# Light Weight SPD Pedals



## mblittle (May 25, 2010)

I'm currently using 10 year old XT Race pedals and I'm in the market for something new to go on my 2021 Epic Evo. I'd go the route of XTR Race but they have horrible reliability ratings when I research them, mostly related to seals and bearings. I've read through the threads in this forum and the XTR's get dogged pretty bad here as well. Are they really that bad or are only the people with problems speaking up?

I'd like to stick with SPD's but I don't have to if there is a better pedal/cleat system out there that fits my needs. I use the bike as a xc / trail bike and not a dedicated race bike so weight is not the #1 priority but it's high on the list. The pedals need to be able to stand up to rock strikes as I live near Raleigh, NC and we've got our fair share of rocky and rooty trails.

I've read tons of reviews of different pedals online so I am looking for real world input from those who have used and abused their pedals. I weigh 165lbs and I've seen some weight limits on Ti pedals of 180lbs so I'm not sure that's a good idea given that I'll weigh more geared up and I do jump small jumps and drops on this bike. I'd like to keep it under $200 but would go above by a little bit for the right pedal.


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## mblittle (May 25, 2010)

I just came across the Ritchey WCS XC pedals after making my post and they seem to fit the bill but there are not many reviews out there. Anyone have experience with them?


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## chomxxo (Oct 15, 2008)

Time ATAC XC 12 is lighter, time-tested to be super-durable and clear mud better than SPD








Clipless Pedals - TIME Sport


TIME Sport Pedals is building on its mission to produce pedals that enhance cyclists’ safety, security, & performance worldwide. Shop TIME Sport pedals & cleats.




time-sport.us





One step down, the ATAC XC 8 is still 10g lighter and much less expensive.








Clipless Pedals - TIME Sport


TIME Sport Pedals is building on its mission to produce pedals that enhance cyclists’ safety, security, & performance worldwide. Shop TIME Sport pedals & cleats.




time-sport.us





vs Ritchey WCS XC


https://us.ritcheylogic.com/us_en/bike/pedals/wcs-xc-black-pedals#product.info.diagram


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

What generation of XTRs? I've had M970s for 12 years and 34000km and still feel fine in terms of both bearings and clip action.

Which is good, because I'm pretty sure they have permanently welded themselves to my cranks by now.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

I have two pairs of 2006 XTR‘s , and both have been on a dozen bikes.
on the chunkiest terrain that I know of on the planet...and they are still spinning like tops. 
Maybe they were better then?


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I'm going on year three of my XTR m9000 pedals. No issues. No bearing play and spins smooth.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Not xpedo. I can deal with the bearings that trash out in a season, but the retention isn't enough after a season and just won't hold new cleats.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

I'm riding my old xtr m970 pedals with aftermarket Ti spindles that weigh 280g for the pair. They are easy to rebuild with the loose bearings and havent any issues. I might try the time xc12 and see how they compare...


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

Use your old SPDs and upgrade to Ti spindles to drop about 40 grams. I just bought a set of "new in box" XTR pedals from 2012 (980 model) because the new version is flawed IMO. Yes I had the same experience as many others with the new XTR pedals - the seals back out very quickly. This makes a mess of the spindle and will likely result in rapid aging of the internals. I've tried many pedal brands and SPD work the best, for the longest period, with the least maintenance, hands down. Yes there are lighter options but they don't work as well as SPDs. If you're looking to balance performance with low weight, old SPDs with Ti spindles are the way to go I think.


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

Smiles for miles said:


> Use your old SPDs and upgrade to Ti spindles to drop about 40 grams. I just bought a set of "new in box" XTR pedals from 2012 (980 model) because the new version is flawed IMO. Yes I had the same experience as many others with the new XTR pedals - the seals back out very quickly. This makes a mess of the spindle and will likely result in rapid aging of the internals. I've tried many pedal brands and SPD work the best, for the longest period, with the least maintenance, hands down. Yes there are lighter options but they don't work as well as SPDs. If you're looking to balance performance with low weight, old SPDs with Ti spindles are the way to go I think.


