Syncros Crux Pedals Review

It has been years since Syncros released the Mental, their first pedal that used the split pin design. I had an early set of the Mentals that I used for multiple seasons before passing them on to another local rider, even though they spun as good as when new and still had all of their pins in place. Since then I have tested a number of different options, some of them better than others, but when the new Crux pedals showed up at Pinkbike HQ my interest was piqued. Would the grip and reliability be as good as the original pedals? Two design aspects set the Crux pedals apart from most other options out there. Firstly, the body spins on four bearings (most turn on just two). If you took one apart you'd find two sealed cartridge bearings, one needle bearing that handles most of the load, and one 20 mm DU bearing. Yes, it does make for a slightly heavier pedal than some of the lightweight options out there, but Syncros is aiming for high reliability with the Crux, not a featherweight single season pedal. Besides what's hidden inside, the more obvious difference between the Cruxes (as well as the other Syncros pedals) and a more traditional pedal is their use of split pins for traction. Have a close look at the photo above and you'll see that Syncros forgoes using standard set screws or flat top pins to hold your shoes in place and instead uses 12 steel pins per side that are split to create extra edges for traction. The split pins are so aggressive that Syncros goes out of their way to be clear that they recommend using leg protection if running their pedals, these things are serious! Each pin has a wide and strong base that fits a 6 mm open end wrench. The webbed pedal body features a concave to help hold your feet in place and the pedal ships with two different length pins that allow you to fine tune the grip and feel. Breaking out the tape measure reveals a body that measures 95 mm front to back and is 18 mm thick at the leading edges. The width of the pedal changes front to back, with it being 100 mm wide directly over the axle and tapering to 65 mm wide at the front and back. Each pedal weighed 218 grams.

Straight to the point - the Crux pedal and its split pins provide the best traction and most secure feeling of any pedal I've ever used. Not to say that everything else out there sucks, far from it, but there is a noticeable difference between these and a more standard pedal. My feet felt more planted and less likely to shift than any other design I've tried, bar none. And while I was using my trusty Five Ten shoes with the Syncros pedals that surely improved grip, they are the same shoes that I have had while testing all other pedals. So, the question that some of you must be thinking, is there actually too much grip? I would say no, although if your foot isn't in the correct place you can't simply slide it over, you'll need to unweight the foot to shift it to the correct position. A small price to pay for such a secure feeling. The body itself does measure in a bit smaller than some, riders with large feet should keep that in mind, but my size 10 kicks didn't feel like they needed any more support. The Crux pedals spin as good as new, that is to say they don't turn multiple times if you give them a flick with your fingers, but they do turn better than any pedal that depends solely on DU bushings. They also proved to be strong enough to endure some abuse without losing any pins. I've dragged them over rocks and buried them into the ground multiple times and all of the pins are still sitting tight in their home. After using the Crux pedals on both long XC rides (yeah, I'm that kind of rider) and plenty of DH bike park time, I'll admit that they top my list of top platform pedals, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, those same pins that provide so much grip can really cause some damage when things go wrong. Sure, you are less likely to slip a pedal, but when you do... For that reason dirt jumpers may want to look for something else. And at a claimed 428 grams per pair they aren't heavy, but weight weenies may want something a bit lighter. Those points aside, if you are looking for proper platform pedals for mountain biking with plenty of grip on offer, a reasonable weight, and great reliability, the Crux pedals should be on your short list.

Syncros also offers the Meathook pedal, a less expensive version of their popular alloy Mental pedal. The Meathook's use the same pins and burly axle as the Mental, but come in at not only a lower price, but also a lower weight. These forgo the use of a needle bearing, instead using a DU bushing and dual cartridge bearings inside. Cedric Gracia is now rocking Syncros pedals and shown above is his signature model.