# Magnesium Pedals a bad idea?



## Triple8Sol (Aug 21, 2009)

My pedals are worn out, so I'm shopping for some new ones. I came across a few magnesium pedals such as the DMR V12, Wellgo MG-1, Azonic Fusion that aren't badly priced. The manufacturers say these are made for FR/DH use, but are mag pedals a bad idea for constant jumps/drops? From what I've heard in the past, mag sacrifices some strength/rigidity, when compared to aluminum, for weight savings. Is that true or just an urban legend?


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## ruppguts (Sep 7, 2007)

I've used a set of mag azonics on FR/DJ bikes for years with no problems. That's all I know.


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## giantsaam (Dec 10, 2006)

wellgo mag-1 are a good choice I have had them on both my dh and dj bike.


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## climbingbubba (Jan 10, 2007)

they work pretty good but are not very durable. If you are riding in really rocky areas then be prepared to get some pins ripped out. For the price you can just get new ones every year though.

I would strongly suggest shelling out a little extra coin and getting some of the newer style flat pedals like kona wah wah's, deity decoy's, etc. Definately worth the upgrade. You will definately slip off your pedals less and also be less likely to clip your pedals on rocks.


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## yd35 (May 22, 2006)

I have had Syncros Mental Magnesium pedals for the past 2 downhill seasons, and they are holding up fine. I have ripped several pins out but the pedal body is still structurally sound. 

All in all, aluminum is definitely stronger but magnesium seems to be good enough to hold up to DH use.


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## woodyak (Jan 20, 2004)

My magnesium MG-1's are completely wasted in less than 1 season of riding. I ride mostly AM w/some FR/DH thrown in. My trails are very rocky and pedal strikes are the norm. Half of the pegs in both pedals are missing and the others are worn down so much that they have very little grip. The bearings sound like they are in pain as well. The only reason I'm still running them is because my Straightlines are stuck in warranty return hell.


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## jcook1989 (Mar 16, 2008)

If you're some where with a lot of rocks I'd avoid mag pedals. I've seen a few pairs with pieces broken off from rock impacts.


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## Jettj45 (Jul 25, 2004)

I have been using WEllgo Mg-1's for the past few seasons. Nice long pins, all around a good pedal and really cheap! You can find them new on ebay for $20. I rip pins out when I ride real rocky terrain but at that price I don't care.


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## monkeyhands (May 10, 2009)

mg-1's kick ass. one of the lightest pedals out there and best value as well.


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## Cable0guy (Jun 19, 2007)

From last week. MG-1. Hit a rock hidden by overgrowth, and I went flying over the bars. Still unsure if I would have been better off or not with break-away pedal.


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## Whistgnar (Jan 24, 2010)

check out the new Point 1 racing Podium pedal. they are made with 6061 billet aluminum and they come in at a really good weight. 367g (confirmed) for the set. 

They have a larger platform and are low profile w/ replaceable pins. I believe they come in at 160 canadian but are well worth the extra cash for the added durability over a mag pedal.


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## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

can not go wrong with MG-1's...aside from the above pic heh.

really light (cant think of anything lighter in the price range) and cheap. at ~$30, you can buy a set every season and not worry about bad bearings and ripped out pins...and ud still be paying less than any of the other light weight options.


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## Triple8Sol (Aug 21, 2009)

Wow, that pic is definitely not something I ever hope to see personally...lol. Overall it sounds like I'm prob better off passing on mag pedals. I ride mostly FR and some DH, and as a noob that is trying to go bigger/faster every time out, I don't ever wanna have to worry about whether my pedals will survive a drop or crash. Even if they don't catastrophically fail, hearing about pins getting loose or knocked out easily and constant damage just doesn't sound that appealing to me.

Hmmm...well back to the drawing board. Honestly I don't even care about a few grams in the pedals because my bike is heavy anyways. Maybe I should reach a little deeper and spend a little more for some low-profile cnc'd sealed bearing pedals. I mean if these pedals cost around $30/pair and need to be replaced yearly, I think I could justify spending 2-3x more and getting pedals that will last that much longer too.


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## ColorVoyeur (Jun 13, 2009)

I've been riding Primo Magnesiums for quite a while now.... they blow my Azonic's out of the water for maintenance.


