First Look: Crankbrothers Mallet E Pedals and Highline Dropper Post - Eurobike 2015
Crankbrothers' new Mallet E is a shrunk down version of their popular DH pedal with a few new features.
Crankbrothers Mallet E Pedals
Shortly after the announcement of their new Stamp flat pedals, Crankbrothers revealed their completely updated clipless pedal line that they hope will set a new standard for reliability and durability. Crankbrother's CEO, Gaspare Licata, said that he's worked to implement more stringent testing and quality control measures in an effort to put the company on a fresh path, one that places a priority on long term performance.
All of Crankbrothers clipless pedals, even ones that remain visually unchanged for 2016, have been updated with new internals that include Enduro cartridge bearings, custom Igus bushings, and an additional external seal to go along with the dual-lip internal seal that was already in place. The new internals are designed to help keep the pedals spinning smoothly even after months of weather that's the polar opposite of what Crankbrothers employees regularly enjoy in sunny Laguna, California.
On the World Cup DH circuit the Mallet DH pedal is a common sight, and with the new Mallet E Crankbrothers is hoping to make their mark on the enduro race world. The pedals are 12% smaller and are claimed to weigh 419 grams, 50 grams less than the Mallet DH. A polyurethane 'traction pad' is located on each side of the clip-in mechanism, a feature that's designed to give riders the ability to adjust how much their shoes contact the pedal body, ensuring that there's minimal interference when clipping in or out. Available in electric blue or black, the Mallet E will retail for $165 USD.
Highline Dropper Post
Crankbrothers' Kronolog dropper post has been moved into the archives, replaced by a completely new post called the Highline. The cable actuated post can be stopped anywhere along its 125mm of drop, and houses a sealed, nitrogen sprung cartridge that's supposed to be maintenance free for at least three years of usage. After that, if for some reason it does need service, the entire cartridge can easily be removed in a matter of minutes. Crankbrothers worked closely with Igus, Trelleborg, and Jagwire to make the post's small parts – bushings, seals, cables and housing – as high quality as possible to keep it running smoothly no matter how nasty the weather.
Dropper post levers sometimes seem like they were created by designers with abnormally shaped thumbs – there's no other way to explain some of the strange shapes that have emerged over the past few years. Luckily, it looks like Crankbrothers' designers have avoided that issue with a clever lever design that allows it to be mounted above or below the bars. The lever is attached to a sphere that can be rotated in all directions before being tightened down and locked into place, allowing for much more customizable position than anything else currently on the market.
Initially the Highline post will be available for 30.9 and 31.6mm seat tubes with 125mm of drop, but it's possible that a 150mm version could emerge in the future. The final weight, including the remote, cable and housing, is expected to be 580 grams. The post has a three year warranty, and will retail for $350 USD when it arrives in early 2016.
Dropper post levers sometimes seem like they were created by designers with abnormally shaped thumbs – there's no other way to explain some of the strange shapes that have emerged over the past few years. Luckily, it looks like Crankbrothers' designers have avoided that issue with a clever lever design that allows it to be mounted above or below the bars. The lever is attached to a sphere that can be rotated in all directions before being tightened down and locked into place, allowing for much more customizable position than anything else currently on the market.
Initially the Highline post will be available for 30.9 and 31.6mm seat tubes with 125mm of drop, but it's possible that a 150mm version could emerge in the future. The final weight, including the remote, cable and housing, is expected to be 580 grams. The post has a three year warranty, and will retail for $350 USD when it arrives in early 2016.
The Highline's remote lever has a huge range of adjustment in all directions, and can be positioned above, below, or on either side of the handlebar.
No tools are required to attach or detach the post from its cable actuated activator, simplifying installation, and potentially making it possible to run the same post on two bikes with the purchase of a second lever assembly.
MENTIONS: @crankbrothers
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“…long term performance”
“…pedals spinning smoothly”
“…maintenance free for at least three years”
“…high quality as possible”
Wait a minute, this is a Crank Bros. article, isn't it?
