Test: From their headquarters in rural Britain, DMR Bikes have been designing and manufacturing some of the finest mountain bikes, dirt jump bikes, pedals, frames and components for over 20 years. From the legendary V12 pedal to the Trailstar, the team of riders and designers work with some of the sport's big names to create products that endure the kind of riding we all know and love.
DMR Vault and DMR Deathgrip: Pedals and grips are the most important interfaces between rider and bike.
Not only the most important, but the only interfaces next to the saddle. They must be designed in such a way that they give the rider a safe and controlled feeling at all times, rather than being able to be released quickly in an emergency in order to minimize the risk of injury as much as possible. We tested the DMR Vault Flat Pedals in the classic version for you, as well as the DMR Deathgrip Flangeless handles designed by Brendon Fairclough. Both products are available in many different colors, we each had the blue variant for a harmonious color concept on our test bike.
DMR Deathgrip Flangeless: Grip in all directions
In addition to the different color variants, the DMR Deathgrip grips are offered in three different models. DMR Deathgrip, the classic with a protective rubber lip on the inside of the handles. This rubber lip is used in extreme situations or tricks not to grab the handlebars too far inside. The DMR Deathgrip Flangeless does not need this rubber lip. The DMR Deathgrip Race Edition with a softer rubber compound for racing use. For our all-mountain and enduro use, we opted for the variant without an additional rubber lip, the DMR Deathgrip Flangeless. Designed by Brendan Fairclough, these grips should be ideal for all mountain bike use. But do they also keep this promise on the trail?
The grips are mounted quickly, but despite the same width as the previously installed Santa Cruz grips, the new DMR Deathgrip grips protrude slightly to the left and right of the handlebars and increase the width of the entire cockpit by a total of approx disadvantage. They are additionally fixed with a screwed metal clamp on the inside. The rubber coating is designed in such a way that it only provides some damping in the interior thanks to the longitudinal slats, and also in the exterior thanks to an additional reinforced bead. Most of the grip is covered with a surface studded with small pyramids for ideal grip in all directions. At the fingertips, the grip is further enhanced by additional rubber struts.
It goes out into the forest, here rooty and blocked terrain awaits our test grips. For the test we wore gloves from Royal Racing without additional cushioning. The first impression on arrival was quite comfortable and pleasant to grip. As soon as it got a little rough, the intelligently designed grip surface came into play and all components, be it the lamellas, the pyramid structure or the damping on the outside, harmonized surprisingly well. The grips also withstood a deliberately provoked wear and tear caused by sandy gloves over many kilometers.
DMR Vault: Flexible flat pedals
The DMR Vault pedals are available in six different models and many different colors. In addition to two editions dedicated to the team riders Brendon Fairclough and Andreu Lecondaguy, the Vault Flat Pedals are available in a top magnesium version with and without a titanium axle, the classic "normal-sized" version, which we also tested, and a smaller "Midi" version.
The 430g aluminum CNC-milled pedals are stable, well thought-out and durable. The bearings are protected with a secure rubber seal and the inside of the pedals, so that water cannot penetrate even under light pressure. The tread of the pedals is peppered with 22 pins per pedal, which are longer and thinner or shorter and thicker depending on the position. The thinner pins are attached to the outside, the slightly thicker pins are more in the center, on the axis. In our personal opinion, the pins could be a bit thinner, as they only have a limited grip in flat pedal shoes with low-profile soles. Of course, we tested on different shoes and so the DMR Vault was particularly convincing on soles with a deep but fine profile, in our case the 661 Filter Shoes Clipless. The shins also thank the pins, which are not quite as pointed.
Off-road, the pedals excelled with incomparably stable grip. The outer pins, which are designed with threads, are anchored in the deep profile of the 661 shoes. Small downside, a simple change or a small correction of the foot position on the pedal required some practice. Interesting for all trick riders, due to the slightly tighter mounting of the pedals on the axle, the risk of uncontrolled pedal rotation while there is a lack of contact is greatly reduced.
We were very enthusiastic about the pedals, as long as we rode with the right shoes. Grip and stability stood out positively and the design and serviceability also meet all our requirements.
