Crankbrothers Stamp 7 Flat Pedals

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Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
$125.99
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Tested: Crankbrothers Stamp Flat Pedal
Rating:
Vital Review

Review by Johan Hjord // Photos by Johan Hjord and Nils Hjord

Crankbrothers was historically never one of the front runners in the flat pedal race considering how popular their clipless pedal are, but with the introduction of the Stamp pedal, they are looking to change that up. The Stamp is a resolutely modern take on the flat pedal, wide and thin. It is also one of only a few pedals to be offered in multiple sizes, which allows you to match them to your shoe size. To make sure we gave both the available sizes a good pasting, we recruited a little extra grom help and hit the trails. Read on to find out how we got along!

Crankbrothers Stamp Highlights

  • Spindle material: forged scm 435 chromoly steel
  • Body material: forged 6061-T6
  • Inner bearing type: Igus LL-glide bearing
  • Outer bearing type: Igus LL-glide bearing
  • Footprint: 114mm x 111mm
  • Adjustable pins: 10 per side
  • Shoe size Stamp Large: (us // eu) 10-15 // 43-49
  • Shoe size Stamp Small: (us // eu) 5-10 // 37-43
  • Weight: 405g per pair (size Large), 375g per pair (size Small)
  • Warranty: 5 years
  • Colors: red or black
  • MSRP: $150 USD

Initial Impressions

The Stamps showed up nicely packaged, with everything you need to hit the trail included in the box – that is to say, a pair of pedals. Crankbrothers does not include any spare pins or other extras beyond a sheet of stickers.

Pulling the Stamp out of the box we were impressed with how thin it was. The pedal body measures from 11 to 13 millimeters in thickness, which is right up there with the thinnest pedals available today. The standard pins are fairly short, giving the whole pedal a very thin profile.

The second remarkable aspect of the Stamp is the overall size of the platform. The Large size pedal measures 114x111 millimeters, which again puts it right at the top of the class in terms of sizing. The Stamp is offered in two sizes, the size Small coming in at a much more modest 100x100 mm, designed for shoe sizes from 5-10 according to Crankbrothers. The finish is deep and uniform, and the laser etched graphics look equally fresh. The pedals are available in the red tested here, or black.

In terms of construction, Crankbrothers went with a dual IGUS bushing solution as opposed to using any bearings. This is part of the reason they were able to make the pedal so thin. The machining is also fairly complex and a lot of excess material has been removed where possible, which has helped keep the weight down – a very reasonable 373 grams on our scale for the size Large, 30 grams below the claimed weight.

Another interesting feature is the grease port found at the tip of the axle. It allows you to quickly and easily grease the innards without having to pull the pedal apart, using a grease gun or a tube of grease with a needle tip. Getting into the pedal from the other side is actually fairly easy, it only requires removal of two allen bolts, but the grease port makes it even more convenient, not least because you don’t even have to take the pedal off the crank to get to it.

As previously mentioned, the standard set screw type pins are quite short, and they screw in from the top with a hex key. Crankbrothers designed the pins to be adjustable: each pin has a reusable threadlock patch applied, which basically means you can chose to not tighten them down fully. They also sell longer replacement pins if you feel the need to really scare your shins.

On The Trail

Our first impressions of the Stamp were quite positive. The generous surface area makes it easy to place your foot, and the low profile and slightly concave shape makes for a comfortable and secure feeling. There are enough pins around the edge and in the center to allow you to place your feet as far towards the outside as you prefer. Conversely, the slight bulge over the inside bushing is not tall enough to be in the way should you prefer to keep your feet tight to the crank arms.

For those of us with boats for feet, the size L is a boon. I like to run my feet to the outside of the pedal, and the Stamp really lets you go overboard here. I also drafted in my 12-year old son to help test the size Small, and they proved a perfect match for his size 8s.

With the standard pins cranked in as deep as they will go (the out of the box configuration), overall grip was somewhat lacking, at least compared to the grippiest pedals out there. The pedals are concave, but only slightly so, and your soles can come in contact with the axle area of the pedal from time to time, which adds a touch of vagueness to the overall feeling. It’s not that the pedal is outright slippery, it just lacks that fully locked in feeling. Adding a couple of mm to the pin length helps here, but even so, we sometimes found our feet getting knocked loose when we got a bit sloppy with it through steep and rough sections.

The low profile of the Stamp promotes stability, and we never felt close to rolling a pedal. It also helps the pedal glance over rocks and other obstacles, which is a good thing since these can get in the way quite frequently on tight trails due to the size of the platforms. When it comes to getting airborne, the Stamps feel solid underfoot, happy to take any landing in stride.

So what about those two sizes? Wouldn’t you just want the biggest pedal you can get? In fact, we’d argue the exact opposite – you should aim for the smallest pedal you can get away with. Take into account your shoe size and how you like to place your feet on the pedals, and it’s nice to have a choice of sizes to pick from. Why would you want something on your bike that sticks out further into harm’s way if you don’t absolutely need it? That said, we think the small Stamp is OK up to a size 8 or a 9, but as of 10, you’re much better off with the L. 100x100 mm (the size S) is on the small side, by today’s standards. Perfect for your 12-year old, in other words - mine only had good things to say about riding the small Stamp for a couple of months.

Things That Could Be Improved

The first job of a pedal is to hold onto your foot. The standard pins on the Stamp are a bit on the short side, even if they are adjustable. If you’re looking for a solid and comfortable all mountain pedal with a good mix of grip and forgiveness, it’s a good place to start, but for more aggressive riders, a pin upgrade is warranted. Crankbrothers could make life easier by throwing in a set of longer pins in the box, not a big ask for a $150 pair of pedals (or at the very least, a few spares). As it stands, the longer pins are available to order for $11.99.

