What’s a good set of pedals?
July 19th, 2007 by Tim GrahlWhen I finished building the Bombproof bike I chose the Crank Brothers Candy C as my pedals. My reasons centered around them being inexpensive, easy to use and clear mud like a champ (which is very important here on the sloppy east coast).
I took a decent amount of flak for my decision in the comments of the bombproof post…
DT: Speaking as a Candy pedal user, they are definitely NOT bombproof. I’m not even in the Clydesdale category and I’ve gone through my fair share of sets. Granted Crank Bros. has great customer service, but that really doesn’t help when you’re actually out on the trail.
Sue: I’ve also heard many tales of the vulnerability of those pedals - it pretty much shot the credibility of the project as far as I’m concerned… I break things.
I have also broken a set of Candys, however I’m wondering what set of pedals are a better fit. They’ve gotta be inexpensive and clear the mud.
What are your suggestions?
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Shimano SPD M-520s have worked great for me. Adequate at clearing mud, tough, still spinning fine after a couple years. Not too pricey, either.
I’ve got candy on several of my bikes, work great, no issues.
One word…TIME. You can’t go wrong with Time pedals. They clear mud very well. I have them on 2 bikes. I bought one pair new and they are great, I have never had any trouble from them. I bought another pair for a cheap SS I was building. I bought these used from ebay. They arrived VERY used, but, spin extremely well and hold the cleats on my shoes like a champ. I think you can pick a pair of the aluminum Time pedals at a decent price.
My bike had Candy on it when I bought it, but I really didn’t like them so I swapped ‘em for the Mallets I had been using on my old bike. I run Candy on my road bike, though, so I can use the same cleats. They work much better on the road than the trail.
I have a pair of egg beaters that are like 10 years old and I still have them on my daily commuter. I have never replaced the brearings and they still spin true. I also have a pair on my mountain bike +5 years. I recently converted my wife’s bikes and she is doing a lot better than on her old spd pedals.
My 2 cents
Time ATAC Alium. The cheap ones. Very bombproof. I have 3 pair, one that I finally wore out by deforming the axle that holds the springs, but it bent gradually so it never killed a ride. I was able to fix it by replacing the axles. Now I maintain them a little more carefully, but I expect them to last forever.
Time Zs? Heavy, but they’ve got a big sturdy platform and they’re good with mud. Cheap, too.
Time ATACs. Used them for years. I ride at least three times per week and am still using the previous generation ATACs because they won’t wear out or break. Easy in and out. Not quite as secure as SPDs (which is why I got them). Only complaint is that the cleats seem soft and wear out rather quickly. And about $20 for replacements. Ouch! I did buy a couple of plastic covers that broke several years ago. Don’t seem to break them now. Except for the covers, no other maintenance.
Shimano SPD - inexpensive and get the job done even when muddy. Live in SE and deal with clay with nary an issue.
SPD Pedals - probably guaranteed to work after a nuclear apocalypse. And you’ll be able to find cleats.
Not great pedals by any stretch (and no points for creativity), but it doesn’t get any cheaper. And they work. Forever. What could be more blue collar than that?”
Time ATAC Alums. They have a great positive click, hold well, clear mud and sand well, last for ever (I have one pair that’s lasted faithfully through 8 years of riding. I love them so much that I got a new pair with my new Giant. They have a nice, stable pedal platform, so they ride great even if you’re not clipped in, and here in South Florida, they deal great with our sand that clogs everything.
I have Candys and, until recently, Acid 2s… both of which were used primarily for commuting. I wasn’t thrilled with the Candys after a year, so I took advantage of a good offer and went with the Acid 2s.
Unfortunately, the Acid 2s fell far short of expectations when the “carbon” inserts dropped off somewhere along the way; no crashes, no reason at all beyond daily use on a flat commute.
I emailed CB and they sent out a replacement insert. Got it a week later and installed it (two plastic pieces pushed together around the frame of the pedal). It felt very loose on the pedal, so I took the pieces apart (very easy to do) and applied some super glue.
