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Submitted by
smokey422
a Cross Country Rider
from MO
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Landahl | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | E-bay | | Strengths: | Mud shedding, weight. | | Weaknesses: | Difficult entry, lack of platform for times when I couldn't clip in right away, durability. Made hot spots on my feet due to the small platform. Bruised my shins easily. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano and Wellgo SPDs, Time ATACs. | | Bike Setup: | Fisher HT, SRAM 9.0 drivetrain, Panaracer XC pros. | | Bottom Line: | I purchased these pedals because of the rave review they got from MBA. I should have known better than to believe them. I never could get consistent entry with them compared to my Shimanos and Times. Release was OK after I shaved the cleats for technical riding. They also didn't provide a good platform for pedaling unclipped when that was necessary. The end caps fell out and they needed new bearings in a year's time, a problem I never had with my Times. They also caused painful bruises on my shins when I banged into them.
I decided to put them on my cyclocross bike that I use for gravel road, dirt trail, and pavement use. They had such a small platform that they formed hot spots on my feet after 30-50 miles. I can't imagine doing a century on them.
If you're interested in this type of pedal, get the FAR superior Time ATACs. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Arlington, VA
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Whatever I have time for | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | PBS | | Strengths: | Weight, simplicity. | | Weaknesses: | Too minimal; made powering up a hill (if you came unclipped for whatever reason) really difficult. | | Similar Products Used: | Time ATAC XS | | Bike Setup: | '01 big sur that has been updated a bit. | | Bottom Line: | Didn't give these a long enough stay on my bike to wear them out as other have. I really disliked the pedal from a design standpoint (stated above). Stick with ATACs. If you're a weight weenie, get the Titans... they're roughly the same weight as these. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike T.
a Cross Country Rider
from Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Low maintenance. Mud ability. Simplicity. Customer service. Rebuild kits available. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Bottom Line: | This is a re-test 3.5 years after my first one. I've just worn out the bearings and bushings after over 4 years of riding. I e-mailed Crank Bros last night and the reply came this morning - a service and repair kit will be in the mail ASAP.
These pedals are the greatest - just fit and forget. There's even no need to clean them as the mud drops off when it dries. Mud entry has never been an issue at all and the entry and release is smooth and consistent no matter what the conditions - just stomp down and go, twist and release.
Perfect pedals. Thanks Crank Bros. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary Satlemann
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K.
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Marin Trail N.Wales | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light weight | | Weaknesses: | Pricey, lousey seals and bearings, cleats ware very quickly, hot spots on the soles of the shoes. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Addidas, Specialized. | | Bike Setup: | Spez 2002 FSR. | | Bottom Line: | This is strictly a west coast...nice dry warm weather.... US pedal. It won't last 2 minutes in UK grit and mud. I'm on the second set. The seals will not prevent the ingress of grime into the bearings and the bearings are not up to the job. Cleats ware at an alarming rate in the UK conditions, they clearly are not designed for constant immersion in mud. This is a costly pedal. Better to use the more durable Shimano or Time products. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
colin
a Cross Country Rider
from uk dorset
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Strengths: | Amazing design, clears mud, good float that protects knees,
lightweight. No real problems with bearings if greased twice yearly | | Weaknesses: | eggbeater S - Am I a product tester for this company? - two broken spindles and one unscrewed spindle mis threaded in factory all during normal riding and no crashes. I am 6 4" and 210lbs but do not abuse my gear. Broke both original 2002 model and 2004 model
Most of the reviews below are only a few months old - mine broke after about 14 months use.
Changing to spds before I have along walk home or gashed achillies. Crankbros distributor UK replaced first pair after some haggling, I kept the receipt second time and I am awaiting retailer reply | | Bike Setup: | Trek Oclv/SID/XT | | Bottom Line: | Lightweights only | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Timsk
a Cross Country Rider
from United Kingdoom
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | South Downs | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | Little Raleigh dealer in West London | | Strengths: | Light and look good. Easy to get out of without feeling un-secure. Big float option. Swanky packaging. | | Weaknesses: | Numerous. There's something very wrong with the design of these pedals; having the bearings exposed poorly shielded from dirt and water when they go on about how good they are with mud clearence is a bit daft. Not a pedal for people who ride in muddy conditions at all. I've replaced the bearings 4 times in the time that I've had them so that makes them very high maintance. I don't have to replace my BB annually so why the pedal rebuild? On the last rebuild, The bearing was seized into the pedal body and I tried numerous methods for getting it out. No chance. I'm sticking them on ebay for 0.99p. Can be difficult to clip into in a hurry as the contact area is so small. | | Similar Products Used: | Time ATACs | | Bike Setup: | Intense Tracer XT/XTR, Rockshox, Hope etc. | | Bottom Line: | If you ride your bike a lot, stick with your slightly heavier more reliable SPDs and Times.
