Renthal versus Burgtec pedals
Words and Images | Justin Henehan
I love flat pedals: I like the freedom to get a foot out and drift a corner, I like the safety of being able to dab a drifting front end, and I like the comfort and grip of the shoes on a back-country hike-a-bike mission.
I get that they’re not for everyone – Rob Metz once informed me that I was “still on beginner pedals” – but I believe they can make everyone a better rider by encouraging good form and full-body bike control.
Plus they’re just way more fun, which is all that matters really, isn’t it?
Flat pedals aren’t just slabs of aluminium bristling with shin shredding pins. When it comes to choosing flat pedals, there’s a huge variety of shapes, sizes, pin counts, and colours. No two sets of flat pedals are alike and your preference will come down to grip levels, feel, comfort, foot size and shoe preference.
Here I’ve compared two of the best on the market and two of my favourites – the Burgtec Penthouse Mk5 and the recently released Renthal Revo-F.
Burgtec Penthouse Mk5 pedals
One of the prettiest sets of flat pedals out there, the Burgtec Penthouse pedal has been around since the days of big pants, spiky hair, wraparound sunglasses, and questionable Marzocchi advertising. A lot of that list is back on the 20-year fashion merry-go-round. Hopefully that doesn’t include the last item.
The Mk5 pedal has a concave shape created by machined-out centre section and medium-length pins. While the pedal body looks very tight to the crank arm it’s a bit of an illusion created by the shape – the actual offset is only slightly tighter to the crank than many other pedals when compared side-by-side.
At 15mm, the Mk5 is a relatively thin pedal, lessening the chance of pedal strikes. It’s by no means flimsy though – the pedal body is as robust as anything on the market.
Details
- 100mm x 102mm x 15mm platform
- 7075 Alloy pedal body
- Eight 3.5mm-wide, 4.5mm-long threaded stainless steel pins per side
- EN24T Steel axle
- Two Igus W300 bushes, single sealed bearing and inboard rubber oil seal
- 379g per pair
- Colours: Burgtec Black, Race Red, Deep Blue, Purple Rain, Kash Bronze, Iron Bro Orange, Rhodium Silver, Burgtec Bullion Gold, Toxic Barbie Pink
- RR$299
I’ve found that the Mk5 works best with shoes that have softer rubber and a more flexible sole. This allows the shoe to sink into the pedal body and make best use of the grip offered by the medium-length pins. The result is a well-defined pedal feel that’s less likely to leave your feet sore on chopped up sections of trail. Plus the ability to easily adjust your foot means you can throw a hoof out in the knowledge that you can feel your way back into the sweet spot with certainty.
Those with large feet may find the platform on the smaller side and too close to the crank arm, but for most the Mk5 should be a good fit.
If you were looking for a larger pedal with more grip, Burgtec also offers the Brage Vestavik B-Rage version. There’s a composite version as well which comes with the same axle, same shape, and same pins but at a lower price point and with a chunkier profile.
Upsides
- Great looks
- Comfortable shape
- Balance of grip and mobility
- Good weight
- Big range of colours
- Rebuildable
Downsides
- Fewer pins
- Less adjustable
- Fewer bearings
- Less well sealed
- Shoes with firm rubber have less grip
Renthal Revo-F pedals
A new player in the flat-pedal game, the Renthal Revo-F pedals borrow their design from the oft imitated and venerable Shimano DX pedal, which is not a bad thing.
In its stock configuration, compared to the Burgtec pedals, the Revo-F has a slightly thicker profile, more and longer pins, and a more pronounced concave shape. This combination gives the Revo-F a much more locked-in feel on the trail, offering extra security when things get really rowdy.
The downside of that extra grip is it’s harder to whip your foot off the pedal and shuffle it back into place when you do need to throw a hoof out. However, Renthal includes four more sets of pins and forty washers to fine-tune grip levels, so most should be able to find a set up that works for them.
The Renthal has more and better sealed bearings than the Burgtec which should result in greater durability but comes with a weight penalty. Like the Burgtecs, they’re rebuildable, so should last a very long time.
Details
- 100mm x 104mm x 18mm platform
- Forged and CNC machined 6061 aluminium pedal body
- Ten 3.5mm-wide, 5.5mm-long pins per side standard
- Includes forty pins and forty washers to tune grip from 2.5mm to 5.5mm in 1mm increments
- Three outboard cartridge bearings, extra wide inboard IGUS bush, and inboard full contact lip-seal and an outer O-ring seal
- Home serviceable
- High-grade chromoly axle
- 488g per pair
- Colours: Black anodised or Renthal AluGold finish
- RR$339
The extra grip of the Revo-F pedals would suit riders who prefer stiffer shoes and want the extra security of more grip. I’ve ridden both the Burgtecs and Revo-F pedal extensively wearing Specialized 2FO Roost shoes, which have fairly soft rubber and a medium level of stiffness, and there was noticeably more grip on the Revo-F pedals. Both are comfortable pedals with good pedal feel, but I’d put the Burgtecs slightly ahead on those counts. If you prefer stiffer shoes with harder rubber, then the Renthals are an easy choice.
Upsides
- More grip
- Comfortable shape
- Pin adjustability
- Extra bearings and seals
- Rebuildable
- Refined finish
Downsides
- Extra grip won't suit some
- 100g weight penalty
- Only two colours
Our take
The choice between the Renthal Revo-F and Burgtec Penthouse Mk5 pedals really comes down to feel, and that comes down to what kind of shoe you prefer. If you like getting a foot out and favour softer shoes, then the Burgtec’s shorter pins, lower profile, and convex shape creat a great balance of grip and mobility. If you like to be more locked in and prefer a harder, stiffer shoe, then the extra grip of the Renthal’s longer pins will suit you better.
I can see flat-pedal only riders like me preferring the feel of the Burgtecs for their balance of comfort, grip and mobility, but I found the Renthals to be equally good in terms of soft shoe comfort even if it meant too much grip at times.
If I had to choose one of the two to recommend to both curious clipless riders and flat-pedal fiends, it’d have to be the Renthal Revo-F – they work well with both soft and hard shoes, they’re comfortable underfoot, and provide enough grip for anyone, plus you can adjust the pins to tailor the grip to your preferences.
