Xpedo Face Off and Utmost Platform Pedals Reviewed

I recently had the chance to review two cool-looking platform pedals from Xpedo: the Face Off XMX17AC and the Utmost XMX16AC. Both are sub-400g pedals and feature chromoly spindles and DU/cartridge combination bearings. At this point you may be wondering – who is Xpedo? Well, you may be more familiar with the name Wellgo which is basically Xpedo’s racing division / product development team. Think of Xpedo as Wellgo’s skunk works team.

The Face Off XMX17AC ($100 MSRP) was introduced in 2008 and quickly won the TBEA Creative Parts and Accessory award. These pedals come in at 380g for the pair and are constructed from CNC-machined 6061 aluminum. The foot plates come in six anodized colors (black, grey, red, gold, light blue and navy blue) and can be removed and changed to another color later down the road. The center body is black and is machined out to reduce weight. The bearing and DU bushing arrangement allows a greater load (where pedal meets crank) to be carried by the wide DU bushing while the lighter load is carried by the bearing. The result: a smooth running pedal, even after countless big hits.

The Utmost XMX16AC ($60 MSRP) weighs in at 350g and is constructed out of 6061 aluminum which is forged rather than cast, making it structurally stronger. Just like its bigger brother, the Utmost features the same chromoly axle and bearing set-up. The center structure on this pedal is rubber sealed at the spindle to keep the crud out and comes in six colors (black, grey, red, gold, light blue and painted white).

You can also customize each of these pedals with Xpedos replacement pin kit. The kit comes complete with the wrench needed to change out the pins and you have your choice of three different styles of pins (spike, straight or twin).

On the trail I found both pedals grip well with flat shoes. Even when the pedals got wet, slimy, and partially covered in mud, they still offered decent grip. Of the two pedals the Face Off has a larger surface area which makes it easier on footing and offers more grip (the Utmost also features just 8 pins vs. the Face Off’s 15).

Based on our tests, shoe choice seems to make a big difference in grip. Bob_the_Builder tried out both pedals as well and we found a big difference based on the shoe/pedal combos we rode. For example, my shoes gripped great with the Face Off and good with the Utmost pedal. BTB found a larger difference between the two pedals and rated the Utmost grip just so-so based on his FiveTen shoes.

So far I’ve only encountered one issue with the XMX17AC Faceoff. Due to its open design I found that one of the bearings began to run a bit rough and needed some attention. I’m also curious to see how these pedals hold up to a direct hit from a rock while racing down a rock garden (haven’t done that yet).

Xpedo does make heavier-duty pedals with an extra DU or needle bearing in the middle of the pedal and beefier body constructions in their MX-Force series (more on those later this year). But for someone who is looking to ride flats on their 4 – 6 inch trail / AM bike, these pedals fit the bill nicely. The Face Off and Utmost pedals combine style, weight, and performance into a single package – what more can you ask for?

Specs from Xpedo

	XMX17AC Face Off	XMX16AS Utmost
Weight	380 grams	350 grams
Body	Aluminum 6061 CNC	Aluminum 6061 Forged
Spindle	Chromoly	Chromoly
Bearings	1 Cartridge	1 Cartridge
Bushings	1 DU	1 DU
Pins	15 Replaceable Straight	8 Replaceable Straight
Seals	1 Rubber	1 Rubber
Colors	Black, Grey, Gold, Red Black, Grey, Red, Gold	Light blue, Navy Blue Light blue, Painted white

Thanks to the folks at Xpedo for the flat pedals for review.