Atlas

mtb– EUR

Origin

Premium aluminium flat pedal — Race Face's flagship platform, sitting above Chester (composite) and Aeffect (mid-tier alloy) Race Face engineering, North Vancouver, BC Atlas — named for the Greek titan who held up the world. Race Face uses 'Atlas' across the lineup for flagship products (Atlas pedals, Atlas crank, Atlas bar/stem). Signals top-tier in the Race Face hierarchy. DMR V12 (the original premium alloy flat), Wellgo MG-1, Crank Brothers 50/50 DMR Vault, Crank Brothers Stamp 7, OneUp Aluminum, Chromag Scarab, Nukeproof Horizon Pro, HT ME03

The verdict

+Strengths

Excellent grip from 10 aggressive steel pins per side combined with subtle concave — strong but not 'sticky' feel
Bottom-loaded pins are repairable even after pin head shears off (a major durability win vs top-loaded designs)
Forged 6061-T6 aluminium body takes rock strikes with dings rather than cracks — survives gnarly terrain
Sealed cartridge bearing + DU bushing combo gives long service life with minimal maintenance
Fully rebuildable — Race Face publishes service docs, sells small-parts kits, pedals last 5-10+ years
Large 110x102mm platform feels stable and confidence-inspiring on technical terrain
Multiple anodized colours including signature Kashmoney gold — strong aesthetic identity
Wide ankle-clearance design — body shape doesn't smash ankle bones like older boxy designs
Compatible with all flat-pedal shoes, particularly excellent grip with Five Ten Stealth rubber
Thin profile (~12mm) reduces pedal strikes vs older Atlas FR generation

−Weaknesses

Heavier than current weight-focused flats (OneUp Aluminum 355g vs Atlas 375g for the pair, Crank Brothers Stamp 7 S 343g)
Concave is subtle — riders who want a pronounced cupped feel prefer DMR Vault
Single size only (110x102mm) — no S/M/L like Stamp 7. Riders with very small feet (EU 36-38) may find the platform overkill
Premium price point — €130-150 puts it above OneUp Aluminum (~€110) and Aeffect (~€80) without obvious feature gap to the OneUp
Black anodizing wears at pin contact points after a season — cosmetic only but visible on used pedals
Pin threads can seize if grease is not applied at install — particularly on aluminium-on-steel galvanic interaction in wet climates
Pin replacement requires patience — 40 pins to inspect and individually replace if doing a full refresh
Wider platform means more pedal-strike exposure on tight rocky singletrack vs smaller platforms
Not significantly more grippy than the Chester (composite) for ~3x the price — alloy gains are mostly durability and service life rather than ride feel

Did you know

01Race Face was a defining brand of the North Shore freeride scene of the late 1990s/early 2000s — the original aggressive trail riding culture that shaped modern enduro. The Atlas name carries that DNA: it's a pedal designed for riders who hit rocks, not weight-weenies.
02Atlas pins load from BELOW the platform, not from above. This is a critical durability detail — if a pin head shears off during a rock strike (common on flats), you can drive the remaining threaded stub out from the top of the body with a punch. Top-loaded pin pedals become unfixable when the head shears.
03Atlas is forged aluminium, not extruded — the cheaper Aeffect uses extrusion. Forging aligns the grain structure for better impact resistance, which is why Atlas pedals tend to take rock strikes with cosmetic dings rather than cracks.
04The Kashmoney gold anodized finish on Atlas (and Race Face cranks) is one of the most recognisable bling looks in MTB — riders pair Kashmoney pedals with Kashmoney cranks for the full statement build. It's not just a colour, it's a Race Face cultural signature.
05Race Face was acquired by Fox Factory in 2014, which also owns Fox Racing Shox and Easton Cycling. Despite the corporate parent, Race Face products are still developed and finished in North Vancouver — the engineering team didn't move.
06Atlas's 110x102mm platform is intentionally large — Race Face's design philosophy is 'foot stays where you put it'. The trade-off is more rock strike exposure compared to smaller platforms like the Stamp S, which is the cost of stability.
07Pinkbike's pedal shootout (2022) named the Atlas a 'safe top-3 pick' calling out the bottom-loaded pins and concave depth as the strongest features. Lost to the OneUp Aluminum on weight and the DMR Vault on outright concave aggressiveness, but ranked highest on durability per euro.
08The internal bearing setup — sealed cartridge outboard + DU bushing inboard — is the same architecture as the DMR Vault. This is the industry-standard durability layout for premium flats. Cheaper pedals (Chester, V8) skip the cartridge bearing and use bushings only, which wear faster.
09Race Face publishes a video showing the full Atlas rebuild — bearing replacement, bushing replacement, end cap reseal — using €25 of small parts and 20 minutes per pedal. This serviceability is a major reason Atlas pedals have a 5-10 year practical lifespan.

Who it’s for

trail and all-mountain rider on flat pedalsenduro rider who values durability over weightDH rider on a budget (Atlas is a fraction of DH-specific pedal pricing)e-MTB owner running flatsfreerider on rocky North Shore-grade terrainmechanic-confident rider who wants serviceable pedalsrider in wet/winter climate (anodized alloy, sealed bearing)Race Face crank owner wanting matched aesthetic (especially Kashmoney)