Deity TMAC Pedals - Review
According to a recent poll conducted right here on Pinkbike, the vast majority of you are still rocking the tried and trusted combo of 'flat' pedals and sticky soled shoes. And, while the flat-pedal shoe market is overwhelmingly dominated by one brand, the flat pedal market is saturated with every bike and component brand under the sun, each offering a multitude of options, with many bearing an uncanny and disappointing resemblance to one another.
Has this copy-cat catalog culture had a detrimental effect on innovation? Perhaps, but it didn't stop one brand from breaking the mold. Deity's premium TMAC pedals were designed and developed from the ground up with the help of one of the sport's most well-rounded athletes, Tyler McCaul. With Tyler on board, the mission statement was simple but not without its challenges. To get some insight into their development, we pinned down the man whose name is all over these pedals - just as he was leaving for Utah and the 2016 Red Bull Rampage:
 | When Eric (Davies) and I started designing this pedal a few years ago, I only had a few key requests and they were all things I was pretty adamant about. I wanted a large platform and I wanted it to be concave. The MTB industry went through a long phase of trying to get pedals as thin as possible, and I never saw any benefit to that. Companies were actually making pedals convex in an attempt to make them as thin as possible, but when your foot folds over a pedal rather than sitting into it, your feet are just gonna slide around and it's gonna feel like you're on ice skates. It's also not as supportive, and you're more likely to injure your feet in the event of a hard landing. I tend to land flat sometimes, so I need all the support I can get! We tried a couple different shapes in the early stages of designing. The first extrusion was made specifically for the first prototype - an extrusion that ended up evolving into the current Bladerunner pedal, but since it was so thin, we weren't able to increase how concave we wanted it, especially within the platform itself. |
Deity TMAC Details:
• Extruded & Machined 6061 T6 aluminum
• 110mm x 105mm footprint
• Super concave 2.5mm deep pedal profile
• 14mm thin at the center
• Symmetrical pedal profile
• Includes extra set of back up pins
• Sealed bearings and DU Bushing internals
• Heat treated Cr-Mo Spindle
• Available in 7 colors
• Weight: 409 grams
• MSRP: $169 USD
• deitycomponents.com
• Extruded & Machined 6061 T6 aluminum
• 110mm x 105mm footprint
• Super concave 2.5mm deep pedal profile
• 14mm thin at the center
• Symmetrical pedal profile
• Includes extra set of back up pins
• Sealed bearings and DU Bushing internals
• Heat treated Cr-Mo Spindle
• Available in 7 colors
• Weight: 409 grams
• MSRP: $169 USD
• deitycomponents.com
At first, we tried to accomplish a concave platform by using longer pins on the edges and shorter pins toward the center of the pedal. To get a concave feel that way, though, the pins had to be so long that they were puncturing into the bottoms of my shoes. and it felt like I was clipped in and couldn't adjust my feet without having to lift up and move them. What I wanted was the 'clipped in' feeling, like my feet were locked into the pedal, but I wanted to be able to adjust them if I needed.
We tried everything we could using an existing mold so that Eric wouldn't have to open a whole new one, but we realized a concave platform with short pins would be the only way. That way, the platform itself cupped your foot and the pins were there for added traction, but you could still shimmy your foot around if you didn't get it on the pedal right. Eric opened up a new mold just for this pedal, spent some serious time redesigning it, and he hit the nail right on the head with the new shape. The final product is what you see now. A strong, light, big, concave pedal, and I couldn't be any happier with the way they feel under my feet. - Tyler McCaul.
We tried everything we could using an existing mold so that Eric wouldn't have to open a whole new one, but we realized a concave platform with short pins would be the only way. That way, the platform itself cupped your foot and the pins were there for added traction, but you could still shimmy your foot around if you didn't get it on the pedal right. Eric opened up a new mold just for this pedal, spent some serious time redesigning it, and he hit the nail right on the head with the new shape. The final product is what you see now. A strong, light, big, concave pedal, and I couldn't be any happier with the way they feel under my feet. - Tyler McCaul.
