Burgtec has released the fifth-generation of its Penthouse flat pedal.
The Macclesfield mountain bike component brand has its roots in high-performance gravity mountain biking and one of its most popular products is the Penthouse flat pedal.
Whereas many other flat pedals prioritise the quantity of pins as a feature, Burgtec’s designers obsess over the actual pedal shape and structure. Instead of having the highest pin-count dictate its Penthouse pedal shape, Burgtec has always opted for fewer traction points, but a more harmonised overall design.
The new MK 5 Penthouse is lighter than its predecessor pedal, by 46g. That means these Burgtec pedals now weight only 379g.
Beyond the reduction in mass, Burgtec has also boosted the Penthouse pedal’s traction by altering its structure. The MK 5 Penthouse pedals have a more concave shape, which facilitates a better shoe-to-surface contact patch.
The new pedals feature pins which are both longer and narrower (by 0.5mm), to ensure a reliable grip interface with any decent flat-pedal specific mountain bike shoe.
Beyond the chance in lateral shape and sharper pin profile, Burgtec has also redesigned how the Penthouse pedals orientate in relation to your cranks.
Aware of rider feedback, Burgtec’s engineers reworked the Penthouse design to move its profile slight away from the crank. This new shaping lessens the probability of catching the inside of your shoes on the crank when repositioning for balance.
In terms of dynamic pedal hardware, the MK 5 Penthouse pedals also benefit from an improved bushing specification. A full-contact oil seal is now present in the Igus W300 bushing, which offers excellent weather sealing.
Burgtec has priced the MK5 Penthouse at £109.99 and its platform measures at 100mm by 102mm. If you value a harmonized design which balances concave, pin-placement and bushing durability, these new flat pedals tick a lot of boxes.