I have no experience with SPDs but I've never hear of anyone having to constantly rebuild them. I've never had to touch my ATACs and I use them on both my MTB and my commuter bike which I ride daily in all seasons, all weathers.
Poor product. I bought a Crank Brothers pump once and that was rubbish as well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Timsk
a Cross Country Rider
from United Kingdoom
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | South Downs | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | Little Raleigh dealer in West London | | Strengths: | Light and look good. Easy to get out of without feeling un-secure. Big float option. Swanky packaging. | | Weaknesses: | Numerous. There's something very wrong with the design of these pedals; having the bearings exposed poorly shielded from dirt and water when they go on about how good they are with mud clearence is a bit daft. Not a pedal for people who ride in muddy conditions at all. I've replaced the bearings 4 times in the time that I've had them so that makes them very high maintance. I don't have to replace my BB annually so why the pedal rebuild? On the last rebuild, The bearing was seized into the pedal body and I tried numerous methods for getting it out. No chance. I'm sticking them on ebay for 0.99p. Can be difficult to clip into in a hurry as the contact area is so small. | | Similar Products Used: | Time ATACs | | Bike Setup: | Intense Tracer XT/XTR, Rockshox, Hope etc. | | Bottom Line: | If you ride your bike a lot, stick with your slightly heavier more reliable SPDs and Times.
I have no experience with SPDs but I've never hear of anyone having to constantly rebuild them. I've never had to touch my ATACs and I use them on both my MTB and my commuter bike which I ride daily in all seasons, all weathers.
Poor product. I bought a Crank Brothers pump as well and that was rubbish as well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Barry
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | work good, last a long time. | | Similar Products Used: | spd, bebop, frog, time | | Bottom Line: | I’ve used these for about 3 years. The spindle came off a few years ago and Cranks Bros upgraded me to a rebuilt set of the improved design. They are an awesome pedal. Light weight, easy in, easy out, low maintenance, and inexpensive cleats. I used all the following pedals before eggbeaters and none of them compare favorably:
SPD – mud up too easy. Not enough float. Too many screws to adjust – if they are not all the same then you get inconsistent release
FROG – crummy rubber spring on the cleat wears quickly and results in play between shoe and pedal. Plastic body breaks easy. Won’t release to the inside (until the knob wears off, but that’s not by design). Expensive, complicated cleats. Mud up really bad.
BEBOP – way too fragile for mtb. Very complicated and expensive cleat that wears out quickly. The spring is a spring steel bar in the cleat the looses it’s shape and you pop out of the pedal unexpectedly. Mud up really bad
TIME – similar to eggbeaters but I found them harder to get into. Weigh a lot more. The plastic body holds mud and pieces of log etc… I actually had to stop on several occasions and use a multi-tool to pry wood out of them before I could get into them.
DON’T BUY THE “C” MODELS. They are some kind of brittle carbon steel instead of stainless. I put my old pedals on my roadbike and quickly went through 2 pairs of the cheap version on my mtb. The cages break when you hit rocks etc. I never broke a cage in 3 years with the stainless, but broke 3 cages in 3 months with the “C”. It’s too bad Crank Bros have to market something at that price point. It will just give them a bad name.
Customer service is good. In both the broken spindle case and the broken “C” pedals they have upgraded to a better pedal (for a fee, but better than starting from scratch).
