Xpedo JEK Flat Pedal

Review By Fred Robinson // Photos by Matt Puzel

We all know pedals are one of the most important choices when it comes to dialing in a bike exactly how you want it, and likely bike manufactures know this too which is why hardly any complete high-end bikes come pre-equipped with pedals; it's a highly personal choice. Xpedo clearly understands this and offers over 10 different configurations of the flat pedal with some pretty straight-forward designs as well as some completely out of the box designs. We got the chance to test Xpedo's JEK pedal, which is one of their more “standard” looking pedal designs currently offered. Slated as an all-around pedal with a 100x100x17mm platform, let's see where the JEK pedals really shine, and perhaps where they don't.

Features

• Weight: 390g
• Body: 6061 CNC Aluminum
• Spindle: CroMo
• Bearings: 1 Cartridge
• Bushings: 1 DU
• Pins: 16 Replaceable DAX pins per pedal
• Size: 100x100x17mm
• Colors: Black, Blue, Red, Polished Silver, Oil Slick (Limited Edition)
• MSRP: $79.99 USD

Initial Impressions

The JEK pedals we tested were the limited edition “Oil Slick” color, which definitely stands out right away. The finish is pretty damn cool looking, okay... really damn cool looking. The pedal body is a one-piece machined 6061 alloy platform with cutaways and a slight concave shape which gives the pedal a nice, solid feel. Despite the platform being a tad smaller than some other pedals out there, the pin-placement is spot on and there was plenty of grip when we paired them with some proper flat-pedal shoes.

The pedals spin on a CroMo axle with a single cartridge bearing and DU bushing, providing a smooth, controlled spin with no slop or excessive rotation. The pins can be removed from either side of the pedal, should you mangle them. On the business side of the pin you can remove them with a small box-wrench or adjustable wrench, but if that side of the pin is damaged you can remove it from the back with a 2mm hex-wrench; definitely a clutch feature if you're prone to hitting rocks with your pedals.

On The Trail

The Xpedo JEK pedals are intended for Trail, Freeride, Downhill, Urban, and Dirt Jumping and we tested them accordingly, but for the majority of our test they were either on our Trail bike or Downhill bike. As mentioned above, the pin-placement coupled with the slightly concave shape of these pedals really gave a positive and planted feel in terms of grip. For Trail, DJ and Urban riding, the pedal feel is pretty spot on with a solid grip but still allows you to move and adjust your foot accordingly without getting hung up. One thing to note is this isn't a super low-profile pedal and while it's not tall by most standards, if you're used to riding mega-thin pedals you will feel the difference, particularly when riding Downhill where a low center-of-gravity and extra stability really counts.

In regards to the platform size, the JEK pedals are said to be 100x100, but in actuality the contact patch is closer to 90mm front to back and 95mm wide. The 17mm thickness measurement is correct though. Even though these pedals do measure slightly smaller than advertised, we found the size adequate for DJ/Urban pedals.

Unfortunately, we got these pedals way past our “rainy season,” if you can even call it that, so we can't comment on the mud clearing abilities of these pedals.

Things That Could Be Improved

Since these pedals are intended for a wide variety of riding, there's always going to be some compromise, because what makes for a good DJ/Urban pedal is different than what makes for a good Trail/DH pedal. With that said, we feel the JEK pedals fall closer to the DJ/Urban side of things in terms of what this pedal is good at due to the platform size and thickness, plus the ease of adjusting your foot while still maintaining good grip. If this were to be a dedicated DH/Trail pedal, we'd have liked to see a thinner profile and wider platform. In other words, had this pedal not been designated as a somewhat “do-it-all” pedal and just a DJ/Urban pedal, we'd have zero criticisms, but it does fall a bit short in terms of an ideal pedal for the Downhill bike.

Long Term Durability

Since these pedals spent most of their time with us aboard our Trail and Downhill bikes, they did see a fair amount of abuse with rock-strikes and harsh landings. The pedal bodies have held up well with only minor scrapes and scratches, no bent axles or severely damaged cages. The pins have survived the hits nicely too and have resisted bending or shearing off completely. The pedals still spin smoothly and the axle has zero signs of play. So far so good in terms of durability for the JEK pedals.

What's The Bottom Line?

Despite the few downfalls we found with these pedals in regards to size and thickness when it comes to an ideal pedal for Downhill and Trail riding, they did seem to be up to the task in terms of durability for these disciplines. That said, if we were looking to buy ourselves some dedicated gravity pedals, we would likely look for a pedal with a thinner profile and wider platform such as the Xpedo Spry Pedal. But, if you're looking for a standout pedal in both the looks and feel department for your DJ/Urban/Skatepark ride, the Xpedo JEK's will definitely deliver, as that's where they feel most at home.

For more information check out xpedo.com

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