Submitted by
M_K
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, Canada Date Reviewed: January 27, 2009
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Mountain Equipment C
Strengths:
Large Platform, easy in and out, retention
Weaknesses:
Bearings, seals.
Similar Products Used:
SPDs
Bottom Line:
I've had these since 2004. You have to repack them with grease every 1-2 months to keep them running reliably. I only found this out after realizing that I had worn the body where it meets the spindle, which developed into a bit of extra play. Now they are on my winter commuting bike and the large platform is very useful in these conditions, since I don't always have the luxury of ensuring that I've clipped in.
Compared to Shimano, I'd say that Shimano offers better bearings, but a retention system that doesn't equal the Mallet.
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Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Santaquin, UT, USA Date Reviewed: May 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Blackhawk
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
bikenashbar.com
Strengths:
Ease of entry and release mud shedding Ride clipless or just on platform
Weaknesses:
Heavy
Similar Products Used:
Time ATAC Alium
Bike Setup:
Specialized FSR XC
Bottom Line:
I love these pedals! I went clipless with the Time ATAC and found them VERY difficult to get out of. As a result I found myself on the ground more times than I care to remember. The Crank Brothers pedals are VERY easy to get in and out of and as a result I have found my old, reckless self out on the trail again. I love these pedals and would recommend them to anyone!
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Submitted by
Jon Benner
a Cross Country Rider
from Antwerp, NY USA Date Reviewed: May 1, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
Blueskycycling.com
Strengths:
Low weight Great construction proven and reliable eggbeater clipless interface Great tracktion
Weaknesses:
Need more color choices! Would have been nice to ship with an extra set of pins
Similar Products Used:
Eggbeater SL pedals Quattro SL road pedals
Bike Setup:
KHS Solo one, Sun rims, Kenda tires, Avid BB7 185/160mm, flak jacket, speed dial SL setup, Rockshox Duke SL fork..
Bottom Line:
This is a review for the newest 2008 Mallet 2 models. I was curious how much I'd like these pedals before ordering. I wanted something I could ride with normal street shoes while playing around in my pump track and around town. I also wanted a clipless pedal with a low weight. So my options were a little limited. I have rode Eggbeaters for 3 years now and I will likely never ride anything else. These pedals are great because for their size they're very light weight. I'm happy with the traction in regular shoes. You can notice the Eggbeater a little but it's not that troublesome. While clipping in I found I needed one shim to make my current shoes work. After the shim I was golden. It's a solid interface with a little more area for my feet. I love these pedals so far!
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Submitted by
Brad
a Weekend Warrior
from Wisconsin Date Reviewed: April 13, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Very light, eggbeater design, sheds mud, good traction pins
Weaknesses:
the pins are either too low to ride with regular shoes or too high to ride clipless
Similar Products Used:
cheapos, shimano 545s
Bike Setup:
XC
Bottom Line:
I have yet to use them clipless because my shoes don't work too well with them. You have to have shoes with not a lot of tread sticking out or else they don't clip in. These are very light and shed mud like nothing. I have heard great reviews about the eggbeater system, but for now I like them with just regular shoes. The adjustable pins are great, mine are way out so they grip to my shoes very nice. I like these a lot, and eventually I will use the clipless part. I have the 2008 mallet 2's, which are somewhat different from the 2007 mallet m's. If you could not adjust the pins (like the 07's) they would not be very good with regular shoes. the butterfly sticks up too much in the middle, making that what your shoe will touch. you can ride them around town, but if you are doing serious mtbing this would not work very well with the 2007's. These are great for clipless and platforms, just make sure you get the 2008's with the adjustable pins.
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Submitted by
Knotty boy
a Downhiller
from Australia Date Reviewed: April 3, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Friend
Strengths:
light, large platform, ability drag your foot backwards to clip in.
