Review: ANVL Tilt Flat Pedals
When it comes to flat pedals, these days there are more options on the market than ever. Whether that has to do with a certain speedy Australian is tough to say, but in any case, there are choices galore. The Tilt is ANVL Components' latest entry into the fray, and while the model name may be familiar, the pedal has been significantly revised compared to the previous edition.
Version 3.0 uses a machined aluminum body that measures 105 x 105mm, with a scooped out center portion to help provide extra comfort and grip. ANVL Components is an offshoot of Transition Bikes, so it's not surprising that this feature has its own fancy acronym; ARC, which stands for Arched Radius Concavity. In other words, the pedals are slightly concave from front to back as well as from side to side. 10 pins are threaded into each side, and stand a shin-scraping 5.5mm high.
Version 3.0 uses a machined aluminum body that measures 105 x 105mm, with a scooped out center portion to help provide extra comfort and grip. ANVL Components is an offshoot of Transition Bikes, so it's not surprising that this feature has its own fancy acronym; ARC, which stands for Arched Radius Concavity. In other words, the pedals are slightly concave from front to back as well as from side to side. 10 pins are threaded into each side, and stand a shin-scraping 5.5mm high.
ANVL Tilt V3 Details
• 10 pins on each side
• Platform dimensions: 105 x 105mm
• 17mm thick
• Aluminum platform, chromoly spindle
• Internals: two sealed bearings, one bushing
• Colors: grey, orange, black, blue
• Weight: 410 grams
• MSRP: $100 USD
• www.transitionbikes.com
• 10 pins on each side
• Platform dimensions: 105 x 105mm
• 17mm thick
• Aluminum platform, chromoly spindle
• Internals: two sealed bearings, one bushing
• Colors: grey, orange, black, blue
• Weight: 410 grams
• MSRP: $100 USD
• www.transitionbikes.com
Take a look inside the pedal's 6061 aluminum body and you'll find two sealed cartridge bearings and a bushing, which rotate on a chromoly spindle. Along with the basic black version pictured here, the Tilt pedals are available in orange, grey, and blue to meet all your color-coordinating needs. MSRP: $100 USD.
The pedals are 17mm thick, with 2mm of concave in the center.
The 105x105mm platform underneath a size 11 shoe.
The tall pins provide loads of traction, although it'd be nice if they weren't all top loading.
Performance
The Tilt pedals earn extremely high marks for the level of grip they provide – the concave shape combined with those tall pins kept my feet securely into place no matter how rough the trail. I prefer my pedals to have as much grip as possible, but I can envision riders who want to be able to re-position their feet a little more easily removing a few of the pins.
The pedal platform isn't the absolute widest, but the dimensions provided plenty of support for my size 11 feet, and the lack of an inboard bearing bulge opens up more foot placement options compared to some of the ultra-thin pedals out there.
On the topic of pins, that's really my only gripe with the design of the Tilt – they all thread in from the top, which means that replacing them when they're damaged or worn down will likely involve a set of vice grips. That's not the end of the world, but it is a downside of the design when compared to a pedal like the DMR Vault, or the Kona Wah Wah II pictured below. That being said, after three months of riding I still haven't broken or completely mangled any pins. The bearings are spinning smoothly, even after multiple extra-muddy rides that were followed by a thorough hose down. In addition, there was plenty of grease on the spindles when I pulled the pedals apart to take a look.
ANVL Tilt vs. Kona Wah Wah II
How Do They Compare?
ANVL and Kona are both based in the Pacific Northwest, but they're taken two different routes when it comes to flat pedal design. The Tilt pedals are slightly more conservative; they're relatively thin and wide, but they don't push the boundaries of either dimension. The Wah Wah II's do push things close to the limit, with one of the widest platforms out there at 120 x 118mm, and a height of only 12mm at the thinnest point.
On the trail, the difference is noticeable, but I didn't have trouble adapting to either shape. For overall grip the Tilt pedals take the win, thanks to the taller and slightly thicker pins; they create a more locked in feel than the Wah Wahs. That extra security is great for DH riding and extra-muddy days when the last thing you want to do is slip a pedal. However, for all-day trail riding comfort the even wider dimensions of the Wah Wah pedals are the way to go, particularly if you have big feet.
I've been riding the Wah Wahs longer than the Tilt, so it's not as easy to compare durability, although I did find that the large inboard bearing on the Wah Wahs needed a rebuild quicker than I'd expected. The Tilt's bearings are more protected from the elements, and so far are holding up very well.
Pinkbike's Take
 | ANVL hit the mark with the new Tilt pedals – they have a good shape, tons of traction, and a competitive price. |
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Member since Feb 1, 2009
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There is no escape from the pain - each breath, each heart beat is a stress for the body. so chillax.
I went from the OG Kona Wah Wah's to these ANVL's on my Cube Stereo 140TM.
The ANVL's stick like glue to my 5/10s. They are a large pedal however once I got used to pedal position I rarely catch pedals on rocks etc.
My only suggestion would be taking a few pins out, depending on your riding style.
Totally recommend these ANVL pedals. Do yourself and your bike a solid by getting a pair.
For those saying the threads get damaged when removed, plenty of reverse-entry pedals (and pins) have a slimmer pin section to make this a non-issue. The significant advantage to the reverse-entry design is that bending loads on the pin (during impacts) is spread across the pedal by the head of the bolt, thus stopping the pin becoming angled in the pedal and damaging the threads permanently. When you only have a grubscrew as a pin, there is no bolt head to provide a bracing reaction force to impacts, so - particularly with longer grubscrews like these ones (and resultant higher leverage) - it's very easy to destroy the pin hole. It's also far more likely that you'll need to replace a pin in the first place due to this lack of bracing/support on the underside. There are plenty of pedals with superior design for this price.
still voted the best Tranny home made video just sorta thrown together www.pinkbike.com/video/251667
More unpopular opinion: Xpedo Spry all the time. I run them on all of my bikes (endurbru, DH, DJ), have never broken, bent, or damaged one (yet), and could buy between 2 to 4 pairs for the price of most flat sets on the market even if I did