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## [email protected] (May 9, 2007)

I rode my mags for a year on DH/FR stuff till the bearings went bad

held up fine


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## mamaloney (Feb 7, 2010)

Straitline.


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## dbabuser (Jan 5, 2004)

They're not strictly flat pedals, but my Crankbrothers Mallet M's are still going strong after 5 seasons of use/ dh abuse. It's not the material, it's how it's engineered.


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## Triple8Sol (Aug 21, 2009)

Checked out those Wellgo MG-1's at the shop today and yup, they're pretty light. Also looked at the version with Ti spindle, and damn is that things feathery. Anyways, they just got the Deity Decoy which are nice and big, sealed bearings, slim-profile concave shape, removable pins, and rebuildable. I decided to pass on mag and picked them up today. They were a snap to install with an allen wrench instead of the usual wrestling with a pedal wrench. Afterwards I took them on some drops and jumps. These things are exactly what I wanted, really grippy and of course first day out I did get some cuts on my calf on one crash. Durability remains to be seen, but I'm happy so far. I hear their customer service is pretty good, which is good peace of mind just in case.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

I have the Ti/Mag Azonic A frames (no longer being built) ...was told to watch out for them....I use them for three seasons and now they are retired to race only

Bottom line...I would look at these pedals light weight and very durable...running them on my bike


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

I've had my DMR V12 Mag's for a fair while, well since '06 and about a year of that doing a little DH riding. They're scratched up and lost one pin. In that time I've pulled them apart for a clean and re-grease once (last year I believe) and they feel smooth as new.
I really like them because they seem durable enough and are easy to service, and at least you can go for the non Mag V12's if you want them a bit tougher.
Tje dofferemce between the V12's and the MG1's is that the V12 has the axle going all the way to the end, which is a feature I like in my pedals. Only thing to not is that they aren't flat / low profile like some more recent pedals and some people do find the platform size a bit small.

I'm happy with mine, lately I've transferred them to my new bmx since it's the flavour of the month, if I didn't really want magnesioum I'd probably buy another set of V12's. But pedals can be such a personal preference item too, it's like bikes, everyone loves what they currently have (unless they're having problems with them)/


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## [email protected] (May 9, 2007)

ducktape said:


> I've had my DMR V12 Mag's for a fair while, well since '06 and about a year of that doing a little DH riding. They're scratched up and lost one pin. In that time I've pulled them apart for a clean and re-grease once (last year I believe) and they feel smooth as new.
> I really like them because they seem durable enough and are easy to service, and at least you can go for the non Mag V12's if you want them a bit tougher.
> Tje dofferemce between the V12's and the MG1's is that the V12 has the axle going all the way to the end, which is a feature I like in my pedals. Only thing to not is that they aren't flat / low profile like some more recent pedals and some people do find the platform size a bit small.
> 
> I'm happy with mine, lately I've transferred them to my new bmx since it's the flavour of the month, if I didn't really want magnesioum I'd probably buy another set of V12's. But pedals can be such a personal preference item too, it's like bikes, everyone loves what they currently have (unless they're having problems with them)/


I have DMR V8 pedals right now. My favorite pedals....DMR is definitely recommended

...you just have to adjust the bearings right out of the box, and you're set


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## juanbeegas (Oct 1, 2007)

I'm currently on the HT version of these - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=34279

Slimmer than the DMRs and Wellgos and they are slightly broader, if you've got wider feet.


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## crazyjohnny (Aug 15, 2006)

I have been riding my syncros magnesium pedals for five years. Been to Whistler twice, three weeks at a time. Riden thousands of miles of dh and xc on them. Been to Oregon, Washington, California, etc. They are holding up great. I've raced with them and beat the **** out of them. I bent the body pretty bad on one but its still holding up great. Need to replace the pins but that's it. They kick ass!


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## xterrain (May 6, 2008)

Will let you know, ordering Atom Lab Pimplites (magnesium) this weekend. Will let you know how they hold up in Angelfire's rock gardens after the 6th.


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## miner29er (Jan 12, 2010)

Been putting my MG1's through rough use since February this year.. still holding up, they are scratched up to hell though. I love them.

Got a second pair for my g'fs bike and she's only put about 50 miles of light (and I mean superlight use like riding and looking and flowers and $hit) use on them (and I put 30 miles of medium duty use on them) and the bearings on one of them sounds like it's toast. I think Wellgo has quality control issues... they are made in Taiwan afterall.