[re-reads article title and scratches head]
BULLSHIT. BULLSHIT. BULLSHIT.
crank bros : pedals
avid : brakes
ok, I guess that's an improvement, measuring life in months rather than previous CB life: days if you're lucky (though my mallets lasted single-digit hours). Shimano and everyone else are measuring life in years.
The post: "that's supposed to be maintenance free for at least three years of usage."
yeah, supposed to. I wonder if their old posts were 'supposed to' work without constantly being rebuilt. That's probably 2 years and 6 months longer than any CB product has ever gone without failure, even their multi tools. If the cost was $100 I might take a chance. At the same price as products from companies that actually have a history of making stuff that doesn't fall apart nearly instantly...
Too bad Shimano doesn't have a dropper post... yet
Ok I'm listening now.
I also think the new lever is a slick design that I might like to see sold on its own.
But, and it's a KK / NM sized but, every CB part I have ever purchased, owned, seen ridden, hell - even heard about has been a disappointment either from a functional or longevity standpoint or both.
If CB says this is their new focus, great - it will be at least a year of failure free, and multiple long term tests before I even consider a purchase of a CB product with moving parts. Good luck.
These guys come out with some really good products and quite obviously they are still around because they have a very big following....if their products were as bad as a lot of you say, I would think this small company would be long gone.
So what makes their wheels bad?
What is wrong with their peds?
And what makes their posts any different in terms of reliability then any other shitty post on the market. I can tell you they all are pretty shitty and all have lots of issues especially the Reverb..but ive had brand new ks levs out of box that dont work at all.
So explain your facts....or just be another one of those couch potatoes that love to give an opinion on product they havent used.
Reverbs are a joke and fail within days/months of use..I personally rebuilld joplins and can say ive had some come to me after 3 years usage without any service which pretty much tells me what I need to know about that.
As for the kronolog...the design was clever for a mechanical post. However the fail point was the metal on metal binding when engaged and disengaged. It would create notches in the post. Still even those work very well when used right. Not something I can say that is trustworthy however. So with that said even though you have no actual knowledge of the product I can agree with you on.
So a rider for a bike shop wasn't impressed with a wheelset a rep gave him hahaha!! (Really? C'mon...what wasn't he impressed by? What wheelset was he using and what kinda riding does he do? A classic scenario for me is when people look at my wheels and say "those wheels suck" and I ask why? They say they bend and flex, I say what wheel did you try? They say a cobalt wheelset and I say "wow your a pretty big rider for that wheel" you should have been on a iodine or Opium. He says "Oh, well I think all the wheels are the same so they should be as strong as the next" Lol.... Obviously this is not 5 years ago...you know we are talking about current product correct? You are clearly talking about their wheels back in 2009 2010 models which did have some issues with hubs...mainly cause the freehub would lose seal where the freehub body and hub meet. All wheels from 2012 forward had a much different design. The hubs have zero issues and like most hub systems are made by formula.
So so far you have zero personal/statistical feedback other than what you friends or internet say. You haven't described a single problem other than saying "oh the issues are well documented" really im hearing all the same people saying the same things. Try the product and give a real world review and get back to me.
Me personally im a 255 pound rider and currently ride a 2015 devinci spartan carbon on cb idodine 3 wheels and a 2015 niner jet9 rdo carbon on 2015 cobalt 11 carbon wheels. I mash those wheels through all my local trails and have since buying them last year in Oct 14' have put well over 2100 trouble free miles on those carbon wheels up, down and side to side amd have put these wheels through the ringer. I have bought and tested many wheelsets bikes ect.ect and I can tell you going in with an open mind is the best way for things to kick you in the ass and surprise the hell out of you. I have had a few sets of Enve wheelsets and wouldn't trade my cobalt 11 carbon wheels for anything currently on the market.
"The only thing that has not failed me from Crank Brothers has been a t-shirt.".... classic.
"looks pretty cool"
^-- that's the definition of a CB product. When it comes to bike components they're Apple for the packaging and SuperCycle for the actual product
Otherwise axle and bushes are above CB: reliable and strong.
Do they come in orange??