TENET OCCULT V2 FLAT PEDAL REVIEW

The New Flat Pedal King?

Words & Photos by Cole Gregg

Back in April, I received Tenet’s Occult V2 flat pedal to give a solid bashing during the prime time of riding here in the Inland Northwest. We did a First Ride Report which you can find here, but have continued to hammer on them since then to see how their durability and performance stacks up over the long haul. Now it’s time to share our final word on the second version of the Occult flat pedal by the Bellingham-based brand. 

THE LAB

I will keep this short and sweet as we did a long breakdown of the key differences and facts in the First Ride Report. Following the release of the original Occult pedal, Tenet identified areas in which it could be improved by making small tweaks here and there, primarily inside the pedal. The bodies are extruded and CNC’ed from 6061-T6 aluminum, with a 110x105mm platform with 2mm dual concavity and 14mm center thickness. These bodies spin around a heat-treated cromoly spindle with 3 sealed ball bearings and an IGUS bushing. Each side of the pedal features 10 pins, which can be either a threaded thru-pin or grub screw design since Tenet supplies both options in the box. 

In the USA, customers are given one free Pedal Refresh as part of the purchase, where Tenet will replace the bearings and bushings and send the pedals back to the customer free of charge. The Tenet Occult V2 pedals are certified to the EFBE Tri-Test Cat 5 for gravity riding, come with lifetime crash replacement discount, and tip the scales at 418g per pair. There are a choice of three colors (Onyx, Silver or Umber) which retail for $115.

THE DIRT

As I mentioned in the First Ride Report, I often can tell within the first few sections of the trail if the pedal is a winner or not. Well, my spidey sense suggested these were going to be a solid option, and they did not disappoint over the long haul. The Tenet Occult V2 instilled a sense of confidence that we all strive for in a flat pedal. They offer plenty of grip, with just the right amount of float to adjust your foot’s position. The narrow pin profile was a perfect match for the Ride Concepts Hellions that I typically ride in. While the Ride Concepts rubber is typically firmer than that of Five Ten’s Stealth Rubber-equipped offerings, the smaller pins made up for that and dug in deep. I was a touch worried there would be excessive wear on the shoes due to that narrow pin, but that didn’t prove to be the case. I would say it sustained no wear outside the norm. If you are looking for more float you can choose to use the included grub screws over the pins, but I didn’t try these, as the factory setup with the pins worked so dang well. 

Generally, in situations where your foot comes off the pedal and is more biased to your heel or toes, there is a constant worry that you will completely slip a foot. In these situations I could trust the pins on the Tenet pedals and hammer on as usual until there was a safer option to adjust my foot position. The dual concavity provided a great underfoot feel that I believe helped me better scoop the pedals and lift the rear end on technical climbs, a skill for which I can use all the help I can get. Similarly the feet sit into the pedal enough that they’re less likely to slide off the pedal when it goes light at the top of the pedal stroke.

One of the few negatives I could find about the Occult V2, is that the anodizing did show some fading, especially on the center portion of the pedal where the spindle is. Of course, this has no effect on the performance of the pedals, but if you are into your bike looking factory fresh every time you hit the trails, this could be an issue.

The narrower pins that feel oh-so-good under your feet are prone to bending when slamming the pedals on rocks. I bent 4 of these over the course of testing. Using a pair of pliers I straightened them out with no issues. Sure, after a few times of bending back and forth, they are going to snap, but replacing them is a breeze. I still have only replaced 1 pin, and that was from my first ride on an eMTB doing a solid technical climb. Since then I have yet to replace any pins, or do any maintenance on either pedal for that matter – they haven’t called for it yet. When shooting photos of the pedals for this review I did pull the spindle out to check if there was any excessive dirt inside. It was no surprise to find this pristine, in the same condition it left the factory in. For full disclosure, we did have a relatively dry spring that did not offer us much wet riding, but there were a few wet ones that would have left lesser-sealed pedals looking grimey inside. 

While pedal bite is nothing to really judge from, what I can say is my shins stayed impact free the entire time. This is a testament to the locked-in effect of the pedals, helping to keep my feet firmly in place. For me, pedal bites usually occur when my foot shifts slightly forward or back on the pedal and the inevitable slip of the foot leaves my leg in danger. However, the narrower pin profile than many on the Tenet Occult V2 kept me locked in just long enough to readjust and continue riding. Having that sense of security no doubt allowed me to push harder into rough sections with little worry about keeping my feet glued to the bike. 

The Wolf’s Last Word

For me, the Tenet Occult V2 pedals out-party my longtime go-to – the Deity TMAC. Lighter, narrower, and more concavity all add up to a super reliable pedal that melts into the background. Pair that with the narrow pin profile, two-year warranty, and 1-year pedal refresh program all for $115, these are going to be a hard one to beat.

Price: $115.00
Colors: Silver, Onyx & Umber
Website: Ridetenet.com