First Look: All-New Crankbrothers Mallet DH/Race Pedals

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First Look: All-New Crankbrothers Mallet DH/Race Pedals
By bturman
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<b>Chances are, if you ride or race downhill in Crankbrothers clips, you've been yearning for the new Mallet DH/Race pedal to launch. It's finally here.</b>
<b>"Keep it the same, but make it burlier" was the common request from the Pros. In doing so, they also added two additional traction pins to the design, per side.</b>
<b>The Mallet DH/Race has the same profile as the original mallet, plus all of the recent improvements Crankbrothers has made.</b>
<b>Doug Hadfield mounts up a fresh pair on a Santa Cruz Syndicate rig early in the 2012 World Cup season.</b>
<b>The redesigned body is more open, reducing weight and improving mud shedding. It's also lighter, weighing in at 479 grams.</b>
<b>And so the thrashing commenced...</b>
<b>One year and one World Championship later, they're ready.</b>
<b>Stevie and the Mallet DH/Race on top of the podium at the Hafjell, Norway World Cup. Yeah boy!</b>
<b>The redesigned, forged scm435 chromoly steel spindle tests 50% stronger than the previous design.</b>
<b>The q-factor (that's the distance from the centerline of right foot to center of your left foot) is increased a total of 10mm, or 5mm per spindle.</b>
<b>Sik Mick Hannah putting the hammer down in Norway.</b>
<b>The reverse-wound, over sized springs are said to be virtually unbreakable.</b>
<b>Now made from 300 series spring steel, the springs are burlier than before.</b>
<b>Fewer failures and higher strength are just what this guy ordered.</b>
<b>Two torx bolts and the axle hold the two-piece body together.</b>
<b>The outer cartridge bearing is well protected from muck and water by a seal and the end cap.</b>
<b>As a result of the two-piece design, the pedal has a new needle bearing and improved inner seal, lasting over 75,000 cycles without a leak when tested underwater.</b>
<b>If you're itching to try a pair, they're available now and backed by an impressive 5 year warranty. Check out <u><a href="http://www.crankbrothers.com" target="_blank">crankbrothers.com</a></u> for more details, and stay tuned for a Vital MTB review in the coming months.</b>
FIRSTLOOK-INTRO-ONELINE
We sat down for a chat with Colin Esquibel, the man who took the new Crankbrothers Mallet DH/Race pedal from sketches to production, all the while interfacing with athletes like Steve Smith, Bryn Atkinson, and Steve Peat to ensure their needs were met on the World Cup DH Circuit.



Photos by Brandon Turman and Sven Martin
6 comments

View replies to: First Look: All-New Crankbrothers Mallet DH/Race Pedals

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mrpowerjd
11 years ago
Just picked mine up from the store yesterday. Drove down here to Boulder City NV for the Mob in Mohave DH race. Have these mounted up. Going to throw down some practice runs today at the venue, the great trails at Bootleg Canyon Bike Park. Racing Sunday!
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ininerider
11 years ago
I am pretty sure these will be garbage as well as everything else they market. They have great ideas but R&D in my opinion is lacking integrity.
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The Enginerd
11 years ago
I've used CB pedals for years, and if these have the reliability improvements they claim, they'll have a winner. Removing the stress concentrations on the spindle seems like it should remove one of the failure modes I've experienced in the past (spindle snapped at an abrupt change in spindle diameter).
The stiffer spring for clipping in will be a nice bonus as well. Let's hope these have the reliability improvements promised.
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Reality Check
11 years ago
So do their pedals still fail in ways that could not have been conceived of beforehand? Or did they finally start making quality products?
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