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Black
a Weekend Warrior
from Markham, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Glen Major | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | Sporting Life | | Strengths: | Minimalist design, 4 sided entry, mud shedding capabilities, light weight, strength | | Weaknesses: | Hmmmmm.... I'll get back to you. Oh, price on the Ti models. Twice the price to save 30 grams? Just go to the washroom before you ride and you've lost more than 30 grams. Save your money and don't bother with the Ti models. (Secret: I dare say it's already the lightest pedal out there!) | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano 525', 858's, Onza (on previous bikes) | | Bike Setup: | '03 Klein Palomino Race Disk, mostly stock | | Bottom Line: | I have used other 2 sided pedals in the past (I've been usind clipless for 12 years now), and these by far are the best I've used. The ultimate test is the anual Paris-Ancaster (60 km point to point) race that is often mud bogged. I've walked through mud up to my ankle and am able to clip in one shot. No scraping, or stopping to get a twig to flick out the mud, no spinning the pedal a 1/4 turn to find the cleat. Just aim, clip in, you're done. As far as the maintainance goes, those who complain about taking the pedal apart are on crack. Undo ONE screw, slide pedal off spindle, apply grease, reassemble. 5 minutes once or twice a season is not a pain. The cleats are brass, but it's cheaper to replace the brass cleat than the whole pedal. It's built into the design... the cleat wears out so the pedal doesn't. Crank Bros have an awesome product and as long as the quality stays the same, they have a life time buyer. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tim
a Weekend Warrior
from virginia
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | light, durable, easy to clip/unclip | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | shimano clipless | | Bike Setup: | SC Bullit | | Bottom Line: | I purchased these when they first came out after hearing all the hype in 2002. They have definately lived up to their expectations. I have knocked them off rocks, buried them in mud, jumped and dropped with them, and watched my bike tumble down the trail ahead of me after I wrecked, and they still work perfectly. I haven't had to rebuild them, only replace the cleats every season.
I still ride them with the cleats set for easy release and have never had a problem. I find it hard to ride platforms now and feel more comfortable with these anyday on almost any terrain. I have a pair of CB Mallets on the way.
I highly recommend these to any XC'er or aggressive rider. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jens
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything around Sydney | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Sydney Bike shop | | Strengths: | The feel of these pedals are great and the fact that you have 4 entry points as opposed to 2 with most other pedals. The mud clearance is great but as we haven't had a decent rain in Sydney for ages i must say that this is not a big issue for me. | | Weaknesses: | The maintenance cost in both hours and dollars are way too high. I can understand the need to replace the brass cleats, but having to constantly service and rebuild the actual pedal is a pain. The other main issue is the wear on the sole of the shoe, after a while it doesn't matter if you buy new cleats as the shoe has been worn out and the play between the shoe and pedal cannot be removed. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SPDs, Time, other SPD compatible brands | | Bike Setup: | Specialized FSR XC | | Bottom Line: | Great pedal that when it comes to feel, but the work and maintenance cost required i would not recommend anyone using this pedal unless they have full sponsorship from Crank Brothers... | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Cooper
a Cross Country Rider
from Rockford, IL
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | aevum_m@yahoo.com | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | not telling :) | | Strengths: | they work really well! Really strong, really easy entry, great look, light weight, Durable! Durable! Durable! Shed mus very very well. | | Weaknesses: | No adjustabilty can be a problem with some riders... but they are allready set to exactly where they should be for tension... so shut it! | | Similar Products Used: | ugh... al the shimano entry level pedals, eggbeater candy c's, half platformhlaf clips, speedplay frogs, look carbon crap, speedplay X2s | | Bike Setup: | Litech magnesium frame, cannondale AL rigid fork, XTR/517 wheels, old XTR crank (replacing asap), Kenda Kozmik Lite 2 tires (my sweeties), easton carbon bar, Thompson seatpost, Avocet o2 titanium saddle, XT linear brakes, 17 lbs | | Bottom Line: | Get em! They work! I got them for an amazing price and they just seem to be getting cheaper. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
S G
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlotte, NC
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Cache-Game | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | gift | | Strengths: | Easy in easy out. Durable. | | Weaknesses: | At first I'd have said the cleat material. But they work and I got replacements at a great price. So no big deal. | | Similar Products Used: | I had an old pair of Onza clipless with elastomer bumpers and some CODA's which is probably why I think the Eggbeater as so great. | | Bike Setup: | Titus Switchblade and a Redline Monocog. | | Bottom Line: | I never clean my bikes. I know thats bad but I'm lazy. Even if I do clean them I don't really work on the pedals. The bearings are fine, everything works. I have bashed rocks and crashed hard and nothing has happened to the pedals. A friend of mine gave them to me because he said they were too hard to get out of. I have no problem. I occassionaly ride skinnies and can get out of my eggbeater quickly.
