The Deity Bladerunners made one heck of a first impression. The extruded 6061 machined aluminum pedals come in black, red, green, blue, platinum, purple, or powder coat white. Thin pedals avoid rock strikes and lower the rider's center of gravity. The svelte profile was 11mm front and back and crept to 14 mm at the axle, and we hardly noticed the axle bump. Deity used longer pins at the leading and trailing edges to mimic concavity in the platform. Though not the grippiest pedal in our test, the ten grub screw traction pins created solid contact between rubber and rider. With the ability to make minor foot adjustments without actually lifting our feet, we found this pedal excelled in the jump line as well as the fall line. The large 103 x 100 mm square platform gave plenty of room for flicking berms or finding our footing before the transition.
Deity Bladerunner Review
Cons: Fairly expensive, axle can be felt underfoot, concavity achieved with pins not platform.
Manufacturer: Deity
Our Verdict
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Our Analysis and Test Results
Our bikes looked so much more badass when we put these pedals on them we wished we had see-thru feet so we could still see them when we rode or stopped.
Performance Comparison
Grip/Traction
Each pedal had 20 grub screw traction (10 per side) pins that installed with a 2.5 mm Allen key. All the heads were tucked away safely from accidental impacts and installed from underneath. If you do manage to break or bend a pin, a bag of extra pins is included. We tend to like the grip of grub screws better than other traction pins, but some pedals like the crankbrothers 5050 had grub screws that accepted the Allen on the top of the pins. This arrangement presented a challenge when pins were bent, smashed, or clogged with dirt.
Despite what is usually better grip with grub screws, we felt the platform design of these pedals prevented them from fully optimizing their potential. The front and rear pins are indeed taller than the ones adjacent to the axle, but our soft rubber soles sucked up the height difference. We could still feel our midfoot area ever-so-slightly elevated compared to the rest of our foot. It wasn't as bothersome as the feel of the Shimano MX80 though. The Bladerunner was a top performer in freestyle dirt jumping and bike park, allowing for smoother foot-to-pedal engagement and disengagement during tricks.
Platform
Pedals seem to get thinner and thinner every year. Deity extruded 6061 T6 aluminum into a shape that measured just a tad over 11mm at the front and rear edges, tying for thinnest by a millimeter with the Bonmixc 9/16" and Funn Python in our test. The midsection maintains a bit of a gut. Measured at a respectable 14mm, it had to swallow the Chromoly steel axle, two sealed bearings, and a DU bushing. The areas between the axle and the leading and trailing edges featured horizontally-ribbed aluminum that we guess were more for weight savings and aesthetics than traction. Clean lines and sharp angles offered little opportunity for mud to collect anywhere on these pedals. With the front and rear of the pedal being so thin, and the middle a bit taller, the actual profile of the pedal is convex.
To provide a more desirable foot cradling shape, six larger traction pins are used front and back, while four shorter ones are used closer to the axle. Despite the profile inversion provided by crafty pin arrangement, the axle could still be felt underfoot and was only moderately effective at increasing grip or traction. The concavity is certainly not as pronounced as the Race Face Atlas. The reduced traction made this pedal a favorite for use in freestyle dirt jumping and bike park shenanigans, it fell a hair shy of that planted, locked-in feeling we sought for downhill use. At 103 x 100 mm, the platform was not the largest in the test, but its squared shape supported the outsides of our feet.
Pedal Mobility
The Chromoly axle spins on two sealed bearings on the near side and a proprietary DU bushing on the further end. Everything remained smooth throughout our three-month test period, and we never experienced any unwanted pedal play. These pedals had a looser feel spinning about the axle compared to many others, but were not so free-spinning that they caused any problems when landing tricks. Pedal flop was also not a concern during trail riding.
Servicing
The Bladerunners took a solid beating while testing. Pins were worn down, and it's important to get the pedals as clean as possible when working on them to minimize dirt getting into threads and bearings. This pedal shares the same internals as it's big brother the TMAC and costs $24.99. The kit includes a spindle but does not include pins which are sold separately. Overall, the Bladerunners are well built, and with fresh pins, the pedals can last a long time.
A 5mm Allen is used to remove a threaded end cap, much like that seen on the Best Buy-winning VP Components VP-Vice that keeps all the trail dirt and grime out. Once the end cap is removed, there is another threaded 5mm spacer inside. This spacer fills out the interior of the pedal body where the spindle terminates inside. By using a shorter, stubby Chromoly axle, less stress is placed on the spindle, making it less likely to experience forces that could potentially bend it out of shape as we did with the Bonmixc 9/16" pedals. Rebuild kits are available, and the pedal can is fully serviceable without removing them from the cranks.
Weight
Despite their ultra-thin profile, the Race Face Atlas, Funn Python, and Bonmixc 9/16" pedals were all lighter than these. The strength-to-weight ratio of these pedals seemed pretty impressive as we nailed them on rocks many times, only to scratch the pretty purple anodized finish. Very little in the way of excess material was used in the design of these pedals.
Best Applications
Whether unrelenting grip seemed to be the goal of most pedals, this pedal allowed for a greater degree of foot movement which lent itself well to dirt jumper trickery. The lack of traction pins along the pedal axle and thicker 14mm profile gave him the freedom to kick a foot out and reposition it with confidence. For jumping and bike park missions, we often found him removing traction pins for more freedom of movement, but he didn't feel the need with this pedal. Whereas repositioning a foot on grippier pedals is a one-shot deal, fine-tuning foot placement was much easier with the Bladerunner.
Value
A fair amount of consumers might drop $143 on this pedal based on looks alone. They're so sexy with their laser-etched logos, textured and machined aluminum surfaces and they come in cool Skittle colors that add flair to your bike that will surely become a conversation piece at the trailhead. If you're looking for a super grippy pedal, your dollars are better spent elsewhere. Riders that value lightweight, mobility, and surface area can feel confident about investing in these pedals.
Conclusion
Often what's good for one type of riding can be bad for another. The list of traits you look for can range from getting down a hill the fastest to boosting a jump the highest. We found this pedal to be a good match for those who like to do it all. It's not the cheapest, lightest, largest, or grippiest. But it will take you from a morning spinning tailwhips at the bike park, to an afternoon shuttling downhill laps. We weren't crazy about the lack of concavity in the platform design and felt that trying to achieve the same result with the traction pins fell short in terms of grip performance. We question whether just making the pedal profile thicker overall would have been a better call.
— Sean Cronin