Funn Mamba S pedals review

Funn’s Mamba S clipless pedals are claimed to have “the power of clips, with the control, fun and freedom of flats”. It’s an exaggerated, but not entirely untrue claim because I found both the shape, underfoot feel and clipping in action of these pedals to be nigh-on perfect.

The model tested is the double-sided Mamba S, which has a clip mechanism on both sides, but if you want the versatility of a clip and flat pedal in one package then Funn does a single-sided version for £5 / $10 less.

Funn Mamba S specification and details

The Mamba S positions a Shimano SPD-style clip mechanism in the centre of a generous, but not overly large 89×83mm platform.

Formed in 6061 alloy, the wider than the average hexagonal bodies give plenty of foot support and have a parallelogram-shaped side profile to reduce the risk of pedal strikes. Although, some chamfering on the front-facing corners could improve this further.

The overall shape of the pedal body is slightly convex, tapering to a slim 13mm, but the four optional pins on each side protrude enough to still contact your feet.

This is helped by a thinner central section between the retention jaws that allows the cleat and your shoes to sit down more into the pedals, putting your stance closer to the centre of the axles.

The 55mm Q-factor balances stability with pedalling efficiency and comfort. As is the standard on most pedals, the Mamba S pedals spin on DU bushings and sealed bearings, but the Allen key grease port is a nice touch for effortless maintenance.

Funn Mamba S performance

Underfoot the Mamba S pedals feel really good. I found that fitting the four optional pins on each side gave a perfect balance between foot support and slick clipping action.

The pins aren’t adjustable, but at 5mm tall they’re long enough, and any additional fine-tuning can be done with cleat spacers.

Funn’s SPD-compatible clip mechanism has an 18-degree release angle which means more of a foot twist is needed to disengage it, but that meant I could run spring tension lower for swift unclipping, without the risk of my feet popping out at the wrong time.

Funn Mamba S bottom line

The Mamba S is one of the best platform-style SPDs I’ve tried. Proportionally, they size up just right, with a big enough surface area to locate and clip into with ease, but not so bulky that you wouldn’t use them on the trail bike or ride in constant fear of catching them.

They take the best characteristics of Shimano, HT and Nukeproof SPDs and combine them into one pedal.