The 5OX is a big slab of a pedal, the nylon reinforced platform is oversized in every direction and it rotates on top-end bearings, the idea being it’ll last just as long as any traditional metal pedal. In fact, so confident is SQlab in this it doesn’t even make an alloy version.

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Buy a pair and first you need to figure out which cromo-steel axle length you want. The 5OX comes in three sizes, a standard fit, size large with 5mm longer spindle, and a small that’s 5mm shorter. SQlab hopes to better fit the pedal to the rider and bike this way – those with wider hips can opt for the biggun, while riders struggling with already-wide Q factors (e-bikes perhaps) can shrink their stance down. You’re even recommended to go up a size if you ride heels in, and dodge the dreaded heel rub on your cranks.

The platform is big then, measuring in at 110mm long and 105mm it’s matched only by a select few other pedals, like the Deity Deftrap. It’s deeper than most too at 20mm, and together with the angled leading and trailing edges it looks bigger still. SQLab says it’s given the platform a concave shape to help cradle your foot in the right position, and they’re right, it is concave. But at less than a millimetre shallower in the middle they might not have bothered.

Each side hosts 11 pins, including one just behind the axle, something we rarely see on a flat pedal. They thread in from the opposite side and are locked in place with tiny nuts, meaning you can always replace them even if they’re mangled on a rock.

The 5OX spins on a combination of fully serviceable Japanese ball bearings and IGUS friction bushing that are made in Germany. I’d conservatively estimate my test pedal has been wet and muddy for three months now, never drying out between rides, but it still spins smoothly with that tight, well sealed feel. Less impressive are the rusty pins, which clearly are not made from stainless steel. 

Grip is excellent, the big platform itself feels less skiddy than other plastic pedals I’ve tried, while the pins are sharp and long enough. That central pin doesn’t interrupt the comfort as I’d first feared, in fact it’s unnoticeable except that it gives the 5OX a grippy performance advantage. There’s also no raised ridge to accommodate the axle, as some plastic pedals feature, meaning the surface is an ideal cradle for your flat shoes.

SQlab has made the pedal too deep though, it means you ride a few millimetres higher off the bike – not much, but enough to be felt – while there’s also more pedal hanging down below to smack into the ground. I also found the 6mm hex head to thread the pedals on with too shallow, so you’re in danger of rounding it out when it’s full of mud. 

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