Crankbrothers Mallet Enduro Pedals, unisex, Mallet Enduro

Product Information

Steep banks were scrambled up and down, while we carried our bikes on our shoulders to see how much our heels slipped in the heel box and our feet slipped in the mud. We even sprayed them with a hose to see how water-resistant they are, then timed how long they take to dry out. Other shoes we tested: Be prepared to put time in and, if you change your shoes, to do it all again. With a few of my shoes I had to wind the pins further into the pedal body too, to prevent a poor release because they were grabbing the outsole and preventing a clean twisting action. Inside, the heel area has plenty of soft yet supportive padding, and heel hold is boosted by silicon gripper dots. The arch support area is pretty flat.

Jesse221 the pins are the real reason I’d consider switching. With the right shoes, like the 5 10s you don’t miss the pins when clipped, but you’d be more secure unclipped with the CBs with the pins. Switching to my 5-10s have reduced my desire to get the CBs because they grip the Time platforms so much better when clipped in, I feel like I get all the grip I need. My old Giros/ Sidis/ Pearl Izumis/ SixOnes, not so much. But you’d have to set the pins real low to not get hung up clipping out with certain grippy shoes, so I’m not sure how much they’d help in the end. In basic terms, it wants to simplify setup as much as possible. That means no more experimentation or guess work when adding/removing spacers under your cleats (no matter whether you’re on Shimano SPDs, Crankbrothers pedals or any other pedal system) and limited effort when it comes to pedal adjustments too. Crankbrothers claims that by extending the cleat slot a further 5mm (dubbed the ‘Race Zone’ and denoted by the red area), ride control and handling are improved. Rob Weaver / Immediate Media

Pedals Buyers Guide

Crankbrothers says that the compound of the rubber is designed to be ‘mid-friction’, to prevent binding on release from the pedal. Eight removable pins are in place on each side, and there's plenty of room around the clip-in mechanism to prevent mud from building up.

The cleat bed is well-shaped, though, with ramps for entry and exit, as well as markings to help get your cleat position consistent on both left and right feet. As such, the best mountain bike shoes have to satisfy a wide range of requirements to reach the top of our table. In this group test, we pitted 12 pairs of clipless shoes from leading brands against each other during several months of sloppy winter testing.The Crank Brothers Mallet Trail is a brand new clip-in pedal that’s designed to suit a wide range of riding types. Featuring the iconic four-sided Eggbeater mechanism and a compact two-piece machined alloy body, the Mallet Trail straddles the gap between the Candy and Mallet E. According to Crank Brothers, this is now the most versatile pedal in its clip-in range. The Crank Brothers Mallet Trail is a brand new platform clip-in pedal that fills a gap in the current lineup. The Crank Brothers Mallet Trail pedals Anyone who’s used a set of Crank Brothers clip-in pedals before will be familiar with the ergonomics of its distinctive Eggbeater mechanism. Entry is smooth and fluid, with the spring providing a linear rate that means very little force is required to engage your cleats. Additionally, the Velcro strap could push the lace’s runner onto the top of my feet, which was annoying, so I only put the end of the lace into the pouch.

Arguably the hardest of the shoes to get right has to be its flat pedal offering, the Stamp. While the Stamp’s upper more or less mirrors that used on the Mallet and Mallet E’s, the outsole is, as you’d expect, entirely different. I opted to ride in the size 42 Mallets because the sizing is a little generous compared to the likes of Shimano and Specialized, where I ride in a size 43, so I would suggest trying on before buying, to ensure you get the sizing right. Neat detailing on the Velcro strap (and net detailing throughout) help contribute to the high-quality finish of these shoes, but also the relatively high price. Andy Lloyd / Immediate Media The Mallet Trails are a decent pedal, but I think that they're always going to suffer in comparison to their bigger and burlier siblings. The problem is that they don't offer support through the platform, and are more reliant on the traction pads. This means that if you're riding anything that includes a lot of rider input, you're going to want to have the 2 mm traction pads. However, the trade-off is a more vague sensation of getting clipped in and out of the pedal, without completely delivering on the feel you were hoping for in the first place.

Crank Bothers Pedals

While it offers a lot of friction, it’s also slow to rebound, and Crankbrothers says this offers better pin absorption and vibration dampening.