Canfield Bros has just launched a re-iteration of their Crampon flat pedals that is sure to turn heads. The slim, flat profile design is engineered to reduce weight and glide over objects like rocks and roots instead of getting hung up on them. The edges are also smoothly tapered to facilitate this, giving this pedal a very clean look as well.
The Deets (from Canfield)
- 400 grams
- Thin 6mm front impact edges
- 112mm x 106mm wide platforms
- Anodized finish available in 10 colorways
- Sealed bearings
- DU Bushing system
- Chromoly axle
- Replaceable Dual Sided Pins
- Patented convex shape
These ultra-thin anodized beauties have 10 dual-sided pins on each side to bite into your footwear (or shins) that are easily-replaceable with an allen key. “Dual-sided” means that if you bang the crap out of the outward-facing side and destroy the allen interface, you can still unscrew and replace the pin from the opposite side. Genius.
As you can see from the photos, the Crampons have a very minimal footprint to shed mud and reduce weight, but are sturdy enough to hold up to World Cup-style racing. At 395 grams (weighed), they are not the lightest pedal on the market, but their strength-to-weight ratio, combined with the anorexic profile, is tough to beat. Throw in a sturdy Chromo axle and sealed bearings, and you get a pedal that is built to last and repel the toughest abuse.
Before launch, I had an opportunity to take the new Crampons out for a spin on a couple of trails. I picked the toughest, rockiest patch of firmament I could find, complete with sleep climbs, tight spaces, and white-knuckle descents.
First Impressions
The pedals feel wide and solid underfoot. They have a good bite, but have less of a hold on the footbed than some other pedals I’ve tested. This means less grip on climbs, but more maneuverability, which is handy when throwing down whips in the air. They seemed to have plenty of bite on jumps and drops.
The gaunt profile was impressive: I actually had to lower my seatpost to accommodate the change in pedal height. The wide silhouette means it grabbed a few extra rocks (common with any flat in tight, rocky terrain) but it seemed to glide over a lot more than it bit into. Overall, they performed very well on the first miles I put them through.
Stay tuned for an in-depth review of the Crampons after more extensive testing.
Some bonus shots of the pedals:
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Aug 7, 2016