The Syncros Crux pedals are intended for downhill, freeride, 4x, trials, BMX racing, and dirt jump applications. If you’re into any of that stuff and are looking for a pedal with unparalleled grip, look no further.

Syncros uses a high quality, 6061 aluminum alloy for the pedal body. The result is a pedal that’s lightweight and stronger than it needs to be. Because this pedal is competition oriented, it is lighter than Syncros steel pedals but does not come with the same lifetime warranty. The concave shape produces maximum foot/pedal contact and the specially designed replaceable pins provide more grip than any other pedal I’ve tested.

The Crux pedals feature an axle made of SNCM CroMoly, the hardest axle material available. Four bearings per pedal will keep it spinning smooth and free of play for a long time. And if the bearings ever do wear out, you can easily rebuild the pedal with parts available at your local shop. At $183.95 MSRP, these pedals costs $40+ more than the competition but at just 428 grams they’re 90-110 grams lighter than similarly priced pedals. Oh yeah and the graphics look great, especially when paired with the matching FR 31 bars. The Crux pedal is available in black & grey grunge, white & grey grunge, and white & purple grunge.

The Ride

Initially I was a bit skeptical about the size of these pedals since I’m used to riding a bigger platform. But after just a few minutes my concerns disappeared. The slightly smaller platform means all the pins dig into your shoes, minimizing slippage.

Whether you ride with a skate shoe or 5.10’s, these pedals offer plenty of grip. The unique pin design bites into your shoes so once your foot is on the pedal it won’t slip off. These pins will take a chunk out of your shin if you do slip a pedal so Syncros highly recommends wearing leg armor while using the Crux. When paired with 5.10’s, the Crux provides so much grip it feels like you’re clipped in. This makes the Crux pedal ideal for terrain where your foot would normally slip around such as technical DH, Freeride, dirt jumps, and skatepark riding.

All this extra grip gives you instant confidence. Within minutes I was jumping higher, riding faster and pulling better moto whips than usual. This confidence extends into all riding situations be it rock gardens, corners, jumps, steeps or skinnies. The Crux pedals don’t spin during foot tricks like no footers thanks to the tight bearing tolerances – a nice touch for sure. I even got some props from other riders at Joyride 150, my local bike park, on the look of these pedals and how well they matched the FR 31 bars.

The Verdict

After over a month of pounding these pedals hard they are still good as new. The Syncros Crux pedals should continue to perform flawlessly for months to come, given the impressive materials Syncros builds these pedals with. These are the best pedals I have used to date and I highly recommend them for their intended use.

Similar Products Tested

- 1664 Beaver Traps
- Axiom Roadgap
- Easton Flatboy DH
- GT Flats
- Mosh Flats
- Truvative Holtzfeller
- Truvative Hussefelt
- Wellego Flats

Thanks to Syncros for supplying the Crux pedals for testing.

About Syncros

Syncros started operating out of a Vancouver bike shop in the 1980’s, producing parts that could withstand the pounding dished out by riders on the nearby North Shore Mountains. Syncros was bought by Ritchey in 2003 and today produces high-end components built tough enough to withstand the most difficult trails while maintaining competitive weights and prices.

Today’s fastest MTB racers are choosing increasingly wider handlebars in an effort to improve leverage and control. Gravity racers are also demanding low rise or flat bars which allow the rider to get into a low, powerful position. Syncros understands this and offers the FR 31 bar for extreme riders looking for maximum width and minimum rise.

If you look around the pits at a DH race, you’ll find that most racers run bars 710-785mm wide with 0-1” of rise. These days most DH race bikes are equipped with either the Chromag Fubar OSX, Raceface Atlas, Sunline V1 or Truvative BooBar handlebars bolted to the front end. Syncros aims take some market share from these 4 companies with the FR 31 handlebar. At 315 grams these bars are around 10% heavier than the competition but at just $66.95 MSRP, the FR 31 is $20-50 less expensive than the others.

Looking at the bars, the first thing that strikes you is the width. At 790mm (31 inches), this is the widest bar on the market which translates into unparalleled leverage and control. Every rider I talk to who has switched to wide bars likes the extra control and refuses to go back to narrower bars. Of course if you just can’t get used to that much leverage or if you regularly ride trails with really closely spaced trees, you can always cut the bars to size.

The Ride

There’s a reason why all the top racers are running wide bars like these. It took me about an hour of ride time to get used to the FR 31 bars but after that I was launching jumps higher, pinning corners faster, pumping rollers better, pedaling harder, and rolling through rough terrain more easily.

No matter the terrain, your bike will feel more stable with these ultra wide bars. The width, rise, and sweep combine to put your hands in an ideal riding position which allows you to exert more power on the bars. In particular, the low rise puts you into a streamlined, race-ready position. I tested in black/grunge black bar, which drew some compliments, especially when paired with the matching Crux pedals.

The Verdict

The Syncros FR 31 bars are a perfect choice if you are a new school rider looking for more control overall and I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Similar Products Tested:

- Sunline V1
- Truvative Team DH/XC
- Truvative Holzfeller
- Truvative Hussefelt
- 2007 Raceface DH

Thanks to Syncros for supplying the FR 31 bar for testing

About Syncros

Syncros started operating out of a Vancouver bike shop in the 1980’s, producing parts that could withstand the pounding dished out by riders on the nearby North Shore Mountains. Syncros was bought by Ritchey in 2003 and today produces high end components built tough enough to withstand the most difficult trails while maintaining competitive weights and prices.