OneUp Comp Aluminum Flat Pedal

I bolted the OneUp Comp Aluminum pedals onto my hardtail in March and ran them through a full Pisgah spring: greasy roots on Black Mountain, the rock chunk on Heartbreak Ridge, a couple of bike park days at Kanuga, and a week of shuttles in Pisgah's Daniel Ridge zone. By mid-summer one pedal had a fresh gouge from a square-edged limestone hit on Bennett Gap and a bent pin from an awkward dab. Both kept spinning smooth.

Why these pedals, and who they're for

OneUp pitches the Comp Aluminum as the budget sibling to their composite-magnesium flagship, but at 365g a pair and a 115 x 105mm platform, it's not really a budget pedal in feel. It's the same shape and concave as the pricier version, just heavier and (in theory) less premium in the bearing/bushing internals. For trail and enduro riders who chew through pedals on rocks, that's the right tradeoff.

I came to these off a set of beat-up Race Face Chesters and a season on DMR V11s. The OneUps land in between on weight, but the platform feel is closer to a Deity TMAC or Crampon — thin, planted, and noticeably concave once you load it.

Platform shape and pin grip

The leading and trailing edges measure 12mm and the center is around 8.3mm, which sounds like spec-sheet trivia until you're trying to keep a foot planted through Pisgah's off-camber root tangles. The concave is real, not the flat-with-tall-pins fake concave you get on cheaper pedals. With Five Ten Freerider Pros I had to deliberately reset my foot — once you're in, the shoe locks into the dish.

Each side gets ten pins, threaded from the back so a bent pin still backs out with a 2.5mm hex from the underside. I've had to do this twice. Took about three minutes per pin including digging dried Carolina mud out of the threads. OneUp ships replacement pin kits for around $10, which is the way it should be.

Durability after a season

This is where the Comp Aluminum earns its keep. The pedal body is 6061 and the corners are chamfered, which I assume is what kept a head-on rock strike from cracking the leading edge. Cosmetic damage is real — both pedals look chewed — but nothing structural. Bearings still spin without play after roughly 60 rides. OneUp says the internals use one bearing plus a DU bushing, and they sell a full rebuild kit for about $15. I haven't needed it yet.

For comparison, my Chesters started developing axle play around the four-month mark and the composite body had visible deformation. The OneUps are tracking more like the Crampons I ran two seasons ago, which is the bar I want from a pedal in this price range.

Pedal feel on the bike

• Thin profile means fewer pedal strikes in technical climbs. I clipped rocks I would have cleared cleaner with thicker pedals, but the strikes glanced off rather than stopping the cranks.
• Q-factor is standard, no weird stance issues. The pedal sits close to the crank arm.
• Grip is aggressive but not painful. I've ridden DMR Vaults that felt like cheese graters; the OneUps are friendlier when you need to micro-adjust foot position.
• In wet Pisgah conditions, the concave shed mud quickly. No buildup issues even on muddy slog days.

Tradeoffs

At $145, this isn't an entry-level pedal. You can get into a competent flat for half that — Race Face Rideds, the Chesters, OneUp's own composite — and they'll work fine for casual trail riding. The Comp Aluminum makes sense if you ride aggressive terrain, ride a lot, or have had bad luck with bearing failures on cheaper pedals.

The other honest tradeoff: at 365g per pair these aren't the lightest aluminum option in the segment. Crankbrothers Stamp 7 small comes in around 340g and Deity TMACs are heavier but more platform. If grams matter, OneUp's composite-magnesium pedal saves about 50g for another $40.

One small annoyance: the pedal axle uses an 8mm hex only — no pedal wrench flats. Not a dealbreaker but worth knowing if your tool kit is light.

Compared to what I've ridden

• vs Race Face Chester ($55): OneUp wins on durability, concave, and pin retention. Chester wins on price.
• vs Crankbrothers Stamp 7 ($180): Similar feel; Stamp 7 has more platform sizes (S/L) which matters for size 8 vs size 12 feet. OneUp is cheaper and easier to service.
• vs DMR V11 ($110): V11 is grippier and slightly thicker. OneUp is thinner and feels more refined underfoot.

Bottom line

After a hard Pisgah season, the OneUp Comp Aluminum is the flat pedal I'd buy with my own money for someone who rides technical trail or enduro a few times a week. The platform shape is the real selling point — once your foot finds the dish, it stays there — and the rebuild parts ecosystem means you're not throwing the pedal away when a bearing eventually goes. The price is mid-pack rather than budget, but the durability is doing the work to justify it.