Two weeks later I looked down to find that the pieces had dropped off again. I fired off another email to CB; their response was to invite me to pay to ship back the defective pair so they could check ‘em out and then they’d send me a replacement pair. I don’t plan on using what they send back.
I went back to the Candys and found that I was still frustrated with ‘em… primarily because they’re overpacked with grease, making it difficult to spin the “wings” to clip in. With a number of their new products going the fashion route (ooooh, a pretty bb! customizable pedals!), I’m less inclined to believe their stuff is worthwhile. Daily use has confirmed that for me.
I’m picking up a pair of Time ATACs and hoping for a better success rate.
Eggbeaters all the way.
I run Crank Bros pedals on all of my bikes, and have for a few years now. No problems - no broken wings, no bodys ejected from the spindle, no bearing issues even if they are getting a bit worn now. I’ve done countless mountain races on these, and thousands of miles of road riding… The only quirk I’ve found with these pedals is the tendency for them to eject your cleat from the pedal if you smash the pedal hard, and just-so, on a rock. Rare problem, even during my few days of fixed mountain racing.
I love my Eggbeater pedals.
Shimano M520’s have treated me well. Mud clearance is decent and i picked mine up for 25$, which isn’t an uncommon price to pay for them.
Primo super tenderizers. Sealed bmx pedals that are great for the money and last a life time look good enough to put on any ride and you never have to worry about clips or shoes. Bottom line they are built to last BMX jumping pedals and this is the bombproof bike right?
one more vote for ATAC Aliums have many many miles on these
I have 8 years positive experience on Time ATACs. The bearings always spun well, and I never maintained them in any way. The pedals shed mud and are very easy to step into even if muddy. Entry is any way you want - you don’t need to worry about toe’ing in first like on SPD. Toe first, heel first, stomp straight down without thinking - it all works. The current Aliums seem heavier than the ones I bought in 1998, so perhaps they’re even more durable and hopefully still use a real bearing (not bushing).
I recently switched to Crank Candies so that I could use the same shoe/cleat for MTB and road (where I use Quattros). It’s OK for pavement commuting on the MTB but I regret leaving Time when I’m offroad. And I wonder how long the plastic bushings will last on the Candies…
I’m no fan of Shimano, but +1 for the good old 520’s… Mine have kicked around several bikes, look like hell from bashing into things, and are still going strong for me: a 250+ lb. rigid/singlespeed rider. I am riding the original cleats that have seen a LOT of walking on rocks/alpine stuff. No issues jamming up with mud or dirt, although in bad conditions I always kick some mud loose. These are those kind of pedals: You can kick ‘em and they don’t mind.
Another vote for Time ATAC’s. I can’t give any review about their mud shedding qualities, as I don’t ride in the mud much. But these pedals are great in any other condition. And they just don’t seem to be as finicky as the shimano pedals. I bought a used set of the composite style off ebay with cleats for like 50.00. They are working great!!!
I will be riding Time ATAC’s from now until I quite riding bikes. And from what I hear, the newer styled ATAC’s are better than the old composite types that I am using.
Oops, my fingers are faster than my eyes when typing. That was supposed to read. “I will be riding Time ATAC’s from now until I quit riding bikes.”
Peace out
What about platform pedals — it doesn’t get more bombproof, and it’s certainly blue collar cheap.
Definitely Time ATAC Aliums. Mine have been battered by tree stumps more times than I care to admit over the last year, and they still work flawlessly. They also shed mud like a champ. Picked up mine for about $40. If they ever wear out, I’ll be buying another pair pronto.
I have Crank Brothers Smarties on my mt. bike. I ride with people that have SPDs and TIMEs and I think it all comes down to preference. I personally think that my smarties are pretty bombproof and are incredible at clearing mud and debris. I’ve whacked them on rocks, ridden through rivers, and have had my share of crashes and the mechanism keeps on working.
Just strip the plastic away and go with the egg beaters.
I’ve run them for years at this point without any issues.
Shimano 540 or better. Might not be a fancy name or give you that streetcredit - but they work, they can take serious abuse, they work, they are easy to maintain, they work, they last - they have never failed me.
WTB Momentums, with clips and straps.