E*Thirteen Base is a composite flat pedal fresh on the market. It’s 50g lighter and £90 less than the high-end alloy ‘Plus’ pedal it’s based on.

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Both versions use the exact same traction pin layout; itself copied from the brand’s LG1 downhill pedal that’s built a good reputation for high grip levels in recent years.

The Base’s glass fibre and nylon platform is less concave than some, but still slightly dished-out in the centre. Eleven well-placed grip pins per side enhance the stabilising effect though, to the point shoes feel more cradled than expected while riding – presumably aided by the tenacious traction studs being taller at 6mm. Shorter (4mm) replacement pins are also included to tune or reduce grip levels.

E*Thirteen only offers a rebuild kit for the more expensive aluminium Plus pedals, but our experience is it’s usually possible to source bearings and small parts to service and repair most flat pedals. During testing we didn’t get any play at all with internals on the Base model, or on the pricier Plus versions we’ve also been riding, so this may be a moot point for a good while anyway.

The best thing about the E*Thirteen Base is its shape and foothold feels absolutely spot on. They’re long front-to-back too, so there’s a ton of support and a really comfortable, stable feel. There’s a tiny bit less bite than the grippiest pedals here, like Nukeproof’s Horizon or Deity’s T-Mac, but this may also be preferable to some riders.

How come? Well plenty of people like to shuffle their shoes to shift balance, and others less adept at riding flats can sometimes have feet bounce around accidentally too if pedals aren’t continually pressured or loaded. In this scenario, the grippiest pedals that weld themselves to sticky shoe soles can actually flip more easily; something that then causes feet to completely come off, or pedals to painfully strike rider’s shins; both things worse than a slight movement or slip.

Overall, the big Base platform is ideal for riders with larger feet and represents a totally sorted pedal with perfect grip levels and an excellent price, best suited to those who like a less deeply dished out shape.