Need new pedals

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mdp0430

Guest
Hey everyone,

Well the bearings went on the platform pedals that came with my trek 6700. They took a nice hit at Chimney Rock. I'm a little nervous about going fully clipless and was thinking about one of those hybrid pedals like the Crank Brothers Mallets. I'd like to be able to ride around town and then put on the special shoes for the serious stuff.

Anyone have any input regarding the Crank Brothers Mallets or any other ideas? Also, I'm not really sure how this clipless mechanism works. I assume I buy the Mallets and they come with the piece that I screw into the MTB shoes, right? Is all this stuff compatible or can I only use a certain type of shoe with a certain type of clipless pedal?

Thanks for all your help!
 

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
I love my TIME pedals. I used to ride SPD, but I guess I had a cheapo version (I don't remember the brand) that I ended up breaking them twice. I switched to TIME and I never looked back. TIME has different versions, the Aluminum being the cheapest ones. They also have a wide platform pedal meant for DH or FR, I guess you can use that on your bike and don't worry about wearing your bike specific shoes.

I believe all pedals come with their specific clips, at least that is my experience. The shoes are pretty much all standard, they have the hole in the sole where you attach the clips. I don't spend much on shoes, I usually buy the ones on sale.

And don't worry, we all went through that, I say 2 or 3 rides and it will feel natural. You might want to practice on grass or on a soft surface first. But I guess you should be ready for a couple of "rough falls" at the beginning :)
 
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Spylab

New Member
My best friend rocks mallets on his XC bike and he absolutely loves them. Crank Bros makes incredibly well built products, can't say enough good things about them
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i've had bad luck with the durability of the crank bros products. i agree with elzoller about the time pedals. very durable, and you will be much less likely to accidentally unclip through technical stuff or on the upstroke.

all new pedals come with the cleats they need. all clipless compatible mtb shoes will work with all mtb clipless pedals from within the last several years.

you will fall over at leasst a couple of times when you come to a stop on the trail. be ready for it, and laugh it off, because it's funny and happens to everyone.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
that said, not everyone rides clipless. you can get really good platform pedals with sealed bearings that will be virtually indestructible.
 

ytc100

New Member
I have had bad luck with my crank bros. candy pedals in technical terrain. I have broken the composite body more than once by smacking rocks. However, crank bros. has fixed them for free each time it happened no questions asked.

The eggbeaters on the other hand have proved to be way more durable. No probs yet but I have heard of people breaking one the "beater wings" off by hitting rocks hard enough.
 

Space Heater

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
I agree that Time is a good choice. I ride them on all my mtb bikes. I believe the platform version is called the Z pedal. It is very burly and made of aluminum.
 

Judge Smails

New Member
I second the Eggbeaters - although they aren't without their problems. The cleat is brass and will wear down in about a year or so, the result is that the tension keeping you clipped in will diminish (which may or may not be a problem for you). It will eventually get to a point where you need to replace the cleat. However, it's not enough of an issue to get me to switch to another brand. Also, as mentioned, the thing that keeps me using them is Crank Brother's great service.

If I were just starting on clipless I'd look into a cheap pair of SPD's (Shimano) - the reasons are that you can get a relatively cheap pair to see if you really want to go clipless, and there is the tension adjuster to tighten or loosen the tension keeping you clipped in.

I should mention that I also have heard great things about the Time's.
 
D

DANSPANK

Guest
I have Candy Cs and SLs on my mountain bikes and egg beaters on my road bike - I love them all and would highly recomend them.

They probably don't offer the ultimate in secure clip-in but then I'm happier knowing that they're easier to clip out of.

Crank Bros have the "Smarty" which is a $40 platform/eggbeater combo. It will likely wear out a little more quickly but would be a good intro predal.

Being clipped-in makes me feel more secure on downhills and I feel I have more umph for the uphills - do it!
 
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mdp0430

Guest
Thank you for all your replies! The thing is, having an outer cage is an absolute must for me. Therefore, things like the Eggbeaters are ruled out. I ride my bike around town, mostly in flip flops, so I can't use a 100% clipless pedal that doesn't have an additional contact area... That's why I was thinking of the CB Mallets. Is there any else similar out there?

Thanks again
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
time atac z

D_240%20TIMZP2.jpg
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
I have Time atac Z pedals and love em. The only downside is they are kind of heavy, if you're a gram counter.
 

Mk1Racer

New Member
Hey everyone,

Well the bearings went on the platform pedals that came with my trek 6700. They took a nice hit at Chimney Rock. I'm a little nervous about going fully clipless and was thinking about one of those hybrid pedals like the Crank Brothers Mallets. I'd like to be able to ride around town and then put on the special shoes for the serious stuff.

Anyone have any input regarding the Crank Brothers Mallets or any other ideas? Also, I'm not really sure how this clipless mechanism works. I assume I buy the Mallets and they come with the piece that I screw into the MTB shoes, right? Is all this stuff compatible or can I only use a certain type of shoe with a certain type of clipless pedal?

Thanks for all your help!

I bought Mallets for this very reason. I wanted something that I could just jump on and ride w/o needing cleats, but could use cleats if I wanted to. I've been happy w/ them. That all being said, I haven't put a ton of time on them, and I'm not a very technical or hard rider. I've also been spending way more time on my new road bike. The seem like a very could compromise pedal, which is what it sounds like you're after.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
my 2 cents

I am running shimano spd's on both my mtbs. I really like them, I wouldnt say i love them only bc i have not tried anything else to compare it to. But they do the job and do it well. If i were to make a change it would be to the Time pedals.

Learning how to escape from the pedals is very much entertaining. A bit painful at times. But you can do it.
 
M

mdp0430

Guest
Do you guys feel that those Time Atac Z pedals (mentioned and posted above) offer enough of a platform to use with regular shoes around town? They look nice, and provided the platform is large enough, I may start surfing the net for a sale...

Thanks guys!
 

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
They work for me. I put them on my SS when I pull my kid on the trailer around the park and I use regular shoes.
 
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