Crankbrothers Double Shot 2 Review

The Crankbrothers Double Shot 2 pedals are intriguing, pairing the acclaimed egg beater mechanism on one side with a rough, concave platform on the other. Could it be the best of both worlds? Sadly, no.

Out of the box the pedals are impressive, they're thin and relatively light with an industrial-like finish on the bodies. The clipless mechanism and surrounding bat wing structure look like something from a supercar. Crankbrothers is known for giving a little extra in the design department, and these pedals look pretty cool.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Entry

The platform is sufficiently large and acts as an easy target for your shoe. We were able to clip into the Double Shot with ease most of the time but had a couple of incidences of slipping off the clipless side. Most of the pedals we tested are easier to engage and the Double Shot 2 received a low score as a result

Ease of Exit

The Double Shot 2 pedals are more competitive in this metric. The mechanism doesn't hesitate to release your shoe, and there is nothing to hang up on when releasing, creating a fast, fluid exit. It rates well in this metric as a result.

This pedal offered significantly less trouble than we experienced with the HT D1 and its complicating traction pins.

Adjustability

Swapping your cleat position to change the release angle is the only adjustment available on the Double Shot 2. The HT D1, in contrast, offers adjustable release tension, swappable cleats, and adjustable pins.

Weight

At 406g per pair, the Double Shot 2 pedals are respectably lightweight. If you were to upgrade to the Crankbrothers Double Shot 3 with traction pins for $125, you'd save 3 grams and add a little bit of security on the flat side of the pedal.

Platform

The rough A380 aluminum body has a unique feel that offers a tough yet refined feel. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer a lot of stability or grip. The platform features nubs and ribs cast into the slightly concave shape. Using shoes with a Vibram sole, we found the flat, platform traction to be woefully insufficient. The cast nubs and ribs offer minimal traction against the shoe rubber and do not inspire confidence.

Switching to hard soled XC shoes had a predictably poor outcome and swapping to 5.10 stealth rubber didn't offer the life-saving grip we were hoping for. When the platform surface got wet, traction suffered even more, leaving us disappointed in the flat side of this pedal.

Mud Shedding Ability

One accepted fact in the world of clipless pedals is that Crank Brother's egg beater mechanism works phenomenally well in mud. It's a revered design that leaves mud everywhere to go and provides very few places that debris can hang-up.

On the Double Shot 2's clipless side, Crankbrothers modified the egg beater mechanism for one-sided engagement. It this iteration it is held in place by a black X shaped insert. Clipping in is as simple as pushing down. The wings spread and the cleat engages. If there is mud in the engagement, it's forced out by the cleat. However, debris can lodge between the black X shaped insert and the engagement wing.

This platform insert is a choking point. In several of our tests, we fouled the pedal, making it inaccessible when debris clogged that very crucial spot. In their attempts at making a one-sided clipless mechanism, Crankbrothers impaired their long lauded design.

Value

The Double Shot 2 is the mid-priced option in the Double Shot line up and reasonably priced compared to the competition. While we find the $90 price to be attractive, the $125 Double Shot 3 with adjustable traction pins would feels much safer.

Conclusion

While we think that there's a big potential market in dual-duty pedals, the Double Shot 2 comes up short on too many of our metrics to call it recommended gear.

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