TESTED: Syntace NumberNine Titan Pedals

Syntace may not be a household name yet on Australian shores, but this rather large German brand is very logical with EightyOneSpices importing many of their great parts, they will soon be well known here. The NumberNine Titan is their no-holds-barred flat pedal offering; everything from the bearings to the spindle are made for the absolute best materials. They haven’t so much tired to revoloutionise the flat pedal market with a new design, but more so presented the best money can buy with a semi-classic design. The pedals are offered in 3 sizes (size can be determined from a printable size chart, measured against your foot) for optimal grip on your shoes, a nice touch that I have not seen before in the flat pedal market.

From first picking these pedals up you can tell just how light they are, weighing in at 288g from the medium this is a direct relation to the high level CNCing that the aluminium pedal has received as well as the titanium spindle which is the centre piece to the design. The pedal has a thin design to keep it away from rocks and other trail obstacles which is a nice touch. The bearing attached to the spindle runs on cartridge bearings, one large bearing on the inside with two smaller bearings on the outside of the pedal. The larger bearing on the inside runs a heavy duty red seal which prevents the pedal from spinning too much whilst your foot is for whatever reason off the pedals, a nice touch for racers, jumpers and weekend warriors alike. Spreading the load out over this many bearings is a great idea and really prolongs the life of the pedal.

On the trail the pedal delivers a tonne of grip, I paired them at first with 5-10 Impacts, but to really give them a run for their money I had a go in standard Van’s skate shoes. Even with a shoe that was not designed to be used with flats the pedals delivered a great amount of grip to the shoes. The pin placement is fairly even so there is usually grip no matter how your foot sits on the pedal. The lack of concave on the pedal was quite obvious from what I have been used to in the past however, I find my foot feels better on a pedal with a slightly more concave platform, so I don’t feel as flat footed whilst in the pedal. This is obiovulsy a personal fit issue, but one that you should be aware of if you like a concave surface for your feet. Their low profile design kept well away from rocks and was confidence insprining whilst pedalling through rocky terrain.

Syntace have delivered a super lightweight and very durable product, these are one of the lightest flat pedals that I have used and they utilise a full aluminium build (no plastic seen here). The bearings are fantastic and the machining on the pedals really have to be seen to be believed, but for this they do carry a rather large pricetag. If you are the rider who is looking for the best, or even just a rider who wants a pedal that is going to last a damn long time, this may be the item for you. They require minimal maintence, are a low profile and have a great spread of girp.

Hits: Water/air tight, complete aluminium build, weight

Misses: flat surface and price

RRP: $399

EightOneSpices.