PNW Components Loam Pedal review

The Loam Pedals are PNW Components' first go at flat pedals and the brand has done a respectable job. They’ve proven to shrug off pedal strikes and spin just as well now as the day they were installed. They offer shed loads of grip, but the shape and feel is very much an acquired taste.

The Loam Pedals are made from forged and CNC’d 6061 aluminium, and to be honest, the finish is rather nice. They definitely feel substantial and are clearly machined really well. The pedal bodies spin around sealed cartridges and roller bearings that PNW says anyone is capable of servicing with an aftermarket service kit. As for weight, the brand claims they are 445g but for me, they weighed in at 447g… at just a fraction over, I’ll let them off.

Having taken them apart previously, I’ve found it to be very simple. If you’re servicing them on the bike, you’ll need one 4mm Allen key and that’ll grant you access to the gubbins inside once you slide the body off the axle. Each pin is accessed from the opposite side of the pedal and removable using a 2mm Allen key. What's handy here is that there’s a bump stop at the bottom of each thread on the pedal body, so you’ll never have to worry about lining each pin up properly. PNW has clearly thought very long and hard about servicing and it’s definitely paid off.

The pedal platform is home to 22 replaceable pins and measures 105mm in width by 115mm in length tapering to 9.5mm at the narrowest point. The pedal body has a convex shape with a concave pin layout, meaning that the pins are taller on the front and rear than they are around the middle.

The pins are where I’ve found the Loam Pedals to be a little quirky. The design provides tonnes of grip because it forces the pins deeper into a shoe’s rubber, but as the sole bends around the convex shape, it can feel prominent with stiffer shoes. Rather than sink into the pins, it can feel as if you’re stood on top of them in certain shoes. With a stiffer shoe, the convex shape and deep axle housing mean you lose out on some grip. What doesn't help, is that the pins are still pretty lengthy when wound all the way in. However, with more pliable shoes like the Giro Latch or the Five Ten Stealth S1 Dotty rubber, engagement is much more noticeable.

The shape of the pedals isn’t something I’ve gelled with too well. I tend to ride with my feet some distance away from the crank, and as the Loam Pedals taper, they’ve not been as supportive as I wanted but It’s been something I’ve got used to over time. Though I did find when moving back to the Shimano Saint PDM828 pedals, I’ve regained that support I felt I had lost with the Loam Pedals. This is all totally personal though, if you ride with your feet closer to the crank, you may not encounter this issue.

However, regardless of the shoes I’ve worn and their stiffness, grip has been consistent and plentiful thanks to those lengthy pins. The pins are impressively strong, they’ve shrugged off all pedal strikes and believe me, they’ve seen a few. The platforms have held up rather well, although they are showing one or two battle scars due to said pedal strikes.

During my test period with the Loam Pedals, they’ve seen all kinds of conditions and they’re still spinning perfectly. I’m confident that they’ve got plenty of life in them yet, but the easy serviceability is more than comforting if their performance were to take a dive.

What’s really great though, is that for a CNC aluminium pedal, they’re competitively priced at £74. Most pedals of a similar build come in at £80 or above, including the Nukeproof Horizon Pro pedals at £100.

If we look at cheaper pedals, we start to see nylon builds like the DMR V11s which will set you back £55. These provide excellent grip and feature a pretty durable plastic body. They are noticeably thicker than Loam pedals, but you'll need a female Torx key to fettle with the pins.

PNW’s Loam Pedals are a solid first flat pedal offering from the brand. They are mega grippy and impressively durable, it’s great to see that they have considered servicing too. While the feel and shape are a little weird to me, they are well worth a try, especially if you’re looking for wallet-friendly aluminium bodied pedals that come with a lifetime warranty.