The Review | Reverse Black One Titanium Pedals
There may not really be any Panthers in the Black Forest but the Reverse Black One Titanium pedals born there are still best described with this allegory. They come in light of foot and camouflaged in black. A closer look however reveals the flexing muscles and they know how to use their teeth to full effect at just the right moment.
Beautiful to behold these perfectly machined and anodised minimalist platforms with their gold coloured titanium axle. Fitted with 20, long, 3 mm hex key pins per pedal they come in at a feather weight 247 g for the pair. No surprise as only the very minimum necessary material has been left over. You could assume that this would come at some cost to their durability. After 1000 km with numerous ground and rock impacts there is nothing to support this theory other than the usual scratches. The axle is still perfectly straight, the aluminium cages have their original shape at every corner and edge and even the pins have survived every rock garden unscathed. The bearings also still run buttery smooth and noise-free.
The bearing system is absolutely class leading. Within the low profile body you’ll find a DU bushing on the axle side and two easy to replace, cheap sealed cartridge bearings on the outer side. Most manufacturers only put one bearing here which has to take all the loads alone and thus wears correspondingly quicker. Our test pair did show minimal sideways play (approx. 0.1 mm) after around 900 km but this was due to the seal next to the DU bushing and not a worn out bearing. On the trail it was impossible to feel.
At 10 x 9.2 cm the platform size of the Black One may not be the biggest but for most riders is completely sufficient. Thanks to the slightly concave form the pedals are still comfortable on the feet even on longer rides and descents. Even if using soft-soled shoes you won’t feel pressure points forming over the pedal axles. The grip provided by the pins which extend 4 mm is outstanding and especially when combined with soft compound shoe soles almost gives the feeling of being clicked in.
That all sounds perfect – where’s the catch? Well the suffix ‘titanium’ in the name might have given you a clue: the price € 250 is what you’ll need for a pair of Reverse Black One Titanium pedals. This means they they are likely to remain a product for those who are determined to save the maximum possible bike weight (or from themselves as they have a 90 kg rider weight limit) and are not scared of the costs required to achieve this aim. If weight isn’t your absolute priority you could choose the version without the ti axle which weighs 60 g more. After all the performance of the Reverse Black One is still outstanding and with the exception of a needle roller bearing instead of the DU bushing the spec is identical.
Platform size: 10 cm width; 9.2 cm length
Attachment: Hex key or 15 mm spanner
Colour: black (coloured pins available as an extra)
Maximum rider weight: 90 kg
Weight: 247 g/Paar
Price: € 249.90
More info at reverse-components.com.
Words: Andreas Maschke | Photo: Klaus Kneist
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