OK, so this might be an advert from Deity for their new TMAC (Tyler McCaul Signature Pedal) but it is RAD! As Deity say, “Watch Tyler has he assaults this top secret slalom course in his new Deity edit by Clay Porter!”. Clay Porter… THE Clay Porter?!
See the full press release and photos below:
Deity Launches the Tyler McCaul Signature TMAC Pedals
Words: Deity
The crew at Deity are proud to announce the official launch of the Tyler McCaul signature TMAC pedal! The largest Deity pedal to date that features one of the deepest concave profiles industry wide, the Deity TMAC pedal has been a labor of love for the rider owned company who have spent nearly 3 years perfecting what they confidently call “Your Dream Pedal”!
On a warpath, the crew at Deity have not been letting up this year! With numerous new product releases, the construction of their new Global headquarters, expanding their pro roster of riders, and more, the launch of the TMAC pedals has been one of the most anticipated Deity products since initial images leaked out at Sea Otter of this year. A true “signature” product, the TMAC was born from the collaboration between Deity and industry icon Tyler McCaul.
Known for his impeccable whips, beautiful style, epic lines at events like Rampage, and his ability to tie it all together with speed, the development of the TMAC pedal was patiently crafted with the goal to create the best pedal your foot will ever touch and to address issues and requests top tier riders have had for years. From slipped pedals and the lack of true concave profiles, the Deity TMAC pedals were born not only from the work of Deity and Tyler McCaul, but also the input from riders like Cameron Zink.
“The TMAC pedal has been quite a while in the making actually. The initial mold we created did not have the ideal profile and after a year of testing the first prototypes, Tyler liked the pedal, but we wanted him to love it. So, we scrapped the first prototype and started from scratch with a new mold that broke away from the standard profiles and body shapes that are common to this industry.” Eric Davies (Deity, Owner)
Deity started studying past rider footage from not only their riders, but also other riders in this industry. Their goal was to examine every possible pedal slip and missed pedal that they could. It was clear that the lack of back support on the pedal was reducing the purchase a foot could have and these millimeters were the difference between having your foot on the pedal and having it slip off after a trick or dabbed foot on a downhill run. A symmetrical pedal shape is not new, but with the heyday of thick pedals in the 90’s and early 2000’s, offset pedal profiles became the standard because of the foots need to engage onto the pedal quicker due to the incredibly thick profile pedals used to have. It may be hard to remember for some, but these pedals looked like bricks and were so high off the spindle.
Those days are long long gone and thinner profiled pedals benefit a lot less from being offset as the engagement is much quicker due to being closer to the spindle and the fact that the outer trailing edges are not as thick anymore.
“We were initially worried about the effect a symmetrical pedal at a 90 degree right angle would have when the foot tried to stomp down and engage back on the platform. Would the foot shift forward or backward more? Would there be a delay on the engagement? To test this we made a weight driven machine that would apply downward force on the pedal when placed on a 90 degree plain. We could then measure the time it took for the foot to land flat and securely on the pedal and also, where the foot ended up being in relation to the axle when it rotated horizontally. We could then move the foot location forward or backwards to then test stability when the foot is not in the ideal position. The results were as we thought they would be. The added surface area behind the spindle allowed the concave profile to really shine. The foot confidently had space to connect to the pedal without worry of lack of foot support or needing to be in the perfect location.” Eric Davies (Deity, Owner)
Overthought? Maybe, but Deity does not have any room to make mistakes, to release inferior product, to expect their riders to risk themselves on something they do not think is the best in the business, or to let their customers be the testers. The reason they mention the above process is not to kill you with technical mumbo jumbo, but to show just one small example of the time Deity took to invest their energy as a team into the product development with this pedal. It is easy to say that a pedal is just a pedal, but to feel the difference…you really need to ride a set of the TMACs.
“Why has no one ever made a zero offset pedal?! More surface area, full concave and still thin. Your foot can be anywhere and still have full grip. T Mac and Deity made the greatest pedal ever!” Cameron Zink
“I will be honest, I have never ridden a pedal that feels as good as the TMAC. In fact, everyone who has ridden a set states the same thing whether they ride for us or not. You can feel the love we all put into the project and the functionality of the pedal is a dream for the foot. It has been a group effort and the people involved in the process are not only ourselves and Tyler, but also Cameron Zink, Greg Watts, and countless other key riders.” Eric Davies (Deity, Owner)
“When Eric approached me a few years ago about helping him a design a signature pedal, I was excited because I knew that Deity isn’t like most companies out there. They weren’t just going to stamp my name onto a current pedal design that they already had, paint it with shiny colors, and call it my “signature” pedal. I knew that this meant I would legitimately be able to design my dream pedal. I knew exactly what I wanted too. I wanted a big platform with a deep concave, that holds my feet in place with its shape, rather than with huge pins that pierce into my shoe. A pedal that prevented me from slipping a foot, but at the same time allowed me to reposition a foot quickly in between jumps or rock sections if needed without having to completely lift it up and re-set it.
