Review: Twenty6 Predator Ti Pedal (Updated)

The Twenty6 Predator testing is finally over, and the conclusion is crystal clear. Tyler (the man behind Twenty6) promised an evolution of the much acclaimed Prerunner pedal. Pretty much everything was reviewed and improved upon... And Tyler delivered.
The result is the Predator pedal; thin, big, lightweight, grippy, and more expensive than your car. I wanted to find out whether this pedal is worth your hard earned cash, or whether this a CNC adventure gone wrong? Read on and find out. But first the basics:

Enduro sealed bearing, and quad o-ring seals should keep this sucker going strong for a long time.

(click to enlarge)

Self lubricating tapered turcite bushing, on a burly nitride coated titanium spindle. The CNC milled pedal body is has a concave and offset design, and each pin is isolated and raised so that the foot is resting less on the pedal body, and more on the pin itself. This pedal has more tech than your flat screen tv.

(click to enlarge)

My pin-system is smarter than your pin-system. No seriously, have a look at this picture to fully understand why this is such a smart system.

(click to enlarge)

The Predator is slightly taller than the 11mm Point One Racing Podium Pedal. But overall the Predator is bigger. If some of you would want some more comparison pics, please say so in the comments field, and Ill upload them. Comments does not require a sign-in.

(click to enlarge)

Predator with a Ti-axle. 343grams. Pretty close to the claimed 340 grams

(click to enlarge)

The amount of grip is just insane. If you are a 5.10 shoe user (and if you are not, you should be), be prepared to experience a new level of grip. The pedal body is large and thin, finally a pedal where there is enough real estate to rest the entire width of your foot, and I really like that.

(click to enlarge)

14 months of testing has given me a very good idea of what the Predator pedal has to offer; a lot. The huge platform with the amazing grip are definitely the highlights, and are quickly apparent. What comes after months of testing is the question about durability, and there is nothing to put my finger on here either. These pedals are tough, and durable, and continue to take heat. Top that of with the fact that they are thin as well, and offer a innovative pin-system, and you have yourself a winner, and a product above the competition. If you got the cash, then there are no excuses not to get these.

UPDATE

After 17 months of intense use, this pedal had a catastrophic failure. The pedal body snapped during a jump session. I wasn't hurt, and there was no drama, it just felt weird, and my foot "collapsed" into the remaining pedal body, allowing me to ride-it out - so to speak.

(click to enlarge)

There is no room for failures like this, so early, on a such an expensive product. Score reflects that. I will add that Tyler of 26 Components has been awesome, I got a new and improved version of the Predator Pedal, after a few emails. Read more about that here.

The Good:

-Huge platform

-Amazing grip

-Thin

-Lightweight

-Smart pin-system

The Bad:

-Replacement pins are expensive (and so is the pedal)

-Overall price?
-17 months into testing the pedal had a catastrophic failure. 

Score: 0/6

Fabulous Four

4 different rides, 4 different dudes, all recent shots.

In particular order:

1) Drea going all in on a manual
2) I go steep
3) Mr. Madsen hitting the trail gap
4) Karl showing the bender-style

Willingen Bikepark Freeride Line

Willingen Freeride Line, it has nothing to do with freeride actually, its more a tribute to A-Line imo. Lots of tables, some jumps, a few drops, berms, and a few wide switchbacks.  

Watch in HD HERE

I start of solo, and meet up with Anders and Drea midway. Last part is sped up due to its triviality. Enjoy - we sure did.

 

Embedded version. 2m45sec:

First Person Shooter Part 2/2

Second day of our roadtrip was off to Willingen Bikepark. It has just two lines - but don't let that fool you.

Probably the closest I've been to pull of a table on a dc-bike. Smiles followed. I had my first real table scrub this day as well. Yay.

(click to enlarge)

Now the DH line in Willingen isn't just something you hit full force the first time you ride it. Blind drops and jumps are everywhere, and some of it is pretty damn big! We had tremendous luck meeting this friendly German LOCAL dude, who took out about 45min out of his park-time, to walk us through the lines of this former World Cup track, giving hints and advises. I don't remember his name, but thanks man. Here you see him on the right, advising Drea to the left.

(click to enlarge)

You know its good when a DH line starts of with a drop into 3 massive tables ; ) This DH track is a blast to ride, and I wish we rode it even more, "There is plenty left for next time, then" as Drea puts it.

(click to enlarge)

Don't ask.

(click to enlarge)

Drea throwing a whip on the Freeride line. Second day was a peak for all of us I think, we where feeding of each other, and fucking nailed that line.

(click to enlarge)

Anders hitting a roadgap on the DH track.

