Bontrager Line Elite Pedal Review

About a year ago we got our first set of Bontrager Line Elite pedals. They were the first nylon pedals we had tested from the brand and ended up having some issues. We contacted Bontrager, found out they’d had some issues with the early pedals and made some revisions for future pedals. Fast forward to now and they’ve quickly become some of our favorite pedals and regularly get passed around from bike to bike. It seems the changes made have indeed created a much more durable and quality pedal.

THE LAB
The Bontrager Line Elite flat pedals are made of a durable nylon with a slightly textured surface. Traction comes in the form of ten replaceable steel pins with added grip coming from the diamond pattern cut into the platform.

The Line Elite pedals are built around a durable axle that spins on sealed cartridge bearings. The platforms themselves measure in at 98mm by 98mm providing ample room for most shoe sizes. Weight for these $49.99 pedals is 354.6 grams. Bontrager offers the Line Elite pedals in five different satin-finished colors.

THE DIRT
Bontrager signed on as the official shoe sponsor for our 2020 eMTB Roundup and as a surprise they stuffed a bunch of Line Elite pedals in the boxes. After our experience last year, we figured there was no better place to test the redemption of these pedals than on 50lb ebikes in the rocky Palm Springs desert for ten days under ten different riders. Many of our testers had never ridden nylon pedals before, and to be honest, not many of them knew they were nylon until we pointed it out and started asking questions.

“These are some of the best platform pedals I can remember riding,” was a common reply. Perhaps the grip and feel were magnified thanks to the impressive grip of Bontrager’s Flatline shoe, but even when we got home and continued riding the pedals with our usual Ride Concepts or Fivetens, the pedals still impressed.

It didn’t matter if we were climbing rocky switchbacks or hammering down rock gardens, our feet stayed planted on the pedals. Oddly enough, we did not have the same experience with the Bontrager Line Pro pedals. Our testers did have issues of their feet bouncing off the pedals or having to adjust foot placement more frequently. Climbing performance was much better on the Line Elites as well.

After a week of heavy thrashing and rock bashing in Palm Springs, we managed to only destroy one of our Line Elite pedals, and it was a death we’re not sure any pedal would have escaped. Dave Anderson, better known as, the Carbon Clydesdale, was enjoying the scenery with one foot down when he rode straight into a large rock. At 235lbs plus the 52-pound ebike, that 12 mile per hour impact isn’t something we’d expect many pedals would survive. Nevertheless, he finished the ride with a bent spindle, and we all had a laugh.

The Wolf’s Last Word

We’ll just say it now, the Bontrager Line Elite pedals are the SHIT! Some of the best pedals we’ve ever ridden and to have eight riders share that sentiment is pretty impressive. The Line Elite pedals offer some of the best bang for your buck; unrivaled traction, durability and value, all for $50. You could buy two or three sets of Line Elite pedals for the price of most alloy pedals. The only problem we have with these pedals, is that we don’t have enough of them…and we’d like to see some more colors.

Price: $49.99
Weight: 354.6 grams
Colors: Black, Battleship Blue,
Volt (Satin Hi Vis Yellow), Olive Grey, Roarange
Website: Trekbikes.com