To improve the grip further, the pedal could be made a bit more concave. The effective concavity of the Stamp as it currently sits is 1mm per side, which is not a lot. A small increase in concavity has a very positive effect on grip in our experience, and would be well worth the trade-off in terms of clearance and center of gravity.

Long Term Durability

Historically, Crankbrothers does not have a stellar track record when it comes to the reliability of their products, so we made sure to keep a close eye on the Stamp over a 3.5 month test period to see if any signs of trouble would pop up. There are a few minor issues to report, but no show-stoppers at this point:

-overall, the finish has been holding up really well. The Stamp does not seem to scuff up too easily, and the pins have stood up to a fair amount of rock strikes (we ran them in their short configuration for the majority of the test, which helps with this aspect). We don’t really like the top-loading grub screw pin design as the pins have a tendency to fill up with dirt making it hard to swap them or adjust them when needed, and if they snap they can be all but impossible to dislodge, but so far, we have not had any issues with this pair. And on the flipside, grub screws do offer very good grip compared to certain other pin designs.

-Both the size L and S pedals have developed a tiny bit of bushing play. The play is about 1 millimeter or less, and is not noticeable while riding. To be fair, we have not owned many pairs of pedals that haven’t developed play over time, especially when we’re talking about bushings vs. bearings. 3.5 months is a bit too soon for our taste, even for an all-bushing pedal, but that is with 3-4 rides per week. A weekend warrior should see better results. The bushing refresh procedure is also relatively straightforward, although replacement bushings are not listed up for sale on Crankbrothers' site today (but should be readily available via distributors, they told us). With regards to general service intervals, our pedal axles were still properly lubricated and good to keep rolling when we pulled them apart after 3 months.

-The hardware is a tiny bit on the small side. The grease port screw requires a precise fit with the correct Philips screwdriver to remove, and it strips a bit too easily if you get hamfisted with it (guilty as charged, your honor). The 2 allen head bolts that hold the pedal axle in place are also very shallow, so take care when removing them and use a quality wrench. Notably, any rounded allen key head is off limits as it will not get enough grip and can easily strip the bolt head.

-Our pedals have taken quite a few hits on rocks and other assorted traps on the trail, and they are still running straight and spinning true. All in all, catastrophic failure looks unlikely, and the overall platform design should last you for many happy miles.

What’s The Bottom Line?

The Stamp ticks all the boxes a modern flat pedal should. It’s wide and thin, with a concave design and plenty of pins. On the trail, the thin profile lowers your center of gravity and helps the pedal slide over obstacles, and the ability to choose the pedal size that is the best match for your feet is a plus. The grip is not best in class, but unless you’re pounding through rock gardens on the daily, it certainly won’t hold you back either.

More information at: www.crankbrothers.com


About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord 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.

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1 member reviews

Crankbrothers Stamp 7 Flat Pedals
Rating:
s1600 IMG 6415 235278
The Good
Good, wide flat pedals. Easy to service with the grease ports. Left and right specific
The Bad
Pedals not concave. Pins need cleaning after a few runs.
Overall Review:

I've chosen the Crankbrothers Stamp 7 flat pedals to replace my locally-made MOB flat pedals. I've had that pedal for three years and worn out the pins. I like the wide surface area of the Stamp. The pins can be adjusted using a #2 Allen key for shallow “barely there” bite to tacky, shin gouging experience. Mine leans on the shin gouging after a few tries. I removed the pins that sides on the axle on both sides of both pedals.

I liked the support of the wide surface especially on rock gardens and flowy trails. I don’t have to think about keeping my feet on the pedals and focus on my lines instead. I’ve had several rock strikes already with scratches on the edges and the pins but its still ticking. I’ve had mine for over a year now and I’ve been waiting to that dreaded play.

There’s no perfect product (or is there?!). The pins on the Stamp are a pain to clean. I’ve had to use a safety pin once a month to scrounge and keep it clean to make it usable for the Allen Keys. Plus, the surface is not concave. It would have been better(er) if it was, for a more engaging ride... Hmm, how about the Mallet?

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Post a reply to: Crankbrothers Stamp 7 Flat Pedals

Specifications

Product
Crankbrothers Stamp 7 Flat Pedals
Riding Type
Dirt Jump / Slopestyle
Downhill
Enduro / All-Mountain
Freeride / Bike Park
Trail
Body Material
Aluminum
Body Material Details
Forged 6061-T6 aluminum, 11mm-13mm profile
Bearing Type
Igus LL-glide inner and outer
Spindle Spec
Forged SCM 435 chromoly steel
Pin Spec
10 adjustable pins per side
Colors
2023 Oil Slick Edition
2023 Fabio Edition
Standard: Red, Black
USA Edition: Red with Blue pins
LE: Purple, Green, Orange
Weight
Large: 0 lb 13.2 oz (375 g)
Small: 0 lb 12.2 oz (345 g)
Miscellaneous
  • Size specific pro-level concave platform pedal provides optimal shoe/pedal interface
  • Small platform: 100mm x 100mm; recommended for shoe sizes 5-10 (US), 37-43 (EU)
  • Large platform: 111mm x 114mm; recommended for shoe sizes 10-15 (US), 43-49 (EU)
  • 5 years warranty
  • Price
    Standard / Fabio Edition : $179.99
    Oil Slick: $189.99
    What do you think?
    Where To Buy
    Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
    International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
    Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
    International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
    $125.99
    Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
    International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
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