MEMBER REVIEWS
PEDALING INNOVATIONS XL CATALYST PEDAL REVIEW
Review & Photos by Leonard Johnson
August 13, 2025
The moment I saw the XL Catalyst pedals by Pedaling Innovations, I knew I wanted to give them a go. Designed for size 13+ feet and carrying a promise to "improve stability, balance and performance," this big footed, toe bashing mountain biker was intrigued by the concept. At first glance the XL Catalyst flat pedals look laughably long, however if you have a large foot like I do (13) there is something cool about a product specifically designed to improve comfort and performance.
Visually, these Pedaling Innovations pedals are somewhere between "something different" and "technologically innovative", like a combination of the newest pair of Jordans and the corrective shoes a young Forrest Gump wore. Judging by the attention these pedals attracted at trailheads I would say I felt more like Jordan than Gump. With the lingering thought of Pedal innovation's claim of improved stability, balance and performance, I had to know what these bad boys felt like on my bike and under my feet.
ABOUT THE PEDALING INNOVATIONS XL CATALYST PEDAL
The Pedaling Innovations XL Catalyst pedals are extruded and machined from 6061 T6 aluminum by VP Components. The body measures in at 160mm long (with a 125mm long platform area), 105mm wide, and 16mm thick. It revolves around a heat treated Cr-mo spindle with a combination of two cartridge bearings and a DU bush. On each side of the pedal are 18 threaded grub screws to provide traction. In the box, longer 8mm grub screws are included if more traction is desired.
The XL Catalyst pedals by Pedaling Innovations are offered exclusively in anodized black, with a retail of $199.
THE DIRT
My curiosity and having a propensity to try things that are different from the norm lead me to shell out $199 for these Pedaling Innovation XL Catalyst flat pedals. They're not the most expensive pedals out there, but still a hell of a price to pay to test out a concept. I was concerned – if these pedals performed as well as Pedaling Innovations advertised, then how have we not seen more designs like the XL Catalyst?
I slapped these puppies on my 2022 Trek Fuel ExE and took them out to the local trails. The pedals I temporarily replaced were the Crank Brother Stamp 11 Large, with a footprint of 114mm x 111mm. The Catalyst XL are 46 mm longer, yet 6mm narrower. The overall thickness of the XL Catalyst is 16mm vs The Stamp 11's 11mm profile.
Out on the dirt, the number one standout virtue of the Catalyst XL was comfort. The best way to describe the feel of the Catalyst for my motorcyclists out there is the difference between pegs and floorboards. Right away, we got along like old friends. What does this mean for Stability, Balance and performance? I was about to find out.
The first testing ground was Franke MTB Park in Fort Wayne, IN. A dense forest with plenty of cross-country chatter. I was purposely seeking out roots like 23 And Me. I was trying to see how planted I feel with the Catalyst XL's underneath my big dogs. So far so good, no movement under chatter. After 18 miles, the only concern I had was during the few small climbs offered at Franke Park. I noticed my trailing receding foot started to lose traction and move around, at times completely coming off the pedal. After day one, I was a believer in improved Stability, balance and performance, except when it came to climbing. Then I remembered, Pedaling Innovations sent longer 8mm pins. I added the longer pins to four corners of the pedals to see if this would improve matters.
Testing day two took us to Redhead bike park in Chisholm, MN. There is a lot more climbing and Enduro style descents, making it a perfect testing ground. Redhead is a retired Iron mine with lots of sharp rocky sections, iron ore, and shale we call dragon scales. Pedal grip is extremely important in a place like this. Again, I can vouch for the bold claims Pedaling Innovations attribute to these pedals while descending. But still, climbing was an issue for me. It was better with the longer pins, but there was still movement when my feet went light at the top of the pedal stroke. I played around with the pins a bit more, but had no luck. They are not terrible pedals for the climb, but as much as I wanted to replace my Stamp 11 with these, I couldn't. I will sacrifice comfort for performance all day on a pedal-fed machine.
Then it clicked! I slapped these comfy floorboards on my Commencal Supreme DH bike and headed to Giants Ridge Lift assisted DH bike park in Biwabik, MN. This proved to be the ticket, and the Pedaling Innovations XL Catalyst flat pedals have found their new permanent home. $199 well spent! I was on the first and last lift. I rode all day. Every muscle in my body was sore, except for my feet. These are confidence inspiring. Balance is easily achievable. With proper foot placement, I was never worried if my foot was too far forward or back. I easily found my sweet spot because the platform is so long. It is common for me to scrape my big toe on the ground or kick up a rock with my foot, which was a problem solved with the XL Catalyst pedals. Stability came naturally with proper footing, allowing the bike to move freely underneath. Being able to completely push into a berm knowing I was secure and my legs were in the proper position, I was able to confidently point my heels down on descents and found myself braking less, which ultimately led to better performance.
The Wolf's Last Word
I highly recommend the Pedaling Innovations XL Catalyst flat pedals to Big foots like myself who are focused on descending. While they didn't offer the ultimate flat pedal for climbing, the stability and confidence they offered on the downhills was exceptional. Meet my new DH pedals. 
Price: $199
Website: Pedalinginnovations.com
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ABOUT THE WOLF
I got into MTB late in life. I was 40 the first time I rode, and it completely changed my life. Along with the joys and magical places mountain biking has taken me, it also comes with bitterness knowing I could have been doing this my entire life. Now at the age of 51, I try to shape my life around finding more time to ride. Learning as much as I can and sharing information with people that have the bug.
Rank: Wolfpack Member
Size: 6'3" | 275 lbs
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