E13 LG1+ pedal

SPECIFICATION: Weight: 484g (pair) / Colours: black or white / contact: Silverfish UK

E13’s new LG1+ flat pedal features a modular construction with the cast aluminium body sandwiched between with two plastic wear plates. These can be replaced when worn, but as we went to press, no prices had been set for the replacements. Both black or white wear plates are available and E13 did say it would be offering different colours in the near future.

The plates are held in place by the pins, which are screwed in from the back of the pedal. Each pedal features 11 pins per side and you can choose between the blank, 3mm or 7mm versions. Since the pins hold the pedal together you have to use the blanking pins if you do decide to reduce the number of proper pins.

The LG1+ features a cromoloy steel axle with both spanner flats and a 8mm Allen key. The spindle runs on two self-lubricating, IGUS bushings and features anti-spin adjustment, which is the gold dial on the end of the axle. This also doubles as a bearing adjust, so if you remove the plastic end cap, loosen the T25 Torx bolt and then twist the whole pedal while gripping the dial, you can remove any play. The bushings and Anti-spin setting are pretty tight out of the box and even after a couple of rides the pedals still felt sticky. To speed up the rotation I wound the adjuster all the way out, but this meant excessive side-to-side play and I damaged one of the thin internal washers. I also found it difficult to get the adjustment identical on both sides.

The LG1+ has a large platform and is also longer than most pedals front to back. The pedal body has a slight curve, but you can tune the degree of concavity by mixing and matching pins. The amount of support is excellent and with the 3mm pins and a set of Five Ten Impact shoes the grip is amazing. I haven’t felt the need to try the 7mm pins for this reason, but I reckon the grip would be off the chart.

With the leading edges both chamfered, ground clearance is good but the pedal body is not the thinnest and I did grind the pedals once or twice. As a result the wear plates are sporting a couple of scuffs. The pins have also lost some of the gold hue and the anti-spin markings are starting fade where my shoe has been rubbing.

With the price of the replacement plates still an unknown, it’s slightly tricky to rate the LG1+ pedals. The fact that you can replace the plates means they are potentially a sound investment but if they’re much more than £30 (for four plates) then realistically you could buy three pairs of Superstar Nanos for the same money. If you’re hard on pedals you may want to go down this route, but if you’re new to flats and want to feel locked, the LG1+ is a sound choice.

MBR rating: 8

Paul Burwell