Burgtec Penthouse MK5 Review

Burgtec isn’t the first company that comes to my mind when thinking about flat pedals, but they’ve been in the game for close to 20 years, and their original Penthouse pedal was the first product they ever launched. Now with several generations of refinement, the Burgtec Penthouse MK5 is machined out of a solid block of 7075 aluminum alloy with a steel axle going through the middle of it; Burgtec has made a lightweight and reliable pedal with performance to boot! Add in a bunch of vibrant color options to perfect the color scheme you’re going for, and this might just be the perfect pedal for lots of riders!

Snapping a pedal axle is a nightmare situation, and steel axles are exactly what I want for peace of mind when I’m overshooting a landing or going deep on a drop. That axle is spinning on a combination of wear resistant Igus bushings and a sealed bearing for high performance and serviceability, and Burgtec offers a rebuild kit to refresh everything should performance ever start to diminish. Considering these are designed for riding in the UK slop, it’s no surprise that they were built with sealing the internals from the environment as a top priority, and these pedals came absolutely packed with grease right out of the box. I’m sure they’ll break in a bit over the coming months, but for now, all that grease keeps the pedals from spinning wildly when you take your feet off.

These pedals got thrown right in the deep end, with some of the sloppiest and muddiest conditions we’ve had so far this fall. I was seriously regretting not having my fender installed yet, with so much water getting flung around that my eyes were closed more than they were open. Luckily, my feet were glued to my pedals so I only had one thing to worry about out there. But seriously, this was the kind of ride where I’d expect my feet to just slide off at a moments notice, but despite my best efforts, they stayed put through everything I ran into while my eyes were closed.

The concavity of the Burgtec Penthouse MK5 is absolutely spot on for my feet, with a 2mm dip in the center relative to the edges. Combined with the slim 15mm profile, riding these pedals doesn’t feel like you’re on top of them, and instead feels like you’re more connected to the pedal. With an overall lower profile compared to any other pedal I’ve ridden, that effectively lowers your center of gravity on the bike, and helps get the bike tipped over onto the side knobs during cornering. That feeling of being more in the pedal compared to taller options is great for climbing too, as it's harder to roll your foot off the top of the pedal during technical climbs, potentially giving you the edge on that tricky section you've been trying to clean.  

With just 8 pins per side, I was concerned about them not providing enough traction, especially when compared to one of our other favorite pedals, the Deity TMAC, which sports 14 pins per side, almost double! The Penthouse pedals have definitely taught me that pin count isn’t everything, and the overall shape of the pedals and pins are far more important than how many pins a manufacturer can stuff on an aluminum block. Now that’s not a knock on the TMAC! They’re one of the gold standards of flat pedals, but these Penthouse MK5’s are right up there with the greats in the pedal world. I found that it was a bit easier to scooch my feet around and make micro adjustments than the ANVT Tilt V3 pedals I've was using before the Burgtecs, but without any compromise in grip. I'm fairly new to flat pedals, and the ability to quickly shimmy my foot into the right position after dabbing in a corner is super important to me, and the Penthouse pedals allowed me to get into that position whenever I needd to.

In case you're interested in these pedals, but want to take them through airport security for some reason, Burgtec also makes their Penthouse MK4 in a composite version. These are a bit cheaper and offered in slightly more dull colors than the MK5, but have a very similar platform shape and pin layout that's sure to offer plenty of grip on a budget.

These pedals give you the confidence you need to to conquer the steeps and drag your handlebars in the corners.

The Burgtec Penthouse MK5 pedals offer a great blend of performance, style, reliability, and grip that any flat pedal should strive for. I was consistently impressed by how secure my feet felt on these pedals no matter the conditions, and I would absolutely recommend these UK pedals to anyone who has trouble with their feet sliding around on other options. Burgtec also sells service kits as well as replacement pins to guarantee that these pedals will keep you moving for as long as you'd like!

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