New for 2017 are the Mallet E Long Spindle pedals. The long spindle model features a 57mm q-factor, 5mm longer than the regular Mallet E, and is mounted to the same Mallet E body tested here. After riding the Mallet E pedal, I think I would enjoy that additional clearance and can’t wait to get my hands on the long spindle model.

The Crank Brothers Mallet Trail pedal takes the successful and well-proven recipe of the Mallet E and Mallet DH, and shrinks it down to an impressively svelte pedal that boasts a class-leading weight. They offer the effortless entry and release that Crank Brothers is well known for, and incredible mud-shedding capabilities that few clip-in pedals can match. There’s excellent adjustability for customising their fit, and while outright grip isn’t as good as their bigger siblings, the platform is still usefully broad.Bike setup is subjective in general, but when we come to the setup and feel of our clipless pedals it feels like that subjectivity is turbocharged. Typically, I prefer the Crankbrothers system, and if I had to rely on systems with less float, as well as less platform and support while engaged in the mechanism, I wouldn't be riding clipless pedals at all. While the Mallet DH uses a four-sided, sprung stirrup to hold its cleat, HT has a kind of Shimano/Crank Brothers hybrid mechanism. I’ve been riding the Mallet DH pedals for a couple years now. Before the Mallet E pedals were introduced, I rode the Mallet DH pedals on all of my bikes. Now that I have had the chance to ride these Mallet E pedals, I think they will be staying on my trail bike full time and don’t see why they wouldn’t make their way to the downhill bike as well. The Mallet 3 is easy to clip into. The platform makes it easy for your foot to find the spring and the Crankbrothers spring action is smooth. Unlike the platformless Crankbrothers Eggbeater 2, which requires precision to accurately clip in, the platform on the Mallet 3 allows your foot a place to rest and push if you don't get clipped in immediately, and it also guides your foot to the spring, allowing for faster entry. Ease of Exit

The problem with the 2 mm traction pad is that it lets the cleat preload the underside of the pedal mechanism too much. This seems to be the reason for the more vague sensation, especially when getting clipped in. It should be noted that this issue lessens as the cleats bed in, but if you want a distinctive in-and-out feeling then I don't believe the Mallet Trail will be able to offer that. This issue was also worse in some shoes than others, most notably the Northwaves. You can also alter the float (natural foot rotation while you ride) and release angle (the point at which the shoe disengages) by swapping around the cleats. The default cleats give a 6 degree float and a 15 degree exit angle, but you can increase that to 20 degrees for more wiggle room by swapping the left cleat to the right shoe and vice versa. You can also buy cleats that give zero float and/or a narrower 10 degree release angle, though it feels less likely that trail and enduro riders would want either of those things. VerdictMud (aka ‘wet loam’) is an inevitability of UK mountain biking. For many clip-in pedals that test just peachy in lab conditions and on dusty trails though, mud can be kryptonite. When mud starts clinging to your pedals and lathering the underside of your shoes, it can jam up the clip mechanism, reducing your fancy pedals to a scarily unstable metal ornament. On our scale the Mallet DH weighed in 5 grams heavier per pair than Crankbrothers' claimed weight of 479 grams. topics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 101, 5228-5235). Getting your own texts into MALLET