Submitted by
Big B
a Weekend Warrior
from Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2010
Strengths: Great looking, awesome traction, strong, large platform area, thin/low profile, durable traction screws.
Weaknesses: C-clip design
Bottom Line:
The pedals are superb in every category, except durability. One of my pedals came off the spindle after a drop, because the C-clip didn't hold. Happened after 6 months of riding.
I'd be really upset if I'd paid full price. These are too expensive for poor reliability. I've never had this happen with any other pedal I've owned, and I've ridden all my other pedals for longer than 6 months (and they were all cheaper).
Prior to this incident...these were my favorite pedals.
Submitted by
Icehawk
a Weekend Warrior
from Miami, FL
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2010
Strengths: Bombproof. These are 10yrs old and get swapped onto all of my bikes - BMX, hardtail, FS, and hell even put them on the road bike once for fun. Super grippy.
Weaknesses: Could be lighter & thinner but then they probably wouldn't be bombproof.
Bottom Line:
This is a review of the original Atomlabs Fatboys.
I used SPDs for a a year or two before these became available but I wanted to have flats available for some of the more technical riding and to put on my then new BMX.
At the time, c1999, I worked in a large metro LBS and these were THE flat pedals to have so when offered a discount I scored a pair. At the time I think the retail was $225 or something insane.
I have found them so grippy that I rarely use SPDs and instead rotate these to whatever bike I'm riding.
Still going strong today in 2010 after 10yrs with no servicing. They are scarred all over but even still have the original pins.
Bike Setup: Trek VRX 500 (FS), C-K Ti (HT), DK Legend (BMX)
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Submitted by
jamie_a4
a Downhiller
from Where, everi, am
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2009
Strengths: Lots of ground clearance. Smooth feel. Extremely durable cages and pins. Tons of grip. Fantastic customer support (someone actually answers the phone and says hello... I love it.)
Weaknesses: Needs regular maintenance. Needs replacement parts but they are free from Atomlab.
Bottom Line:
If you like to put a great piece of gear on your bike, that works well and will be there for a long time these are your platforms. That said, you need to maintain these well and keep them greased, particularly if you are riding in the wet and mud.
If you like to get a low price product that works adequately, that you put on your bike and forget about until it breaks, this is not your pedal.
I can't emphasize enough how well the pins and cages hold up to abuse.
Similar Products Used: Eastons and Well Go. Eastons explode often.
Bike Setup: I go everywhere, long cross country, rocky, technical single track, long climbs and lift serviced downhill.
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Submitted by
Peter
a Downhiller
from Wollongong, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2008
Strengths: Excellent grip! Looks superb, and quite different from the normal stock of flat pedals.
Weaknesses: The retaining circlip design, bad idea. Have had that go twice on me.
Doesn't like to get wet, as it tends to bind up if you do.
Stock O-Rings seem to be made from bits of 40A High Roller- they wear fast!
Bottom Line:
Great pedals while they work, but the design will let you down in the long run. I'd look elsewhere. I've re-fitted my old PrImos, and I'll be hunting for something more durable.
Similar Products Used: Primo Super Tenderisers, BBB Butterflies, Funn SolJam, BiLt Flatties.
Bike Setup: 08 STP0- Argle 318s, Juicy 3s on 6 inch rotors, X7 Running gear, E-13 SRS, and Sun Rhyno Lites laced to a Deore rear hub and Formula front hub.
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Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Calera, AL USA
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2007
Strengths: Big wide platform but thin. Extreme grip with these pedals! You can really put maximum pedal effort to the ground with these. Great looks.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
These pedals are worth every penny. I haven't had any problems yet with O-rings or play that others have mentioned. I weigh 215 lbs with gear and ride rough all mountain terrain. I only have 150 trail miles on these pedals, but don't anticipate any problems. Just periodic maintenance I believe will keep these pedals in shape. These are strong, stiff pedals and I could immediately feel that more power was going to the rear wheel.
Great pedals while they worked, but the retaining pin holding the platform on the spindle came off twice while riding-meant grovelling around in the dirt looking for small parts then finishing my ride with the aid of zipties & ductape. Great customer service however, they are replacing them with trailkings (which apparently have a locknut) I was also told that the aircorps are changing to a locknut, so if you get a pair once this is done then they should be great pedals (as grippy as a grippy thing)
Submitted by
Blair
a Downhiller
from Banff Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2006
Strengths: These pedals have amazing grip, and feel awesome with how much surface area there is and how thin they are. The use of bottom loading pins on the outside was a smart move as they don't shear out as easy when you hit them, I also like how the inboard top loading pins are a different size so you get more concave. With 2 years riding on these I have smashed them hard into tons of rock... like ridiculously hurts my foot hard and nothing has happened to the product. No pins missing yet though two on each pedal are getting loose (after having been mashed into nubs). They're also really easy to rebuild, it only takes about 5 minutes for each one.
Weaknesses: Develope play quickly since the stock o-rings wear out quickly. A few cents spent at the hardware store on new rings made that better but they seem to always have play.
Bottom Line:
I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money on expensive pedals when I got these but after riding them the way I have been I'm glad I coughed up the extra money. These are one of those parts that so far I can just trust they're going to hold in to whatever I hit. Even though I can't get them through the shop I work at I'd still pay full pop for them instead of cost on something else. People seem to have a huge problem with the play but I can't say that it bothers me at all. I don't notice it while riding so really I'm happy to have bushing play and not siezed bearings.