Since this whole phase of companies trying to make the thinnest pedals possible, I haven’t been able to find a pedal that actually feels like it cups to the natural shape of my foot. We tried a couple different things over the last couple years, and learned a lot from everything that we tried, but ultimately what we found was that we had to open up a new mold to give the actual platform itself a concave shape, rather than just trying to achieve this with unnecessarily long pins on the outside edges like some other companies do.
The fact that Eric was willing to do this and open a new mold for my pedal meant a lot to me, cause being that Deity is a rider-owned company, I knew that this additional cost was coming straight out of their pocket. They’ve never been one to cut corners though, and I think that this pedal is testament to that.
After countless tweaks, changes, and lots of patience from Deity, I’m incredibly proud of this pedal, and I can’t wait for people to get their feet on it!!! It’s my dream pedal, and I hope it’s yours too…” Tyler McCaul
With the largest platform size in the Deity line up, the TMAC pedal features 110mm x 105mm of functional surface area that allow the deep concave profile to feel comfortable underfoot. Featuring 14 pins per side so you can customize your pin locations and set up, the TMAC pedals feature Deity’s new load distribution system that prevents bearing blowouts from side impacts and they even come in a wide range of colors for those clamoring to match up their bike kit.
“Concave pedals may not be for everyone and that is the reason we released the Bladerunner pedals earlier this year. Our goal with the two new designs was to cover both broad spectrums. From super thin to a pedal that boasts the most concave profile in the pedal shape in this industry, there are options for everyone in our line up and if one type of pedal does not suit you or if you are looking for a different price point…we probably have an option that will accommodate your needs. From $50 pedals all of the way to the TMAC, our range has quite the depth.” Sadie Davies (Deity, Co-Owner)
Featuring dual sided wider pins that come pre-applied with Loctite, removing a damaged pin is now easier than ever with the TMAC pedal as you can access the pin from the top or, if it has been damaged, simply back out the mirroring pin on the opposite side and unthread the pin from the backside with an allen key. Each pair even comes with a set of back up pins with pre-applied Loctite for you to keep in your tool box.
There are many flat pedals on the market, some that are convex, some that are concave, but the depth in the TMAC concave profile is rare. Unlike many pedals that simulate this feeling with pin profiles or a subtle concave profile to the body, the pedal shape is the key to a true concave profile and the Deity TMAC pedal boasts a full 2.5mm of concave depth in the machining of the forged pedal body. Able to execute this profile due to the large size of the TMAC pedals, the pedal cradles your foot and sinks the pins into your sole for superior traction that does not hinder you from being able to make micro adjustments to your foot position during a ride.
“I got to ride on some of the updated prototype TMAC pedals back in June. As I am getting older I have noticed a lot of pressure on my Achilles tendon on both of my ankles when riding my DH bike. With these pedals I noticed the platform of the pedal is bigger than others I have; therefore, I’m able to move my foot more forward on the pedal and still be comfortable in my riding position, taking the pressure off my Achilles tendon. So stoked on the pedals. Thanks Tyler and Eric for designing such an awesome pedal!” Mike Redding (Fox Head Marketing Director and Punk Rocker)
CNC machined from Deity’s own forged extrusion, the TMAC goes through a laborious machining process that ends up creating a product that is a work of art. With each pedal hand polished to a mirror shine, the TMAC pedals are an example of the level of work Deity has become known to produce.
“Tyler has been incredible to work with on this project. We take our signature line seriously and it is our way of incorporating our riders into what we are designing, so they can have a voice, experience the product design process, and create a product based around their experiences. Tyler never settles for anything and we love that about him. It made the development of his pedal take time, but we knew that we would do anything to make the pedal perfect and our end goal was to blow him away. Tyler would lend a set of pedals to riders for 24 hours, note their feedback, and get as many impressions as possible from Deity to non-Deity athletes. He was active in the process and we thank him for that.” Eric Davies (Deity, Owner)
Specs:
-The Tyler McCaul Signature Pedal
-Extruded and Machined from Deity molds and 6061 T6 aluminum
-The largest Deity pedal to date
-110mm x 105mm footprint
-Super concave 2.5mm deep pedal profile per side
-14mm thin at the center
-Symmetrical pedal profile for added foot support and stability
-Dual sided pins with pre-applied Loctite
-Includes extra set of back up pins
-Load distribution system to prevent bearing blowout
-Multi micro sealed bearings and Deity DU Bushing internals
-Heat treated Cr-Mo Spindle that is compatible with a standard 15mm wrench or 8mm allen
-Available in 5 high polished ano colors and also white powdercoat
-409 grams
-MSRP of $168.99 USD
“It has been an evolution for us and it is not easy to operate our company via the philosophies and business model that we have. We are patient as a brand, we do not bow to anyone in this industry, we do not have any investors, and we are probably the most underrated component company in this industry. We do not beg for OEM spec, we actually have relationships with our riders, we do not worry about quarterly numbers, we still uphold the values we founded this company on in 2004, and our product line continues to epitomize detail and quality with a customer service reputation that is tough to beat. We have huge plans for the next two years and we expect to make our fans proud of what we have cooking here! This is just the start of our signature line and you can expect to see some projects come to fruition with the likes of Brendan Fairclough and Neko Mullaly as well. Exciting times indeed and we are stoked to have everyone along for the ride!” Eric Davies (Deity, Owner)
