Race Face Turbine Pedals Review: Very Sticky, A Little Bulky, Pretty Burly – Sam Hodges | The Radavist | A group of individuals who share a love of cycling and the outdoors.

Convex or concave? Aluminum or composite? Everyone has their favorite set of flat pedals. Sam Hodges recently got to test the new Race Face Turbine pedals, the legendary MTB component maker’s top-tier alloy offering. So, how do they stand up against the competition? Read on for a gripping review…

Race Face Turbine Pedals Quick Hits

Weight: 419 grams
Material: 6061 Aluminum
Platform size (LxW): 115 x 110 mm
Platform Thickness: 20-17 mm
Weight: 419g per set
Price: $180

Coming from Moab, Utah, the majority of my riding is in and around Southeast Utah. We’ve got a lot of chunky trails and roads that love to buck and jostle your feet around if you are not clipped in. However, I have stuck with flat pedals for many reasons, chief among them being the ease of getting on and off the bike for frequent hike-a-bikes. I also try to avoid the anxious feeling of being stuck and committed when climbing up some balancy rocky features or descending down loose singletrack. My shins and calves have paid the price for my stubbornness, but I still prefer flats. Over the years, I’ve tried many flat pedals that seek to strike an ideal balance of stickiness, comfort, durability, and aesthetics. The Turbine from Race Face, their flagship aluminum pedal, has emerged as a standout in that pursuit.

The Turbine, touted as Race Face’s largest and grippiest alloy pedal, features a dual concave platform that dips in the middle of the pedal, really locking your foot in. It’s designed to be more comfortable and grippy. I was pretty skeptical when first reading about the dual concave platform, but after a few rides I was surprised by how few instances I needed to readjust my foot or lost a pedal when descending. The pedal grips so well that when your foot does inevitably move, it can be hard to readjust back to where you want it.

The Turbines have 11 pins that act as 6 mm knives that stab into your shoes. With the wide platform and dual concave design, they feel as close to being clipped in without being actually clipped in. I have used these pedals on my full suspension bike for long single track day rides, and also on my hardtail for a few overnighters. The wide platform provides stability and comfort while pedaling for long miles without fatiguing your feet. The pins have chewed up my shoes, but not much more than any other pedal with aggressive pins.

The Turbine pedal has a pretty sleek bearing/bushing design that eliminates bearing bulge; this meant I could get my foot closer to the crank arm and felt like I had more control and stability. The bearing design seems quite a bit more simple and a little more bomber than other pedals I have used in the past, with a tapered steel axle held in place with a 8 mm nut. I had been riding with the Race Face Atlas pedals for some time before switching over to the Turbines, and I had two different instances where the bearings failed and the pedal separated from the spindle, making for a pretty uncomfortable couple of days riding through Parashant National Monument. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced anything like that with the Turbine pedals.

Overall, I would recommend these pedals to anyone who wants to feel locked into their pedals without actually clipping in. They are slightly thicker than I would prefer, but it seems like that’s necessary to accommodate the dual concavity. They are a little heavier than others on the market, but hey – they are just pedals. They are made overseas, but that likely is why they are not quite as expensive as other pedals made domestically. They haven’t fallen off the spindle or sliced my shins open yet, so that’s a win.