Fresh pedals for 2016! With a 12% smaller and 50 gram lighter platform than the Mallet DH pedals (419 vs 468 grams), the Mallet E was developed for enduro and all-mountain use.
The Mallet E retains the Mallet DH's concave shape, has 6 traction pins per side, and ridges on the body for additional grip. Also note the chamfer on the outer edge of the body which allows the pedal to deflect off rocks better. Additionally, they have a 52mm length spindle and smaller q-factor than the Mallet DH for extra clearance on tight trails. The Mallet E will come in blue and matte black for $165.
Also new for 2016 is a refreshed version of the Candy pedal, specifically the Candy 7 and Candy 11. The pedal has a 10% larger body than the existing Candy models, ridges for traction, a similar chamfered edge, and a new aluminum end cap for improved durability during service. Prices are $165 for the Candy 7 (320 grams) or $450 for the super fancy, titanium everything Candy 11 (249 grams). Crankbrothers will still offer the existing Candy 1, 2, and 3 pedals unchanged for 2016.
One new feature on both pedals involved the interface between the pedal and shoe. By adding 1 and 2mm tall interchangeable "traction pads," riders can customize the amount of shoe/pedal contact at the sides of the cleat, along the line of the axle. This adds another adjustment to fine tune the feel to suit your preferences.
The pads can be swapped out using a tire lever to pry them loose (they're more of a one/two time adjustment than a multiple time thing). Crankbrothers still includes plastic spacers for under the cleat if they're needed.
There's no denying that Crankbrothers products have had reliability and quality issues in the past, and the brand is the first to admit it. Moving forward they've come up with a few ways to address some of the most common problems. The biggest improvement has to do with the internals, which have been overhauled with higher quality parts and additional seals in order to prevent contamination, the leading cause of pedal failure.
As shown above, the outer bearing (left) has been replaced with a sealed Enduro bearing (right), the needle bearing replaced with a custom IGUS LL Glide bushing, and an additional external seal has been added. There's still a dual lip internal seal as well. In salt water spray lab tests Crankbrothers has found the pedals to be up to 74x more resistant to contamination and premature wear. That's a huge improvement! We'll look to verify this with our own long term tests in the future.
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