RIDER REVIEW: DEITY DEFTRAP:

DEITY'S PEDAL HERITAGE

Deity’s line of flat pedals has always embodied the core personality of the brand and perhaps no pedal has done a better job of this than their TMAC signature series pedal. Designed to meet the needs of Tyler McCaul’s hard-charging freeriding, the TMAC pedals are arguably one of the most impressive pedals available in the bike world and the reviews from customers, bike industry folk, and pro riders are a true testament to their top-tier performance and stunning looks. These pedals have amazing grip, a large and comfortable platform, a truly deep 2.5mm of concave shaping, and come in an array of beautiful colors and precision aluminum machining. All this quality, durability, and refinement does come with a somewhat hefty price tag. You might be asking, why I’m talking about the TMAC pedals if this review is about the new Deftrap pedals? Well, the TMACs set the bar and were the jumping off point when it came time to develop the Deftrap. So, let’s dig in.

As you can tell, I’m a big fan of the TMAC pedals and think they are a perfect fit for my rides on freeride and DH-oriented bikes. But, like many of you, I find myself struggling to convince my wallet to open wide enough to put the TMAC pedals on most of my bikes. It’s not that the TMACs aren’t worth their price. In fact, with that price comes some of the best-in-class grip, comfort, platform size, control, and durability. But, these days, a majority of my miles are on my trail or enduro-light bikes that see a bit less abuse and where weight still kind of matters. So, for the last several years, I’ve opted to match those bikes with the new crop of quality nylon composite pedals due to their balance of performance and stellar price, plus they tend to be just a bit lighter. 

DEFTRAP VS THE COMPETITION

My first foray in riding composite pedals started off riding the Race Face Chesters. While these performed rather well, the size and shape of their concave platform wasn’t my cup of tea. To try something new I switched to One Up’s Composite Pedal that have a slightly larger but thinner platform than the Chesters, longer pins and a convex shape. A concave versus convex platform shape is entirely a personal preference, that you will want to determine for yourself. For me, I found that I liked how the convex shape wrapped my toes a tiny bit, which felt like I was scooping the pedal more on jumps and during efficient pedaling. This wrapping seemed a better fit for my bikes that see a lot of pedaling versus my more gravity-oriented bikes.

I’ve been very satisfied with my One Up pedals, so when Deity sent me their new Deftrap pedals for testing, I knew there would be a pretty high bar they’d need to beat for me to want to swap out my current pedals. My previous experience with concave pedals left me a bit hesitant that I would like that shape as much, or better, than what I had gotten so comfortable on.

RIDE REVIEW

Now, that we’ve looked at how these compare on paper to some of their closest competition let’s get to the dirt of how they feel out on the trail. In short, the Deftraps were damn impressive! These pedals have grip in spades, the concavity was very comfortable, and there seemed to be so much platform area to support your foot. Their grip landed somewhere between the TMACs and One Up's Composite Pedals. This is likely due to having less concavity and fewer pins than the TMACs. While not as light nor as slim (or light) as some of the other competitors, I didn’t feel too tall over my axles. Instead, the concave shape and longer profile made it feel more “in the pedal” than on the thinner competitors. I did find that it did take a bit more footwork to shift my position on the pedals if I had planted my foot in the wrong spot when compared to the One Ups. Since they have the same number of pins, I attribute this to the concave versus convex shape of the two pedals. Some riders will prefer the more planted feel of the Deftraps, while others might like the slightly more free feel of the One Ups.

Buy, Upgrade, or Pass?

Obviously, I love the Deftraps, so these are a definite buy if you are looking for a new set of platform pedals. The bigger question is, "are the Deftrap pedals good enough to upgrade my current flat pedals?" Yes… mostly. I’m not tossing my collection of One Up pedals just yet but I will be picking up a fresh set of Deftraps to match my new enduro bike and Deity Lockjaw grips (one of my favorite grips ever!!!). On the other hand, my wife has decided to officially become a mountain biker (yes!!!) and I will be using the One Ups on her trail bike while she learns about riding on flat pedals due to their easier ability to adjust foot position. I’ve also been debating back and forth on which pedals to put on my pump track bike, but I think the winner is Deftraps with the pins threaded back about halfway down. Lastly, if I ever own a DH bike again, I will stick with the TMACs for their robust build, stunning colors, and insane levels of grip.

RECOMMENDED RIDER

I would recommend these to a wide spectrum of riders. Basically, anyone looking for an affordable and durable pedal with tons of grip and a concave shape should put these on their shortlist. Also, if you find that your rides are filled with your share of pedal strikes, the nylon composite will deflect easier than aluminum and still look good after. For those looking for ultimate grip or hitting hard-charging freeride/DH lines, the TMACs are a better option thanks to their added strength and increased concavity.

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