Flat pedal riders with finite budgets will likely be pretty stoked to hear about VP’s new Aim platform pedals. As the lesser brother to VP’s top of the line Harrier flat pedal, the recently released Aims are more affordable yet feature bodies that are almost as large and thin as the Harrier, and still come in at a very reasonable weight.
The Aim pedals were developed for slopestyle slayer Sam Reynolds. Reynolds said he wanted something big and grippy, so VP ran with his request and created this simple, traditional and versatile dual-concave design. In short, the Aim pedals are comfortable platforms that offer gobs of foot space, and would be ideal for any type of bike that you’d run flats on including your commuter, BMX or all-mountain bike. Read on for the details, and to see if you’re tempted by their $60 MSRP…
Right off the bat there is one thing that sounds cheap about these pedals- die-cast alloy bodies. I’d like to think Matchbox cars are the only suitable use for die-cast metal, but these aren’t pricey pedals and since I have a pair to test out we’ll get a chance to see how they hold up over time. Their dual concave platforms are 18mm thick and measure in at a comfortable 105x105mm’s. I installed these on my bike so recently I’ve only ridden them to a friend’s place and back, but I can tell you right away the wide, squared off outer edge feels great under my feet (which are a fairly average size 9 or 9.5).
Not skimping in the axle department the pedals utilize forged, heat treated, CNC machined chromoly axles that rotate on LSL and sealed cartridge bearings. For maximum durability, the Aim’s bearings are spaced as widely as possible within the pedal bodies.
The Aims feature eight replaceable steel traction pins per side. The pins are the hex-based ‘wrench out from the top’ style. Generally I have a bit more faith in replaceable pins that are accessed from the protected underside of the pedal, but after a good beating we’ll see if the Aim’s pins pose a problem or not.
According to VP a pair of Aim pedals weighs in at 425g. With all the design and manufacturing done in-house, VP says the costs stay low enough to offer them at a suggested retail of $60 USD, and for the long run it’s nice to know the company will offer rebuild kits. The Aim pedals come in silver or black, and are available through VP distributors now.
