DMR Flat 4 pedals

The DMR Flat 4 pedals are an excellent choice for everything from commuting to gravel riding. They're impressively grippy, can be customised for yet more security, and are easily rebuildable once the time comes. That should be quite a while, though, as they're well sealed and built seriously tough.

The Flat 4 is essentially a regular flat pedal with a couple of bolt-on extras – the raised bars front and back with rubbery, textured pads on top. These create a gentle concavity that, combined with four long pins in the centre, offer impressive grip even for regular footwear. In proper flat-pedal shoes, they're very secure. (For our pick of the best flat pedal shoes, check out our buyer's guide.)

DMR says these would be good for triathletes as they work well with running shoes, and I can see that being true – assuming you're not too worried about weight. At 485g these are reasonable for commuter/basic off-road pedals, but you can certainly go far lighter, especially for racing.

> Everything you need to know about bike pedals: from clipless to flat pedals and everything in between

Because the bumpers unscrew and leave holes that can be filled with pins instead, there's an obvious way to test grip – convert one side to full pins, leave the other stock, and keep swapping sides mid-ride. So that's what I did, riding all kinds of gravel terrain either on full pins, full bumpers or just one of each.

What surprised me most was just how small the difference is; the bumpers would let my feet move forward tiny amounts over time, and I'd find myself occasionally repositioning, but really that was it. On everything from rough descents to tricky tight, loose hairpins, I never found these lacking for grip in the stock layout. The four long central pins obviously get good purchase thanks to the bumpers focusing your weight down onto them.

The bumpers do add a bit of height over the full pin layout – enough that I wanted to make a small saddle adjustment to compensate – but it's certainly not enough to be an issue.

As DMR flags the customisable nature as a selling point, it's a little disappointing the extra pins don't come in the box. Instead the Flat 4 Pin Set comes separately, and is another £15. Obviously that takes the total price up to £75, which in turn affects the value, but then it's not really something to buy right from day one – you're better off getting 'regular' flats in the first place if that's what you're after. As an upgrade you can buy later instead of a new pair of pedals, however, it looks like a better deal.

Note the kit also includes stainless steel blanking plates should you want to retain the reflector (it slots in and is held by the bumpers) while running full pins, plus a tiny hex key and hex socket for the pins, which in turn come in long and short versions for fine-tuning grip.

So the downsides to the bumpers are negligible, but what are the upsides? You'll suffer less damage to soft soles over time – though those long central pins will still claw at them – and they're probably a bit less painful if you smack one into your shin. Full disclosure: I didn't actually try that bit.

Essentially, the Flat 4s are great for bikes that see a bit of everything, and more capable for serious off-road riding than any run-of-the-mill 'commuter' pedals. Switch to full pins and they're easily at home on a mountain bike.

With a diecast aluminium body and chromoly axles these are certainly tough (I've run multiple sets of alloy DMR pedals over many years, and they've all suffered big impacts without bending or breaking), and like those other models these are easy to dismantle and service.

They're reasonably thick at 22mm, though with a 92 x 100mm platform they're also relatively narrow, should ground/rut/rock clearance be important to you. Again, though, if that's your intention from the start, regular pedals are a better way to go. DMR itself does its venerable V8, with a very similar spec and construction but a simpler all-pins design, for £43.

Value

At £60 these look expensive next to a great many basic flat pedal options out there, especially if you're willing to trust your health and happiness to the shallow end of Amazon; the Nuwab Premium Bike Pedals, for instance, can be yours for just £9.97. Sounds like a snip, though hopefully not a snap.

However, the Flat 4s do offer some very valuable certainties: a very rugged build, easy servicing and excellent grip.

They also compare well with pedals from more established brands: the Race Face Chester Flat Pedals are just 5p cheaper than the DMRs at £59.95, and while they're also lighter at 368g, they're composite (plastic, in other words) and not as well shaped; the central bar is raised, which helps neither grip not comfort.

The Flat 4s are also slightly cheaper than the Look Geo City Grip Pedals, now £64.90, and while they're also grippy for regular shoes and look good, they're even heavier at 538g.

Shimano does an interesting option in the XT PD-T8000 Trekking Pedals, which offer flats on one side and SPD on the other, but those inevitably cost more at £99.99.

Conclusion

Overall, these are great. While there are cheaper and/or lighter 'do everything' options, very few offer such impressive grip, comfort and strength as these, and fewer still are so easily serviceable. The Flat 4's lifespan is only increased by its ability to transform into a basic, yet tough and entirely capable mountain bike pedal further down the line; my only real complaint is that DMR doesn't include the necessary pins as standard. However, given its main role as a decent upgrade for a commuter or electric bike, and not as a dedicated off-road pedal per se, even that's not a major niggle.

Verdict

Very grippy, comfortable and versatile pedals for bikes that do a bit of everything