DMR Vaults

I’ve reviewed the DMR Vaults before, as have many others. However, recent events have warranted an updated review and so here it is.

They’re incredible.

I’ve been using the DMR vaults since December 2017 now and in that time they’ve become an irreplaceable component on my bike. The platform is excellent, the pins provide fantastic grip (even without the Terror Pins which I’ve now installed), and they’re tough. They’re really tough.

In fact, they’re so tough that even after I’ve stacked one into a root after landing a jump, and consequently ripping it from the crank (after the impact had caused the crank arm itself to twist), it still survived. To my shock, the thread and platform are unscathed by the impact whilst the Raceface crank arm was left utterly unusable.

The fact you can easily get to the pedal axle and service the pedal itself is an added bonus. For near £100, unless you bag a set in a sale like I did, you’d expect them to last. With a service here and there, they’re bound to keep on giving.

The downsides? They hurt when they hit your shin. A lot. They’re designed to be grippy and so the standard pins are long; and the terror pins are whole centimetre gifts of pain to your shins. From time to time, I have slipped a pedal (though due to poor technique rather than badly designed pedals) and the result is a myriad of scars on my shins.

The DMR Vaults come in a range of colours to suit whatever bike scheme you’re going for, and the pearlescent version, whilst a little more expensive, is all the more beautiful for its uniqueness. The colour coating seems to last well, though of course it comes away when you smash them into rocks repetitively.

Would I recommend? Absolutely. Will I be riding anything else soon? Probably not.