A massive platform, a 2.5mm concave design and 28, perfectly allocated 14mm pins, add up to one hell of a pedal. To maximize the dimensions of the platform, rounded edges replace the traditional angled entry facets on the fore and aft faces of the pedal.
Diety assures that the TMAC will stand the test of time with three sealed ball bearings and a load carrying DU bushing (bottom-center) inside each pedal and when the time comes, this rebuild kit (sold separately), will get everything ship shape again.
On the trail
Dwarfing many of the existing noteworthy offerings by a good few millimeters in every direction, I was keen to see how the extra meat and unique shape of the TMACs would translate on the trail. It came as no surprise that they dished out a substantial level of grip and support and not just on the kind of terrain where you'd expect such an aggressive pedal to excel. From reacting to challenging conditions and off-camber trails littered with roots that required a quick dab of the foot, to applying the power on long technical climbs, where pedal placement and cadence control are key, the TMACs consistently impressed.
Hammering rough trails, I was greeted with as much grip as I could handle, while encouraging a more rearward foot position to what I'm used to. But it's not just the amount of grip and support on offer - it's the ability to control it and do so with minimal effort that makes the TMACs so special. Throughout testing, I used three kinds of Five Ten shoes including regular Impacts, Impact VXis and Freerider Contacts, alongside Giro's Vibram-equipped Jackets. While the difference between these shoes is considerable, especially between the 'stickier' Five Ten offerings and the marginally harder compound soles found on the Giro Jackets, they all benefited from the TMAC's size, shape, and unique design.
Lacking the traditional offset design we all know so well - where the front and rear of the pedal platform is ramped to help your feet find their way back to the pedal - did lead to an initial concern. Out on the trail, my concern was quickly dashed, thanks to the TMAC's hugely supportive and hard to miss, 105mm by 110mm symmetrical platform. That, combined with a rounded profile at either end, with a depth of 19mm, proved to be a rather awesome solution and a refreshing take on a prerequisite for a good flat pedal design. Readjusting my foot position back to the sweet spot, especially while hurtling down a trail (something I'm sure most of us can attest to struggling with after taking a foot off) was similarly easy, requiring minimal movement and effort, which I really liked. My foot still felt glued to the pedals, of course, how could it not, with all those pins, but even using Five Ten's Impact VXi shoes (with their super sticky MI6 rubber), getting my foot to where I wanted it and on the fly, was noticeably easier than most of the pedals I've always considered as being a benchmark in feel and performance.
This heightened level of control only increased throughout the test period to the extent where I found the way I approached many of the tight and technical trails I regularly frequent, change. Evolving from a more cautionary approach, especially in the wet, to not giving a damn and dropping a foot at the first chance, and letting the old girl slide with the knowledge that finding my footing again is so easy. I'm convinced that the larger platform and the intelligent design that Deity and T-Mac took years to perfect has well and truly paid off.
Pinkbike's Take
| After three months of abuse, which ranged from weekly trail rides to two weeks of daily abuse on some of Europe's finest and roughest DH trails, the TMACs are still spinning like new. Granted, there are some tasty gauges in the body and a few pins have lost a few precious millimeters here and there thanks to interactions with rocks - which is an issue when you're running large pedals - nothing has bent, buckled or become loose and after some of the cases I've had recently, that says a lot. The reliability and durability of the design, which relies upon a single DU bushing and three micro cartridge bearings, coupled with its functionality on the trail amount to one of the best pedals I've had the pleasure of using. Given that such attributes come at a premium, the TMACs are far from the cheapest or indeed the lightest pedals out there, not that they're really that heavy at 409 grams. It also goes without saying that your pedals are one of the most important parts of your bike, and if you're a die hard flat pedal rider who wants the best, look no further. - Olly Forster |
MENTIONS: @deityusa
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94 Comments
cause im thinking of buying a set of the deity's
thanks in advance
Honestly this reads like a bogus post... or buyers remorse. I've never heard of that happening to one of your pedals and I'm sure had the OP just contact you guys or the shop they bought them from it would have been immediately taken care of.
