e*thirteen Base Flat Pedal

Who else uses layers in Photoshop to superimpose pedals and compare pin placement and body dimensions? Well I did since I needed new flat pedals and I couldn't see any of them in a bike shop thanks to the current virus situation.

My choices were narrowed to a few composite pedals because that's what I've been using with great success since 8 years, and it's also what I'll only use forever if I am given the choice. My Photoshop layers consisted of : Bontrager Line Elite, Chromag Synth, TAG Metals T3 Nylon, E Thirteen Base, Deity Compound and the OneUp Composite pedals. As always, I prioritize durability and function over looks and bling factor, but since they all seemed of good quality, here's why I chose the ones reviewed here.

The E Thirteen Base pedals have the lowest MSRP of the choices listed above, but they don't have less features. They have a big 100x110mm composite platform and a thin slightly concave shape, which I now prefer over the convex pedals (One Up composites and Deity Compounds) that I was previously riding. I get the foot/shoe flex theory behind the convex pedals, but in my experience, the concave shape suits me better. The E Thirteen textured relief on the center part makes for some added grip and they have shaved some material over the axle to help create the concavity. Plus they were the only pedal of the bunch to feature two added pins in between the axle and the front/rear parts of the pedal. This might be one more reason to explain why they grip so well and feel so secure.

Right off the bat, I will have to admit that I have swapped the stock 8mm-long front and rear pins on the E Thirteen by 10mm pins and nylon locknuts from my OneUp pedals. (Note : E Thirteen say that the Base have 6mm pins and include replacement 4mm pins in the box, but mine definitely came with 8mm pins and no replacements.) Different companies sell the same M3 bolts, but I have since went to the specialized hardware shop to get a bunch of stainless replacement pins for like 0.06$/each. Anyways, after the longer pin "upgrade", I knew those would be awesome pedals. Even if I have installed the nylon locknuts, I've never had pins loosen with standard-type nuts but since I had them on hand, why not.

The Base composite pedals roll on an outside bearing and an inside bushing so there isn't much to break, and they seem very well sealed. I've seen some grease smearing from the body around the axle, but they still spin like new so I don't think they had anything get inside them yet. The caps were bolted tight and haven't come loose at all, which is always reassuring. I've bashed the body and pins onto many rocks and aside from a few scratches, the 22 pins are all still in place and straight. The added bonus of composite material is that the scratches aren't that visible on the pedals so they still look relatively fresh even after seasons of use. One could even file or sand the edges to make them as new, but even I wouldn't do this.

Performance-wise, I have noticed that my feet don't come out of the pedals as easily as on the One Ups, even if they both have the same pin height (with my pin swap). There is one particular janky trail where I noticed that it happened every time on the OneUps but it doesn't happen with the E Thirteen. The shape must have something to do then. Moving my feet to adjust foot position hasn't been an issue either, so I'd rate them great in the grip department.

Honestly, I only have positive things to say about these pedals. I never think about them on the trail, and I am always surprised by their durability after scraping rocks. If I could add two suggestions to make them awesomer, it would be 1) Sell them with a longer pin kit in the box so people could adjust pin height to their preferences, and 2) Although I always buy black pedals, some people might like more color options (they also have red and blue). All in all, they're well priced too and with the 1-2$ longer pin swap, I'd rate them pretty close to perfect! I might be a slight annoyance to have to do this, but it was a non-issue for me.