Not the cheapest or the lightest flat pedal, but the grip and durability on offer make the Specialized Boomslang's well worth the trade-off.
Specialized claim the Boomslang’s platform size is 110mm x 108mm which isn’t strictly true. The large inboard bearing housing reduces the width to about 100mm of usable space, still a decent sized terrace to mash your feet into. By having the big main bearing so far inboard it means the profile can be kept super thin (10mm in the middle) and still have space for a nice, grip-enhancing, concave shape with the outer edge still only measuring 13mm thick.
Even with the pedal absolutely caked in shite, and my duck footed size 44 shoes squashed in, the traction is genuinely astounding, like someone’s anchored my foot to the pedal. The 11 sharp and formidable pins are neatly inserted from the underside to spare the head from inevitable damage. Specialized claim the custom undercut shape of the pins is to enhance traction whilst allowing easy adjustments when needed - marketing blurb? I thought so too, until I tried them - back off the pressure on the pins slightly and you can micro-adjust your foot position with relative ease.
To further justify the high-end price tag, Spesh have neatly stashed four spare pins into the inner edge of each pedal for the inescapable replacement when it arises. At 439g a pair, they’re not the lightest pedal in the playground, but who cares when they’re this good. Strength and durability come at a price, £125 to be precise.
Some Boomslang-crank combos will require 1, maybe even 2 pedal washers to allow them to spin freely, in no small part due to that large inboard bearing housing. No big deal really. Finally, whilst mentioning bearings, after 3 months of mixed conditions, slop, dust and rock slamming alike and apart from missing some material (ooops!), they’re still perfectly true with no play whatsoever. That big bearing must help spread side load on the axle. Not only a bloody great pedal, they’re ‘weathering’ well too. Watch your shins on those pins - Boomslang by name, Boomslang by nature (google it!).