Curious what happens with this particular case. Will not surprise me to find out that this set never shows up for warranty repair.
For one... it's heavily concaved... for two... it's not different than any other review... on anything...
Would you prefer more ads?
Crank Brothers similar pedal is $150 and this one is nicer in my opinion... but Iike concave.
Azonic Worldforce goes for about $100 but these are much nincer.
DMR Vaults are about $125. Good pedal.
Giant Pinner is like $115 and the TMAC is way better.
Spank Oozy is $130.
Chromag Scarab is $150 and they're taller and not as wide or concave.
Twenty6 Predator is $270
Burgtec is over $100.
Long story short you're talking $125-175 being relatively normal for quality flat pedals. Most to none of which are as large foot size wise or as thin... profile wise... as the diety.
So really... you're talking about $25-50 difference between most of these pedals. In the grand scheme it's not much... and I'm a cheap bastard.
Fact is... it costs money to produce. So to hit $50 you wouldn't have removable pins... so they break or wear and they're gone for good. The internals would be downgraded and not rebuildable. So they fail the pedals are junk. The material would be crappier so slam a rock and they fail and they're garbage.
Industry wide parts are overpriced in my opinion... but you gotta pay to play. That's why I'm on an old ass bike. I can't afford to pay right now. LOL!
Sounds like a lot of money for pedals, but they very well made and like somebody already that costs money to produce.
I had a hard time since I wanted to support the LBS & w/ WA sales tax it was dang near $200, but that saying about paying once for quality is true. Better pedals than I am a rider, for sure!
These are awesome. The grip is amazing, better than any flat pedal I've used, and they really engage with your foot. They are super durable, I've bashed them on rocks more times than I can count and I've not lost a single pin. They spin smooth, look awesome, and feel great. I can't recommend them enough. Yes, they are expensive, but they are also one of your main contact points on the bike, making it worth the $$. I've used a number of other flat pedals, all of which were awesome in some way, but none that compare to the grip these provide.
That said, I have one gripe: they are really wide. For some riding types/areas, that may be a benefit, but trying to navigate a tight rock garden with these pedals and you are eventually going to snag the sides. I've had a few close calls going on steep, narrow descents where the pedal clipped the outside of a rut and swung the bike around, or snagged a rock. Sometimes you can plan a line accordingly, but others, you just get stuck. The width is really nice when it comes to getting your foot into a natural position, but it can get a bit tight with how wide they are on some trails.
I love my TMACs, but I pedal strike frequently and would love a lower profile, both in width and thickness, but not at the sacrifice of grip.
designd by Semenuk, concave platform, 13mm at center,
a bit lighter than the Deity and less expensive by a good amount.
these pedals have kiss some big rocks and have no play whatsoever.
My only single reservation is the 3 small bearings - They are the same internals as some of the Superstar / HT Components and they can be a bit fragile if you hit the pedal in a certain way - aside from that they dont seem to wear out quickly in 'normal' use and you can replace them if you bust them.
I have to be the bearer of bad news though on the 'breaking the mold' with the zero offset pedal - HT did this some time ago with the KA01 (Kevin Aiello signature model) - www.thepathbikeshop.com/new-arrivals/components/571-kevin-aiello-signature-ht-ka01-pedals and more recently with the AE06 which is even more similar in design - www.mountainbikesdirect.com.au/ht-ae06-flat-pedal
Obviously there are small differences with a concave profile but essentially everything has been done before, it just depends on who shouts loudest about it that appears to have done it first.
I will keep my TwentySix Predators (also $170, by the way) and keep bashing the hell out of them and replacing busted pins (regular old stainless allen setscrews, $3 for a box of 50). They spin like new after many years of abuse, and grip my feet like a vice.