Weaknesses:
Very weak, design flaw that has the bars exposed on the under side of the pedal
Similar Products Used:
Shimano
Bike Setup:
Giant Glory DH
Bottom Line:
I've used these pedals for about 2 years now and feel I've given them a good enough go. I first had a pair of Mallet C's and clipped the underside of them on a rock. This resulted in one of the clip in bars snapping. Once I thought was just bad luck, but I brought a pair of Mallet M's from a friend and now have 3 out of 4 pedals broken with the same problem. I only ride downhill and obviously in rocky places. If the impact is light enough that I don't crash and fall off my bike then I expect the pedal to be able to handle it. I like giving something different a try, but will go back to Shimano which can take a lot more abuse and have a more positive action with adjustable spring tension. Crank bros are great if you are sponsored and get pedals in packs of ten.
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Submitted by
Bomber
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbus, Ohio Date Reviewed: March 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Gooseberry Mesa
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
On line
Strengths:
Theyre eggbeaters
Weaknesses:
None that I have witnessed
Similar Products Used:
Eggbeater SL
Bike Setup:
Turner 5 Spot
Bottom Line:
This is a great product. As for those who have had issues with bearings, then sorry about your luck. You run the same risk as everyone else getting a bad bearing. Bearing are manufactured by other companies, not the pedal manufacturer. So, if the pedal company is using a second rate bearing, then shame on them. But it costs $5 at the most to replace the bearings. For the guy who had peices of his bearing get stuck on the inside of his pedal, go buy an o'ring remover. It should be small enough and strong enough to clean out any debris. As for this pedal and the product its been great. I dont use it much for cross country, because of its size. I found the pedal would get in the way (Come into contact with more stuff on the trail) when pedaling. The Eggbeater SL's are great and dont hit anything on the trail. This pedal is great for first timers to the Clipless world due to the huge platform. Thats why I bought them. Once I got use to clipless pedals I bought the eggbeaters.
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Submitted by
Jeremy Blanchard
a Downhiller
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: March 19, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Tai Mo Shan
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle World
Strengths:
Solid platform with clip in, solid positive engagement. handles knocks well.
These pedals really do it for me. I have tried with flatties but these give me aer ally assured feeling. i have run them trouble free on three different bikes for over a year and so far no issue. I run them for XC trails and more agressive Trails, DH's and they are excellent, despite many contacts with Terra Firmer they are still running well.
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Submitted by
Ray
a Weekend Warrior
from Puyallup, WA Date Reviewed: February 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:
skookum flats
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$65.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Reliable, strong.
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
Mallet C, Eggbeater
Bottom Line:
This is my third set of pedals from Crank Bros. I've liked them so much I keep putting them on my bikes. Started with the eggbeaters, and switched to the mallet c's about two years ago. Just got a new 29er and put on the Mallet M's. Not much mileage on these yet, but I have 100's & 100's on the eggbeaters and Mallet C's. These pedals have been very robust and can take a ton of hard use / abuse. I am surprised to read that others have had them break??? I'm just over 200 pounds and have never had a problem with these. Lots of jumps / drops, lot's of miles in mud and grit, no issues.
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Submitted by
Fabricio Fracchia
a Weekend Warrior
from Caracas,Venezuela Date Reviewed: September 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:
all
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$89.00
Purchased At:
Airbomb
Strengths:
Hold very good if you want to ride without clipless shoes, good movement of the foot when clipped in
Weaknesses:
I can't say nothing bad about them, I used in my all mountain in agresive riding and only suffered one damaged to one of the for side clips, but the CB warranty covered.
Similar Products Used:
shimano , time
Bike Setup:
SC Blur LT, Talas 36RC2, RP3, full XT.
Bottom Line:
the problem was solved so good that the broken clip is nothing, the guys there are awesome.
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Submitted by
Mr.ED
a Weekend Warrior
from Canuck Date Reviewed: August 25, 2006
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Very forgiving to get back in and out.Mud and snow are a joke for these pedals.By the way maintenance is very easy but frequent if you don`t want premature wear.I ryde Bromont a lot and Rigaud`s( secret trails )These pedals are good,Period
Weaknesses:
Wears fast (cleats)but extremely precise (once cleats are set properly,trim,shim and patience.)
