SDG Comp flat pedals review

Made with a composite plastic body and machined CroMo spindle, SDG claims the Comp pedals are tough.

The symmetrical platform measures 105x107mm at its largest points. It is totally flat; the leading and trail edges and central axle support are 17mm deep.

This, the brand claims, is perfectly suited to modern, stiff flat pedal mountain bike shoes, and for people with large feet.

The leading and trailing edges feature a slight chamfer, while the sides have a modest taper.

Along with nine 3.5mm long rear-loading threaded pins per side, the platform has ‘undercut’ profiling – which looks like a ridged surface – to improve grip.

A sealed bushing and bearing combination permit rotation and they’re rebuildable, according to SDG.

My pair of SDG Comp pedals weighed 387g.

SDG Comp flat pedal performance

Although the platform is fairly large on paper, the symmetrical shape and marginally tapered edges make it feel smaller.

Foot placement needs to be reasonably accurate to avoid missing its sweet spot.

That perfect contact point is the centre of your foot; place it off to one side or fore or aft too much and instability creeps in.

Repositioning your feet is possible; your shoes can slip along the flat platform’s surface. This helps mitigate how accurate you need to be when placing your foot on the pedals.

Although a flat platform is better than a convex one, the axle support, along with the four centre pins reduce the effective concavity the front and back pins create.

The central portion of the pedal – and especially its pins – can be felt as much as the edges. While the centre pins help lift your foot above the smooth axle support, they don’t provide as much grip as a concave pedal.

Removing the central pins reduces these feelings and improves grip.

Although short in length, the pins are sharp and offer plenty of bite. Your feet don’t twist or walk across the platform excessively, and grip is reasonable.

The pins are robust and can be quickly and conveniently replaced thanks to the rear loading design.

Some foot clawing and cramping happens. Although the pedal’s smaller size was a factor, the raised centre pins contribute the most as they raise the centre of your foot making you cling on for additional grip.

Despite their 17mm depth and lightly chamfered edges, they glance off rock strikes well.

The bearing and DU bushing combination are free-spinning from the get-go, and the left and right symbols make installation easy.

SDG Comp flat pedal bottom line

The SDG Comp's pins offer plenty of grip and the body has a robust feel. However, they could do with a bigger, more concave platform to boost performance.

For the money, there are better-performing mountain bike pedals out there, such as HT’s PA03A.