DMR Bikes V-Twin Pedal 2017
Reviews / Pedals
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At A Glance
The DMR V-Twin is a super stylish clipless pedal, taking the well-known and trustworthy clip-in system to a new level of style and functionality. This is the first ever clip-less pedal from DMR, the British company with a background in dirt jumping and an iconic range of flat pedals, including the renowned V8, V12 and Vault.
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They have taken their flat pedal heritage to the clip-less pedal market and provided a simple solution with a highly effective result; a wide platform pedal to give ultra-stability while descending, combined with the clip-less attachment to give all the pedal power and sprinting ability needed for an enduro machine.
Aimed at those who like the cleats on the climbs, want extra support when descending, but prefer having the option to ride unclipped on the super techy stuff, these pedals provide the platform and confidence to do so.
The unique aspect and most interesting feature of the V-Twins is the endless tuneability. With DMR’s nylon ‘bumper’ design and copious amounts of metal plates and pins, it’s very easy to make the pedal your own. This, coupled with a vast amount of anodised aluminium colour options give the V-Twins a personalised feel that will fit with any rider and their bike.
On The Trail
As soon as you open the box of the DMR V-Twins you notice that it’s not just a pedal for your left foot and one for your right, there are also shims and pins galore! The adjustability of these pedals is immediately noticeable and I wanted to start chopping and changing them before I even put them on my bike. First ride out I left them as standard, nylon bumper alone, no shims or pins. They felt very similar to my beloved Shimano DXs, quick to clip in after going foot out, flat out and a decent amount of control when descending.
Then, of course, I had to mix it up, the shin diggers went on and straight away there was a superb feeling of stability across the entirety of my foot. DMR know how to do flats and this shows when you feel like part of the bike on this pinned SPD setup. I didn’t know I could feel more secure than on my DXs, but that’s what the V-Twin gives. Admittedly, it’s slightly harder to clip in and out at light speed, but I’ve not yet felt this to be a hindrance, as the pins don’t let your feet slide about anyway. It’s also the perfect set up for when you just want to nip down the shop (pub) and don’t want to be slipping all over the place in your casuals.
As a student, I have too much free time so have used it wisely to go out and put the V-Twins through their paces/pedal strokes, riding as much as I can and, of course, giving them a few good scuffs and scrapes on the way.
They have coped well with some major strikes but unfortunately the nylon bumpers couldn’t hold up to an endless onslaught of Lake District rock. The bumper has cracked in half on more than one occasion, taking pins with it.The loss hasn’t affected its performance too noticeably, but your bling pedal won’t look quite so flashy when bits are missing. Not to worry too much though, they are available as spares through DMR.
The anodised aluminium has a few scratches, yet that’s to be expected from any well-used pedal. What is less anticipated is that on closer inspection the metal cage has also bent slightly. It's worth noting our local trails are exceptionally harsh on pedals and damage is expected, but this may be an issue considering the regular beating that enduro and downhill riders can give their pedals.
After a few months of heavy riding and appalling weather, the floating cleat system has become a little bit stiff. This, however, is nothing that a quick oil spray can’t sort out and when the bearings eventually give up DMR has promised that servicing them is a simple task.
So what could be better? I have only a coulple very minor criticisms of the DMR V-Twins, one is the placement of a particular pin makes changing the tightness of the cleat a bit of a challenge, but you rarely need to change that and once it’s set, it’s set. The other little niggle, something I personally don’t mind but some carbon-lovers might have something to say about, is the weight. At 546g they aren’t the lightest of caged clipless pedals, however you do get a solid build quality and loads of colour options when they’re made of metal, and still 28g lighter than the DXs. I wouldn't be surprised to see a mag/Ti version of these in the future!
What I like most about these is that nothing on this pedal can’t be fixed without a bit of adjustment and there are almost no barriers to how much you can do this. Experiment with them to find what fits you and your shoe best. I’ve gone through a few combinations of set up and now having found what’s right for me and my shoes there is very little I can criticise about how they ride.
Check out DMR’s website and take a look at their setup guide for some tips and tricks. If they don’t make you feel like you're glued to your bike then you need to experiment with more combinations. These pedals do what they say they will and in a snazzy way. Pedals aren’t usually something people pay a huge amount of attention to, but when you're rocking colours like these there is no doubt people will be asking questions.
I really hoped, and wanted, these to be the ultimate pedal, and I'm pleased to report that they were for the most part. The nylon bumpers were the only weak point I found, and given these are designed to be a replaceable bumper, again they are doing what they say on the tin and saving the rest of the pedal when those rock strikes occur. Our local routes are incredibly rocky and will push the limits of any bike components, so depending on the terrain you normally ride, for many riders this may never be an issue.
Overall
These are a class pedal, in the upper echelon of price and weight, but you get back what you pay for in bucket loads of style and performance. They shine like they're worth every dollar and the weight only really matters to XC whippets, whom this pedal isn’t really aimed at. The amount you can play around with the way they ride is unbelievable, reinvigorating your bike and riding style with the shear quantity of tweaks you can make. Once you’ve nailed the placement of shims and pins you're good to go with an amazing pedal and connection. Not just a piece of bling, but a well thought-out British design for the ever-growing enduro and downhill market. A more than worthy challenger to the clip pedal establishment.
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By Ewen Turner
Ewen Turner is a self-confessed bike geek from Kendal in the Lake District of England. He runs a coaching and guiding business up there and has a plethora of knowledge about bikes with an analytical approach to testing. His passion for bicycles is infectious, and he’s a ripper on the trails who prefers to fit his working life around his time on the bike.