Similar Products Used:
Shimano all the way since forever.they never fail but don`t clip in mud and snow
Bike Setup:
03`Devinci Banzai very well tuned and modified
Bottom Line:
Bottom line is I`m a great mechanic and anything that gets abused will not last forever and high end stuff demands higher end maintenance .Or find a good shop and stop winning and RYDE .
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Submitted by
ben
a Racer
from sydney Date Reviewed: August 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:
western commision track
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
versatility, work well when new, light for this type pedal
Weaknesses:
same as last reviewer in the my bearing cartridge blew up and has left a small fragment in the pedal so i cant install new bearings so all i can do is throw the pedal away
Bike Setup:
santa cruz blur, xtr build f100x
Bottom Line:
i wasnt going to write this review, but it seems to be a repeating prob with me having the exact same issue as previous reviewer. at first i thought tis pedal was great due to the versatility of using with clipless shoes or just riding on thre street in sports shoes, its jst a shame they dont hold together for an acceptable amount of time my bearings blew without warning, seems to be a manufacturing problem as its not a on off.
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Submitted by
johnny h
a
from uk Date Reviewed: August 10, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
weight
Weaknesses:
reliability
Similar Products Used:
shimano
Bike Setup:
5 spot
Bottom Line:
these pedals work well when new but they soon show their weakness. theyve been back to the shop twice and are about to go back again. first time the bearings collapsed and the second time it was the clip-in (eggbeater) system went tits-up ! peaty must have a new pair every ride ! at least they come with a two year warranty and the servie from the distributors (2 pure ) has been excellent.
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Submitted by
San Juan
a Cross Country Rider
from Durango Date Reviewed: June 3, 2006
Favorite Trail:
The CT of course
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
I never really liked these things.
Weaknesses:
My right pedal spontaneoulsy flew off my bike after about 3 months.
Bottom Line:
Having a pedal come off your bike can be pretty frightening... especially considering what would have happened if I didn't stop on the downhill I was riding. I stopped because the pedal felt wierd, and it came right off. These pedals are not tough, and they have no real positive engagement. They were over-hyped, and they are not a good pedal.
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Submitted by
Matt Locher
a Weekend Warrior
from Zürich Swizterland Date Reviewed: May 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
single trails with flow
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
easy to get into the pedals, nice concept, weight
Weaknesses:
!!stength!! I mounted those pedals on my Spezialised Enduro bike and after using them about 10 times, one pedal just broke (the spindel broke) while i was riding a steep uphill. This freakde me out - I also have those pedals on my downhill bike. I exchanged everything to Shimano.
my weight is 230lbs muscle not fat but a pedal should still hold up....!
Similar Products Used:
Shimano
Bottom Line:
They have a serious design safety issue
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Submitted by
Justin
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Louis, MO, USA Date Reviewed: December 3, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Ebay!
Strengths:
The first time anyone got platform/clipless right, smooth release, very comfortable to ride, and great grip without cleats for technical stuff and around campus.
Weaknesses:
Tricky to clip into (I'm a novice, but SPD's were still easier), overly fluorescent orange paint is pretty much chalk.
This is my one and only bike, so I needed pedals that work for XC and around campus, and these fit the bill. Great grip when you need it, even with street shoes, and the egg beater mechanism stays out of the way. The flip side is that it's hard to find when you need it, and I'm still not entirely used to clipping in. Ride quality is great and release is very natural after a few embarrassing crashes. Heavy suckers, even in the pricy magnesium version, but big surprise. Overall, I'd rather have stable, comfortable, easy to escape pedals than super light deathtraps.
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Submitted by
B Griffith
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbus, OH Date Reviewed: June 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
any trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Bike shop on ebay
Strengths:
Easy clip in and out Light for the size of pedal Great for down hill riding.
Weaknesses:
Overall size is too big for XC. Hit the dirt quite a bit when pedaling on hill sides. Get the smaller eggbeater type.
Similar Products Used:
Only style used. Will purchase Eggbeater style for XC and use the mallet M for down hill.
Bike Setup:
Jamis XLT 2.0 Frame with Swinger 4 way and Z1 FR Marzocchi fork.