BTW my 980s weigh 309 grams per pair, and Ti spindles are supposed to take 40 grams off of that weight.


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## mblittle (May 25, 2010)

Smiles for miles said:


> BTW my 980s weigh 309 grams per pair, and Ti spindles are supposed to take 40 grams off of that weight.


Where do I shop for quality Ti spindles?


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I have been riding on SPD's for many years (both XT & XTR) basically trouble-free and have been very pleased with them and will not be changing. Currently running the XTR M9100 for about 1,200 miles now and have been very pleased with them. One thing I really like about the SPD's is the extraordinary ease to service them. I see guys that are obsessive about maintaining their bikes, but do nothing with their pedals. Very easy and quick to service. Regular maintenance might be the key to long service life.


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## pb29scbl (Mar 16, 2021)

HT spd pedals are good enough for Kate C. and Nino. Don't know anything about them though. The Ritchey's have good rep too. If you want light and not too expensive, good old eggbeaters are hard to beat. The stainless ones are lighter than anything else at the pricepoint. The Ti ones are super expensive unless you can get a prodeal. I know there are haters out there on CB pedals. I have the same Ti set that is 9 years old. I ride Western MD trails and stuff in the Shenandoah Valley, George Washington National Forest, and Michaux in PA. All filled with rocks. Plenty of pedal strikes and these things are going strong. I'm about 180-185 fully geared up. Also race 'cross and xc on the same pedals. I bought a bag of bearings back in 2015 and just swap them every spring and put some new grease in there. You can't really go wrong with Time, Shimano, or CB. Just depends on what features you want. Shimano gets the win for toughness by most peoples experience. CB's are lighter, but do require bearings on occasion.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

mblittle said:


> Where do I shop for quality Ti spindles?











Home Page


Check out http://titaniumspindles.com!



titaniumspindles.com




The ones on eBay I got have problems with the nuts not being machined straight. And I couldn't use my old nuts because the threads were left hand while the old ones were right hand. Take your old ones apart to make sure. And email ti-spindle to make sure. They sell spindles for the newer models with both the right and left spindles with left hand threads to adjust and tighten the bearings.


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

Suprteck, did you get the problem Ti spindles from Titanium Planet on ebay? Looks like they have tons of positive reviews, but I haven't bought from them


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

Smiles for miles said:


> Suprteck, did you get the problem Ti spindles from Titanium Planet on ebay? Looks like they have tons of positive reviews, but I haven't bought from them


Yes I had a problem with the nuts not being drilled straight. I would order from ti-spindle and get the m-980s. Plus shipping took forever from ti planet You can see the bearing retainer and nut is crooked in the photo from their website


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

Ok thanks


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## mblittle (May 25, 2010)

Thanks for all of the info and tips. I've been doing A LOT of reading and research on every pedal I can find and now I'm leaning towards the XTR M9100 pedals mostly because I know I like the feel of my current XT's but want something new and a little bit lighter. There are just not enough reviews (positive ones) for me to take a chance on another brand. For every person that says they are great there is another person reporting problems, and that goes for the XTR's as well, but at least I know what I'm getting with the XTR. Not 100% decided yet though.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

mblittle said:


> Thanks for all of the info and tips. I've been doing A LOT of reading and research on every pedal I can find and now I'm leaning towards the XTR M9100 pedals mostly because I know I like the feel of my current XT's but want something new and a little bit lighter. There are just not enough reviews (positive ones) for me to take a chance on another brand. For every person that says they are great there is another person reporting problems, and that goes for the XTR's as well, but at least I know what I'm getting with the XTR. Not 100% decided yet though.


There have been complaints of the seals popping out on the M9100 but hasn't happened yet to mine.


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## Davide (Jan 29, 2004)

Another vote for XTR. My Trail M-9020 have been going strong since 2015.


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## mblittle (May 25, 2010)

Pulled the trigger on the M9100 XTR's today. Also bought some Ti stem bolts and a seat post collar from Mt. Zoom. Now I'm shopping for a lighter dropper post to replace my 150mm X Fusion Manic @ 570g. Leaning towards the Bike Yoke Divine 160mm @ 495g. I already have a Bike Yoke Revive 185 on my Ripmo and it's been problem free for 2 years.