(click to enlarge)

That's it. For now.

First Person Shooter Part 1/2

10 guys on a 3-day trip to Winterberg and Willingen, 2 different bikeparks half an hour ride from each other. Top that of with awesome sunny weather all 3 days, and beer, and you got yourself a recipe of good times.

But instead of editing 18 gigs of GoPro footage, I decided to extract some frames, check it out:

Welcome to Winterberg, where line choice is up to you. 

(click to enlarge)

I have been practicing manuals, but it takes time to dial in, a had more than a few instances where I managed to manual an entire table and beyond, but its still inconsistent. I need more practice, and I need to dial in my hip-movement.

(click to enlarge)

Anders taking a spill in front of me of the drop to the right.

(click to enlarge)

Some french dudes hitting the roadgap.

(click to enlarge)

Hitting a table at the same time.

(click to enlarge)

Next two days was off to Willingen, stick around.

Faster and Sharper

So, my "old" cam finally died. Big surprise there.

In comes the new Casio EX-ZR-700, its relatively cheap, yet very powerful. I'm really not into cams, as some are, or have a particular interest in the tech behind, but I do enjoy shooting a good pic, or capturering some cool high-speed footage.

And the reason I make a post about it here on my blog, is that you will see a some improvements of the pics, but particular the vids. Casio made an upgrade to its Exilim High-speed processor, and this is what it shoots:

I can now shoot 120FPS (frames per second) in (640x480), check it out:
(no sound, simple edit)

Or 240 FPS in an upgraded resolution of 512x384, check it out:
(no sound, simple edit)

Its also possible to shoot at 480 FPS, or a massive 1000 FPS, but  resolution quality suffers so much, that I don't expect it to be used here on my blog. Anyway, just a rare update on the cam-side of things.

Review: POC vs FOX vs 661 vs SCOTT

The knee battle.

I have been on a lot of knee pads these last few years, and been doing some reviews as well, but not anything in such a "grand" scale as this review. 4 different pads. 4 very different pads, if I may add so. All tested for at least 6 months, because long term testing is where its at. 

There is a clear winner, and a clear looser, so sit back, and dig into this knee-pad shootout.

The contenders:

661 - Evo Knee Pad
Fox - Launch Pad Pro
POC - VPD2 Knee Guard
Scott - Grenade Pro II Knee Guards

661 - Evo Knee Pad
(click to enlarge)

Fox - Launch Pad Pro
(click to enlarge)

 POC - VPD2 Knee Guard
(click to enlarge)

Scott - Grenade Pro II Knee Guards
(click to enlarge)

Actual Weight. All size M.

661 - Evo Knee Pad - 526g
Fox - Launch Pad Pro - 387g
POC - VPD2 Knee Guard - 574g
Scott - Grenade Pro II Knee Guards - 602g

So what do these numbers tell? Well, the 661, POC, and Scott are not that far from each other when it comes to weight. The one that stands out is the Fox Launch Pad Pro, its about 40% lighter than the Scott Grenade  Pro II. But does weight matter for a knee pad, in this weight class? My short answer is NO. These pads do not feel heavy, and weight is definitely not the decisive factor, whether its a good or a bad knee pad.

(click to enlarge)

Each pad is scored by the level of comfort, protection, ventilation, durability, and value for money. Lets get to it.

Comfort:
661: 3/6
Fox: 5/6
POC: 6/6
Scott: 4/6

My initial thoughts on the 661 Evo Knee pad where very positive; they where very comfortable  and the bed-in time is at just a few hours. Ill forgive its bulkiness, because these really are pads you forget that you wear after 30 minutes of use, and there is no cloth chafing. They did develop issues after long term use, read about that below.
The Fox pad is very resistant to unwanted movement because of a silicone strap in the top, and it sits very nicely on the leg. Note that the Fox Launch Pad Pro takes considerable more time to "bed in" - expect 5-10 rides.
The Scott pad feels good, and even tho it doesn't have a elastic strap, it follows the knee very nicely, but note that they get uncomfortable in hot temperatures, and that detracts from overall comfort-score.
POC takes a few rides to bed in, and requires that you select the perfect size for you, don't scale up or down when choosing size. But what you get, is a pad wraps discreetly around your knee, in a comparably, very comfortable manner, with no cloth chafing. A thick line of rubber at the top and bottom is resting against your skin, elimination almost all unwanted movement. 

Long term testing notes regarding comfort:

661: 7 months into the testing, the elastic back sleeve is getting a bit loose, making the pads more prone to sliding down the knee. This detracts from overall comfort-score. 