Bottom Line:
Great product. Just needs to be used more for down hill than XC. It works great on flatter rides, but do tend to hit more obsticles while riding technical areas.
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Submitted by
pete disbury
a Weekend Warrior
from walnut creek, ca, usa Date Reviewed: May 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
gravity edge
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
perfection cyclery
Strengths:
Stay locked in when in and they look cool, feel light, have interchangable cleat bolts for different size cleat mounts.
Weaknesses:
Unclip during jumping sessions, minor drops such as 3-4 feet they will again pop loose. This is down right unacceptable and bloody dangerous too. When hammering on a climb they will pop loose and this makes me nervous. Crank Bros need to change this or it could be a law suit later on from someone.
Similar Products Used:
Time Z control, Time Alium both awesome pedals and easy to clip in and out of. I will switch to the Time's.
Bike Setup:
Weyless 67 with spv 4way coil shock, Pike Race fork with u-turn, Hope Big Un Hub on Singletrack rims, Avid mechanical 8in brakes, thomson front and rear, Kenda Kinetics 2.35 am tires, Holzfeller cranks, XT drivetrain, king headset, Answer protaper handlebar, odi grips and Wtb power v saddle.
Bottom Line:
Great looking pedals, light, certain amount of float for the shoes,but they unclip during uncertain and unexpected times which make them too unpredictable. A shame because I initially liked them and had heard good things about them.
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Submitted by
DBR
a Racer
from DC Date Reviewed: September 15, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
-Good entry/release when new -Excellent mud-shedding ability -Light -Magnesium body holds up fine
Weaknesses:
-Unacceptable durability -Cleats wear out extremely fast -Spindles bend/break -Grip plates bend and peel off (minor annoyance)
Similar Products Used:
Pretty much everything else clipless.
Bike Setup:
DH race
Bottom Line:
They're great when they're new, I'll say that much. Easy to get in and out of, low-profile, and few moving parts makes for a great concept.
Unfortunately, these pedals, which might seem to be an ideal DH pedal (a TON of DH pro's seem to be sponsored by Crank Bros.), fall far short of that goal. Within one month of heavy use, I had bent both spindles. Then one of them snapped. Crank Bros. was excellent about getting me new spindles and rebuild kits (lost bushings/seals when the spindle snapped), no questions asked. I suspect it's becoming a full-time job sending out spindles and bearing kits.
After the new spindles were installed, I made it another 2 weeks or so before the cleats became so worn out that they would no longer hold onto the pedal. I could unclip by pulling straight up. Totally unacceptable, I know they're brass, but still -- less than 2 months?
Bottom line is -- if you ride hard, or ride often, look elsewhere. I weigh about 195 lbs and race Ex. DH, so I put a decent amount of stress on my stuff, and I ride frequently. A lot of clipping in/out will toast the cleats REALLY fast. I don't know what to say about the spindles; the 2nd pair is still going strong after all of 3 rides but I expect them to start drooping any time soon. For what it's worth, I know a great number of people (DH'ers) experiencing the same spindle problems as I.
Simply put, Crank Bro's needs to take a long, hard look at these pedals and re-assess their suitability for DH use; it needs a beefier spindle, and a steel cleat would be wonderful. I'd just as soon do away with the steel grip plates as well, they seem to be of no value other than to get folded over by rocks.
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Submitted by
Denis
a Weekend Warrior
from Alameda, CA, USA Date Reviewed: September 11, 2004
Favorite Trail:
ones you can't ride
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At:
universal cycles
Strengths:
light construction, very easy to clip in and out with the egg beater system. the 2005 model is made of magnesium and the color is grey, not orange. dual insertion is great, and the platform size is generous. it does the job it is expected to do.