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

Here is a link to a very thorough breakdown video of current XTR pedals. Skip to the last 5 minutes if you want to see the apparent seal issue with the new XTR pedals:


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

Sorry, the discussion on the seal starts at about 12:30 on that video...


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

Ugh, looks like my posts are posting twice for some reason. I'll use a different browser in the future.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

That's a pretty good SPD rebuild video. SickBiker has done some pretty good maintenance videos. However, I don't waste the time to do the clip and spring disassembly. I just wash in sink with hot water flow, soap, brush and scrub. Blow dry and lube. 

The spindle and bearing service was well done and it's that easy to do. I have a slightly different way to reassemble the loose bearings, but the bottom line is the same. Like the video showed, those are small bearings so, have a magnet available, it will make things easier. For both pedals, I plan about an hour for full service as shown, but no clip-in stuff.


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## EdSawyer (Mar 20, 2020)

Xpedo M-force 8Ti for the win. 218g a set, rugged as hell, triple-bearings, $170-ish when found on sale in the US, or $150ish from europe (R2).


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

EdSawyer said:


> Xpedo M-force 8Ti for the win. 218g a set, rugged as hell, triple-bearings, $170-ish when found on sale in the US, or $150ish from europe (R2).


Rugged as hell as in goes through sets of bearings in a season and can no longer hold a cleat in any real riding. Yeah, tiny triple bearings, it's not the number, but the execution. Shimano if you want reliable pedals.


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## EdSawyer (Mar 20, 2020)

Disagree. I have 4 sets and all have lasted multiple seasons so far with no rebuilds needed. Cleat retention has been fine, I run them pretty low-tension anyway. That said most of my riding is in dry conditions, not tons of mud/rain/slop/etc.



Jayem said:


> Rugged as hell as in goes through sets of bearings in a season and can no longer hold a cleat in any real riding. Yeah, tiny triple bearings, it's not the number, but the execution. Shimano if you want reliable pedals.


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## mblittle (May 25, 2010)

I just reached out to Home Page and was notified that they are in the process of going out of business so heads up to anyone looking for Ti spindles.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^ What is the weight difference between OEM Shimano Spindles over the Ti?


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## mblittle (May 25, 2010)

Cleared2land said:


> ^^^ What is the weight difference between OEM Shimano Spindles over the Ti?


45g


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## jimPacNW (Feb 26, 2013)

The spd m540 looks an awful lot like the older xtr. I've got/had most of the spds, and never had a problem with any of them, from the originals I bought in about '91 (still have those) to M9000s.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

Titanum's New 3D Printed Pedals Weigh 50 Grams Each - Pinkbike


Could these be the lightest pedals money can buy?




m.pinkbike.com


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^^ Those might take a learning curve that mandates you adapt to the designed release point which would be unknown until ridden. There is no adjustable release.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

These look pretty good at 148g a piece too and have sealed bearings instead of loose bearings and better seals.









Review: Look X-Track Carbon mountain bike pedals have more support at XC weights


Among cross country options, the Look X-Track Race Carbon mountain bike pedals hit a sweet spot of platform size and ease of entry. Combine that with a decent range of tension adjust and respectable weight, they’ve become a worthwhile companion on both gravel and mountain bike rides. Up against...




bikerumor.com


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

suprteck said:


> These look pretty good at 148g a piece too and have seal bearings instead of loose bearings and better seals.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Better seals than what?


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

Jayem said:


> Better seals than what?


the latest xtr 9100 have bad seals









Shimano XTR M9100 Race Review


The XTR M9100 race pedals are the result of continual evolution and technological advancements. They're consistent, reliable, and more stable than their...




www.outdoorgearlab.com


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

ghettocruiser said:


> What generation of XTRs? I've had M970s for 12 years and 34000km and still feel fine in terms of both bearings and clip action.
> 
> Which is good, because I'm pretty sure they have permanently welded themselves to my cranks by now.


I just asked my LBS mechanic if he could, in theory, repack XTR pedals with the axels permanently seized to the crankarms.