Fox: After a year of use, the pad began to irritate my upper knee. That was after a year of intense use and therefor does not detract from overall comfort-score, a year is a long time for a knee pad that's been used extensively. In addition to that, I will add that the silicon strap doesn't do well after washing, it disintegrates. 

Scott: Nothing to note - pad is doing great. 

POC: Nothing to note - pad is doing great.

Protection:
661: 2/6
Fox: 4/6
POC: 5/6
Scott: 6/6

Fox has good protection in the upper and lower front, the padding on the sides is thick as well. The knee itself is protected by a semi-soft plastic shell, its not a pad I would use for DH/FR, but for everything else it definitely does the job.

The 661 Evo knee has its D3o material, and while it does cover a alot of the knee, even down the shin a bit, its just scary thin, and I don't see it absorbing impact from sharper objects like rocks or similar. Blunt force is where this pad is doing its job best - but its without a doubt the least protective pad of the bunch. If you ride in rocky conditions, then stay away from the 661 Evo Knee!

The Scott is just a tank; big and thick, and you get a feeling that it can take some heat - because it can. The padding is thick, and has multiple layers besides the D3o, the pad itself is long and offers great side-protection as well. Put it to use for FR/DH - and get away with it, these pads are tough. Can be expanded with a shin-protector.

POC has to be the biggest surprise, it doesn't really look like its heavy on the protection side, but once you get it on, you appreciate just how much it does protect. The entire knee is covered with a thick layer of the VPD2 material, and it has a smart "hinge" system that allows the pad to follow your knee movement. You feel protected while wearing this pad. VPD2 is a "dough" that transforms impacts to the entire pad, instead of just concentration it into the impact zone, it also gets more flexible when warm, allowing it to bend around the knee when you use it. Can be expanded with a shin-protector.

The Scott Grenade Pro II is a tank. Its big, and thick, just the way the ladies want it.

(click to enlarge)

Its a whole different story with the 661 Evo Knee Pad. Thin, and...well just don't hit a rock.

(click to enlarge)

Ventilation:
661: 3/6
Fox: 4/6
POC: 4/6
Scott: 2/6

Fox, 661, POC - I don't feel much difference between the three to be honest. I do however think that there is room for improvement, for all of these brands. They do get hot on the warmest days in the summer.

Scott is definitely the hottest pad, great for winter, fall and early spring, but as soon it gets much warmer, these pads get way too hot - I wouldn't put them on, on a summer day.

Durability:
661: 6/6
Fox: 5/6
POC:6/6
Scott: 6/6

All pads tested are pretty tough, even after months of use, crashes, and what not, there is barely any scratch or malfunction. Fox was the only pad that did show some signs of wear, but its also the pad that I have been using the longest time for this review.

Value for money:
661: 2/6
Fox: 6/6
POC: 5/6
Scott: 4/6

The Fox is the least expensive of the bunch, but is a very good kneepad, so it wins big time in this department.

The 661 Evo knee is one of the most expensive knee pads on the market, only beaten by POC to my knowledge, and considering that the elastic back began to get more and more loose after just 7 months of use, the value for money isn't particular high.

Scott fares better. The price is somewhat similar to the 661, but Scott offers way more value; better protection and better comfort - just keep in mind that they do very hot on warm days.

POC might be the most expensive pad in this review, but its a pad what does pretty much everything right. Outstanding comfort, surprisingly protective, durable, and a ventilation that's comparable to the rest. Yes you pay more, but you get more as well.

Overall best pad:
POC VPD2 Knee Guard.

The POC VPD2 Knee Guard is getting top marks in almost all categories, and for good reason. Its very comfortable, has a very good level of protection, a good durability, and that puts it in a high score regarding value for money - you get a great knee pad. Its not perfect, the ventilation could have been better, but its not beaten by any competitors in this test either.

POC has obviously given this knee pad some thought, and that tells. Go get this pad, if you are into a upgrade, or just want to try something different, you will most likely not be disappointed, just be sure to get the right size for you.

Got questions, or a comment? Shoot away in the comments section.

Oldie but Goldie #6

"Oldie but Goldie" series will be my tribute to the "old days". When 640mm bars where considered wide, carbon was fragile, and adjustable seatposts didn't exist. And I'm doing it, for the fun of it.

Afterhours was a 2008 film-project that Erik and I was working on, it never released however, due to other projects. But I did a trailer for Afterhours, and recently found the file on my old discarded pc by accident. I thought it would be fun to post it here.

