Submitted by
tbaier
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore Date Reviewed: June 11, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Dirt
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Versatile.
Weaknesses:
Not particularly good at being a flat or a clip pedal. Heavy. Suspect bearings.
Bottom Line:
As others have said, this pedal tries to do 2 things at once and does neither particularly well.
In my opinion, unclipping in order to ride technical sections is not really advisable on these. Between the raised butterfly clip in the center and the small, easily bent tread on the outside, traction is minimal when you are not clipped in. For me, the outer cage also makes it harder to unclip, and adds a fair amount of weight.
I also noticed a lot of bearing noise after about 6 months of riding. They are still going, but I'm not getting my hopes up for a long life.
What I like about these is that I can hop on my bike with street shoes or flip-flops on and ride around town or tow my kids in the trailer if they want to go for a quick ride. As long as its nothing too demanding. Its a lot easier than having to always put special shoes on.
Unfortunately the negatives outweigh the positives and I think I'm just going to buy some flats for fun, a proper pedal wrench and some Time ATACs for MTB.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cameron
a Downhiller
from Seattle, WA Date Reviewed: May 31, 2009
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$80.00
Strengths:
Very good grip while unclipped compared to competitors, smooth exit, semi-easy entry.
Weaknesses:
I've broken a few spindles on both this model and the older mallet model. The spring, if clipped on a rock, bends very easily. This makes all 4 sides unavailable to clip into.
Similar Products Used:
Time atac z's, various flats.
Bike Setup:
Commencal Supreme Dh
Bottom Line:
If you're serious into downhilling, i'd suggest looking at another pedal. It has honestly scared me on multiple occasions how easy it is to actually snap these spindles. I've been lucky about when this has happened though and have not been seriously injured. If you plan on riding hard or fast, jumping, dropping etc... I'd suggest looking at another product. This pedal is simply not designed for a downhilling environment.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
NJMike
a Racer
from Trenton, NJ Date Reviewed: May 4, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Alaire
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Bikebling.com
Strengths:
Good all around pedal, easy to clip in and out.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Little heavy but not enough to notice.
Bike Setup:
2009 Giant Regin
Bottom Line:
I really like these pedals. They are listed as downhill but i concider them the perfect all mountain pedal. I ride cliped in when i amd on the easy cross country hills, and up hill. Then i ride unliped for the downhill, drops, jumps, and scary stuff. The pedal is a little heavy but if your doin that kind of ridin weight usaly isnt that much of a factor. The mallet 1's are a little bit heaver than the mallet 2's but they are the same pedal the only difference is that the platform on the mallet 1 is alittle wider and has a extra set screw on each side.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
BackwardsTires
a Weekend Warrior
from US Date Reviewed: April 5, 2009
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$75.00
Purchased At:
ebikestop.com
Strengths:
Has a platform for days that you don't want to clip in; low price; solid; easy clip out; a lot of float
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Jamis Dakota 29er; MRP LRP, Custom wheels,
Bottom Line:
Great pedals; work great, feel great, look great. Have a platform for easier days and are low priced. Great for first time clipless or experienced riders.
An outstanding pedal!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
slyder1217
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxville, TN Date Reviewed: October 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Haw Ridge
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Easy clip in/out. Solid feel. Durable.
Weaknesses:
Heavy.
Similar Products Used:
Crank Brothers Egg Beaters.
Bike Setup:
Trek, Shimano XT, Rock Shox, Thompson.
Bottom Line:
Great pedals. I've been very pleased thus far. The platform is nice for really hairy stuff or for slapping on the tennis shoes and going to the greenway. Great beginner pedal or for someone who just likes to have the option of running a platform.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
US41
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA, USA Date Reviewed: August 31, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$109.00
Bottom Line:
I bought these as my first clipless pedals. Why they are called clipless when they have clips and when attached you are "clipped in" I will never understand. I was nervous about getting something like egg beaters because I thought I may hate them and wanted to be able to use them as flats anyway.
No one at the bike shop explained to me that the pedals were specifically for downhilling nor even what that was about.
I don't like them. I've tried some egg beaters now, and I think it is important to note that I really don't use the platform at all - its all in your mind. The connection point is the clip - not the pedal. It's just wasted metal.