He rolled his eyes and said he could. Yep.....I'm one of "those" customers.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

ghettocruiser said:


> I just asked my LBS mechanic if he could, in theory, repack XTR pedals with the axels permanently seized to the crankarms.
> 
> He rolled his eyes and said he could. Yep.....I'm one of "those" customers.


Yes you can. You can separate the pedal body from the spindle with it still attached to the arm. It just will be a pita to get all the bearings to stay in place. I would remove the crank arms from the bb to work on it.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

ghettocruiser said:


> I just asked my LBS mechanic if he could, in theory, repack XTR pedals with the axels permanently seized to the crankarms.
> 
> He rolled his eyes and said he could. Yep.....I'm one of "those" customers.


Help me understand why that question would even be asked? I can't begin to understand that.


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## john_bikeguy (Nov 23, 2017)

suprteck said:


> the latest xtr 9100 have bad seals
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Can confirm. I have tried 2 new xtr m9100 set of pedals and both have seal problems. I did not have any problems with older pedal designs (m970, m9000).


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

john_bikeguy said:


> Can confirm. I have tried 2 new xtr m9100 set of pedals and both have seal problems. I did not have any problems with older pedal designs (m970, m9000).


I wonder if there is too much grease causing the seals to pop out. I have a pair of m9100 on my indoor trainer and haven't had them pop out yet.


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

Cleared2land said:


> Help me understand why that question would even be asked? I can't begin to understand that.


Sorry, the premise was that the steel pedal axles are permanently seized to the aluminum inserts in a carbon crank... due to the owner being a complete hack who only does maintenance when critical failures are imminent or occurring.

It might be possible to get the pedals out... but it seems a bit far-fetched based on my observations.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^ Got it. Thanks for the kind reply, I was just confused about what you meant.


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## Wheelspeed (Jan 12, 2006)

You weight-weenies are letting me down... discussion of pedal weights with no mention of their respective cleat weights? But I Googled 'weight of ATAC cleats' a little, and didn't see weights but did see that they appear minimal, so maybe they're on par with the 52g wt/pair for SPD cleats and fasteners.

By the way, yes my PD-M9100 set has one pedal who's seal pops out. But at least the shaft hasn't broken like my previous XTR pedal did (it was also previous generation).


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

Wheelspeed said:


> You weight-weenies are letting me down... discussion of pedal weights with no mention of their respective cleat weights? But I Googled 'weight of ATAC cleats' a little, and didn't see weights but did see that they appear minimal, so maybe they're on par with the 52g wt/pair for SPD cleats and fasteners.
> 
> By the way, yes my PD-M9100 set has one pedal who's seal pops out. But at least the shaft hasn't broken like my previous XTR pedal did (it was also previous generation).





Wheelspeed said:


> You weight-weenies are letting me down... discussion of pedal weights with no mention of their respective cleat weights? But I Googled 'weight of ATAC cleats' a little, and didn't see weights but did see that they appear minimal, so maybe they're on par with the 52g wt/pair for SPD cleats and fasteners.
> 
> By the way, yes my PD-M9100 set has one pedal who's seal pops out. But at least the shaft hasn't broken like my previous XTR pedal did (it was also previous generation).


they weigh 23g


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

UPDATE: TI SPINDLES ARE TOO SOFT FOR STEEL BALL BEARINGS. THE SPINDLES WILL GOUGE OUT IN LESS THAN 100 MILES. OLD POST BELOW I bought a pair of "new in box" M980 XTR SPD pedals on ebay (from 2012). They weighed 306 grams. Then I swapped the spindles with XTR Ti spindles from Titanium Planet, which brought the weight down to 264 grams. UPDATE TI SPINDLES FAILED OVER 6 MONTHS DUE TO GOUGING WHERE THE STEEL BALL BEARINGS RUN. STICK WITH STEEL SPINDLE.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

I just got a pair of HT M1Ts 252g to replace my xtr 970s with ti spindles. The spindles were getting worn at the bearing races. The HTs seem like a good upgrade.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

suprteck said:


> I just got a pair of HT M1Ts 252g to replace my xtr 970s with ti spindles. The spindles were getting worn at the bearing races. The HTs seem like a good upgrade.