I actually like the edit itself, it came out the way I wanted it to, but it sure took a lot of "cutting". I don't like the misspelling at the end tho' *facepalm*

Anyway, enjoy:

Watch in HD HERE

Review: Canfield Brothers Crampon Magnesium Pedal

Just concluded my review of the Canfield Brothers Crampon Magnesium Pedal. Its a pedal that builds on the successful original Crampon pedal. Canfield Brothers did some improvements, and this is the result, but how does it fare? Well, I have been testing it in and out of bikeparks these last few months, and here are my concluding thoughts. But first the basics:

106mm x 106mm, chromo axle, DU bushings, laser etched logos.

(click to enlarge)

Claimed 282 grams, actual weight is 285g, pretty close imo.

(click to enlarge)

Thin 6-10mm magnesium body. Its just crazy thin.

(click to enlarge)

Replaceable dual sided pins. Long, but a tiny bit more fat than the ones on my Podiums, and my experience tell me that thin pins are key to grip on FiveTen shoes .

(click to enlarge)

 Crampon Magnesium VS Point One Racing Podiums. Podiums are noticeably bigger, they feel bigger as well. My Twenty6 Predator are way bigger than both tho'.

(click to enlarge)

So while these pedals are thin and lightweight, they are on the small size, and the grip isn't that good to be honest - compared to the Twenty6 Predator pedal (review pending). What did surprise me however, is how tough these pedals are - didn't expect that from a magnesium compound. The pins are easy to swap even if you bend or break them, that's a huge plus.
I have to be honest and say that these pedals stand in the shadow of the Twenty6 Predator pedal, everything this pedal does, the Predator does better in some way. I wish the crampon pedal was at least 1cm larger in both directions, and had thinner pins, that would address my main issues. Its not a bad pedal, but there are better option out there.

The Good:
-Thin
-Lightweight
-Laser etched logos, and a tough finish
-Easy swappable pins
-Surprisingly tough

The Bad:
-Platform is a bit too small
-Grip is so-so

Score: 3/6

Bottoms up!

Its been a while since a did a single post on a single ride, last time I did that was on the hangovers ride here and here. Anyway, I joined up with Jan and Henning and had a 3 hour ride. We sessioned some jumps, had a good crash, and hucked - hard.  Check it out.

Henning going full throttle into the trail gap.

(click to enlarge) 

(click to enlarge)

Speaking of Henning, he a major spill while trying to whip a jump, he didn't succeed. What he did succeed however, was twisting his seat and stem in different directions.

(click to enlarge)

Post-ride beer is soooo 2012. Mid-ride beer is the new black. (followed by post-ride beer)

(click to enlarge)

While it might not look like it in this picture, this new drop is 2m+ (6.5 feet+). And the 2m barrier is finally broken in this particular forest. HOWEVER. The landing is not steep enough, and entry speed is a bit slow, this result in a furious bottom out. Here you see me barely having any travel left in the front and back, and my body is squashing in. Ough.

(click to enlarge)

Henning giving it a go. His poor trail bike blew through all the travel and he told me afterwards, that he felt that the frame itself flexed in different directions. : )

The biggest killer however, is that this was supposed to be a drop that boosted you into a jump, but so much force goes into the landing, that it actually has no boosting effect at all. I highly doubt that this drop continues to exist in its current form. Good times tho' :)

(click to enlarge)

Very Random Stuff

Seriously random stuff this time around! Check it out.

Well this sure was money well spent : / It just happened one day, while the bike was just standing there...over-tightened? Its a Renthal Integra stem by the way.

(click to enlarge)

The crash-dude from this post, landing a table. He didn't crash every time ; )

(click to enlarge)

Got a new pair of shoes for the fall and winter. Its the FiveTen - Diddie Schneider model. A heavy duty FiveTen shoe that tackles a good shower without problems, it has a hard toe cap, and actually has grip on moisty ground. The build quality and overall feel is very nice, its definitely a shoe that has a flagship model feel to them.  Fiveten calls it the trail-builders shoe, but I'm just happy to finally have a pair of Fiveten shoes that are almost waterproof, something I've been wanting for a while. Expect a review early 2014.

(click to enlarge)

Testing a new jump. It took you a bit higher than expected..

(click to enlarge)

My Casio hi-speed cam died a week ago (for the 5th time?). Probably the most fragile camera in existence - and I'm all out of warranty. A new improved version is on its way, stay tuned for some test-footage.

(click to enlarge)

Now it might look as if Karl is taking a dump(enlarge the pic, its priceless), but its much better than that. He slammed his balls into the top-tube on a flat section. So much so, that he had to take a timeout...a long one. Plenty of time for me to take out the camera. His voice was somewhat changed after this incident..

(click to enlarge)

Run...run...RUN LIKE THE WIND!! : D

(click to enlarge)