Crank Brothers Smarty Pedals review

Crank Brothers’ four-sided Eggbeater platform pedal design has been phenomenally successful, and it has led them to develop two-sided platform pedals with the same feel and mud-shedding performance but at a lower price. The newest such pedal, called the Smarty, is essentially a slightly larger and cheaper version of the successful Candy all-mountain pedal. At 282g it weighs more than the Candy because it’s a bit bigger but you won’t really notice a few extra grams.

Riders who found the Candy’s platform too small, but the Mallet downhill pedal too big, have fallen head over heels for the Smarty. The pedal’s combination of a clipless centre section and a proper platform means it also appeals to riders who go off piste and need to unclip on rough sections. The pedal also comes in a choice of a blue or black plastic body and a selection of clip-on bumpers with contrasting colours.

Out on the trails, the Smarty is every bit as good as the other Crank Brothers pedals – in fact, once you’re clipped in, you’ll be hard pushed to know which model pedal you’re using. Check out the full Crank Brothers range at www. crankbros.com.