OneUp Wave pedals review: not a gimmick, but not magic either

Deciding to go from composite to alloy pedals is one thing, deciding which alloy pedals is another.

I didn't plan on buying new pedals in the middle of a Whistler trip. But after a few days trying to convince my mates that composite flats are the correct pedals (I'd been running Crankbrothers Stamp 1 composites for about six months of fairly hard riding), one of them snapped on the Dirt Merchant road gap. With three days of the trip gone and seven left, I walked into Fanatyk in Whistler Village, and after they laughed at me for riding composites on 50ft jumps, I came out with a set of OneUp Wave pedals.

The Wave is OneUp's newest flat pedal. Instead of being concave (dished) or convex (domed), it's both: the front half is dished to cup the ball of your foot, and the back half slopes down so your heel naturally sits lower. OneUp angles the pins forward too, up to 10 degrees, so they stand vertical once your heel drops. Plenty of riders online call it a gimmick. After a week in Whistler, a couple of months of local riding and a day at Mogo, I don't think it is. I also don't think it'll change your riding overnight.

A quick disclosure before I get into it: I paid for these myself, and paid a premium for them at a Whistler Village shop because I wanted to get back on the trail that day rather than wait for a cheaper set to arrive. OneUp hasn't seen this review and has had no input.

Riders who struggle to drop their heels, or who've bounced between concave and convex pedals without finding one that feels right. That's me. I have terrible flexibility through my ITBs, legs and ankles, so a good heels-down position doesn't come naturally, and concave pedals tend to lock my foot in a spot that isn't where my heel wants to sit. Convex pedals have never felt right for me. I've struggled with foot cramps and just never feeling secure on them.

If you already ride with your heels down without thinking about it, the Wave's main trick won't do much for you.

Weight: 355g (pair, claimed)
Platform: 107mm wide x 110mm long
Thickness: 14.2mm at the axle, 11.5mm at the edges
Body: Forged and CNC'd 6061 aluminium
Internals: Inboard igus bushing, 3 outboard cartridge bearings, chromoly axle
Pins: M4 hollow hex, 10 positions per side (9 fitted from the factory), 10 spares in the box
Also in the box: Pedal Bearing Nut Tool
Warranty: 2 years
AU price: around AUD 259.95 RRP

Pricing changes often, so check boostedmtb.com for live pricing. Worth knowing: OneUp's spec sheet says 10 pins per side, but only 9 per side are installed out of the box. There's an empty hole on each face, and the spares are there if you want to fill it. More on why I haven't, below.

Plenty of grip where it counts

Right from the start these pedals gave me a confident feeling of being connected to the bike when things get rowdy. I have not once felt like my foot could slip off the front on a heavy hit. This leads to the concern being limited in how easily you can adjust your foot position, which can lead to unhealthy technique, knee pain etc. But what I have found is that the back of my foot can actually move around quite easily without losing that longitudinal grip. So these really did surprise me with what feels to me like the perfect sweetspot of grip for hard hitting downhill, enduro, and big jumps. This is of course largely dependant on how your specific shoes interact with the pedal, you foot size, your stance habits and of course personal preference.

I haven't filled the empty 10th pin hole on either side. I don't feel like I need more grip, and adding pins would make the nac-nac problem I cover below worse.

It doesn't force anything, but dropping my heels is easier than on any pedal I've used

I don't actively think about where my feet go. If it feels good, that's where they stay. What I notice on the Waves is that dropping my heels tp create a well balanced and supported stance takes less effort. The sloped back half meets my foot at the angle I'm trying to get to, rather than me fighting a flat or domed platform to get there.  I've often thought my struggle to drip my heals is an anatonmy thing, which could be true, but these pedals have definitely helped.

They also feel softer and more natural underfoot than any alloy pedal I've ridden, including OneUp's original Aluminium pedals. This is the closest I've come to the soft composite feel I liked, but with alloy strength.  I put this down to how the wave shape interacts with the support in my shoes.

Easy to adjust on the fly, but tricks need a cleaner lift

This is the other half of why the Waves work for me. The grip is strong where it counts, but if my foot isn't in the sweet spot it isn't hard to shuffle it there mid-run.

