The Wolf Tooth Waveform is the only pedal in the range but carries all of the brand's hallmark features - those being a ridiculously luxurious build quality, user serviceability, parts availability and a forward-thinking design. But with so many quality options dominating the best MTB flat pedal segment, does the Wolf Tooth Waveform pedal bring anything new to the party?
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Wolf Tooth Waveform flat pedal - Technical details
Wolf Tooth’s Waveform pedal is built with a CNC-machined aluminium body that’s designed to cope with the demands of all kinds of off-road disciplines ranging from downhill to cross-country mountain biking.
Featuring 11 stainless steel pins, the pedal’s body features a dual-concave design and, while that’s nothing new, the concave area is machined into the aluminium, rather than simply relying on different pin heights to achieve the shape (as seen on pedals such as the DMR Vault for example). As such, the Waveform measures 14mm in thickness around the edge of the pedal, which shrinks to 12.5mm at the centre. The front and rear edges of the body are fairly heavily tapered to help deflect pedal strikes.
> Buy now: Wolf Tooth Waveform flat pedal from Tredz for £195
The pedal’s 4.5mm pins are rear-loaded, ensuring access should you mangle them and there are six extra pins in the box. It's proportionally scaled with two choices of platform size to suit a range of foot sizes and the body is shaped to match the footprint of a shoe.
As for the internals, there are three bespoke low-friction sealed cartridge bearings and a single IGUS bushing with a custom radial seal to keep muck out. The pedal rotates around a 304 stainless steel axle.
Wolf Tooth says that the Waveform is 100% user serviceable and there are replacement parts available through the brand’s ‘Right to Repair’ Scheme with videos showing you exactly how to get the job done. There’s also a five-year warranty in case there are any defects in the materials used or the workmanship.
The size large Waveform pedal pictured here weighed 389g which is 11g lighter than Wolf Tooth’s claimed 400g figure. It also makes them lighter than many of their rivals. The platform itself measures 112mm by 106mm
Wolf Tooth Waveform flat pedal - Performance
Once threaded onto my bike, one thing was strikingly clear: the sheer quality of the pedal. The CNC machining is precise and Wolf Tooth has created a truly beautiful bit of kit here. What’s also visibly obvious is that the pedal uses shorter axles which narrows the Q-factor slightly. So if you’re a rider who rides with their feet wider apart naturally, this may not be the pedal for you.
I’m a big fan of the Waveform’s concave. Because each pin is the same length but there’s a couple of millimetres difference between the outer and the centre, the foot feels more ‘in’ the pedal. This then results in a huge level of support and when riding any kind of terrain, dry or wet, I’ve not had to think about my foot’s positioning at all.
I struggled to find fault with the proportions of the large pedal, particularly when referencing my (UK 9.5) EU44-sized feet. A slightly wider Q-factor would help me place my feet more centrally over the pedal but this is only a minor gripe.
I say minor because the grip and support that the Waveform offers are plentiful enough to negate this. Having ridden this pedal with the Giro Latch, Five Ten Trailcross GTX and Leatt HydraDri 7.0 flat, the grip has remained consistent across the range of shoes. The pedal’s concave encourages the pins to dig deep into the shoe’s rubber and I’ve never found myself searching for grip mid-descent.
It’s taken a fair few knocks, too, and shows only little sign of having done so. Yes, there are a few scratches and minute patches where the orange anodising has worn but the Waveform will clearly stand up to a tonne of abuse. Even after a few solid months of riding, the internals are as good as the day the pedal was pulled from its box (Wolf Tooth also offers superb aftersales service support should you need it).
Wolf Tooth Waveform flat pedal - Verdict
When it comes to value, it’s a very tricky one because, at £195, the Wolf tooth Waveform makes for one hell of an investment. It does come with the build quality expected of a pedal of that price but there are many others that are cheaper and offer a similar level of performance and serviceability. That said, there is a five-year limited warranty for what it's worth.
A great example of a more affordable yet just-as-capable option is Tyler McCaul’s signature Deity TMAC pedal. It gets an even deeper 2.5mm concave profile and a super large pedal body. Our tester liked it for its build quality, support and grip. Though it spins on a Chromoly spindle, its construction isn’t quite as high end and it is a bit weightier. It’ll set you back £140.
For the very £195 price tag, there’s the PINND CS2 and I must say, the two are chalk and cheese in terms of performance. The Waveform trumps the CS2 thanks to its wider but slimmer body, its build quality and its combination of grip and support. However, if it’s high-end materials you’re after, the CS2 gets a titanium axle.
Turning things up a notch, there's the DMR Vault Mag Superlight which gets an even higher level build, featuring a magnesium body and titanium axle. These materials make it lighter at a claimed 332g. It'll set you back £215.
If you’ve got a couple of hundred pounds to burn and want a mid- to high-end premium pedal you won't be disappointed with the Wolf Tooth Waveform. It’s built beautifully and it offers the performance expected of its price. It’s a flawless pedal but £195 is a huge investment when you can find similar performance for much less… Though you won’t get the same quality or support offered by Wolf Tooth.