Tenet Components Review

Not many mountain bike companies have received a handwritten letter from Christopher Nolan, and in fact Tenet Components is almost certainly alone in that club. Tenet started manufacturing high end mountain bike components in 2018, and when the Tenet film launched a couple years later with an incredibly similar logo, Christopher Nolan and Tenet's owner, Tyler Deschaine, became temporary pen pals while they sorted it out. Since 2018 Tenet has been designing and manufacturing some of the highest quality components we’ve seen from a new company, with an impressive lineup of pedals, stems, handlebars, and grips. Most companies take years and years to get to the quality Tenet brought to the table right away, and the products have only gotten better in the last six years. I’ve gotten a chance to ride their Occult pedals, so we’ll talk about them as well as the rest of their product lineup.

Every one of Tenet’s products oozes quality, and I’m not just talking about it looking like a nicely put together part. In addition to the amazing looks, Tenet prides themselves on testing their products to a higher standard than many other manufacturers, with both their Occult and Omen pedals passing the coveted EFBE Tri-Test Gravity test. All bike parts need to pass a certain level of safety testing, but the required ISO standard doesn’t test for real world load and fatigue testing, and EFBE offers a more stringent and realistic line of testing that the two pedal options from Tenet passed with flying colors. That definitely gives me the peace of mind I’m looking for in a bike part, especially having snapped a pedal from a different manufacturer before.

Taiwan manufacturing is a staple of the mountain bike industry, and for good reason. With processes that have been developed over decades, there’s no doubt about the quality of work being done overseas, and the Occult is a fantastic pedal that’s been right at home on my downhill bike this summer. The level of grip is fantastic, and offers a more secure foot position than the Burgtec Penthouse MK5s or ANVL Tilt V3s I’ve been riding recently. During our company trip to the promised land a few weeks ago, these pedals had my back through all of Whistler’s toughest tech and biggest jumps. The concavity of the Occults gave me utmost confidence through rough sections, and I couldn’t feel the axle at all while riding, which is a big pet peeve of mine. Thin screws were also new to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed how they penetrated my Five Tens a bit more effectively than a classic grub screw, but the thicker screws are also included in the box if that’s your jam. My coworker Alex was on the Omen pedals, and they had very comparable grip levels to the TMAC pedals the Omens replaced, a high praise for any pedal.

So back to the original question, should you get the very reasonably priced Occult pedals or ball out on the Omens? I can’t answer that question for you, and I think everyone knows instantly whether or not spending the extra cash is worth supporting the US manufacturing. Because the pedals are so similar, and there’s no discernable performance difference between them, it really comes down to whether or not you want pedals that are manufactured right here in the PNW or if your budget is a bit tighter and the Occults are the only option. Either way, you’ll be thrilled with your fresh new pedals, as they offer tons of grip and stability everywhere you take them.

At the ends of those Bodems lives the Icon grips, a slim, soft, and colorful grip that’s a fantastic choice for everyone from park rat to enduro racer to weekend warrior. After trying every grip under the sun, taking notes on what worked, and tirelessly designing the best grip they could, Tenet launched the Icon grip. Coming in five different colors and five different lockring options, mixing and matching is almost limitless. When you wear these grips down, you have the option to just replace the rubber and reuse your lock rings, making for a more affordable and environmentally friendly grip refresh. Inside the rubber, there's a tapered plastic sleeve to keep as much rubber between the bars and your hands as possible. Softer rubber means more comfort, and the Extra Soft Shore 20A Rubber used in the Icons is as soft as it gets and great for gloved or gloveless riders alike. If you're a fan of thick grips, you might want to look elsewhere, as the Icon grips have a 31mm diameter, which puts them in the 'slimmer than most' camp.

Matchy matchy

Last but not least is the Nora V2.5 Stem. Just like the Omen pedals, the Nora stem is manufactured right here in Washington state out of North American 6061-T6 aluminum, and just like the Bodem handlebars, they only come in a 35mm clamp size. With beautiful machine work and very tasteful colors, this is a nicely stylized centerpiece for any rider out there. What’s most interesting to me about the Nora stem is the slightly atypical lengths it’s offered in: 32mm, 37mm, and 42mm. Their longer two options line up closely with common single crown fork offsets, and I’ve found that matching your stem length to your fork offset makes for the most balanced steering feeling, with quick inputs that offer a natural and controlled front end.

All of this is to say Tenet has quickly become a favorite of ours around the shop, with components clearly designed by riders, for riders, with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Also it’s pretty sweet that Tyler’s headquarters is right down the street, making this the most ‘local to us’ bike company out there. Tyler is a passionate person, and he talks about every step of the manufacturing and design process like he’s talking about his child, and that’s the only way you get to products of this quality this quickly in this space.

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