Race Face’s new Turbine flat pedal has one major goal; delivering maximum grip. With an all-new shape and bigger platform, this is a platform pedal for those craving a locked-on and almost clipped-in feel, rather than riders wanting to shift and adjust foot position while riding.

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To achieve the extra hold, there’s a big surface area with extra concavity and eleven tall (height-adjustable) pins per side. Turbine is also flatter overall than some Race Face pedals by doing away with any inboard bearing hump (like found on the Atlas). The new pedals are expensive, but come in seven shiny colours to match your rig, and Race Face says it’s also tested internal bearings and bushings over one million cycles without any signs of wear, and also backs this up with a lifetime warranty.

At 110 x 115mm the Race Face Turbine offers a sizeable platform.

Not everyone wants to be mechanically pinned to the bike, and flat pedal riders range from dirt jumpers to downhillers with different needs in terms of traction, so Race Face still offers the less aggressive Atlas pedal, but this new Turbine is all about turbo-charging grip levels and is the brand’s new go-to product if you’re after maximum hold. So is it worthy of a spot among the best flat pedals on the market?

Keep reading to figure out what I think of the new platforms, or head to the mbr news story on the Race Face Turbine to work out which colour best matches your bike.

With 3mm of concavity in all directions, Race Face claims the Turbine is the most bowled-out pedal on the market.

Design and specifications

The headline design feature here is a big 115mm x 110mm platform that’s more dished-out to better cradle the foot. The idea is to keep feet locked in a secure pocket, rather than just relying on tall pins to raise edges up so that the pedal centre is proportionally lower. Race Face claims the 3mm deep concavity makes it “the most concave platform on the market” and also says Turbine is “17% more concave, 27g lighter and only 5% thicker than the closest competition”.

I’m not sure exactly what that closest competition is (Race Face referenced the Deity T-Mac in its presentation to the press), and I am presuming the brand has done its homework before making these bold claims. DMR’s dished-out Vault must be pretty close to the Turbine’s shape though – while it’s slightly lower profile overall, it is 14mm thick in the centre, 17mm at the edges and feels very similar to me under foot. Like the Turbine, it also comes with 22 pins per pedal with a tuneable height option, and DMR also sells more aggressive pins aftermarket if you want them. Either way, the Turbine is up there with the most convex options.

Unlike the Atlas, there’s no bearing bulge at the crank, reducing the q-factor and making more room for big feet.

Like the Vault, and many other leading flat pedals (as mentioned already), the latest Turbine doesn’t have a raised bearing hump on the crank side. This can be a major turn off for some riders, so it’s a nice development. It’s different from the brand’s Atlas pedal inside too, with the flatter profile achieved by flipping the orientation of the bearings, putting the bushing inboard and using a sealed ball bearing on the outer edge.

With this arrangement, the brand can use a slimmer platform (20mm tall on the edges and 17mm in the centre), and, crucially, remove the lump pressing in towards the ball of the foot. This is especially an advantage for riders with bigger feet, because having no bulge effectively increases surface area as well as allowing feet to be placed closer to the cranks.

Tall pins generate stacks of grip, but this can be moderated with spacers under the platform or removing certain pins altogether.

The Turbine platform shape is asymmetric, which I reckon is essential for flats. Designs like the aforementioned T-Macs – that don’t offset the foot slightly in front of the centre of the pedal’s axis of rotation – are less stable when riding, and symmetrical platforms are more likely to tip shoes off the back and flip cranks round backwards; potentially leading to more shin scrapes. Anyone who has done this will know exactly what I’m talking about, namely a situation where the pedal smashes back round and into shin bones. And, make no mistake, it really hurts with the bone so close to the surface.

Those pins are really aggressive, and screw in from below, so can still be replaced easily if they break.

Performance

DMR’s Vaults I mentioned have plenty enough hold for me, but aren’t quite as aggressive as two of the grippiest flat pedals I’ve used to date, which are Nukeproof’s Horizons with long pins and the newer oversized Burgtec B-Rage Penthouse pedals. So how does Race Face’s new product compare to these grip-monsters?

There’s no question Race Face has delivered on its primary aim, and like both the above pedals, there is tons of grip on offer. The Turbine offers a totally locked-on feel where my feet simply didn’t budge once I’d placed them on the platform. This level of hold comes without the pedal feeling so dished-out that it’s uncomfortable, or made my feet curl excessively into the concave platform, either.

Inside the pedal, the axle rides on an inner bushing and outer bearing, much like most popular flat pedal options.

In the stock setting, with the traction pins at full height, the Turbine is so grippy, I simply couldn’t shuffle my feet around (enough) without lifting them upwards to reposition. Basically, the only thing that’s going to give, if your foot does need to shuffle a little, is the rubber sole of your shoe. Occasionally while riding, forces and body weight shift as the bike interacts with terrain and feet want to push and pull at the main connection point to the machine, and in common with other super grippy pedals, the shoe’s outer sole is going to get cut up before the Turbine’s grip runs out.

All this grip is great when riding really rough terrain, and also when climbing or pedalling as it helps the shoe follow the pedal in circles, like a clip-in shoe that’s mechanically fastened to the bike. The extra grip can feel pretty efficient when cranking, but so much grip means I had to be really precise positioning my feet on the platform. And this was every time I set off, dabbed a foot, or dangled a leg in a corner.

At their tallest, the pins will be too aggressive for some tastes.

I found this wasn’t always possible in the heat of the moment, and with 11 spikes digging into each sole, and a deep curve to further stop fore/aft movement, there’s not really much opportunity to correct poor foot placement. This effect will be amplified if you already ride in the stickiest shoes, like Five Ten’s tackiest blends or Specialized’s 2FO.

Too much grip isn’t necessarily the worst problem in the world though, as the Turbine does let you tone down the security. Adding a spacer under the pins lowers the height and reduces the grip – which is something I’d recommend – while removing certain pins can also make it easier to reposition your feet.

The Turbine is an expensive option at £170, although the lifetime warranty sweetens the deal somewhat.

Another reason I’d suggest lowering the pins is to reduce the chance of flipping the pedals over accidentally. Because the taller pins effectively raise the platform height and make pedals more susceptible to rocking over the axle. And, if you do pull the pedal backwards accidentally, it can fire back round and whack you in the leg, or at least leave you with one foot on in a potentially tricky trail section.

I haven’t had the new Turbines long enough yet to comment on durability, but the seals and bearing have stayed tight for the few rides I’ve done. The inner bushing, outer bearing design is well proven elsewhere, and being backed up by that Race Face lifetime warranty should give peace of mind.