It sucks that others aren't have the great experience I've had with these. I'm putting them on my next project (fixie). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nando Benish
a
from Sultan
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Tyee Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | can't remember online | | Strengths: | good mud clearance, easy entry and exit | | Weaknesses: | I have several sets of these pedals. my original set lasted a couple of years before the mechanism came off the spindle. lately I have seen several mechanisms do the same. Some in near new condition. | | Similar Products Used: | Candy SL, Mallet C, Candy C, Eggbeater Stainless, Quatro | | Bike Setup: | Which One? | | Bottom Line: | I sent Crank Bros. an email a week or so ago about this problem and asked them if they were aware of the problem and if so are they intending to correct the problem. To date I have received no response.
I moved on to Time XS Carbon this week and have already found advantages. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Testtech
a Cross Country Rider
from Betthesda, MD
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Gambril | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Strengths: | Easy entrance and exit, mud proof | | Weaknesses: | Sharp edges | | Similar Products Used: | Various Shimano SPD pedals | | Bike Setup: | Ventanna El Salto | | Bottom Line: | These pedals perform well with one caveat for the developing rider: if you fall and your shins contact the pedal, you will experience abrasions, cuts and bruises. I never had this problem with Shimano SPD's. I have now retired the Cranks and am trying Frogs (no sharp edges). If you are a competent rider, these pedals work very well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Niklaus Hartmann
a Weekend Warrior
from Cochabamba, Bolivia
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Cruzani, Cochabamba | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Simple. Easy in - Easy out. Simple = less useless material = no mud stuck on pedals = no stuck clips. I've used these pedals on very technical trails and have not had any problems with them yet. I used to have Shimano DX's but never used them on technical trails because i never trusted them. I used the eggbeaters the first day out on a very technical trail and never thought about any other pedal again. | | Weaknesses: | I was about to put the clip lifetime as a weakness, but I would be wrong to. The reason the clips wear out quicker is because they are made of brass. Brass is the reason the clip goes in and out so easy. If you want you can file down an SPD clip and will last longer, but you will not get the same feel. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano DX | | Bike Setup: | Santa Blur 4X / SRAM X-9, Easton EA70, DT Swiss, Mavic, Thomson Elite, Terry | | Bottom Line: | Eggbeaters are the only way to go. They made the perfect clip-in pedal. This pedal is simple and efficient, in fact its simplicity makes it eye dazzling. You'll love to look at your bike when you put these on... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bernie
a
from Laguna, Philippines
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Laguna Trails-All | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycling Zone Las Pinas | | Strengths: | Very Light, easy to engage & disengage, nice looking | | Weaknesses: | The cleats, worn easily and very expensive. | | Similar Products Used: | M545 shimano, MKS Graphite toe pedals, Wellgo * Generic Taiwanese pedals | | Bike Setup: | BIXS XC, XTR Group, GTS 24 spokes wheelset, answer bars & FSA stems | | Bottom Line: | Perhaps one of the pedals recommended for thjose who are afraid of mis-disengaging cleats resulting to accident. Very easy to use, just take care of the cleats. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Whaley
a Cross Country Rider
from Pensacola, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: March 8, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Oak Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Sports | | Strengths: | 4-sided entry makes clipping in easy. Withstands mud and sand well. Easy to clean and requires little or no service. | | Weaknesses: | Once clipped in you have a hard time getting out. No way to adjust the tension. I took them off of my mountain bike because they were a hazard to my health. My new mountain bike has Shimano 520 clipless pedals and I can adjust the tension. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano 520 | | Bike Setup: | Trek Fuel 80. | | Bottom Line: | I like the concept behind the egg beater pedals but wish they had had tension adjustment. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jared
a Cross Country Rider
from Delta, CO
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | More Fun-Fruita | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | No look clip in that is easy to do. No parts to lose i.e. tension screws. Super light weight (compared to ATAC pedals). 4 sided entry. | | Weaknesses: | If there is one, I can't find it, and I have been trying to for a couple of years now. | | Similar Products Used: | Time ATAC, Shimano 575. | | Bike Setup: | Intense Spider XVP, Litespeed Unicoi, Gary Fisher Montare | | Bottom Line: | These are the pedals that all of you Time ATAC lovers will change to. This pedal is light than any of the Time pedals and offers the same great featuers of the ATAC-except for the larger platform of the ATAC. If you have a decent shoe this is not a problem. These pedals have no tension adjustment, but the cleats can be switched so as to change the release angle. They are always there to clip in when you want to, and let you out when you need to. I have been negelgent in maintenance on the pair I have owned for 2+ years-not having done a thing but ride with them, and still they are the same as the pair my wife just bought. Try them once and you'll know this review is true. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
je le
a
from australia
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | jenson | | Strengths: | great design. clip in+out is natural. freedom of movement (float) is excellent.
