Although Gusset’s Slim Jim has been given a recent makeover, we never actually tested the original. What we do know is this Slim Jim is the cheapest pedal in our group test and has a CNC-machined 6061-series aluminium platform, which is roughly the same size as the Nukeproof Sam Hill. It also has a concave profile, but rather than a constant radius front to back and side to side, Gusset just machines off a few millimetres of aluminium to lower the centre of the pedal. 

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The platform has 10 pins per side and at 3mm diameter these are some of the thinnest on test, offering really good bite into soft-soled shoes. They all thread in from the back, so if you snap one you can easily remove the broken stump. Oddly, one of the pinholes was machined a little deeper than the others.

Running through the Slim Jim is a pretty standard cro-mo axle, with 6mm hex fitting. The bearing assembly combines a mini cartridge with an LSL (lightweight self-lubricating) bushing and there’s a small rubber axle seal to stop dirt ingress. 

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The Slim Jim doesn’t have the stronger forged construction of the Sam Hill nor is it as nicely finished as the CNC’d Burgtec but it’s a cracking little pedal for the money. If you want something that’s nicer looking and a bit stiffer than a nylon/plastic pedal but don’t want to pay top dollar this is a good gateway pedal. The sharp pins have good bite, the platform has a nice curve and it’s also pretty symmetrical, so even though it’s a smaller size our feet were always centred and secure. There’s only one colour option but it also looks stealth. It’s one that’s definitely passed under our radar.