Blue Collar Summary:
Mike: The Crank Brothers Candy C pedals are the perfect pedals for a beginner to expert rider. With the egg beater technology and the added platform the beginner can have a few extra strokes before he clips in and if you need to take your bike down the block to uncle Joe�s house you don�t have to change your shoes. The Candy�s are well built and have lasted the us for almost a year now. They have been through many falls, bike changes, and normal transportation wear and tear. The Candy�s retail for $90 and they are worth every penny of it.

Tim: This is a great all-around pedal for the money�great in muddy southeast conditions and ease of use for the beginner clipless rider. And although they don’t perform as well in letting go of my foot, you still aren’t going to find a much better beginner pedal at the $90 retail price.

Disclaimer:
There is no money involved, so this is a completely unbiased review. The review was conducted over a period of three months with each rider.

My background:
Mike: I am 6?, 230 lbs. I for the most part only ride singletrack, cross country trails ranging from easy to fairly technical.

Tim: I am 5?11?, 190 lbs. My riding has been almost exclusively cross country and consistently ranges from moderate to very challenging and technical rides.

Testing Grounds:
The Crank Brothers Candy C pedals have been tested on local trails that range from easy to expert. The main trail that we ride is Peaks View Park that contains a lot of short steep climbs and fast singletrack. We also use the pedals at Black Water Creek trail which has miles of paved walking and bike paths and a lot of short easy singletrack. Our favorite rides so far have been up on Candlers Mountain. The trails are steep and fast at some points and littered with fallen trees which makes for a fun technical ride.

Some of the specs:
� weight 308g per pair
� body fiber composite
� wings formed s45c carbon steel
� spring 300 series stainless
� release angle 15? or 20?
� max rider wgt no restriction
� warranty 2 years

Performance and Observations:
Mike: I�ve been riding with the Crank Brothers Candy C pedals for about three months now and I love them. I had previously been riding with some Shimano M505 pedals that came with our Gary Fisher X-Caliber. The Candy C�s are a great upgrade from the Shimano pedals. The main problem that I had with the Shimano pedals is that they would get clogged all the time, not the Candy�s. I have not once had a problem clipping in to the pedal because of mud. In Virginia the red clay mud that we have is nasty when it gets in pedals but the Candy�s shed the mud really well and make it nice and easy to clip in.

The Candy�s are also a great pedal for the person who is just getting into clipless pedals. The platform on the shoe gives you a little �cheating� room if you don�t get clipped in right away. The ease of clipping in is another great feature of the pedal. I actually have to double check to make sure I have clipped in because sometimes you don�t feel it or hear it, it just happens.

The Candy�s are very durable. They were reviewed by Tim for six months before I got them and they have survived three more months with me. They don�t show any sign of wearing out or falling apart. They have been through countless crashes, bike switches, and normal transportation wear and tear and are still going strong.

As far as a weakness with the pedals, I haven�t really found one yet. I have enjoyed these pedals immensely. Tim did experience some problems not unclipping during crashes but I have yet to experience anything like that. They are a little on the heavy side, but for a beginner on clipless pedals weight won�t be the huge problem at first.

Tim: When I am riding a set of pedals, there are several things I am looking for. First and foremost is the ease of clipping in and out. On top of that, being from the wet and rainy portion of the southeast, I need a pedal that will throw mud well and not clog up. Also, they need to be able to take a beating. I ride hard and crash harder and need a set of pedals that will stand the test of time. And, of course, I always want the parts on my bike to look good.

The Crank Brothers Egg Beater pedals are known for their ease of clipping-in due to their four-sided entry. The Candy C pedals have an added platform that hinders the ease of clipping-in that the Egg Beaters provide, but allows a beginner to keep pedaling when unable to engage. So for the rider who is just starting out with clipless pedals, or likes to ride particularly technical parts of the trail unclipped, the Candy pedals provide the option of riding while disengaged from the pedal.

The one place these pedals don’t perform as well is in crashes. Nine out of 10 times they clip out just as expected, but that one time comes along and I am sliding back down an incline dragging the bike behind me by my foot. At first, I chalked this up to getting used to clipping out, but now it�s going on three months and I still seem to have the same problem. Maybe this is because I am lazy or just brain-dead when it comes to getting my foot out, but I’m writing the review, so bug off.

Crank Brother’s design is known for their ability to work in mud, and I have to agree. I have ridden in some sloppy conditions with these pedals, and they consistently work well. At one point, I had to duck a tree and drag my bike behind me through some mud. I dragged the pedal through thick mud where it went through the middle of the pedal. For the next mile or so, I paid pretty close attention to how well I stayed clipped in, and performance was great. Aside from coming equipped with a little gnome to run out and clean them off for you, I can’t imagine a pedal performing better in muddy conditions.

As far as taking a beating, they have held up fine for me. After taking several spills and smacking them into a few trees, they still hold together just fine. I have heard from other people that the platform can crack, but after three months of riding and a close inspection, I haven�t found any problems at all.

Strengths:
� Pedals do not clog
� Very easy to clip into
� Platform for those times when you only have a short errand to run

Weaknesses:
� A little on the heavy side

Buy the Candy C’s at JensonUSA