To SPD or not SPD, that is the question....

[JeRkY]

To be honest Nick, after using Crank Brothers, Time and Shimano Pedals over the last few years, I would always go for the Shimano. I find them easier to click into/out of & easy to tune.

I actually dislike crankbrothers pedals. I have a set of eggbeaters that I find difficult to locate on, and for the odd occaision where I want to unclip but still keep contact with the pedal I find them seriously difficult to place my foot on.

I have also had a set of candys which were easier to engage with. They came as OEM equip on my shop purchased epic (200 the bearings lasted less than 10 rides...probably under 200 miles before they felt distinctly knackered.

If you have bad knees, I think I have seen a lot of comment from people who find the Time pedals/cleats a lot more comfortable to use.

Rob

 

[stewlewis]

i guess someone forgot to tell sam hill he would be quicker on spuds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sScD-lCYC_4

He would've been quicker if gravity wasn't doing most of the pedaling. Downhill sliding foot out action is a different thing altogether.

I couldn't go back from my SPDs, yeah I've toppled of when stationary and looked like a right tit, and I've forward rolled over the bars when hitting a stump (Stumpjumper my arse, it never even hopped) but I didn't clout my teeth on the bars or my plums on the headset.

I certainly don't miss adding more dents to my shins after slipping off BMX flats.

 

[JeRkY]

I certainly don't miss adding more dents to my shins after slipping off BMX flats.

Good point, another reason I dislike the candy's. I have a scar on the back of my heal from where I missed a clip in. I hadnt thought the pedal was capable of making such a large dripping mess of the back of my foot.

I stopped off on the way home at sainsburys to buy something to patch it up with, I left a trail of blood around the place

I have not yet had one occaision where a Shimano product has tried to amputate a limb.

 

[Neil]

Sorry to bring this back from the dead but saves me putting up a new thread. I am doing my best to get used to clipless pedals but am struggling. As a teen I thought of myself as a pretty advanced MTBer but was at home with toeclips, This was the early 90's so forgive me.

Fast forward to this year and with the D-Jab came a set of Crank Brothers Egg Beater clipless pedals. I rode to work & back on these for 3 weeks solid and using both normal and premium cleats, I just couldn't get on with them. Nowhere near as easy to get in to as I expected, the left feels noticably looser than the right which bothered me and just seemed to be a lot more hassle.

Had a 6 month cyclng break due to injury and fitted some toeclips to the D-Jab for the long distance road rides I started doing. Like meeting up with a long lost friend. Got the Raven and stuck the Egg Beaters on there. Went out yesterday on the Raven in the cold/snow and fell over 4 times if memory serves. Once in a hidden freezing bog lol and twice in uphill snow covered sandy tracks. On these 3 occasions I just couldn't disengage in time 1 occasion I rode over a big frozen puddle for a laugh, cracked through the ice abruptly as half expected and found that both shoes disengaged forwards out of the pedals!

Anyway, I want to believe that clipless are the way to go but the Egg Beaters are putting off clipless for life! Are SPD's that much better???? Thinking about getting some platform-style clipless but if Egg Beaters are as good as it gets then forget that!

Advice appreciated.

Cheers,


Nick .

I'd say if you've tried SPDs and can't get along with them, but feel at home with toe clips, you've already got your answer.

Sure SPDs are very popular, and have some definite advantages. But I too, struggle to feel at home with them, but have always felt at home with toe clips, since I've used them since the early 80s.

Now sure, toe clips don't have quite the same locked-in feel of SPDs - but you still get some pull with them, and they can be setup to be very flexible, and don't need special shoes.

 

[Mr Footlong]

Nick stick with them. Without teaching you how to suck eggs did you read the fitting instructions? The cleats can be fitted 2 ways giving different float and release angles. The platform ones like candys or smarties are a wee bit easier to locate IMO . Falling off and not uncliping is just part of the process :twisted: much the same as rattling your shins with flatties is. In the end the extra control you have on the bike will outweigh the falling bit

I am a good boy, the first thing I did was fit them correctly to make the exit angle as easy as possible . Would have said this hours ago but been stupidly busy

 

[bojangle]

Personally, I found clips, straps and the proper cleats made it far more likely for me to fall off. You know, that frantic last second scrabble to undo the strap on the left......and then whack! You fall to the right.[/quote]

How strange, i fall to the left.........is there something wrong with me,should i seek professional advice about 'my left side falling'

 

[Mr Footlong]

Cheers guys. Hmm, going to have the really research whether to get another pair of egg beaters or try some time pedals as I think with my kees the float is going to be important.

Regarding falling on certain sides, I used to always try to fall to the left where possible, based on chainrings/rear der being on the right. Of course nowadays you have discs and calipers on the left so now I just fall on whatever side and hope for the best!

Cheers,

Nick.

 

[kaiser]

I've used atac's for years too and they are also very very good. I only switched to eggbeaters because I perceived them as cooler (they are btw ) Actually quite a bit cheaper too, I've picked up half a dozen sets on ebay for little more than the price of cleats.

 

[24pouces]

For showing bikes, They are toe clip equiped. But, for riding, I always have got eggs beater near

 

[beepbeep]

Ok, I seem to be having a totally different problem to other SPD virgins...

Tried them myself recently after a life of flats but found they disengaged when I hopped or jumped, which was a scary experience!
Is this because I'd them set up too lose or is this something you get use to? (maybe I twist my feet as I pull up on the bike?)

Thanks for any help...