cant comment about mud clearing ability as i only use mine on the road. | | Weaknesses: | Longevity! 4 months and my first pair broke a spring in one pedal. cleats wore out in 5 months and theyre dam expensive here $40AUD. and second pair have worn bearing sleeves already. I hate things that dont last. | | Similar Products Used: | nothing. i cannot compare to any other clipless pedals as i went strait from platforms to eggbeaters. | | Bike Setup: | mountain with slick tyres for road. | | Bottom Line: | great design with short lifespan. i dont mind the cleats wearing out after 5 months but the replacement price is rude. the bearings arent designed to last very long at all - and i never ride mine in mud! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Racer
from Marietta, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Fontana Village, NC | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Weight, 4-sided entry, mud clearance | | Weaknesses: | Small platform, cleats wear quickly | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Ritchey | | Bike Setup: | High End | | Bottom Line: | I'm glad I waited to give this review. When I first started to use these I thought they were great. I wonder how much of that was buyer's justification. I have started to notice the small platform a bit. However, my biggest complaint is the soft, brass cleats. As the cleats started to wear, the connection became less and less certain. I started to lose the feel and the sound of clicking in. I started thinking way too much about whether or not I was in my pedal. They started feeling that way about 3/4 way through my season. That may sound like a lot of riding... but I do 90% of my training on the road. I'm going to spend a few bucks on a new set of cleats and give them one more shot. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wayne
a Cross Country Rider
from Greenfield Ctr NY
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | local shop | | Strengths: | light weight, compact & simple design | | Weaknesses: | clipping out under duress | | Similar Products Used: | shimano spd, power grips, platforms | | Bike Setup: | Sjumper M4, Hayes mag discs, Panaracer Cinders | | Bottom Line: | I still use these pedals, but they are on my road bike now, where I get along just fine with them. However I took a pretty good beating with them when they were on my Mountain bike on technical single track rides.
My problem was that they were not consistant in releasing when you were about to eat the big one. After several crashes in which I could not unclip from my bike I removed the Beaters and threaded on a pair of 520 Shimanos.
Problem solved, I have no problem getting into or out of the 520's. It could be me or the pedals, I don't know or care. The bottom line is that I have been far happier with the Shimanos and I am not taking the beating that I was getting with the Eggbeaters.
I have since installed the Eggbeaters on my road bike where getting into & out of your pedals in a hurry is less of an issue so it was a win, win solution for me.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christian
a Cross Country Rider
from Ontario
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Easy in, innovative design | | Weaknesses: | Fast cleat wear, very fast internal wear. Developed knee problems. | | Similar Products Used: | Old Ritchey SPD type | | Bike Setup: | RaceFace crank, rest of the drivetrain is SRAM. Light mag frame. Also used them on my roadie | | Bottom Line: | I beleive these pedals gave me knee problems. After riding fairly hard for the past 6 years (about 20-40km a day in the summers, commuting every day even in the winter) I developed knee problems after only 2000km with these pedals, initially I refused to beleive it was them, as they have a good reputation for the knees. Before I finally gave up on them my 4km daily commute caused incredible knee pain (yes, I re-adjusted the height of my seat to account for low stack height), now that I've switched back to my old ritcheys it's going away slowly - but I fear I may have done permanent damage to my knees. I still can't ride more than 50km in a day without feeling it coming back, but at least I can commute and go on social rides again thanks to my old ritcheys (with no float).
