The Race Face Chester is for a rider who wants a solid, durable, lightweight pedal that has a compact look and affordable price. This nylon composite pedal weighs in at 350 grams with a moderate size 110 mm x 101 mm platform. Servicing the internal cartridge bearings with DU bushings on a Chromoly steel axle is straightforward if need be for this grippy little number. There are 16 replaceable bottom loading 2.5 mm hex headpins that will keep this pedal feeling lively over time. The Chester is a bargain if you are looking for a pedal that offers longevity and style without the sacrifice of being more hassle than it's worth. For these reasons, we've selected the Chester as one of our Best Buy award winners!
Race Face Chester Review
Overall and affordable, well-built, and durable pedal that will last a long time.
Price: $50 List | Check Price at Amazon
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Tough and durable, won’t break the bank, good mid-range size.
Cons: Smaller platform and only 8 traction pins, no traction pins along the spindle so don't expect for your foot to stay put in muddy conditions.
Manufacturer: Race Face
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Tough and durable, won’t break the bank, good mid-range size.
Cons: Smaller platform and only 8 traction pins, no traction pins along the spindle so don't expect for your foot to stay put in muddy conditions.
Manufacturer: Race Face
By Al Morrison ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Mar 14, 2018
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Race Face Chester | |||||
| Awards |  |  |  | | |
| Price | Check Price at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $168.99 at Competitive Cyclist | $149 List Check Price at Amazon | $75 List | $95 List Check Price at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Tough and durable, won’t break the bank, good mid-range size. | Maximum grip, large concave platform, built with high quality parts, versatile | Unshakeable grip, huge platform, lightweight, hidden grease port, angled traction pins, double concave. | High grip, strong build, fairly priced | Super versatile do-it-all pedal, cool industrial styling, bottom loading pins, strong stubby axle, no fancy tools required for service, affordable. |
| Cons | Smaller platform and only 8 traction pins, no traction pins along the spindle so don't expect for your foot to stay put in muddy conditions. | Expensive, sometimes too grippy, prone to pedal strikes | Very expensive, not very versatile, difficult compatability with some cranks. | Hard to relocate foot mid-decent. Not as playful, heavy if you do a lot of pedaling. Not ideal for dirt jumping | Small-ish platform, some may want more grip, slight hump underfoot at axle. |
| Bottom Line | Overall and affordable, well-built, and durable pedal that will last a long time. | The Diety TMAC is the king of all pedals with next level grip. | The perfect match for weight-conscious enduro racers that want a huge platform with unshakeable grip. | Beautifully machined CNC finish combined with high durability makes this pedal one tough trooper. | No matter where you ride or what you ride, the Vice has you covered. |
| Rating Categories | Race Face Chester | Deity Components TMAC | Race Face Atlas | Nukeproof Horizon Pro | VP Components VP-Vice |
| Grip And Traction (25%) | |||||
| Platform (25%) | |||||
| Mobility (20%) | |||||
| Servicing (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Race Face Chester | Deity Components... | Race Face Atlas | Nukeproof Horizon... | VP Components... |
| Measured Weight per pair (g) | 358 g | 437 g | 347 g | 426 g | 415 g |
| Traction Pins (per pedal) | 16, 2.5 mm hex head bottom loading | 28, 2 mm hex head top loading | 20, 3 mm hex head- bottom loading | 20, 2 mm hex head bottom loading with 1 mm washers per pin | 24 (16 hex, 8 grub) bottom loading pins |
| Platform Dimensions (mm) | 110 mm x 101 mm | 110 mm x 105 mm | 101 mm x 114 mm | 100 mm x 105 mm | 105 mm x 96 mm |
| Platform Profile (mm) - not including pins | 14 mm leading and trailing edges, 17 mm center of spindle | 19 mm leading and trailing edges, 14 mm at axle | 14.5mm, 12mm double concave | 18 mm leading and trailing edges, 16 mm at axle | 14mm |
| Concavity | 3 mm difference from effective edges to center of pedal | 5 mm difference from effective edges to center axle. Super concave 2.5mm pedal profile per side. | 2.5 mm difference from effective edges to tapered end of spindle | 2 mm difference from effective edges to middle of axle | |
| Q Factor / Distance from cranks to furthest pin | 103 mm | 113 mm | 111 mm | 110 mm | |
| Bearings | Cartridge bearings and DU bushings | Multi micro sealed bearings and Deity DU bushing internals | 4 full sealed cartridge bearings per pedal | 4 per pair | LSL and sealed cartridge bearings |
| Body Material | Nylon Composite | 6061-T6 Aluminium | 6061-T6 aluminum | Forged 6061-T6 Alloy body with CNC finishing | Extruded and CNC aluminum |
| Pedal Wrench Type | 15 mm pedal spanner, 8 mm allen | 15 mm pedal spanner, 8 mm allen | 8mm allen | 15 mm pedal spanner, 8 mm allen | 8mm allen |
| MSRP Cost | $49.99 | $168.99 | $145.34 | $74.99 | $33.99 |
| Manufacturer's Website/purchase site | www.chainreactioncycles.com | www.deitycomponents.com | www.chainreactioncycles.com | www.chainreactioncycles.com | www.amazon.com |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Chester is one heck of a bargain for the amount of quality you'll get from this flat pedal. Raceface has hit the nail on the head with the construction of this versatile nylon composite pedal with Chromoly steel axle that weighs in at only 350 grams. These thin concave flats offer decent grip, a generous platform, and inexpensive rebuild and service kits. In fact, one of our tested actually owned a pair of Chester's prior to this review for all of these reasons!
