MTB Shoes/Pedals

I have a 2004 Kona Kikapu and I want to upgrade the pedals to clipless spd's. I have been looking at the Shimano pd-m540's and the Time ATACs (SX, Alium, etc). I was wondering which pedals you would recommend, the Times or the Shimanos as far as ease of entry/exit and performance....

Also, I am looking for a good shoe to match this pedal. I want to purchase a decent pair that is both comfortable and functional. I was wondering what you guys thought about ANSWER Shoes and Diadoras.....I want a good low top shoe without laces that would be comfortable for XC riding. Also if you know of a good place online that has these at good prices let me know, thanks!!

Time pedals, or Crank Brothers Eggbeaters.

Shoes- buy a pair that fits.

And SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BIKE SHOP

I agree with the Eggbeater, I can't believe I have not bent them after some of the rocks I have hit.

And I went with Shimano shoes and the rubber on the sole started peeling the first year I had them. But they are very comfortable.

The best LBS where I live also happens to be a huge online retailer. Supergo They have good deals running quite often.

Try performance bike

I agree with all the pedal recommendations. I would also say go try on as many pairs of shoes as you can. Then make a decision based upon fit, not what people recommend. Everyone has different feet and so their idea of a great shoe could potentially be the worst shoe for you. Good luck.

Agreed. You can make just about any MTB shoe work with any clipless pedal - it just takes a little work with a razor blade to cut out the excess rubber if need be. Go with fit and function for shoes (i.e. whether you want a hiking oriented sole, or solid plastic type thing that's more efficient for pedaling but harder to walk in.)

And I love my Crank Bros Mallet C's FWIW. But if you're just doing straight XC, eggbeaters or Candy's would make more sense.

I would go with the Time pedals over the Shimano's. I have used both and the Time's are better. They are super easy to get in and out of. Plus they have a little bigger platform for when you are riding your bike in regular shoes. I haven't tried the crank brother's pedals, but haven't heard anything bad about them.

I would also recommend Specialized shoes. I have ridden them hard and they still work great.

And yes support your local bike shop, cause when shit on your bike breaks an online store isn't going to be able to fix it.

I have gone to the Crank Brothers in the last year as well. I have the egg beaters on my roadie and the Mallets on my MTB, I think they are a big step up from both the Shimano and the Ritcheys that I have used in the past. As for shooe recommendations I have been riding Lakes for a few years now, they fit me well and seem to be very durable. I haven't ridden the Times so I can't give you any help there.

Okay, I'll be that guy. I had Eggbeaters for a season, and despite great performance, I got rid of them. In the right situations, I'd get stuck in them, and that's something I don't like. I also was not a fan of getting kicked out of them when they hit rocks.

I've now switched my bikes to large platform clipless pedals. With this configuration I've reluctantly gone back to Shimano. Despite being an avid Time fan, I found the ATAC Z pedals to be a bit too tight. Since I run clipless for DH and freeride, as well as XC, I like to be able to get in and out quick, and the Shimanos have worked the best for me. The Time's have a much more positive feel, and you can't beat that solid CLICK sound you get when clipping in. I found them to be perfect for XC, but a bit confining for DH and freeride. If I could afford 2 pairs of shoes, I'd probably own 2 different types of pedals. However, since that's not the case, I've gone with the Shimanos.

I've found that for DH racing, the Shimanos require the least thought and effort to get into. You just put your foot somewhere in the vicinity of the clamp, and you're in. I haven't tried the Mallet yet, so I can only comment on the standard Eggbeater, but it looks like a nice design.

As for shoes...in my experience, the more expensive shoes will last a bit longer, but not enough to warrant their extra cost. I've had great luck with Specialized shoes. They're always on sale on the Specialized web site, they're comfortable, and they're pretty stiff. I decided to try something different and got the Diadora Chilis. I hate them. They fit weird and they don't breathe worth a damn. Unfortuantely, they seem to be holding up extremely well, so I guess I'm stuck w/ them for a while.

I find the product reviews on MTB Review to be extremely helpful. You can check out pretty decent reviews for whole bikes or individual compents.