I suspect it was the side to side float - I checked with my feet out of the shoes and these pedals have float that allows the feet to 'roll' side to side (not rotational float) as well the standard float. Maybe that was the problem, but I don't really care - I'm not going back to them. They do shed mud easily and are cheap, but watch out for your knees... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Philadelphia, PA
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Poto in MI | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$130.00 | | Strengths: | best in/out I've seen, elegent design. | | Weaknesses: | none I've found. | | Similar Products Used: | baskets | | Bike Setup: | Airborne Lancaster, 2002 Marzocchi Atom80 Race, egg beaters (duh), XT, Avid mech. disks | | Bottom Line: | I ride with a lot of people who have these, and no one I know has had a problem. If you're going to be doing any winter riding, these (any maybe Time Ataks) are the only pedals to have. "Complicated" pedals get all iced up and there's no in and no out. Both of which suck. I've never, ever had a problem getting into or out of these, dry, mud, snow, ice. The float is a little weird, as a few people have mentioned, but once you get used to it, you'll never let go of these pedals. At about $100/pr, these are really, really hard to beat. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Eugene, Oregon
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | LBS I work for | | Strengths: | Cutting edge design that's very simple. Easy engagement and release. Very lightweight for the price. | | Weaknesses: | Very poor durability. First set owned needed a rebuild kit after 6 months of mostly dry riding. The seals on these pedals are very poor, and I found myself disassembling, cleaning and regreasing the internals after almost every ride. The internals are of shoddy construction, a bushing and a "sealed" bearing that both wear out quickly. Spindle strength is questionable, I broke a spindle on a seemingly harmless collision with a rock. Cleats wear out prematurely. Pedal "claws" wear grooves into the bottom of my shoes, thus making the cleat feel loose when engaged and causing frustrating and scary disengagement on sketchy downhills. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Wellgo, Speedplay | | Bike Setup: | Varies | | Bottom Line: | I cannot recommend these pedals to anyone and I regret ever buying them. Luckily Crank Brothers has excellent customer service and gave me a free rebuild kit for the first set of pedals and then replaced that set when I broke them. But that is not what I am reviewing. These pedals have been nothing but problems. I seriously clean them all the time and they still wear out. My second set is now exhibiting the same problems as the first set I had. Both pedals spin freely (bearings have gone completely dry) and have huge amounts of play at the bushings which are also now worn. This is after 1 year of riding mostly during the drier months of the rear (I don't ride off road during the winter, too rainy). The loose engagement of the pedals is scary, especially with a pedal that has such a small platform for engagement. I inadvertly clip out when making even small one or two foot jumps/drops. Not confidence inspiring at all. I now wonder if the bearing play was a contributing factor to the failure of the first set, since the spindle broke close to the pedal body. Before that they had so much play that the pedals would rattle if you dropped the bike. Rediculous. Crank Brothers is a good company with great customer service, but their first attempt at a pedal is a dismal failure. Hopefully the 2003 pedals have better internals and seals. I have not tried them, and I don't intend to. I can't afford to throw away that much money for a product that performs this poorly. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cameron
a Cross Country Rider
from Saugus, CA, U.S.
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | e-bay | | Strengths: | Light, tough, what mud? low profile | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | Onza, time, shimano | | Bike Setup: | Topanga Comp Disc, Avid Mechs, Eggbeaters, XT, grip shift, sun, marzocchi | | Bottom Line: | I just love these pedals. The float took a little getting used to but I like it. Haven't had the clicking out problems mentioned below. And the lack of a platform has not been a problem at all. If this is a concern maybe give the the candy's a try. Don't know what else to say, these pedals are simply the best I have tried... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a Racer
from Fairfax, VA
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Kokopelli | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Purchased At: | performance | | Strengths: | Light and great mud clearence. Easy to maintain and last a long time. | | Weaknesses: | Not as adjustable as SPDs and large amount of float makes them hard to get out of in tricky situations. Lack of platform makes clipping in on a hill more difficult. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SPD and baskets | | Bike Setup: | Canny Jekyll, Race Face crank & bb, xtr & lx mix, Julie h discs. | | Bottom Line: | If you race in the mud like I do, these are the best to get. Ti is a little too expensive for me, but the Crank Bros. have a good system that has been extremely reliable. 2 years and I've serviced them myself once and they probably didn't really need it. Easy to use, maintain, love them. Lack of platform makes clipping in on a hill more difficult. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Decatur, Georgia
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Bear Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | easy in and out (4 sided entry), light weight, never clogs, essentially problem free |
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$ 130.00