A slight catch for nac-nacs. Early on, the front of my shoe kept hanging up on the pedal when I tried to swing a foot off. The fix is to lift your foot off a rather than slide it, and once I'd adjusted, it stopped being an issue. That's also why the 10th pins stay in the box.

I've had a few pedal strikes on rock that I expected to do more damage than they did. The Waves came away with decent scratches, but no obvious gouges or signs of any loss of integrity. Seven days of Whistler bike park, a couple of months of local trails and a handful of shuttle days around Sydney and NSW, and they spin smoothly with no play. Not long term conclusive evidence yet, but it's a good start. I have snapped three pins so far which is easily done, by design, to avoid damaging the threads.  They are a quick and easy swap so no complaints there.

They fit SRAM's carbon cranks, which OneUp's original alloy pedal didn't

My Waves are on my XL YT Capra, which runs SRAM XX carbon DUB cranks. That matters because OneUp's original Aluminium is not compatible with SRAM carbon cranks. The deep counterbore around SRAM's pedal insert could let the pedal body bind on the crank before the axle tightened, and OneUp later revised the pedal (date code 5221 and up). The Wave doesn't have that problem: OneUp and my experience confirms, they work with SRAM's carbon cranks, and with crank boots too.

Servicing is OneUp's strong point. The bearing nut tool is in the box, the Wave shares its rebuild kit with OneUp's Clip pedals, and you get 10 spare pins.

Not cheap next to composites, but you're paying for a pedal that doesn't break

Around AUD 260 is a lot more than a set of composites. I paid more than that in Whistler for the convenience of riding the same day, so I'm not the person to call it a bargain. But I broke a composite pedal, and replacing pedals mid-trip costs more than buying the right ones first. For what you get (strength, serviceability, spare pins and a shape that genuinely helps me) the price is fair, not great.

Not a gimmick. Not a revolution. A very good pedal for riders who find heels-down hard

A lot of people call the Wave a gimmick. I don't agree, but I'm also not going to tell you it'll change your riding. For most riders it's a well-made, grippy alloy pedal with a shape that gently nudges your heels down. For someone like me, with stiff legs and ankles and a history of never quite settling on a pedal, that nudge is the thing I've been missing.

I wouldn't point downhill racers at these. And if you already ride heels-down naturally, or you love a deep concave pedal that locks your foot in place, there are other options. But if you've been switching between pedals looking for something that grips hard and still lets you move, the Wave is worth a look.

Are OneUp Wave pedals compatible with SRAM carbon cranks?

Yes. OneUp confirms the Wave works with SRAM carbon cranks. Mine are on SRAM XX carbon DUB cranks with no issues. The original OneUp Aluminium pedal was the one with the compatibility problem, and only on older units.

Where should my foot sit on the Wave pedal?

With the ball of your foot over the axle, so the dished front can hold it. Riders who put their arches over the axle have reported their feet getting pushed forward over bumps.

Should I install the 10th pin?

Only if you want more grip. I've left mine out because the grip is plenty and extra pins would make it harder to get my foot off for nac-nacs.

Can you run shorter pins on the Wave?

The pins aren't height-adjustable. OneUp says the only way to run shorter pins is to fit pins from its original Aluminium pedal with the washers from its pin/washer kit.

How often do OneUp Wave pedals need servicing?

OneUp recommends at least once a season, or twice if you ride every day. The tool you need comes in the box, and the rebuild kit is shared with OneUp's Clip pedals.

Are OneUp Wave pedals worth it over composites?

If you're breaking composites or your feet slip forward on them, yes. If you're happy on composites and not riding hard enough to break them, you're paying a lot for a shape and a stronger body.

Sources

OneUp Wave Pedals product page and FAQ
Singletracks: The OneUp Wave Pedals force proper foot placement
Vital MTB forum: Some thoughts on the OneUp Wave pedals
bike-components: OneUp Aluminium pedal SRAM carbon compatibility
MTB Direct: OneUp Wave Pedals (AU pricing)