Crank Brothers Stamp 1 Composite Pedals: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Crank Brothers is one of the best when it comes to flat pedals. With tons of styles and color options, you are sure to find a set that perfectly matches your bike. Our customer George went with some Stamp 1 Composite pedals. Check out his review!

Overview

My bike came stock with some pretty decent aluminum pedals. I switched to flats because my now more capable bike was taking me down more treacherous terrain. While I found the stock pedals to be reliable, I didn’t always like the feeling of “rolling” off the edge of the pedal, and I felt like I’d be more confident with a larger platform. After all, pedals are one of the main contact points.

I did the research, watched the videos, and scoured the internet. And hesitated. 

• Must haves: Larger platform for my size 12's, both width and length.
• Composite: I’ve had enough pedal strikes to know that composite “bounces” off rocks instead of bringing me to a screeching halt.
• Not convex: I tried a pair of convex pedals and they felt…weird.
• Price point: As much as I’d love a set of T-macs (who wouldn’t) I also like feeding my kids regularly.

So after a bit of research and a generous gift certificate, I purchased the Large Crank Brothers Stamp 1 in blue.

First Impressions

I threw on my shoes, mounted the pedals and spun around the block. I could already tell a difference. They look awesome on my bike. It’s tough to match the blue on my bike but these coordinate well. I thought it might be too much but I’m glad I went with it.

Larger platform makes a difference! Easier to find my foot position, and even if my feet get knocked off I don’t feel like I’m searching for the pedal. Even if I’m off a little, the larger platform gives some grace. I feel more confident and planted. Perfect for my size 12's. I feel more efficient. I think having more foot on the pedal I can plant and drive more than constantly trying to get the “sweet spot” on my smaller pedals.

They are very thin. Even though they are 10-15 mm bigger both directions than my old pedals, I don’t feel like they are sticking out so far I’ll keep bashing them. In fact I had a pedal strike just yesterday, it wasn’t nearly as jarring as it was on my old aluminum set.

What I Don't Like

These are pretty flat pedals. If there’s a drawback to composite pedals, I don’t feel like the center spindle is as thin as aluminum ones, meaning it’s harder to get a concave shape without creating a thicker pedal at the edges, which are most prone to strikes. Fully screwed in the 10mm center screws barely clear the spindle. So until I really dig in while I’m pedaling, I don’t feel like the pedal sticks as much as I’d like. No slippage on climbs and when I drop my heels on a descent, but on flat sections if I don’t have a hard enough gear the pedal could get away and I have to reset.

I decided that the 10mm screws aren’t long enough, at least on the ends. My solution was to put 12mm screws on the leading edges to create a more concave shape. So far so good. Testing one pedal with the 12mm and one with stock 10mm pins I noticed the longer pins made the pedal significantly stickier without compromising foot movement when I need it. I did find out Crank Brothers doesn’t sell longer pins, but a trip to my local hardware store and I was able to get a set of 12mm m3 socket screws to test it out. I ordered enough online to do both pedals and have few extras. A pretty inexpensive upgrade, and one I think Crank Brothers could offer.

Final Thoughts

I love these pedals. They check all the boxes for me without breaking the bank. I get more than enough pedal from these for a great price and I think they’ll last a long time. I shopped long and hard and I’m not disappointed. If you have a larger foot and prefer composite pedals, give these a whirl. You may or may not prefer to have the longer pins like I do, but it’s a simple solution and easy upgrade to a solid pedal.