These radical MT-Zero platforms take the low-profile flat pedal to the extreme. In the quest for ultimate stability, clearance and perfect pedalling, rather than try and accommodate a shorter axle or use a tapered one, Tioga has foregone a spindle across the pedal body, and relies instead on a chromoly platform threaded into a massive external bearing at the crank arm. As a result, the MT-Zero is the thinnest standard-fitting pedal on the market, with the concave body measuring 7mm on the outside edge and a wafer-thin 4mm in the centre. Tioga had to make the platform from investment cast steel to be tough enough for mountain biking, but we had some significant issues with this steel plate, as well as other Tioga design principles. Put simply, the pedal platform flexes downward when cranking hard or climbing stood up. More worrying, though, is how easily it bends toward the ground through berms or landing jumps. This was so bad on one trail centre red route that we only managed one lap before retiring. And if that wasn’t enough, the external Zero axle bearings force your feet out into a very wide, uncomfortable stance, making the pedal awkward for balance and uncomfortable for pedalling.