I'll go along with most everyone and say that the eggbeaters would be a great way to go. A buddy of mine did bent the spindle on his, but Crank Brothers just told him to go to any shop and they would warranty them out...great service. I rode shimanos for many years, and the eggbeaters are just easier in my opinion.

As for shoes, I really like my Northwaves. You can sometimes find them on Sierra Trading Post for a good deal. Fit is the key though, so try on as many different pairs as you can before you buy. Check the stiffness of the shoes too. My shimano shoes fit great and held up pretty well, but just weren't as stiff as my Northwaves (it's probably just a difference in models, but my feet last a lot longer now.)

I'm all in favor of supporting your local shop. Contender in Salt Lake get's nothing but praise from me for their help and knowledge. BUT, cheaper is cheaper and most manufacturers will back you up through a good shop.

I will go ahead and admit it... I solely use Ritchey SPD clone pedals. They are cheap as hell and my oldest pair has lasted for 5 years so far. I've never had any problem with mud or retention or non-retention.

IMHO, pedals are an afterthought. As long as they work, it is better to spend your $$ elsewhere. I put the money I save on pedals into the shoes... SIDI Dominators. One mesh pair is going strong on 6 years, and I just got another full Lorica pair to supplement. They fit like a good Italian soccer boot.

I have Northwave shoes and XT-level shimano pedals and really can't recommend either.

Scoob is right, pedals aren't that important...spend the money on something that affects the bike more. Having said that, I hope to upgrade at next fall's swap.

eggbeaters rule....and Sidi shoes are the shit (if they fit your foot), expensive, yes, but thay last forever, are super adjustable and they have mad Italian steez...chics dig /em ;)

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Originally Posted by homerjay

I have Northwave shoes and XT-level shimano pedals and really can't recommend either.

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I'm curious to hear what you don't like about your Northwave's. I've had mine for like 6 years and they are bomber.

As for pedals, i second the Time recommendation. I don't know how bad your knees are but i've found that these have been the easiest/ most comfortable on my body.

I have to disagree here. I think if you're going to commit to attaching yourself to your bike, you need to be comfortable with your equipment.

Every pedal performs differently with regards to engagement, release and how it handles impacts. For instance, the Eggbeater is the only pedal I've used that has release issues when the front wheel is up and my weight is towards the back (i.e. getting on a picnic table). Though those conditions are pretty specific, it's enough to make me wary of that particular pedal. Finding a pedal that I'm completely comfortable with has allowed me ride with much more confidence.

'beaters do have a specific way for releasing. The situation stated above by bagtagley, is one of them for not releasing. For 'beaters to release, your foot needs to be real close to parallel with the ground to get a release. This is to keep you from releasing when hammering if your heel tends to wander. I have been running 'beaters for 3 years on mountain and a couple years on my roadie. As for pedals being an afterthought, well, maybe. I was looking to trim some fat off of my bike and get it sub-27 lbs. I chose the 'beaters because of their light weight in relation to other pedals. It was different going from SPDs because I was used to a larger pedal platform and the 'beaters just don't give you that platform. After riding them and figuring out the idiosyncracies of the pedal, I like 'em and will continue to use 'em.

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Originally Posted by bagtagley

Every pedal performs differently with regards to engagement, release and how it handles impacts. For instance, the Eggbeater is the only pedal I've used that has release issues when the front wheel is up and my weight is towards the back (i.e. getting on a picnic table). Though those conditions are pretty specific, it's enough to make me wary of that particular pedal. Finding a pedal that I'm completely comfortable with has allowed me ride with much more confidence.

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If I was doing trials riding I would definitely not use Eggbeaters for the exact reason you stated. On my 3rd ride with my new Beaters I was trying to clear an obstacle and my back tired slipped as my front end was about 2 feet higher than the back and I could not release which resulted in me falling off a ledge and breaking my wrist. Other than that though I love them.

Get the Time Atac model. I have had mine for 5 years on seven different bikes and these things are the only part on my bike that have held up. I even use them on occassion on my downhill bike. They are worth every penny.

