Product Review: DMR Brendog Vault pedals

Pedals are one of the most important parts of a bike; the major contact point and the only way to drive the bike. As a result, pedal choice is absolutely key in the ride quality of your bike, so it's worth investing in a decent set. Pedals come in two varieties, flat and clips, with different people opting for different styles. Personally  I use flats as they better suit my riding style of "foot out, flat out". Over the past couple of years I've been using my tried and tested V12 pedals, but DMR have now updated them in the form of the DMR 'Brendog' Vaults and I couldn't resist giving them a go!

Pre-box opening, expectations were high

Initial impressions were very positive as I opened the box. They were nicely presented and well protected with a slip case with some info and a nice shot of Fairclough, capturing that understated, pure style he has on a bike. Once opened the box contained the pedals themselves (in separate compartments to avoid damage), some spare 'extra long DH/FR pins', a couple of spare standard pins and the spanner/allen key to fit both!

The pedals are very well built and have a large area on which to place your foot, something I found very handy on their virgin ride through some frankly horrible snow conditions. On one side of the pedal across the centre brace they are logo-ed 'Brendog' with the other bearing the brand name DMR Bikes, each finished in a classy gloss black typeface, however only time will tell how long the logos hold up. The rest of the pedal is finished in matte black which will hopefully prevent flaking of the paint, and Fairclough's twitter name, his signature and the motto S4P (sorry for partying) are printed on the inside edge of the pedal, viewable when seated upon the bike. Overall the pedal has top notch build quality, with a classy finish that will compliment most bikes. The Vaults come in at a claimed weight, and actual, of 410 grams, which is something of a rarity!

Pedals and box, impressive design and build

As far as fitting goes, the pedals were a doddle to fit, however the lack of labeling of left and right on the pedals may leave the less mechanically minded cyclists confused, however it's easy to work it out by orientating the logos, or just examining the threads. The actual fitment of the pedals was easy, just adding some grease and screwing them in, even the most cack-handed guys will have no trouble whatsoever!

I first got a chance to ride the pedals earlier today, on a short trail ride in some rather snowy conditions. Initial impressions were very pleasing, as I found the larger platform to give me significantly more support than I was used to, with the arrangement of pins being both comfortable and grippy, giving me immediate confidence to push my speed, even in the slippery conditions. When dabbing a foot in corners it was easy to get my foot back on the pedal in a comfortable position, and coupled with my rather battered 5:10 Freeriders I had no shortage of grip, more than can be said for my riding buddy who was slipping pedals left right and centre! On my current set up, the bike has a low bottom bracket, and as a result pedal strikes can often be an issue. Pleasingly the low profile design and tapered edges of the Vaults seems to have improved their rock dodging capabilities over the V12s, however a true test will be when I get to hit some rocky downhill tracks in a few weeks time, but I had no problems whatsoever on my initial ride!

Pedals on their own, works of engineering art

 Overall the Vault is a much needed upgrade over the traditional V12, which was beginning to look rather overweight and small in comparison to similarly priced pedals. The finish and build quality are spot on for the budget and the pedals are comfortable, grippy and confidence inspiring. At £109.99 RRP the DMR's are by no means cheap, but compared to offerings from Straitline, Twenty6, Kona and NukeProof the Vaults have more than proved they are value for money. If you are looking for a high end pedal, with high end features and a build to match then take a good, long look at these bad-boys, because they are well worthy of their namesake, the king of style.