[First Look] PNW Loam Pedal

Seattle based brand PNW Components recently sent us a set of their new Loam pedals – the latest effort in their expanding lineup, which recently saw the addition of apparel and accessories as well. The new pedals take a relatively unique approach in terms of their shape and borrow some ideas from predecessors as well. I’ll be putting these to the test over the coming months, so you can look forward to a long term review at some point. For now, here’s the quick and dirty…

Details

• 445 grams claimed – 441 grams, our scale
• Forged and post-CNC’d 6061 aluminum
• 2 Sealed cartridge bearings and 1 roller bearing
• Platform size: 105mm wide x 115mm long
• 22 Custom replaceable pins per pedal, threaded in from underside
• Fully rebuildable and serviceable
• 3 colors – Black, Silver, Purple
• Lifetime warranty
• $99.00 USD

As you can see from the photo above, the pins are quite serious. They thread in from the other side, so if they do get banged up from rock strikes they can be pulled out easily and replaced. If the 11 pins per side seems a bit aggressive, you can feel free to fine tune them and remove a couple should you choose.

PNW opted for a thinner overall pedal with a slightly convex shape. Many pedal makers make a point to achieve a more convex shape and while the topic is much debated, PNW feels that their approach makes for a little less strain on the foot for added comfort on long rides.

Our set came in a few grams under the claimed weight at 441 grams, which is about what you’d expect from a high performance pedal with an aluminum body and a chromoly axle. Note the shape, where the pedals are wider at the inboard point, closer to the cranks – and a bit narrower toward the outboard part, where they need improved clearance.

The Loam pedal has a beefy inboard bearing that stays out of the way of your shoe but should provide excellent longevity while allowing for a super low profile design. It’s accompanied by another sealed bearing and a roller bearing. One nice little tidbit is that the pedals are rebuildable with a single allen key!

That’s all for now…We’ll keep you posted with our long term thoughts in a few months!

www.pnwcomponents.com