Esker Pedals by Framed Bikes
One of the great things about bicycles is freedom. Freedom to go wherever you want under your own power. For some that means going wherever you want, whenever you want, wearing whatever you want. Wanna ride the beach in your sandals and swimwear? Go for it. Breaking trail in the snow with your thickest Sorels on a sub-zero day? That’s possible too. One of the simple items that free’s you up to tackle those situations are flat pedals. You know, those boring pedals that were on your bike when you were a kid and you rode around the neighborhood because it was all there was to do. Well for those of us that didn’t grow up we’re living in groovy times because there’s a whole lot of flat pedals around at a range of prices.
I recently got to try out some grippy little stompers from Minnesota brand Framed Bikes. Their Esker pedals came to me from the Fat-Bike.com HQ just as we were heading into our sloppy Spring season here in the upper Midwest. So what did I do? Mounted them up on my roadish bike and put some miles on them. At 361g they don’t weigh more than most clip-ins and are definitely lighter than some alloy offerings. And if you haven’t done a 70-mile gravel ride on flat pedals you should try it, you might surprise yourself.
So what’s all in these pedals? Stainless steel spindles, super strong nylon composite body, Allen bolt & nut secured pins. An outboard cartridge bearing with an inboard sealed bushing and alloy end caps. The “flat” measures out to 95mm long, 98mm wide and a mere 19mm thick.
After some chilly early season road riding, April blessed us with actual snow. More than we’d seen all winter around these parts! So I was able to put some proper fat bike time on the Eskers. Even in packy snow conditions, the Allen screw pins bit nicely into my riding boots and I noticed the nylon composite body seemed to pull less heat out of my feet. Much appreciated on longer, chillier days.
Most recently, I headed South to escape the muck and find some dry earth(with occasional stream crossings). The Esker’s proved their worth with loads of grip in wet, dry, rocky and flowy conditions. A grippy pedal makes the bike easier to flick around in the fun parts and gives confidence when lining up for a landing in the jumpy parts. Multiple stream crossings didn’t seem to affect the bearings to this point either.
Altogether, the Framed Esker’s proved their worth. I’d definitely recommend them if you’re looking for a decent weight flat pedal that’s comfortable and just works. Freedom ain’t free, but for a mere $39.99 you can free up one of your bikes at an affordable price. Head over to FRAMEDBIKES.com to find out where to order a set.
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