JONG Q- clipless pedals

Getting back into it after an 18-month hiatus from MTB. My old stomping grounds never looked so good. I had my first "real" ride through DH and singletrack yesterday to break in my new rig.

It came with crappy plain vanilla pedals.I've never had clip-ons since I have a tendency to bail when I biff.

What pedals are good to start off with and how do I change it? I don't want to spend $$$. Do they have adjustable tension similar to DIN settings so that I can still bail instead of going down with it?

Thanks!

Time atac. Spend the money.

Clipless is the only way to go.

Time's are good, especially in mud. Nice big platform if you're into that sort of thing. Older times did not have adjustable release, not sure about the new ones, though you could reverse the cleat direction and have less retention.

Eggbeaters are nice, great in mud as well. Juicy from same company are 1/2 times 1/2 eggbeaters.

I use regular shimano SPD (XT level) pedals and they're fine. They have adjustable release. Get decent shoes.

Pedals need to be broken in a bit before they're dialed. Expect to fall over a few times. Looks especially cool around town or in front of some trail bunnies.

Time ATAC's are the shit. Instead of paying $130 for them from a shop, buy them on ebay for $50 and consider it money very well spent.

everyone has their fav pedal systems.....i rode speedplay frogs for yrs and liked 'em, nice float, easy in 'n out, light, etc....switched to egg beaters last yr and really like 'em.....can clip in from multiple sides, very lt weight, great mud clearance/shedding, ..........try a few in a bike shop if ya can so you can see/feel the diff between them, release tension and feel, etc.....

ATACs are a great pedal, but hte carbon ones will crack pretty easily if you smack them on a rock. Crank Brothers Candies are also very good pedals. Better engagement than the Times and more durable.

Both can easily be found on ebay fo WAY lower $ than a bike shop.

lot o time the bike shop where you buy them will change them out for free. if you do it yourself left side should be reverse thread, right side normal, should take a 15mm(aprox.1/2"??) wrench to get em off arms. Ritchey used to make a cheap pedal, i've had a pair for years now and they have been well abused. get used to turning your heel out if you bail alot, but best bet is to ride it out and don't pick your scabs, that shit needs to heal.;)

I put Crank Bros Mallet C's on my new bike and they're great. Eggbeaters with a big platform so you can easily ride when you're not clipped in, which is a feature I like in technical terrain. Plus with the eggbeater design, mud isn't an issue, whereas some other systems get clogged up and don't work right when they're dirty.

I'd definitely recommend clipless of some sort, but if you go too cheap you're just wasting money. Get something good.

I'm lazy, how much do a pair of eggbeaters run these days?

varies a lot depending on the model. Some are the normal metal (whatever that is), some are the ridiculously expensive and lightweight titanium model, the candy model has a plastic platform, and the Mallet C has a metal big platform. Don't know about the rest but Mallet C's are $80 full retail and I've seen them for $59 on sales online lately.

http://www.crankbrothers.com/products/pedals.php

There they all are. They go all the way up to $400 if you're a crazy racer-type who needs to save every last gram of weight.

Thanks!

I'll take Time ATAC Alium's for $90, Alek

Now my next JONG Q- what shoes do you guys/gals recommend?


Can't wait for Arty and WSD to get back in action so I have a magnion ride crew at Skegg's :D

(Edit: $60 on pricepoint....ahhh fuggit I'll hit up eBay)

Anything with a decently stiff sole that's comfortable. The stiffer, the more efficient for pedaling, but harder to walk in.

Pick a tread based on what you're doing. If you ride stuff that will ever involve a hike a bike, get something with a decent grippy tread you can hike in. If you're riding on slickrock, make sure it's rubbery and not hard plastic knobs or you'll be sliding all over the damn place if you need to walk or put a foot down.

If you're going to be baking all summer, make sure they have decent ventilation.

Thanks AC! I have a tendency to walk my ass up steep muddy or steep baby-head trails

$105 shoe/pedal package on pricepoint....
http://www.pricepoint.com/images/sty...OLZ3%20KIT.jpg

[Now my next JONG Q- what shoes do you guys/gals recommend?