Shoes:

Sidi Dominators are really good shoes. The fit is killer. There's very little slop. Also they're stiff and translate a lot of power into each pedal stroke. However, the first time you put your foot down on a rock you'll hate them. And then when you go to Moab, put your foot down on slickrock, and go for a ride, you'll want to throw them in the trash. They're awful on any slick surface, including many types on concrete and hard floors. The Sidi Dragon supposedly has soft cleats to avoid this, but they're over $200. Crazy.

So I retired mine and bought a pair of Shimano SH-MT50Gs. They are awesome. They pedal every bit as well as my Dominators, have a killer grippy sole, are safer to walk around in, and are 3/4 tops so they protect your ankles a lot better. They're also pretty bombproof. I highly recommend them if they fit your foot. Also, they're a lot cheaper than the Sidis.


Pedals:

I've only ridden SPDs so far. I have the 959s and really like them. Super easy to clip into and the release is awesome. Plus you can adjust the release if you like. I have them set on the lightest setting and think they're just fine.

That said, I have popped the clip arm off the spring when striking a rock really hard. This renders one side of the pedal unclippable. I'm seriously considering getting the SPDs with platforms. The 647s I believe. I really can't imagine using a different release mechanism. I'm just too comfortable with the Shimanos.

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Originally Posted by scoober

I will go ahead and admit it... I solely use Ritchey SPD clone pedals.

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+1

I use the cheap Nashbar SPD clones (probably made by Wellgo) on my mountain and road bikes. $24.99. They have adjustable release tension and work fine. I've never had any problems clearing mud. The cleats wear out eventually, but that's mostly because I walk a lot in my shoes.

As for shoes, buy something that fits and you can walk in. Usually it's only road shoes that have slippery hard soles and make you walk like you have Parkinsons, but check to make sure.

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Originally Posted by Raps

I'm curious to hear what you don't like about your Northwave's.

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In the course of 5 years:

First Pair, sole fell off after ~ 6 months (off-season - riding wasn't very frequent). They were not replaced, rather I ended up getting pro price on a new pair.

Second Pair - Those stupid Iguanas with that retarded ratcheting strap that broke if you even went near a rock. Went through several of those straps. They'd work great on a road shoe. Soles started wearing out/delaming after two years of heavy use.

Third Pair - seem to work fine, but getting into them is a pain in the ass.

I will say that they fit my foot great and are nice and stiff. And they're cheap. When they're not falling apart. As a bonus, I was the only one not falling on my ass when we got caught in a snowstorm on Slickrock a few years ago.

Maybe I should stop buying Northwaves?

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Originally Posted by freshies

eggbeaters rule....and Sidi shoes are the shit (if they fit your foot), expensive, yes, but thay last forever, are super adjustable and they have mad Italian steez...chics dig /em ;)

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I'm running the same thing for a few years, but I haven't really been a fan of the SIDI's. The sole is not really stiff enough for my needs.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BIKE SHOP, MOST MAIL ORDER COMPANIES DO NOT SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SCENE!

I usually agree with that, but as I said I have a Supergo store very close and after LBS #1 fucked up my shocks and couldn't adjust my front derailleur properly on a 150$ major overhaul, and then LBS #2 told me they couldn't work on my front derailleur because my frame was poorley designed (K2 Evo frame, they are great frames). I took it to the Supergo mechanics who actually let you watch them work on your bike so I learned how to fix it myself. Plus all their shit is cheaper including fees for any labor if they even charge a labor fee.

I guess if I stay out of Wal-Mart I can still feel good about myself. But if you are ever in Tucson, Supergo wont rip you off and fuck your shit up or tell you your bike is poorley designed because they don't know how to work on it.

If Supergo is in your 'hood and helps support trails, workdays, races, and generally is decent about advocacy, then you should definitely go for it. But seeing as I am quite a few miles away (in the thousands) I couldn't see myself ordering stuff from them.

Yeah, I am only describing the situation in Tucson, even though I am probably the only one on this board from that area seeing how the skiing generally sucks!