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DMR V6 Nylon flat pedals review

Budget pedals claim to have plenty of bite

Our rating

3.5

23.00
23.00
20.00
35.00

Ian Linton / Our Media

Published: July 15, 2023 at 11:00 am

Our review
Although impressively affordable, the platform size is too small for bigger feet and grip is limited

Pros:

Affordable; reasonable grip; better for smaller feet

Cons:

Pins not very robust or sharp enough; can’t be serviced or rebuilt; platform small

DMR’s V6 Nylon flat pedal’s body is made from plastic composite material to save costs.

Despite that, the body size and shape are almost identical to the more expensive aluminium V12 pedal.

It also shares the pricier pedal’s concavity, where the centre of the axle support is just 16mm deep, bulging out to 21mm on either side. The front and trailing edges pedal are 17mm deep, creating an overall concavity of 1mm.

Each side has 10 in-moulded, non-replaceable pins protruding 6mm from the pedal’s surface.

Moulded into the pedal’s surface is a DMR logo. There are left and right symbols present on the pedal’s axle.

Its Cro-Mo axle spins on two DU-bushings that DMR claims are reliable and durable. The pedals aren’t owner-serviceable or rebuildable.

My pair of test pedals tipped the scales at 334g.

DMR V6 Nylon flat pedal performance

DMR V6 Nylon flat pedals for mountain bikers
According to DMR, the V6 pedals aren't rebuildable. - Ian Linton / Our Media

The left/right moulding designations are handy during installation.

While the axle feels stiff initially, which is especially noticeable when fitting the pedals to the bike, it frees up pretty quickly.

Although the pedal’s body isn’t that diminutive on paper, compared to larger, more modern designs it feels small.

DMR V6 Nylon flat pedals for mountain bikers
In-moulded pins reduce grip and are susceptible to damage. - Ian Linton / Our Media

Out on the trail, the platform doesn’t feel massively stable and supportive. There is some foot clawing which can lead to discomfort and cramping, especially on longer descents.

Foot placement on the pedal’s surface needs to be accurate. Putting your foot just a few millimetres to the side or fore or aft accentuates the instability.

The 6mm tall in-moulded pins offer reasonable traction given their blunt, round shape.

However, the outer pins and small platform combine to cant my foot inwards, as the outer edge of the pedal and their pins make it the tallest section, totalling 30mm from pin tip to pin tip.

DMR V6 Nylon flat pedals for mountain bikers
They have a concave shape, with the outer edges (front, rear and side) sitting higher than the central portion. - Ian Linton / Our Media

But, combined with the body’s concave shape there’s a surprising amount of grip on offer. While foot walk across the pedal is present, once the inside of your shoe butts up against the crank, it tends to stay put.

It’s also easy to reset your feet back to your preferred position, where they can be twisted or dragged across the pedal’s surface.

Smooth, chamfered and tapered edges help glance off ground and rock strikes. The in-moulded pins were susceptible to damage, proving to be less robust than metal ones.

DMR V6 Nylon flat pedal bottom line

DMR V6 Nylon flat pedals for mountain bikers
The platform's size is better suited to smaller feet. - Ian Linton / Our Media

It’s hard to ignore the V6’s impressive price, but their small platform size – that is well suited to smaller feet – rounded in-moulded pins, and the fact you can't rebuild them means their cost can’t mitigate all their pitfalls.

Supersizing the platform and fitting sharper pins would significantly boost performance. Hopefully, there's a second version in the works.

However, they’ll be great for beginners on a budget, who want a taste of flat pedal performance.

How we tested

We’ve tested nine flat pedals in some of the harshest conditions on a host of terrain types – from bumpy on-the-gas sections through to flat out rough and worn DH tracks.

This was designed to assess how much grip they offer, and help you find the perfect pair for your riding.

Our tester, senior technical editor Alex Evans, wears size EU42 shoes, and tested the pedals with Five Ten’s Trailcross XT, Impact Pro and Trailcross GTX shoes.

Products on test

Product

Branddmr_bikes
Price35.00 AUD,23.00 EUR,20.00 GBP,23.00 USD
Weight334.0000, GRAM () -

Features

FeaturesSize: 97(W)x102(L)x16-21(D)mm
Colours: Earth Brown, Black, Grey, White, Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Pink, Purple and Black with reflector