Here are the results of our research for the best mountain bike pedals under 50 dollars. We did our best to find pedals which have high ratings, a great grip, and are durable. Many pedals come in a wide variety of colors and are very lightweight. Please take a look below.
1. MZYRH Mountain Bike Pedals [Best Overall Under 50]
Just because you have a $50 budget for your mountain bike pedals doesn’t really mean you’re limited to just the plastic pedals. Here you get a tough set of aluminum pedals, with a sealed lubricated 3-bearing platform with 12 studs on each side.
One guy did complain about a weird noise coming from the pedals after about a month, which annoyed him a lot. But another owner of these pedals found out that he had to first check the the results studs beforehand. Some of them may need tightening first. Once that’s done, the problem’s solved.
Most people marvel at how well this set of pedals worked for them. They are quite lightweight at just 0.45 pounds each, but they measure 4.1 inches by 3.58 inches. That’s a nice amount of space for your feet, and it’s also an inch thick.
For most people, this set of pedals really is tough and durable. One cyclist used his bike in lots of technical areas, with plenty of creek beds and climbs, along with rocks, roots, and stumps along the way. He has bashed the pedals several times, often while riding downhill, while jumping, or when making a hairpin turn. Yet the pedals held magnificently, without bending or breaking.
Another guy also said the same thing. He’s extremely elated with its performance, since he’s not exactly a lightweight himself as he weighs at least 300 pounds.
The number of studs here also satisfied a lot of cyclists, since their presence basically guaranteed that their feet won’t slip off the pedals. The grip is very solid. Also, many of the users reported that even after many miles and months of use, the pedal still spins freely and smoothly. For this kind of money $50, they really felt that they got a bargain with the MZYRH mountain bike pedals.
Also, they are available in several striking color schemes. While black is the perennial favorite (it goes with any bike color), you can opt for a blue and red color scheme or even a black and purple combination.
2. Best OneUp Components Composite Pedal
Here is another set of pedals with several color options available. While there’s still the basic black, you can get really bright pedals with colors like purple, orange, green, red, and blue.
They are built with the very same platform you find in the OneUp Components Aluminum Pedal, except this time it’s made with a more affordable composite alloy. But even though it comes at half the price of the aluminum, you still get the same weight and size, and even the same great grip.
One review summed up all the compliments that this set of pedals has received. He found that the pedals were tough, since he took a huge hit while going through a technical trail. He hit a rock hard enough that he thought that the pedals would crack. But when he checked the pedals, the pins didn’t bend at all.
He also appreciated the grip offered by the pins. These pins are actually removable, but he likes having all of them in. Each pedal surface can feature as many as 20 pins (that’s 40 pins for each pedal), which really makes sure his feet never slid off the pedal.
Another guy added that he likes the size and shape of the pedals. They are big enough that he doesn’t have to plant his feet in “just the right way” to feel planted on the pedal. Instead, he just puts his feet on the pedals and it always feels right.
The pedal offers a very stable platform for sure. What’s more, he says the somewhat contoured shape of the pedals aren’t there just to make it look nice. Somehow, this shape offers a very natural feel that leaves the cyclist feeling connected to the bike more fully.
All in all, this pedal feels nicely stiff like any other premium pedal with a higher price tag. While the body is made from lightweight nylon composite, the axle is made from durable black chromoly steel. It’s really tough enough for mountain biking, and it offers a great platform for steep climbs and descents.
3. Fooker 3-Bearing 9/16-Inch Nylon Fiber Pedals
Have you heard about the Race Face Chester pedals? They’re among the best pedals you can get, but they’re not exactly low-priced. Somehow, the Fooker brand made an almost exact replica of the design, down to the high-quality bearings and the premium fiber-reinforced nylon. So now you get to enjoy the benefits at a lower price, since Fooker didn’t exactly spend a lot on research and development.
One reviewer actually pointed this out in his negative review, but it was “negative” only in the sense that he was complaining about the blatantly copying of the design. He bemoaned that the Fooker brand really did a good job of replicating the design because this set of pedals performed just as well as the more expensive originals!
Another rider (who maybe didn’t know or didn’t care about the possible intellectual property infringement) tried this out. After many hours of evaluation, using a difficult trail with damp sections, plenty of steep descents, and many fast switchbacks, he declared that any mtb rider who prefers to go clipless will immediately love this set of pedals. He was that adamant.
His feet never slipped off the pedals, not even a single time. The power transfer efficiency is fantastic, and he can just step on the pedals and he’ll easily get a firm platform.
They do offer a nice size, measuring 4.3 inches long and 3.94 inches wide along with a width of almost an inch (0.98 inches). The anti-skid nails on each side work effectively to hold your feet in place, even if they’re covered with thick mud.
