The Funn Python pedal is sleek and thin with a modern shape that provides exceptional grip. While it does things a little differently from the vast majority of options among the best MTB flat pedals, namely its convex profile, there’s a lot to like. That said it does require regular maintenance to keep it spinning perfectly.
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Funn Python pedals - Technical details
Released back in June 2023, Funn brought a host of fresh updates to its Python pedal and now, it gets a very different look. Rather than the CNC-machined construction it boasted before, it’s now forged from 6061 alloy, and the platform measures 103mm in width and 110mm in length. At the outermost edge, it’s a mere 8mm in depth while the centre, where the axle lives is 15mm. As such, it’s built with a convex profile that thins around the edge of the pedal body. It’s not quite as thin, but it brings some real competition to OneUp’s Aluminium pedal.
That alloy platform features 11 removable top-loading pins and there’s a handy tool in the box for removal, though the pins can be unscrewed using a small knipex tool or adjustable spanner. The Python rotates around two cartridge bearings with a full-length bushing axle system, all mounted on a Cro-Mo steel axle.
Funn claims that the pair of pedals weigh in at 375g – I weighed them at 376g.
Funn Python pedals - Performance
If it’s lightweight, low profile, and solid grip that you’re looking for, look no further as the Python consistently delivers on all three points. However, all is not well but first, the good stuff.
With its convex profile, the Python does things slightly differently. Most pedals are concave in shape, allowing the foot to rest and sit ‘in’ the pedal but with the Python, the foot almost wraps around the pedal. This forces its pins to sink into the sole in a slightly different way fostering up superlative grip.
And I’ll admit, that came as quite a surprise because the standard pins that are installed on the pedal fresh out of the box aren’t the tallest in the world but they are chunky, and they rely on their girth for increased surface area. This encourages plenty of adhesion to the pedal while providing excellent feel of the pedal body. It’s great to see that there’s some texture on the pins too, though whether or not this adds to the grip on offer is another question.
Included with my test sample, although Funn’s website states otherwise, was a pack of the longer pins. Once installed, they increased traction further but at the expense of the pedal feel that I liked so much about the shorter pins. Throughout all of the conditions that I’ve ridden these pedals through, I noticed very little of a downside posed by the shorter pins compared to the longer ones.
For reference, these pedals were tested with Shimano GF8 GTX, Ride Concepts TNT, and Fizik Gravita Versor flat shoes through all conditions but snow.
The Python’s new platform is unequivocally modern both in shape and more importantly, size. And because of that, the support that comes as a result is plentiful. During long descents, fatigue has been fended off with ease and during those proper bumpy rock garden moments, these pedals have kept my feet exactly where they need to be.
While this pedal’s almost paper thinness adds to the experience, keeping rock strikes while pedalling to a minimum, the Python is an acquired taste. Of course, not everyone will get on with the convex profile but the way the pedal’s length tapers from its broadest 10.5mm point inboard to its narrowest 9.9mm may not feel as natural as squarer pedals to some. Where support is good, this taper doesn’t keep that level of support consistent over the width of the foot. However, I’ve not found this to be a world-ending issue.
The Funn Python pedal is fantastic in many ways but it carries one main flaw and that’s in the sealing of its very simple internals. Between the pedal’s thread and the threaded component that keeps the axle in place is a rubber seal and an o-ring. It hasn’t taken long for these to get jammed up with dirt, especially throughout the British autumn and winter. As a result, there’s a big increase in friction which stops the pedal from rotating as freely as it should. After checking the bearings, that still roll uninhibited, I’ve found that it’s these rubber seals that are getting gummed up.
This is a downside that makes pedalling marginally harder than it should be, but remedying this requires full disassembly of the pedal, which is a perfectly easy job but doing so requires an axle fixture tool. That’s one thing that’s not exactly lying about it everyone’s tool kit but one can be picked up for a few quid from eBay.
Though, that is the only durability qualm that I’ve stumbled upon. Otherwise, the Funn pedal is looking rather good. Its thin profile helps to avoid pedal strikes to a point and that’s evident in the lack of damage that the pedal body has taken through my months of riding. The benefit of the chunky pins also means serious durability as they’re tough and will need a serious knock to sheer. And as mentioned before, the bearings are still running beautifully smooth.
Funn Python pedals - Verdict
The Python sits in a fairly competitive space but, at £110, it comes in lower than the Race Face Aeffect R and Pembree’s D2A, both of which are £130. They all share impressive grip levels and provide a similar hold on the foot.
The real competition comes in the form of PNW Components’ Loam Pedal which is priced at £94. Its top-loading pins are accessible via the bottom of the pedal, so if they were to bend they’re still easy to remove and its platform shape is incredibly similar. However, it marries a convex platform with a concave pin layout, which drives the long pins even deeper into the shoe rubber. Importantly, its axle design doesn’t require as frequent cleaning and it’s not as lightweight.
If you ride in a dryer climate or don’t mind the odd bit of fettling, the Funn Python flat pedal is an excellent addition to the flat pedal space. It offers plenty of grip with a competitively thin platform that packs a decent level of durability. The convex platform and tapered shape is something of an acquired taste but if that’s something that floats your boat, this pedal is sure to please.
