The Sage Alloy Pedal by Trail One Components: Is This the Flat Pedal That Puts All Others to Shame?

The Sage Alloy Pedal by Trail One Components - Is This the Flat Pedal That Puts All Others to Shame?

Intro:

Finding the perfect set of flat pedals is a little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One set might look perfect at first, but you quickly realize the concave is wrong or the pins are too small. Another set may look grippier, but the platform is massive and ugly, or the pins feel like you’re standing on nails. It’s surprisingly difficult to find a flat pedal that checks all the boxes for trail riding. After all, keeping your feet on the pedals is a pretty foundational step to staying confident in rough terrain.

For me, the Trail One Components Sage Alloy Pedal hits the nail on the head. It lands right at the intersection of high grip, good looks, durability, and serviceability, which is pretty much the perfect recipe for a great flat pedal.

Specs:

The Sage Alloy Pedal is Trail One’s second entry into the pedal market and its first metal offering. The 6061 alloy body is CNC machined from a single block, providing a durable yet relatively lightweight platform, with each pedal weighing in at 216 grams (217g on my scale). The 110mm x 110mm platform uses 10 pins per side and features a slight concave, providing plenty of grip without making it feel impossible to readjust your foot. There are three colors to choose from: black, bronze, or silver (raw).

One of the coolest parts about the Sage Pedal is its rebuildability. For the lifetime of the pedal, Trail One Components will provide one free rebuild kit per year to keep them running like new. As someone who seems to inflict significant damage on pedals and is constantly stripping old pairs for spare parts, this was awesome to hear. And, as with all Trail One Components products, $1 from every purchase is donated to the product’s namesake. In this case, that’s the Sage Trail Alliance based in Santa Barbara, California.

At $140, the Sage Alloy Pedal is also one of the more budget-friendly options in the premium alloy pedal category.

The first time I held the Sage Alloy Pedal in my hands, I could genuinely feel the quality. The CNC work on these is amazing, and the polished finish gives them a premium feel, something I find lacking on many similar options on the market. Of course, there’s only so much you can learn about a pedal by holding it in your hands, so I greased up the threads, spun them on, and headed out for some trail riding.

On Trail Performance: 

Within the first few pedal strokes, my feet felt comfortable and settled naturally into the sweet spot of the body. The slight concave is noticeable without being excessive, and, importantly, you don’t feel the axle underneath your foot. That’s a small detail that has driven me nuts with other flat pedals. There’s only a single pin in the middle of the body, which provides some extra grip without having screws digging into the ball of your foot. The platform also felt plenty large and fit my feet well both length- and width-wise.

On-trail performance lived up to the first impression, with the Sage Alloy Pedal performing exactly how I’d expect a premium flat pedal to perform. There are gobs of grip, but I can still readjust my foot when an untimely buck knocks me out of the sweet spot. That balance is important. I want my shoes locked in when things get rough, but I don’t want to feel like I have to completely lift my foot off the pedal every time I need to make a small adjustment.

I also really like how the pedal body sits close to the crank without anything getting in the way. I’ve spent enough time on a dirt bike that whenever I’m not clipped in, I naturally find myself squeezing the bike with my ankles and knees. These pedals let me slide my feet close to the crank and get that feedback on the inside of my foot. It’s a small detail, but one that I really didn't like about my previous long-term flats, the Spank Spikes.

Fortunately, I’ve yet to actually rebuild my Sage Alloy Pedals, so I can’t comment firsthand on that process. The stock bearings are still spinning smoothly after more than a year of MTB smashing and dirt-jump casing, which is probably a better outcome anyway.

That said, after a brief scroll through the instructions on the Trail One website, I’d call the rebuild a two-beer operation. The process looks fairly straightforward and mostly requires tools you probably already have at home. A 10–14mm ID blind bearing puller will likely be the primary hang-up for most otherwise well-equipped home mechanics, but that isn’t too difficult to source. After all, if you’re getting free rebuild kits for life, you may as well be prepared to use them.

There really aren’t many downsides to the Sage Alloy Pedals. If you’re an absolute weight weenie, there are definitely lighter options on the market. Although I’d like to meet the weight-weenie flat-pedal riders. There can’t be many of you!

The bearings also aren’t the fastest rolling I’ve felt in a pedal, but I’m more than willing to make that trade for something designed to hold up over the long haul. A pedal spindle sees an almost uncountable number of revolutions along with impacts, side loads, dirt, water, and whatever else you smash into on the trail. In that application, I’d rather have a bearing that feels solid and lasts than chase outright free-spinning speed.

Final Thoughts:

So, is this the flat pedal that beats out all of the competition? I sure think so.

The Trail One Components Sage Alloy Pedal lands at a pretty perfect intersection of good looks, tons of grip, competitive weight, and durability, all without breaking the bank. After more than a year of riding, the bearings are still smooth, the platform gives me the grip I want without making foot adjustments a pain, and the overall design has proven tough enough for everything from regular trail riding to poorly executed dirt-jump landings.

Add in a lifetime supply of rebuild kits to keep them spinning fresh, and I’m really not sure what else I’d want from a flat pedal.