Spank Spike Flat Pedal

Lightweight and ultra-thin, the Spanks Spike flat pedals are a product that I am really excited to be using this year. I have been eagerly awaiting the release of these pedals since I first spotted them on the internet. Like all quality products, however, they weren’t released until Spank was one hundred per cent happy with them, and it was only until mid-May that I received the pedals along with the rest of my Spank parts.

The Spank Spike pedals feature a very special pedal body. At 12mm thin, yet with a wide design, they provide a massive platform for the rider’s foot. With a clever “chamfered” bevelled edge design and made of cold forged alloy, the pedal body is super strong and deflects big hits. While I have noticed a decrease in the number of pedal strikes with rocks and other obstacles, the pedal body is really standing up to the few that they have seen.

The Spank Spike flat pedals come with full sized hex head pins, which are easily replaced if they were to become damaged. On the subject of pins – there are 20 adjustable pins in each pedal, providing an exceptional amount of grip. I don’t have the best mountain biking shoes right now – while I thought this would be a problem on other pedals it simply isn’t with the Spank Spike’s. My 3/4 Osiris skate shoes with a very hard rubber sole really are terrible to ride on every other bike I own, but on my Transition TR450 with the Spank Spike flat pedals, grip is a non-issue. Since running these pedals on my downhill bike, I’ve decided that all of the bikes in our house should be running Spank Spike flats!

Spank have spent a lot of time working on the axle system for the Spike pedals. Longevity is something that many pedals in the same price range often lack. Using oversized and sealed inboard industrial bearings, a sealed outboard IGUS bushing and an inboard friction seal, the Spank Spike flat pedals should perform well over a long period of time.

When talking to Mike from Spank Bikes about the Spank Spike flat pedals, he was clearly passionate about the new product that they were releasing. Check it out:

You know…without sounding like a sales man I hope, this is the first bike product in a long time (since changing to wide bars) which actually changed the way my bike felt and performed!

It’s amazing the effect that bringing your foot so close to the axle has. All clearance issues aside, reducing the triangulation effect created by lifting your foot from the axle, and thus the transfer of force from foot to pedal, means less chance of painful and irritating pedal flip and better pedalling efficiency. It’s amazing…and all this time I really thought it was marketing bull, because I had never tried anything under 15mm.

To comment on your point about the flatness, this was a really tough call. Some guys just want max grip….no matter what, and that can be achieved by going more and more concave. However, having the ability to rise up on the ball of your foot a little bit and pivot into the right position is key for many riders, and something that I’m sure we have all complained about before (especially wearing 5.10’s). By using a longer outside pin and shorter inner grub screws, we achieved a virtual concavity, while still leaving the option of removing the center grub screws and allowing for easy foot positioning. Even with the screws in, I find I have far more ability to adjust on the fly than I do with a set of thick concave pedals….and without the chance of flip…calf…ouch.

Weighing in at 400 grams, the Spank Spike pedals are around 50 grams lighter than a pair of Superstar Nano Tech Flat pedals, and over 100 grams lighter than a pair of Straitlines.

Spank Spike flat pedals come in five colours – Zesty Orange, Ti-Grey, Black, Race Blue, and Race Red.

From what I understand, the Spank Spike pedals will be selling for $125 in Canada, and by the sounds of it the same in the US.

For more information on the Spank Spike flat pedals, or any other Spank Bikes product, check out the Spank Bikes website at http://www.spank-ind.com.

Big thanks to Dom Wrapson for the first photo in this post too!