Can You Put Pegs On A Mountain Bike

Pegs are designed to let a rider put their weight on the center of the wheel. This allows for passengers and lets some talented cyclists do incredible tricks they couldn’t achieve if their center of gravity were further back.

Unfortunately, you need a reinforced frame for those stunts, and not all wheels can take the pressure from pegs. Can you put pegs on a mountain bike?

Putting pegs on a mountain bike can damage your bike’s fork or frame, however you can add them if your Mountain bike has long enough bolt-on axles. Mountain bikes aren’t designed for pegs since they aren’t reinforced to carry the weight of a passenger. Moreover, a mountain bike can’t take the pressure on its frame and wheels from solo stunt riding.

Can You Put Stunt Pegs On A Mountain Bike

You can put stunt pegs on a mountain bike if the frame and wheels are strong enough to handle it.

However, most MTBs are not set up for this, so adding the pegs and using them can cause significant and often expensive damage to your bike.

Before adding pegs, you should look into stronger wheels and tires if you only want to carry a passenger occasionally.

Otherwise, please consider using a fork and frame setup built to take repeated impacts for trick riding.

Although mountain bikes can be incredibly durable, they are made to tackle hills in a more traditional, pedals on the ground manner.

Smaller, heavier bikes like road bikes and freestyle BMXs’ are meant to handle the pressure of repeated jumps and landings. Moreover, they typically have smaller, tougher wheels and tires.

There are different types of axles, but the one you need for pegs is the bolt-on style.

As Gear For Venture puts it, “Wheels with bolt-on axles are also known as solid axles. Bolt-on axles are made of steel rods, threaded with two nuts to secure your bicycle properly.”

How Do You Put Bike Pegs On Mountain Bike

Despite a mountain bike’s intended purpose, you can choose to go ahead and add the pegs.

Whether it’s to give your younger sibling an occasional ride or to ‘trick it out’ for stunts, your bike and the risks you take on it are personal.

To put pegs on a mountain bike, you have three options. I’ve listed them below for educational reasons, but I cannot endorse dangerous modifications.

• First, if you have the correct axle, you can screw on compatible pegs per the package directions and cross your fingers. The trouble with this simple and obvious method is that, since MTBs aren’t made for pegs, the added weight from the pegs and people standing on them will bend the axle over time. Not only is this dangerous, but it’s also harder to fix because the part bends in place. Plus, the damage is insidious. You probably won’t spot it since the bend is a slow cumulative problem that builds until the part either stops functioning or fails and breaks. I do not recommend this method.

• Second, you can cut or file the ‘lip’ of your pegs. Doing this will allow them to sit flush against the frame. Just as reducing a small amount of weight can make a big difference on how fast a racer moves, reducing the leverage of the pegs as they push down on the axle can help minimize the bend. Please be aware that this will not stop the axle from bending over time. Moreover, this minor adjustment will not affect how sturdy your frame and fork are, so it won’t prevent them from caving under the added pressure. Still, it reduces the risk slightly.

• Third, you can (and should) consider using a peg wedge. This ingenious and relatively new product from Mafia Bikes is designed to correctly fit pegs on mountain bikes. I could not find any information on how they affect the frame or fork, but wedges do make it simple to fit your pegs on.

Check out this video on how to add pegs to an MTB. Mafia Bikes shares their new peg wedge, which will allow you to install pegs on most MTBs easily.

Peg Wedge For Mountain Bike

There is only one kind of peg wedge for mountain bikes. The Mafia Bikes Peg Wedges from Amazon are quite literally in a class of their own.

These ingenious and oddly shaped wedges attach where a regular peg would, allowing you to connect a non-threaded peg to your MTB.

You’ll appreciate the high-quality nylon material. Plus, Mafia Bikes includes the necessary zip ties, so you can get these on your mountain bike and add your favorite stunt pegs.

Peg Wedges sell out fast and frequently, so get them right here while they are still in stock.

Pegs For Mountain Bike

There are pegs marketed specifically toward mountain bikes. Most likely, this is a result of MTB enthusiasts seeking a way to add stunt pegs.

Although they are too new on the market to be a standard item, a few MTB pegs are available. The two below are high-quality, and the companies intended them for mountain bikes.

1 – KINSPORY 3/8 Inch Bike Pegs

KINSPORY Bike Pegs from Amazon are made to fit on any bike with a 3/8 inch axle including, “… road bike, mountain bikes, track bike, and BMX.”

You can mount these stunning metallic rainbow pegs on the front or back wheel. Best of all, the nonslip grooves engraved into the surface help a rider or passenger maintain their footing easily. Get a set by clicking here.

2 – Zelerdo Aluminum Alloy Bike Pegs for Mountain Bike Cycling

A set of Zelerdo Aluminum Alloy Bike Pegs for Mountain Bike Cycling gives you the option of installing them front and rear or using only two pegs and always having a spare set.

The sleek black pegs are made from high-strength aluminum alloy and can hold up to two-hundred pounds.

Zelrerdos also have a nonslip texture, plus they can be tightened on by hand or tool. Learn more about these excellent pegs by clicking here.

Helpful Tips To Know About Putting Pegs On A Mountain Bike

Putting pegs on a mountain bike is not recommended and can be dangerous and damaging.

However, you can swap out parts to create a more robust bike that will better handle the pressures involved in adding stunt pegs or add them for visual appeal.

Here are more helpful tips to know about putting pegs on a mountain bike.

• Not all mountain bikes come with bolt-on axles. However, you can change the axle to be compatible with the other parts.

• The primary use of pegs is to do tricks, but the point of mountain bikes is to go up and downhill easier, with exceptional control and brakes. Although a trail riding mountain bike can handle more impacts because of the brought terrain it regularly traverses, it’s not the same as doing stunts. Shifting your center of gravity and changing how your MTB interacts with the ground on landing isn’t a good plan without the necessary modifications.

• Most shops will not do modifications like shaving down pegs to sit flush before installing them because of the liability involved. When you modify your MTB at home, you assume responsibility for the work you do.

Final Thoughts

Bicycles like mountain bikes are purpose-built to ride in specific ways. It all seems like pushing pedals forward with more or less difficulty to a novice, but because of the differences, not all bikes are meant to hold stunt pegs or carry passengers.

A BMX or road bike has a frame designed to take the added weight and impact pressure from stunts, so they do well with pegs.

However, your mountain bike could end up with a bent axle, or worse. Frame and fork damage is no joke. Please don’t add pegs to an MTB unless it’s been modified to handle them.