The sealed bearing spindles are protected from dust and water, so you don’t get any annoying noise or maybe even more serious issues. All in all, these pedals are resistant to shock, abrasion, and corrosion. Not bad for nylon pedals that weigh only 0.79 pedals in total.
They are available in many different colors. Black is of course available, but you can get this in light blue or even yellow if you want. The only problem here is maybe the brand name itself—some people might get offended when you tell them that you really love your Fooker pedals.
4. ROCK BROS Nylon Fiber + Cr-Mo MTB Pedals
These Rock Bros pedals are also available in several colors, including green or orange if you like that sort of thing. While your color preferences are entirely subjective, you’re perfectly objective if you decide to love the performance of these pedals. That’s because most people who get this set of pedals end up raving about it.
One guy bought these pedals after utterly destroying his plastic pedals riding a rather difficult trail. He didn’t really have much of a budget, so he was expecting low quality to go with the low $50 price of these pedals. But he was amazed at how these pedals performed. He put it through its paces, and even with lots of punishment and still came out undamaged.
Another cyclist also offered favorable comments, as he liked the low weight of the pedals even while they offered a truly tight grip on his shoes. While his purchase came with replacement pegs, he didn’t really need them. His feet never slipped even in muddy conditions.
He actually updated his review and said that after 7 months of hard riding, the pedals were still going strong. The grip remained awesome, and the pedals still worked smoothly even after every type of weather condition imaginable.
It’s not surprising that they are tough, since it’s made of rugged nylon fiber. The spindles have high-strength Cr-Mo to make sure that the pedals won’t break even after huge hits on the trail.
The pedals are also designed with ergonomics in mind, plus they’re nicely wide at 4.1 inches. Just plant your feet on these pedals, and the anti-skid nails on each side will keep them from slipping off even with extremely muddy conditions. You get 10 of these nails on each side.
The high speed DU bearings also do their job well, offering enhanced pedaling efficiency with a comfortable ride even for long trips.
5. Race Face Chester Nylon Composite Mountain Bike Pedal
The alloy version of the RaceFace Chester mountain bike pedal is among the most famous pedals in the industry, with its terrific performance and durability. The main problem with it is that you won’t be able to afford it if your budget is limited to $50. The good news is that Race Face made a more affordable version of the pedals, this time using nylon composite but with cro-mo for the axle. They still used the same size for the platform, and you still get the 8 hex traction pins per side.
The resulting pedal is absolutely terrific, even with the lower price. As one buyer admitted, it’s hard to beat this kind of performance when you’re limited to just spending fifty bucks. It simply offers a tremendous value for your money.
One guy uses this pedal with his Adidas Five Ten’s and found these pedals outstanding. In fact, the pedals were even more durable than the 5/10’s, as he is now on his second pair. The pedals are still going strong for him, with an utterly firm grip on the shoes that won’t let his feet slide off the pedals.
He acknowledges that he’s broken some of the pins along the way, but then he knew this is normal. It’s not as if he found the pins hard to replace, since they’re easy to source. He does marvel at the durability of the nylon body. Even after a long time of riding so many miles with tough terrain and weather conditions, the pedal body is basically unscratched.
Another guy also praised the pedals, though he wears Fila skate shoes while biking. He confessed that his shoes never budged at all once he planted them on the pedals. He also confirms the reports about the durability of these pedals. He has hit lots of roots and rocks, hard enough that he expected the pedal to break at some point, but they never did.
You even get your choice of colors to match the rest of the bike, if you don’t want to go with the basic black. You can get blue, red, green, yellow, or even turquoise!
6. Crankbrothers Stamp Flat BMX/MTB Bike Pedal
The nice thing about this set of pedals (or rather, one of the nice things) is that they acknowledge that people can have different shoe sizes. That’s why you can go with either the small or large version of this pedal. In fact, you’re even able to customize the pedal with the 9 adjustable pins per side. You can even choose the stamp version, as there are 2 versions of the Y-frame on the pedal to pick from.
One newbie to mountain bikes has tried them out, after almost a year of going with the plastic pedals that come stock with his bikes. He found that it took him a couple of rides to get used to the adjustable pins, but afterwards he admitted that the grip was undoubtedly superior. He never lost his footing on the pedal even through mud and rain, or while climbing.
He also marveled at its strength and endurance. He has hit his pedals hard a few times, and in some cases, it was hard enough to create actual sparks. But the pedals didn’t bend or break, though of course there were a few scratches on the paint.
A 20-year veteran of mtb bikes actually has similar opinions about this pedal. In fact, his only regret is not knowing about this pedal all these years. He bemoans about all the money he has spent on inferior yet more expensive pedals, when he could have saved himself the trouble just by spending less than 50 bucks.