Weaknesses:
the springs stick out a bit so when the pedal is used with the cleat dis-engaged, there is a bit of interference, which is resolved by positioning the foot forward of the spring. that is very confortable going uphill. it is less so going downhill
Similar Products Used:
well go clipless from few years back
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight
Bottom Line:
I recommend to remove the metal guards and their screws which saves a tremenduous amount of weight. that way, this pedal beats the Time Z system hands down with respect to weight. in fact it is barely heavier than my previous magnesium platforms.
very good design. a bit pricey for pedals
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Submitted by
Denis
a
from Alameda, CA USA Date Reviewed: September 9, 2004
Favorite Trail:
the one you can't ride
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
very well packaged product, it shows some respect for the customer although at that price point I would not expect less. robust and efficient design. quite a bit lighter than the Time Z control pedals, specially after removing the 4 metal guards and screws which are useless but heavy. no learning curve was required. does the job I expected. clipping in and out is a breeze., I did use one of the 2 shims per shoe that was provided and I followed the instructions that advises a lesser float but greater angle of dis-engagement. The cleats are not symetrical forward/backwards, pay attention.
Weaknesses:
none so far. I had similar platform magnesium pedals from Weyless, I rank these as very comparable in weight and functionality, but the foot position when it is disengaged from the clips is necessarily way forward on the platform, where the cleat does not interfere with the clip jaws. That means reduced freedom of foot position on the platform, and slight unease going on technical terrain downhill. I take this as a weakness of the concept, not of that particular brand/design.
Similar Products Used:
Wellgo clipless pedals form few years back. heavy, ugly, long learning curve not to say impossible to adjust correctly
Bike Setup:
Santacruz superlight
Bottom Line:
it all comes to finding a system that works for you. I need clipless for XC outings, I need platforms for technical singletracks, steep uphills and rugged downhills. there was only Time, Shimano and Crank Bros on teh mainstream marketplace. The first 2 brands are much heavier and I ruled them out. I am happy with what I got, it is optimum plus the egg beater clip is hard to beat.
4 chilis for the value becaue it is a bit pricey
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Submitted by
Stuart
a Downhiller
from Auckland NZ Date Reviewed: August 31, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Taniwha
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
CYCO
Strengths:
Lightweight for DH, simple design, ease of use, bigger platform that SPD Dh pedals.
Weaknesses:
None found presently other than price.
Similar Products Used:
SPD 525, 646, Time
Bike Setup:
Demo 9 DH, 888, Saint, Mavic, Truvativ
Bottom Line:
I've only really had one shuttle day on them but boy! these pedals rock. The ease of use, being into click into them 3 different ways - forwards, backwards and stomping makes life much easier when charging down rutted out tracks. The feel is similar to the Time pedals in that getting out of them is seamless. In fact they are as easy to release as just riding flats. The entry has a nice "click" and the float available means your feet can move around more without releasing from the pedal. I sold my 646's after one day on them.
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Submitted by
Doug
a Weekend Warrior
from Germantown, MD Date Reviewed: August 23, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Gambrill State park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat.com
Strengths:
Large platform good for riding uncliped when you need to dab. Eggbeater mechanism puts shimano pedals to shame (adjustable tension not really needed). Mud not a problem. Lighter than my old 545's. Easily Rebuilt!!!!
Weaknesses:
trackion plates a little flimsy. good bash bends them easily. magnesium marrs too easily, trade off for the saved weight. Plastic cleat shims a little shady.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano 545's, Ritchey SPD ripoffs
Bike Setup:
Heckler w/ Fifth Element coilover, Psylo SL, XT drivetrain, Raceface cranks, big rubber knobbies, other odds and ends
Bottom Line:
After much reasearching, I got these pedals to replace my old and battered 545s. Mud can be a serious issues around here since most of the terrain is relatively low lying. The mallets are great since the eggbeater mechanism doesn't have a whole lot too it. I personalliy think the best feature is the easy rebuild. My old 545s feel half attached to the spindle and have mabye two bearings in them. With the mallets, just 15 bucks or so and you're back in business. I don't foresee needing to do that anytime soon though.
Good for those needing some good platform stability, without the hassles of mud problems, and if you like the color orange :)
Wouldn't recommend for weight misers, or those who beat the hell out of their pedals on rocks and such(go for the Mallet Cs).
$ 140.00
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