once the cap is removed, you can easily pull the axle assembly from the body to regrease. The Atlas uses the 6802 sealed cartridge bearing, which is larger than traditional pedal bearings, and spreads the forces out over a larger area. Bearing replacement requires additional tools and the bearing kit from Race Face. The Atlas comes with a lifetime warranty providing peace of mind should a part fail.

race face atlas - a 30mm socket makes accessing the axle a breeze.
A 30mm socket makes accessing the axle a breeze.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Race Face provides four replacement pins and 40 washers with the Atlas pedal. The pins are loaded from the bottom of the pedal, and a three-millimeter hex is required to replace them. Depending on the location of a bent pin, it can be easy to remove or require a little more patience. On one side of the pedal, the pins are easily accessible; on the opposite side, they are slightly recessed. Bent pins on the recessed side can take a bit more finesse to extract if they are bent.

Weight


The Atlas weighs 383-grams, comparable to other aluminum body pedals with a similar platform size.

race face atlas - these pedals come in at a respectable 383 grams.
These pedals come in at a respectable 383 grams.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Value


The Atlas is one of the more expensive pedals in our review, but we feel they warrant their higher price tag for their quality and performance. Their ease of service is a bonus, as is the lifetime warranty.

Conclusion


The Atlas is a solid performing pedal in our test and scores well across our metrics. Its concave platform supports our feet, and the pins provide great grip on our shoes without being excessively grippy. The thin profile and chamfered edges help prevent pedal strikes and getting hung up on rock pinches. Our testers are very impressed with how simple the axle is to service and that it can be done with just a 30 mm socket and wrench, making greasing the axle especially quick and easy. The quality construction is evident on this pedal, and the extra washers and included pins are a nice touch. The updated Atlas is a quality, versatile pedal that can take a beating.

race face atlas - aside from performing great, we love the color choices available...
Aside from performing great, we love the color choices available such as the Kashmoney.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Tara Reddinger-Adams