With only maybe 2 months on my DMR V12's that I have on my other bike the bearings have already started to die and pins have fallen out.
Favorite Trail: Harper (Kamloops), Mount 7 (Golden)
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Purchased At: Atomlab Webstore
Similar Products Used: DMR V12, cheap Welgo, some other no-name cheap pedals
Bike Setup: Commencal VIP Supreme 6, similar to the team replica but better.
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Submitted by
Bobby Jim
a Downhiller
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2006
Strengths: everything. Its insanely easy to rebuild, super strong, bearings are completely perfect and havent worn in the 2 years i've had mine. And I have no idea how the hell you made the axle snap... its like solid steal 15mm thick
Similar Products Used: CrankBros 50/50XX but i like atom lab more
Bike Setup: 03 Bighit Comp with z150 fr sl > that fork pwns
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Submitted by
Cory
a Weekend Warrior
from Paducah, KY
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2005
Strengths: Awesome grip, clever design, great idea with the bushings to eliminate bearing failure.
Weaknesses: The exposed O-rings. Missing pins right out of the box, they didn't include all of them.
Bottom Line:
I destroyed both exposed pre-load O-rings with one ride, less than 10 miles on these things and I have to tear them apart and make a trip to the hardware store. The grip is incredible, they feel very natural, but now one pedal is nearly locked up and one is loose from side to side and spins freely. They'd be great for racing but I'm concerned about using them on nasty trails, which is what I bought them for since I thought they'd be great due to eliminating the possibility of bearing failure. If you get these, go ahead and pick up a whole bag of O-rings and make sure you grease them really good when you install them. The trailking's have this same exposed o-ring system so I don't think they'd be any better. To be fair, I think other manufacturer's do the same thing, maybe the Easton Cully's, but I'm not sure if it's as exposed. All I know is that apparently it's extremely easy to chew these things up. I've had multiple sets of $20 Kona pedals and they were way more reliable than these apparently will be. If they were shipped without grease and I was supposed to grease them then I guess it's my fault, but when a product is supposed to be greased and it arrives at my door with no instructions and already assembled, I assume it comes from the factory already greased and ready to ride. Their website acts like it shouldn't matter much anyway. Anyway, I love the way the pedals feel but the O-ring situation is going to be a major PITA.
P.S. I submitted a similar review yesterday but it wasn't added, sorry if this turns into a near duplicate post.
Bike Setup: Heckler, Nixon, Thomson stuff, downhill'ish setup.
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Submitted by
micha
a Weekend Warrior
from helsinki
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2005
Strengths: nice grip, great look
Weaknesses: no axle tightening in '05 model
Bottom Line:
I rode my first Aircorps' less than 70 miles and both axels loosened up resulting with numb pedals. I found only a rivet(?) at the axels end so it couldn't be tightened, not what I read at the manufacturer's site. I went to my local, and they gave me a new pair. Same issue, I rode once to work after which they started loosening. Having brought the 3rd pair home I didn't even have to ride them and the axle was loose. Got a pair of Trailkings and their bolts screwed out of figure by the time (<50 miles) I had to try to tighten them. 2 chili's for the looks...
Strengths: good level of grip, wide platform, light (like other cheaper pedals on the market)
Weaknesses: crap crap bearings have had them replaced 3 times!!
Bottom Line:
buy another set of platform pedals, unless u can afford to replace the pedals every 4 months and waste valuable time that could be spent riding, they sux!
Similar Products Used: DMR V8's much tougher and cheaper
Bike Setup: DH
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Submitted by
mike finley
a Downhiller
from bellevegas il
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2005
Strengths: Grippy extremely strong spindle
Weaknesses: The crap sh*t bearings
Bottom Line:
I am a very small guy i only weigh about 135lbs and i killed the bearings turning it in to metal shavings in about 2 months. Atomlab sent me new bearings and I killed them in about 3 months. So I tried to kill them with no bearings and cant break um. Even my 340lbs buddy could not break um.
Bike Setup: 03 KONA SCAB with a DJ1,RaceFace Signature DH bb,mammoth fat rims Race Face DH Crank
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Submitted by
Tom
a Downhiller
from Hollywood
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004
Strengths: Replacable parts
Weaknesses: you can not get the parts from atomlab
Bottom Line:
I liked the product but need replacement parts and can not get atomlab to send them, retun a phone call, return e-mail or ship anything I ordered on their web. This did not stop them crom charging me. This has been going on for about two years. I am taking them to small clams court to get my money back, just on principle. I will report back after 11/14/04.
Bike Setup: P1, hays hidro, xt 9spd, mrp, sun suv, Dj3, answer bar, pig HS, stock stem crank, thompson post, marzocchi saddle Maxxis
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Submitted by
Ben
a Downhiller
from Santa Barbara, CA
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2004
Strengths: Amazing grip, low profile, great stability.
Weaknesses: Highly unreliable bearing/bushing system. If I'm gonna pay $90 for a pair of pedals, they should come with full sealed bearings, not cheap-ass bushings. They develop play very quickly and Atomlab has horrible customer service.
Bottom Line:
Almost a good product, except that the bearings suck. Although the grip is excellent, the reliability is horrible, as is the company's customer service. I'd buy a different pair of pedals.