One wod for raod and mtb shoes: Sidi
the best (if they fit you). period. nuff said.

Do not get Nike shoes for MTB! I bought a pair because they were cheap and I was due for a new pair. The soles started to rip off in the back after a couple of months of riding.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by freshies
[Now my next JONG Q- what shoes do you guys/gals recommend?


One wod for raod and mtb shoes: Sidi
the best (if they fit you). period. nuff said.

---

That is what i was told...

too bad they didn't fit:(

Agreed on Sidi- excellent shoes. I now need a pair of mtb shoes, but can't find Sidis in my size on sale. Tap, how much for the Specialized?

I have a set of Shimano shoes. They look a little more like a runner than a traditional biking shoe, They are also a little higher.
This is my 4th season with them now and they're still in great shape. I ride at least 4 times a week through the season. I will go with shimano again next time too.

Hey AG, how well do your feet stay on the pedals when you are not clipped in? I'm running flats on the new bike right now but its killing me on the climbs, but on super tech sections it's nice to be free. The other thing is I had gotten so used to clipless that it's hard for me to bunny hop now. I go to pull up and my feet just slip up off the pedal.

go to ebay

there is a guy selling Mallet C's for $50 buy now
Candy Sl's for $70 buy now

Quote:

---

Originally posted by flykdog
Hey AG, how well do your feet stay on the pedals when you are not clipped in? .

---

I really like the big platform. My feet stay put well enough that I don't really notice whether I'm clipped in or not on descents. The Mallet C's even come with two different replaceable cleat type things on the front and rear so you can make them more or less grippy - I left the less grippy ones on to start and they're working well, and figure I'll use the more grippy ones for DH. I've actually had occasions where I've forgotten I'm not clipped in and only realized it when I'm climbing and try and pull up for extra power.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Viva
Agreed on Sidi- excellent shoes.

---

I liked mine a lot until we spent more time riding in Moab. Sidi's have that hard plastic sole thing that means you have no grip on slickrock - you might as well be wearing road shoes. If they gripped better I'd have gotten another pair. This year I found some AXO shoes that fit well on sale.

About swapping out your pedals - just make sure to use a liberal amount of grease on the pedal threads before attaching them to the cranks. If you don't, over time, your pedals will start making this high pitched creaking noise that WILL drive you nuts.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/...qx/product.htm

Time ATAC Alium's for 60 bucks all day long.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by flykdog
Hey AG, how well do your feet stay on the pedals when you are not clipped in? I'm running flats on the new bike right now but its killing me on the climbs, but on super tech sections it's nice to be free. The other thing is I had gotten so used to clipless that it's hard for me to bunny hop now. I go to pull up and my feet just slip up off the pedal.

---

Dude, on a nice trail bike like you have, get back to clipless. I use my Shimano DH's with the tension set really low and have no problems. I'm going to be using clipless on the DH bike a lot more this year as well. I wear a cannondale shoe that is half hiking shoe (really agressive soft rubber bottom but a stiff sole for pedaling). I had to cut a good deal out on the bottom around the cleat to ensure I could get in /out without any holdup.

SuPu doesn't need $120 shoes to ride his clipless pedals. I also doubt he would notice the difference between those and something quite a bit less.

Pu, the shoe's gotta fit, so go into local shops, try shit on till you find something that feels good and doesn't give you sticker shock. Don't get caught up in the mtb mentality that makes non-racing shlubs (such as myself) think they need to spend triple figures on pedals on top of another triple figures for shoes.

Basically, don't let yourself buy the mtb-shoe equivalent of Pilot Rockets for mas $$$.

there are some clipless pedals out there that are one-sided - one side clipless and the other side flat. i have some wellgos (spd) like that. these are great for those trails that have sections that you DON'T want to be clipped-in. trying to negotiate technical rocky sections clipped in can be quite stressful sometimes, and trying to do it without clipping in is even worse.

and i concur with phunk, you don't need expensive shoes. i got the low end specialized shoes on closeout (i think i paid $10!) and they are fine. i still use them for XC with fully clipless pedals.

btw, i'm heading out for a bike ride right now - first one of the new season! :)