Reverse Black ONE

Reverse’s Black ONE pedal is an authentic lightweight. The platform only weighs 313 g and makes the Black ONE the lightest pedal in our test. The platform size of 100 x 100 x 14.5 mm is pretty much standard and so are the 10 pins. Only when you take a closer look you’ll understand why a standard pedal can weigh this little: the CNC machine went down quite hard on the Black ONE and shaved off a lot of aluminium. Inside you’ll find one bushing and two industrial sealed bearings which give the Reverse Black ONE a long lifespan. Reverse limits the colour options of the Black ONE to its pins: available in either black or eight more colours but the pedal itself always remains true to its name. The box contains two pedals with fitted pins and four spare pins.

On the trail the Reverse Black ONE offers good grip from the word go. However, when the trail gets steeper and the terrain blocks up with roots and large rocks the Black ONE reaches its limits. The pronounced curvature of the platform is intended to make room for the bearings but unfortunately prevents the pins from digging into the sole properly. This means that the central pins are only partially working. When the trail gets muddy the Black ONE pedals are a superb option as the small surface and open platform design will shed most of the mud.

Conclusion

The Reverse Black ONE is the right pedal for all of those who are looking for a very light pedal and like spending most of their time on flowy trails. But if you hang out in the rowdier spectrum of things and love bombing down rough downhill trails you might be better off with a set of pedals from the competition. The distinctive bearing shape of the Black ONE only offers a limited amount of grip.

Allen: 8 mm
Weight: 313 g
Price: € 120

Platform size: 100 x 100 x 14,5 mm (L x W x H)
Number of pins per side: 10
Info: reverse-components.com