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## Kabrex (Jul 29, 2010)

I own a pair of Sixty Magnesium pedals. I remember the shop guys telling me to be careful and what have you. Well they've survived two seasons in Whistler and buckets of riding and they're fine. The only thing you need to worry about breaking in a pedal from jump impacts is the axle, which isn't made of Magnesium anyways so that's irrelevant. You could theoretically break mag pedals pretty easily by clipping a pedal hard on a rock at high speed but if you're a good rider you shouldn't ever have that happen.

Either way I got the pedals because they look sweet and perfectly compliment the bike. It's not like the weight you save is going to make any difference, so if you're having second thoughts, buying normal pedals might ease your mind.


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## COLIN M (Mar 26, 2009)

Canfield Crampons, not magnesium but sick pedal!


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

juanbeegas said:


> I'm currently on the HT version of these - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=34279
> 
> Slimmer than the DMRs and Wellgos and they are slightly broader, if you've got wider feet.


WTF? seriously? 200bones?! 

At least they almost qualify for free shipping.

I could not bring myself to spend that, esp not for something that gets pounded into rock 10 times a ride.


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## ColorVoyeur (Jun 13, 2009)

I rode Primo Josh Stricker mags for about a year. If I was lighter, I'd still have them... but I ovalized the pedal and the axle had too much play. 
I've got a set of Welgo aluminum pedals now, and they've held up great for about 6 months.


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## kazlx (Jun 13, 2005)

Cable0guy said:


> From last week. MG-1. Hit a rock hidden by overgrowth, and I went flying over the bars. Still unsure if I would have been better off or not with break-away pedal.


Guess I'm not the only one that happened too, except it happened to me my first outing on the pedals at Northstar. Clipped a rock pretty good and the pedal exploded pretty much exactly like that....


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## Cable0guy (Jun 19, 2007)

kazlx said:


> Guess I'm not the only one that happened too, except it happened to me my first outing on the pedals at Northstar. Clipped a rock pretty good and the pedal exploded pretty much exactly like that....


I took my Straitlines to N* last year, and they were awesome. Sticky as hell too.

I replaced the MG-1's with P1 Podiums, and so far so good, although I had to replace the pins with longer ones, as the stock ones were too short.


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## V.P. (Aug 26, 2007)

juanbeegas said:


> I'm currently on the HT version of these - https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=34279
> 
> Slimmer than the DMRs and Wellgos and they are slightly broader, if you've got wider feet.


I was using the exact same pedal (mag body + ti axle), but under an other brand name, this is what I got:

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0A85M4Edsfg/TAzVmu17DhI/AAAAAAAAARg/vYAzxdeQqcM/s1600/CIMG4585.JPG

read more here:

https://all-mountain-next.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-superstar-components-mag-lite.html


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## iscariot (Oct 24, 2006)

AtomLab Aircorp, best FR pedal I've owned.

http://www.atomlab.com/mtbpedals.html


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## Bonvivant (Jun 13, 2010)

http://www.blackspire.com/qs/product/83/5952/445463/0/0

if you're thinking about weight, I found these I'll prob be throwing on my FR


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## V.P. (Aug 26, 2007)

Cable0guy said:


> ...P1 Podiums, and so far so good, although I had to replace the pins with longer ones, as the stock ones were too short.


Where did you get the longer pins?


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## Cable0guy (Jun 19, 2007)

V.P. said:


> Where did you get the longer pins?


Local hardware store that specializes in bolts. For some reason, P1 uses SAE, NOT metric bolts/pins. You should be able to find them in most stores.

You could also just put the longer ones for the 4 closest in-board pins. I tried this method first, but didn't like the feel, and ended up replacing all of them.


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## Cable0guy (Jun 19, 2007)

V.P. said:


> I was using the exact same pedal (mag body + ti axle), but under an other brand name, this is what I got:
> 
> https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0A85M4Edsfg/TAzVmu17DhI/AAAAAAAAARg/vYAzxdeQqcM/s1600/CIMG4585.JPG
> 
> ...


Stay away from Ti axles too. I have seen bunch of Crank Bros Ti axles broken. They even have a weight requirement on them. Not worth the weight savings IMO.


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