Pembree D3A Flat Pedal

Pembree Components is a young brand from the UK, which started out making flat pedals some 7 years ago now. They’ve more recently introduced a range of other parts, including bars, stems, and grips, all still made in the UK with a focus on sustainable design and manufacturing. The D3A is their newest pedal, and after a few months on the trail, here’s what we think of it.

Pembree D3A Highlights

• Platform material: custom extruded recycled aluminum
• Spindle: High-strength, forged chromoly steel
• Pins: 12 thread-locked M4 pins with dual access
• Premium sealed bearings and seal system
• Footprint (size Large): 116x110mm, for shoe size 9-14 (UK), 10-15 (US), 43-49 (EU)
• Footprint (size Small): 108x100mm, for shoe size 4-9 (UK), 5-10 (US), 37-43 (EU)
• Weight: 436 grams (pair, size L, verified)
• Made in UK, assembled in France
• MSRP: $185 USD

Initial Impressions

The D3A is made from recycled aluminum, and sports a symmetrical shape that is both wide and flat. It comes in two sizes, we tested the Large. There are 12 classic grub screw pins per side, they can be accessed from both sides for easier removal in case of damage to a pin. The outer edges of the body are angled, to afford them a higher chance of slipping past a trail-side obstacle as opposed to hanging up on it, but because of the symmetrical design, the leading edges are not chamfered.

The axle spins on a classic combination of an inboard bushing and two outboard bearings, with seals designed to deal with challenging weather conditions – or as it’s called in the UK, “Tuesday”. Thanks to the use of a bushing, there is no inboard bearing bulge on the platform at all, which means you can place your feet as close to the crank arms as you like – or not, as the case may be. As for the concavity, there’s a modest amount in the pedal body itself, further accentuated by the placement of the pins in the periphery.

We took a tape measure to the D3A, as we do with all the flat pedals we test, and here are the key measurements:

• Concavity (mm, with pins): 5
• Width (mm): 116
• Length (mm): 110
• PTA (mm): 115
• Thickness (mm, without pins): 16
• Thickness (mm, with pins): 23

On The Trail

On the trail, our size Large D3A sample was a good match for our tester’s size 46 feet. The wide and flat platform offers a generous amount of real estate to plop your feet down onto, but because the pedal snugs right up to the crank arm it doesn’t feel clumsy or cumbersome on the bike. The 115mm “Pin-To-Axle” measurement (“PTA” for short) is just on the right side of the bell curve by today’s flat pedal standards, which have seen pedals grow this dimension over the past few years.

The relatively modest concavity makes the D3A somewhat less grippy than the outright class leaders in extreme conditions, but it’s still very confidence-inspiring and suitable for all kinds of riding. This also makes the pedal much less sensitive to where you place your feet, and it allows for subtle corrections to your foot placement without having to take the foot completely off the pedal. Whether your foot comes down in the wrong place or you just like to put in unconventional positions, the D3A serves up the same, predictable amount of grip under your soles.

We’ve had the pedal out on the trails for a few months now, and we’ve not noticed any material degradation of the pins or the pedal body itself, nor has the pedal developed any kind of slop in the spindle. There is quite a significant amount of material left around the edges and where the pins sit, which bodes well for longevity in general. Pembree offers a 2-year warranty against defects in material and workmanship, which can be extended to 5 years by registering your product purchase under the “Pembree+” program (which is free). Pembree+ also provides for crash replacement at advantageous rates in case of crash damage not covered by warranty.

What’s The Bottom Line?

The Pembree D3A is a flat pedal that is easy to live with. It’s not the grippiest pedal out there, but it offers more than enough stickiness to deal with all kinds of riding and it also provides a roomy and comfortable platform to place your feet on. Those looking for a well-made flat pedal that feels good out on the trail and is robust enough to deal with some proper abuse will be well served by the D3A. It is a bit on the pricey side, but if being sustainably manufactured in the UK is also something that seems important to you, it’s probably worth it.

More information at: www.pembree.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 53 // Years Riding MTB: 21 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Johan Hjord