The spring in one pedal broke and had to be returned to the manufacturer to be refurbished. They did not replace it.
The other pedal's allen wrench socket stripped when trying to remove it - cheap chromallow construction. Chromalloy is not steel, and its not good.
They are back on the bike now, and I'm still using them, but I'm saving up for some egg beaters. You can get steel ones on Ebay for 40% less than these pedals cost me in a bike shop, and installing them requires a knowledge of how to install a lightbulb and tighten using an allen wrench. Dead easy.
Just get egg beaters.
Two stars overall because of Crank Bros customer service refurbishing pedals. Otherwise I would give nothing but a one.
Do not buy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
silkworm13
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, CA, USA Date Reviewed: July 31, 2008
Favorite Trail:
San Gabes
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$79.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike
Strengths:
Look cool - I got some sweet dark blue special editions made specifically for Performance, they're pretty bullet proof - i trashed the hell outta them on and epic in the san gabes 30 miles with crazy rock gardens and creek crossings
Weaknesses:
hard to ride while not clipped in, but still easier to ride not clipped in than other clipless pedals - heavy
Similar Products Used:
shimano 540, various platforms
Bike Setup:
2008 gary fisher tasajarra hardtail
Bottom Line:
very nice pedals, would recommend them to anyone - i'm just not comfortable with clipless, i rarely crash, but i ride a lot of singletracks with some pretty unforgiving exposure (100+ foot sheer cliffs) i prefer living to ride another day over the little bit of extra power and stability clipless gives.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
maverick-rider-13
a Cross Country Rider
from Bay area, california Date Reviewed: July 3, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Flume Trail Loop and Downieville, Tahoe
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Good traction with new traction pins when riding unclipped, easy exit/entry, easy rebuild/maintenance, improved looks over prior generation. Well packaged: includes shims, short and long screws etc.
Weaknesses:
little heavy if you care about weight. Prior generation has some critical of spindle/internal quality.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano, Time ATAC, platform pedals
Bike Setup:
Maverick frame and fork, sram X9 and X.0 drivetrain, avid juicy hydraulic brakes, FSA headset, Mavic rims, Maverick and Chris King hubs, Ergon grips, ....
Bottom Line:
I've ridden Time ATACs for years and been completely satisfied. THey've been bomb proof and very well made.
But after a few recent rides on extremely technical trails I started contemplating getting a set of platforms for occasional use when doing downhills or technical stuff.
I looked at standard fare and also dual purpose freeride clippers like Time Z Controls and the Mallets.
The Time Z Controls were great but the clip mechanism stood up too high to make the platform anything more than a wider base when clipped. They weren't effective for dual purpose riding (clipped/unclipped) - be it the occasional street shoe, or on a trail when having a foot unclipped was useful.
The mallets, which have a slightly concave shape, didn't have that problem. The new version also has adjustable set screws to grab your shoes and a much better looking finish.
Wasn't sure if I'd like them relative to the Times but after some good rides, am very pleased. The entry and exit is incredibly smooth. Release is easier than the Times. The packaging included shims and multiple screws to get the perfect fit for my shoes. That was a nice touch.
So far, they're running great. Some have questioned the quality on the prior model of Mallet C's. I haven't had a problem and am hoping any issues are long gone. Too early to tell but first pass - they work well and are a solid improvement over the prior generation.
Only criticism is that they don't feel as solid as the Time's, especially the spindle, but they don't feel cheap either.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cable0guy
a Weekend Warrior
from Torrance, CA Date Reviewed: June 6, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Grip, stability
Weaknesses:
Weight
Similar Products Used:
Shimano, Mallet M
Bike Setup:
Intense 5.5
Bottom Line:
I upgraded from Mallet M because of the new model has adjustable pins. Big difference. Now they really stick to your shoes. A little on the heavy side, but if you want to do technical stuff but still be clipped in, these are the ones to get. Shimano ones clip in/out better, but won't stick to your shoes like Mallets. Mallet 2's are lighter, but only has 3 pins instead of 4 on each side.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
What's New
»
BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
»
LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