Two thoughts...I'm trying to understand how the spindles we wearing at the bearing areas because there isn't any bearing contact on the spindle. The only area that I would assume to wear is the cup or cones? What was the symptom of wear; were they getting loose?

I like the MT1's, but the rider weight limit places me on the weight limit edge.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

Cleared2land said:


> Two thoughts...I'm trying to understand how the spindles we wearing at the bearing areas because there isn't any bearing contact on the spindle. The only area that I would assume to wear is the cup or cones? What was the symptom of wear; were they getting loose?
> 
> I like the MT1's, but the rider weight limit places me on the weight limit edge.


Yes I would adjust the bearing play and after a week I would get play in the pedal. The wear is on the inboard part of the spindle where the ball bearings sit.
View attachment 1925193
View attachment 1925193


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Those links only take me to the Massachusetts forum site.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Looking at the Titanium Planet Ti spindles, they clearly have a better seal retaining groove machined to discourage seal migration.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

Cleared2land said:


> Looking at the Titanium Planet Ti spindles, they clearly have a better seal retaining groove machined to discourage seal migration.
> 
> View attachment 1925198


They are junk. Look at the bearing races and lock nut they are not machined straight. I had to return them twice and got a refund. They might work if you reuse your old xtr parts but my right spindle had left hand threads and would work since these had normal right hand threads. I think the newer xtr pedals switched over to right hand threads on both spindles


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## Wheelspeed (Jan 12, 2006)

suprteck said:


> they weigh 23g
> View attachment 1923599
> View attachment 1923599


Thanks man! Interesting... 46g vs 52g of Shimano SPD cleats. I was worried they might move all the interface to the cleat, making something like 100g cleats/pair. But 46g/pr is great so I think those will be the next pedal I try!


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

Wheelspeed said:


> Thanks man! Interesting... 46g vs 52g of Shimano SPD cleats. I was worried they might move all the interface to the cleat, making something like 100g cleats/pair. But 46g/pr is great so I think those will be the next pedal I try!


I didn't like that it seemed pretty hard to disengage. But maybe it was my shoe? I ended up switching to the HT M1Ts and they feel pretty similar to my XTRs and are lighter. I am also using their multi release cleats.


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## TylerVernon (Nov 10, 2019)

M1t are not spd pedals


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## wfl3 (Dec 30, 2003)

I had Time ATACs a loooong time ago (like maybe 20ish years) and still remember the constant squeaking from the cleats on the plastic/carbon body, do the current generation still have that issue?

They worked really well, but were super noisy and we were always trying diff "techniques" to quiet them.


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## suprteck (Sep 27, 2009)

wfl3 said:


> I had Time ATACs a loooong time ago (like maybe 20ish years) and still remember the constant squeaking from the cleats on the plastic/carbon body, do the current generation still have that issue?
> 
> They worked really well, but were super noisy and we were always trying diff "techniques" to quiet them.


I tried the time Atac xc12 and it seemed very hard to disengage compared to my xtr 970s and the HT m1s


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## Wheelspeed (Jan 12, 2006)

suprteck said:


> I didn't like that it seemed pretty hard to disengage. But maybe it was my shoe? I ended up switching to the HT M1Ts and they feel pretty similar to my XTRs and are lighter. I am also using their multi release cleats.


Thanks for mentioning the M1T's, but I'm too heavy for their ti spindles, and their chromoly spindle pedals are only 10g lighter than XTR. Anyway their cleats are 10g heavier so... same weight as XTR. The Ti ones do look attractive for people < 170 pounds or so.


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## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

My titanium SPD spindles are shot. The steel bearings inside the pedal have grooved the titanium spindle deeply, so there's a lot of play in the pedals as a result. Add me to the camp that says titanium doesn't make for a durable SPD spindle. Seems like the steel bearings are harder than the titanium spindle. I'm replacing the titanium spindles with the old steel spindles. Maybe 300-310 grams is the lightest you can make durable SPD sets. So be it.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Yep, generally speaking, steel is harder than Ti.


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