$17 Flat Pedals: The Rant Trills are a Colorful Option [Review]

Rant is a well-known brand in the BMX world, though perhaps less so in mountain biking. Their components, while basic, tend to be priced affordably and are designed to hold up to lots of abuse. I found a set of $17 Rant Trill pedals in my parts bin this fall and decided to see how they perform on the trail.

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Rant Trill pedal specs

• Platform size: 95x100mm
• Materials: Nylon/fiberglass body, 4140 chromoly spindle
• Weight: 196g each (392g pair)
• Price: $16.99
• Buy from Amazon.

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I suspect a lot of riders choose the Rant Trill pedals for the look alone, and it’s a good look IMO. They’re available in seven colors with names like Pepto Pink, Real Teal, and 90’s Purple (tested). The colors are bright and cool, though they’re not exactly standard MTB colors if you’re going for a color-matched look with your frame or components. While especially impractical for riding gravel, they look awesome on my vintage MTB gravel bike build.

But this is a mountain bike pedal review. On my trail bike, the Rant Trill pedals install just like any other set using either a 6mm hex tool or a pedal wrench. And like most composite flat pedals, the main body is made using a nylon / fiberglass construction and spin on a 4140 chromoly spindle.

Unlike a lot of mountain bike specific pedals, however, the Rant Trills feature round, flat-topped molded pins rather than steel pins. This keeps the price affordable and simplifies the design and construction, but I found they just don’t offer a lot of grip, especially in wet conditions. Relatively speaking 13 pins per side is a lot, and the downside is that spreads out the pressure on each one, further reducing grip.

There is an upshot to the molded pin shape: they’re much more shin-friendly than sharp metal pins. For younger riders and those who are flat-pedal curious, this could be a low-risk option to try before investing in a more expensive set of flat pedals.

The 95x100mm platform size is adequate for mountain biking, though it’s on the smaller side compared to other options. The fine-textured pattern on the platform is nice and grippy, though as you can tell from the photos it does tend to pack with mud.

Over about a hundred miles of mountain biking the Rant Trill pedals have held up well to countless pedal strikes. However the bearings on the right pedal are already feeling a little crunchy, and neither side spins very freely. Even out of the box the pedals feel a little sluggish around the axle.

Pros and cons of the Rant Trill flat pedals

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Cool, unique colors
• Platform is bombproof

Cons

• Sub-par bearings
• Molded pins don’t offer enough grip for MTB

Bottom line

The Rant Trill flat pedals aren’t premium by any means and are better suited as an inexpensive way to upgrade stock flat pedals and give a bike a little personality. But if you’re looking for flat pedals for more serious trail riding I recommend spending at least $40-50 on a set with replaceable pins and longer-lasting bearings.