Flat pedals have been getting slimmer and slimmer in recent years, with the aim of saving weight, avoiding rock strikes and providing a more stable platform (due to your foot being closer to the axle). MomentumBicycle's FlyPaper took this idea to its extreme but could only be used with their own cranks.
Tioga's new MT-ZERO-01 must be the next thinnest option, and you can use it with any standard chainset. Milled from a single piece of chromoly, it measures just 4mm at its slimmest point, and 7mm at its fattest. Claimed weight is 450g.
Two years in development, the new pedal gets its name from the fact that it doesn't have an axle. Instead it rotates on a bearing housed between the flat section of the pedal and the crank thread. Both the bearing and pins are replaceable.
Unlike the £320 FlyPapers (bear in mind, that price does include the cranks), the MT-ZERO-01s cost just £79.99 – no more than generic flat pedal offerings from certain other manufacturers. Availability is slated for December 2011. Tioga bits are distributed in the UK by Extra.
We're expecting a set to arrive in the office any day now, so look out for an exclusive first test in an upcoming issue of Mountain Biking UK magazine. For more information on Tioga products, visit their website.
