Tested: Crankbrothers Stamp 1 (Gen 2) Composite Pedal 1

Composite flat pedals have been becoming better and better over the past few years, to the point that they are now a fully legitimate alternative to their alloy counterparts. Improvements in materials and design have enabled companies to produce composite versions of their best alloy pedals, and in many cases, the end result is close to delivering the exact same performance level. Crankbrothers has been selling their Stamp 1 composite pedal for a few years now, but the design wasn’t all that exciting to begin with and it had definitely fallen behind the market leaders in terms of dimensions and grip. With the second generation Stamp 1 that launches today, Crankbrothers is aiming to catch up – and then some! Keep reading to learn more about the new pedal and find out what we thought of it on the trail.

Crankbrothers Stamp 1 (Gen 2) Highlights

• Reinforced composite body
• Chromoly steel spindle
• Low, concave profile
• Available in two platform sizes
• 10 replaceable pins per pedal
• IGUS premium bearings & seal system
• 5-year warranty
• Weight: 349 grams (size L, verified)
• MSRP: $59.99 USD / €59.99 EUR

Initial Impressions

When looking for inspiration for the new Stamp 1 shape, Crankbrothers didn’t have far to go; the excellent Stamp 7 alloy pedal was a great starting point. The platform is wide and flat, and it’s available in two different sizes to fit different sizes of feet. The composite version is a couple of millimeters thicker than the alloy version, probably for durability reasons, but other than that, the measurements are almost identical.

Comparing the new Stamp 1 to the pedals covered in our big Flat Pedal Face Off feature, it checks in with good concavity and quite generous “Pin-To-Axle” measurements (the distance from the outermost pin to the crankarm, which gives an indication of effective size of a pedal under the foot).

• PTA: 110 mm
• Platform 115 (L) x 110 (W)
• Height (with pins): 25 mm
• Thickness (at thickest): 15 mm
• Concavity: 6 mm
• Weight: 349 grams (size L, verified)

The pins are quite long, and go through the entire pedal body from side to side. There are ten pins in total, and they are all placed along the outer perimeter of the pedal body. While they only offer an allen key interface on one side of each pin, this design should still allow you to remove a pin from either side if you should happen to mangle one. The pins are pretty thick which also bodes well for longevity in this area.

The Stamp 1 shares its insides with the much more expensive Stamp 7, which is a really nice touch at this price point. The short spindle spins on IGUS LL-Glide bushings, which in our experience with previous Crankbrothers pedals will last you a long time. The spindle is easy to remove from the crank side of the pedal, all you have to do is undo two bolts and the whole assembly slides right out. Crankbrothers has rebuild kits available as well to allow you to refresh bushings and seals as needed.

On The Trail

It’s no secret that we like a big flat pedal here at Vital, and with the Stamp 1 we were well served (for this tester’s size 46 EU/12 US feet, we obviously opted for the large size pedal). The relatively low profile of the pedal combined with good concavity provided a positive feel under the foot, and the grip proved more than adequate from the start.

All other things being equal, a composite pedal body tends to be a little bit more slippery on the surface than an alloy version, and this is the case here as well. However, the Stamp 1 pedal body is a lot more concave than its predecessor, and the spindle area is now the thinnest part of the pedal, which together with the long-ish pins provides for good effective concavity. The result is a pedal that you can depend on in any situation, and we never felt undergunned no matter which type of trails we were riding. We’ve tested with several different shoes and the pedal performed well in all cases.

One of the advantages of the more slippery composite surface is the ability of the pedal to slide on obstacles as opposed to hang up on them. Crankbrothers also gave the Stamp 1 an offset profile, with chamfered leading edges that further help the pedal to get up and over things like rocks and stumps. We’ve been testing this pedal for about four months now (after receiving our test samples at Sea Otter), and the pedals have held up really well. They have some scuff marks to show for it, but other than that, they’re still absolutely good to go.

What’s The Bottom Line?

There are several good options out there for those looking to pick up a quality composite flat pedal these days. Crankbrothers has redesigned their Stamp 1 based on its more expensive, alloy counterparts, and the result is a large and confidence-inspiring pedal that performs well on any trail and in pretty much any circumstances. The quality axle and bushing system should last a long time, and the pedal body itself appears to be very robust. At just $59.99 USD, the Stamp 1 is competitively priced, and we would definitely consider it one of the composite pedal contenders now.

More information at: www.crankbrothers.com.

View key specs, compare pedals, and review the Stamp 1 Gen 2 in the Vital MTB Product Guide.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 50 // Years Riding MTB: 18 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Johan Hjord and Tal Rozow