Designed to keep your feet rock steady, and keep that dreaded axle play to a minimum while being fully weather sealed, the Pinnd CS2 pedals are a cut above.
Featuring a needle bearing on the inner part of the body, the Pinnd CS2 do away with the axle play associated with bushes whilst doing their best to keep service intervals as far apart as possible. Made in Scotland, they’ve been tested in some pretty minging environments.
Pete heads into the slop to see if the hype is real.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- 7075 T6 Anodised Aluminium body
- Grade 5 Titanium axle
- Inner HK1015 Needle Bearing
- 2 x Outer Cartridge Bearings
- 110 x 105mm platform
- 9mm concave profile
- 26 Stainless pins supplied
- 420g w/ stainless pins
- 5 year limited warranty
- £195.00 RRP
- Pinnd.co.uk
While £195 might seem like a lot of money for a pair of pedals, the Pinnd CS2 flats are in the ballpark for a Ti-axled pair. Nukeproof’s Ti axle offerings are only a fiver less, so you’re getting plenty of pedal for your money with the Pinnd numbers.
Pinnd are a Scottish company and have come at pedals with a clear bit of problem solving in mind. Bushes always wear and leave sloppy axles which most of us will deal with up to a point. With that in mind, the CS2s come with three bearings total, one needle bearing and two cartridge offerings. The thinking behind the need bearing is to make play a thing of the past whilst also providing a consistent seal to the elements. This should, in theory, keep them running smooth forever.
Platform-wise, you get a 7075 T6 alloy body, with 26 stainless pins supplied. If you’re concerned about weight, Ti and Alloy pins are available. I haven’t run the four central pins to maximise the concave, which, on the body, sits at 9mm. Axles are Grade 5 Titanium and no, don’t expect a steel axle any time soon. Pinnd are keen to stick to high-end materials, and reckon steel axles will bend or snap more than their Ti offerings.
The pedals feel lighter than they look, and under my Specialized 2FO Canvas flat shoes, they stick out just a touch beyond the outer edge of the shoe. Fitting is by an 8mm Allen key only.
It’s been almost a decade since I dabbled with flats seriously, and there was some apprehension about going in deep with the Pinnd pedals and having no way of telling if they were any good or not… A week in Spain put paid to that after fumbling about in the slick woods at home in Scotland.
Laps of the Benalmadena classic ‘Ridiculator’, proved their worth immediately as I very quickly had to concentrate on getting my feet settled early or risk not being able to reset them once I was off and away. Grip is high, very high. Get your foot right and straight before you drop in and they will see you to the bottom whatever happens. I feel sorry for anything I have clipped with them, as despite the light weight, they have busted through the toughest of Andalucian rock without even a whimper.
The pins have stayed put and shown little sign of coming loose or bending despite some hefty impacts. It’s yet to be seen whether the needle bearing is up to the task as the pedals haven’t had a full winter’s use, so keep your eyes peeled for another review once they’ve dealt with a bit more winter slop.
What do we think?
Sensibly-priced, UK-made flat pedals that offer high grip and should, in theory, last forever and be easy enough to service once forever rocks up. The Pinnd CS2s are a quality bit of kit.
We love:
- UK-made
- Loads of grip
- Long service intervals
Could do better:
- Steel axle option would make them more affordable