It all starts with the right size. Go with the small pedal if your shoe size is within sizes 5 to 10. Pick the larger set of pedals if you have a bigger shoe size. Then play around and experiment with the adjustable pins. Once you feel that you’re locked in, you’ve got the right configuration.
7. BONMIXC Bike Pedals
Checking the spec sheets on this set of BONMIXC pedals and you’ll find the usual stuff. It’s made of aluminum alloy with a Cr-Mo spindle and 9/16-inch threading. The sealed bearings are waterproof and dust-proof, while you have lots of replaceable stainless-steel pins (24 of them, actually) on each pedal.
What’s not so common is how so many people have such a high regard for these pedals. One cyclist switched to this set, after using more expensive pedals in the past. He’s a senior citizen, and he likes leisurely rides at speeds of 8 to 10 mph. But with this set of pedals, he found that he was going 12 mph with even less effort when pedaling. The pedals were that smooth in spinning and efficient with the power transfer.
Others love the grip of the pedal, which basically prevents any kind of slippage. With 24 pins on each pedal, that’s pretty much expected. These pedals are also quite sturdy, as plenty of people report banging the pedals and using them for 2 years and they’re still going strong.
It may have helped that BONMIXC uses a high-strength aluminum alloy called AL6061 for the pedals. It resists even abrasions and scratches. The wide platform measuring 4 inches by 4.6 inches offers a large contact area for your shoes, and then you have the 24 hexagonal pins on each pedal. It also helps that the pedals aren’t heavy, as they weigh just 0.43 pounds each.
It’s easy to install as well, as long as your bike can deal with the 9/16-inch threading (and not need the ½-inch threading) for the spindle. While this is meant for mtb bikes since it was designed to be tough, you can also use them for urban bikes and folding bikes. After all, you’re getting a nice set of pedals for under 50 dollars.
8. VP Components VP-Vice Pedals
VP Components is a thin and lightweight pedal, but it sure is tough and durable. They come with a half-inch spindle, if your bike doesn’t work with the 9/16-inch. You have 14 steel pins for each pedal side, to make sure that your shoes stay put once you plant them on the pedals. They are an all-around trail flat pedal that you can rely on, and you won’t have to pay through the nose for it.
However, if you can afford it then you can get the Forged Titanium Axle upgrade kit to really bolster its strength and performance. But many who have used them say that you don’t really need the upgrade at all.
One guy has used more expensive brand-name pedals in the past, but recent paycheck problems forced him to cut back on his bike accessories. So, he was pleasantly surprised that these pedals weren’t just as good as his old ones. They were even better. His feet never slipped off the pedals (not even once) during an entire day of riding. He also found it much easier to climb a hill on his mtb.
Another cyclist agreed, saying that these pedals are the best not just for the under-$50 category. Even for pedals that cost under $100, these pedals are exemplary. He likes the large platform for his feet, which maximizes the power transfer when pedaling. It also makes it easier to pedal with a narrow profile because it’s closely fitted to the cranks. Even the anodized finish looks cool.
With the aluminum alloy for the pedals, you can expect a lot of strength and durability. The steel pins are plenty, so your feet get a good grip. These pins are also replaceable, so if they bend or break you can just replace them instead of buying new pedals.
You’ll like the sealed cartridge bearings, which are protected from dust and water. The high-quality Cr-Mo axle can also take a lot of bumps along the way, so don’t worry about technical terrain. They can deal with such issues without any trouble.
9. LYCAON Bike Mountain Bicycle Pedals For Under 50
The Lycaon is available in black, but the light blue and red colors also look nice. You may want to go with these eye-catching colors, but it’s the performance of these pedals that will really get your attention. Just make sure your bike takes in a half-inch spindle.
One guy didn’t really like the way it looked at first, thinking that the pedals didn’t seem all that solid. But he proved himself wrong after plenty of weeks testing out the pedals through several hundred miles. It’s not just tough. The bearings offer a very smooth action as well, so that pedaling doesn’t seem to require as much effort. The metal spikes also work as intended, as it gave him the sure grip on the pedals he wants.
Another guy compared this to the Chester pedals, since they’re both made of aluminum. But he got the same level of performance even when he only paid half the price of the iconic Chesters. He finds the grip incredible, and he likes the wider footprint as well.
They do offer a sizable platform, as the pedal measures 4 by 4 inches. It’s only 0.71 inches thick, which gives a low profile while also cutting down on the weight. Each pedal only weighs 0.37 pounds, which is incredibly lightweight.
The 2-DU bearing system works very effectively in offering smooth action. You also get the standard Cr-Mo spindle and the aluminum alloy casting body for reliable durability.
Your package even comes with a small wrench, to make sure that you don’t have any trouble with the installation. That’s a surprising freebie, considering that this set of pedals doesn’t cost fifty bucks. You’ll save a lot of money with these pedals, and you save yourself a lot of trouble as well.
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