Grip/Traction
The Race Face Chester offers some stellar grip and traction as long as your foot remains evenly placed on this pedal. With only eight traction pins per side (the least amount of pins in all the pedals reviewed) and no pins along the axle body of this pedal, you had better make sure your foot is in good placement before you scream down a chunky rock garden.
The ideal spacing of the pins makes efficiency in traction quite grippy, never leaving the rider searching for that perfect placement. The only concern is when you get your feet muddy, as there are no traction pins located in the center of this pedal.
Platform
The Chester platform size holds its own considering it's slightly smaller dimensions. Race Face may not have given this pedal the largest dimensions, but this pedal has the portrayal of being larger than life went it comes to having a platform of only 110 mm x 101 mm. The platform is comfortable and allows the rider to have good placement, especially when doing tricks or dirt jumping. These pedals may seem a little on the small side for a rider who wears a size 10 or larger but for those who rock a sizes smaller than that should have no issues whatsoever.
Our tester with smaller feet felt these pedals were a good fit, allowing for no extra wiggle room on foot placement. When pedaling uphill, the Chester's platform allows for great contact on your entire foot. Its more compact size helps keep your foot from wandering off to one side or another. The Chester profile doesn't strike you as a large platform but even through the most technical rock gardens, the platform offered great feel and ample grip.
This pedal is a Best Buy award winner for its great value and performance
The Chester's platform thickness is mid-range and measures in at 14 mm on the trailing edges and around 17 mm at the spindle. This thicker middle portion of the pedal can become slightly problematic when the pins fore/aft start to get worn down or are scraped off from rock strikes. However, the Chester's have a fairly thin profile and have held up well to any pedal strikes we've encountered. While some composite pedals measure on the thicker side to combat the strength characteristics of the composite material, the Chester's never feels like a bulky pedal, and we had many more pedal strikes with other pedals we tested.
Pedal Mobility
Mobility of the Race Face Chester is on point when it comes to having a pedal planted firmly underneath your foot. The pedal provides great rotation without the nuisance of pedals spinning wildly and gouging your shins if you slip one. The Chester's reliability of being exactly where you left it while performing a trick or having to dab in a tight corner is one hundred percent. Mobility is also good while climbing with this pedal. They move freely, and the spindles do not stick when you are conquering steeper terrain.
Compact nylon composite pedal
Servicing/Build
For such an inexpensive, highly durable pedal, Race Face has put in the time when it comes to the serviceability of the Chester. The Chester has a Chromoly steel axle with cartridge bearings and DU bushings. These quality internals add to the longevity of this pedal, especially when you put it to the test. If the internals do start acting up, it's a good piece of mind to know that at not much cost, you can rebuild your Chester's. The rebuild kit for these pedals can are found on several cycling supply websites for around $22. Not a bad price to extend the life of some pedals that can be put through the wringer and keep coming back for more.
Weight
Due to the high reliability of a nylon composite platform body and slightly smaller size compared to other models, the Race Face Chester has a pleasantly lightweight feel tipping the scales at only 350 grams. Even with such a lightweight feel, strength and durability are not lacking in this pedal. The nylon composite is strong enough to take on hard rock strikes without shedding a tear.
Best Applications
The Raceface Chester will live happiest on your dirt jumper. As a light nylon composite flat pedal with a moderately sized platform, the Chester is best suited for days on end at the pump track. It not only looks steezy when you bust out a huge whip but has great mobility for when you are doing tricks and taking your feet off the pedals. The Chester will also double as a great value option for enduro riding, offering solid grip and a durable platform that meets the demands of downhill terrain.
Value
When you're looking for style combined with price, typically price supersedes the construction and design, but that's not the case with the Raceface Chesters. The composite body gives way to a flat pedal that can take strike after strike in the rocks and keep looking good. When you can get a solid, well-built pedal made by a reputable company, you are standing in the winner's circle with Chesters on your bike.
Compact nylon composite pedal
Conclusion
Nothing but happy smiles came from testing this flat pedal. The Chester offers a spectacular design with angled leading and trailing edges to aide in deflection of sneaky rock bites. These flats don't have a jaw-dropping price tag attached to them. Instead, they are comfortably priced at just under $50 and are compact in design in the lightweight division. The durability of this workhorse will keep them kicking around in your quiver for a long time. As a well-rated and liked pedal by all of our testers, we picked the Chester as one of our Best Buy award-winning pedals and are a great pedal to own!
— Al Morrison