What kind of pedals should I buy?

[Monique]

I'm getting a new xcountry bike and thinking I'll include the pedals when I sell my old one. I've been riding SPD pedals and am out of the loop about the best current alternatives.

I ride mostly Northwest-style single track, i.e. lots of roots, small rock drops and mud, mud/more mud, with occasional trips to dryer climates like Moab, Sun Valley, etc.

So: what d'ya like, what d'ya think I should buy, and why?

[Viva]

Speedplay Frogs because I had these once and liked them

Egg Beaters because they're nice and I have a barely used pair to sell you.

[Beaver]

Depends on what you like and what you plan to do. If you are freeriding/DHing and want to be able to be off your pedal in a milisecond get flats. If you are mixing up XC & Freeriding/dh but want to be stuck to your pedals get platforms with cleats (I dunno what they are called but they are basically a platform with an spd in them) that way you can pull your foot off and put it back on a platform without worrying about getting into the cleat. If you are old like me and have quit hucking your meat ride SPDs. It's all personal preference. If you have more cash than sense you can spend a shit load on pedals. Personally, I have never spent more than about $30 on a set and have never bent or had any troubles with any.

[gravitylover]

Crank Brothers Egg Beaters or Candy. Light, easy to maintain and easy in/out. The other option is the Time ATAC, again light and easy in/out and the bonus is next to nothing for maintenance. I have 4 years on my ATAC's and 0 problems.

[assgasorgrass]

original eggbeaters are probably the best in regards to clicking in in muddy conditions, they are light and the cro-mo ones are reasonably priced. there isn't much to them platform wise but the Candy's address this issue. I don't know if the Candy's are rated as high in muddy conditions as the originals.

[SkiingBear]

Just bought my second pair of eggbeaters. It's the only pedal I wil ever buy again for a MTB. Might look at the candy or mallet for a FR/DH bike, but for XC, it's the original stainless eggbeater all the way.

As for warranty, my buddy bent the spindle on his eggbeaters. Called Crank Bros. and was told to take it to any dealer where it would be replaced no questions asked. Took old pedals in, walked out with new pedals...can't beat warranty returns that are that simple.

[Gaffney10]

I've heard the Time ATAC's are really good!

[chaka]

I have to 2nd the vote for the Crank Bros eggbeaters. Candy vs Regular... depends on if you want to use your rig to tool around on without the riding shoes occasionally. Get the Candys in this case. Prior to eggbeaters, I had Speedplay frogs... great zero-tension float if you have knee issues, light, clears mud pretty well, etc. but I was annoyed by how fast the cleat system wore down creating slop in the vertical direction. After two replacement cleat pairs in less than a year, I went eggbeaters.

[bagtagley]

Despite my best judgement, I've gone back to the Shimano. I've gotten accustomed to the platform clipless pedals (M-545/646), and the Shimanos have performed the best for me. I used to be the poster child for anti-shimano pedal sentiment, so it feels weird to say that.

Regardless of the pedal you choose, unless you're racing, I personally would suggest the platform style. On decents, you've got a platform in case you don't have the leverage to get in, you can ride w/o mtb shoes (to an extent) and with the smaller pedals like the crank brothers (even w/ a stiff racing sole) I get pains in the balls of my feet, so the extra support is appreciated.

If you're dead set against Shitmano, I'd suggest Time pedals.

[Monique]

Yes I definitely want to be attached to the pedal--lots of fire roads and long technical climbs in my neighborhood--and yes I'm old like Beaver and not likely to (purposely) huck myself off anything more than a couple-foot drop. So it sounds as if I should check out the original-style eggbeaters, swing by the Candys as long as I'm at it, and take a look at Time ATACs. Thanks, all y'all, for the smarts. Viva, what's yer price point on those eggbeaters?

[snow_slider]

I'd vote no on the eggbeaters, but a very loud HELLL YES on the candys.

If you're riding a lot of techie stuff, you might want to clip out and still have a pedal platform of sorts for your feet. You won't get this with the eggbeaters. Candys will give you everything the eggbeaters do and will also give you a (small) platform to use for peddaling when clipped out.

[Arnold Babar]

Never had a problem w/ Schimano, they haven't broke, and no need to buy new for 10 years. Schimano hegemony= bad, Schimano products = pretty damn good IMO. My friends all swear by Time, and the Crankbros. get good reviews here. I don't think you can really go wrong.

[Monique]

Hmmm, maybe Candys go to the top of the list. I will check out all three though.

My luck hasn't been as good as Arnold with SPD style pedals, I've had them break on me twice now and although they weren't Shimano they weren't the cheapest possible either, I'm going to say around $70. For where I usually ride they hold too much mud, which creates problems getting in; and the cupped metal-to-metal contact seizes up when it's super dry and dusty (e.g. at Moab), which creates problems getting out, despite wax-lubing the contact, etc.

I do like that there is a decent platform when you stand on instead of in the pedal. I also liked the time I buried the front wheel in a hole on a steep descent and was able to double-eject over the bars and land on my feet.

Okay so now I can't wait for my new bike to get here....

[jimmy page]

I like the Time pedals. I have used them in all conditions on a mountain bike and have even moved them over to use on a road bike and they have never let me down.

[snow_slider]

Just be careful of the Time Atac Carbons. The pedal body can crack pretty easily when slammed into rocks and stuff. Check out the Time Atac Z. Nice platform and all metal construction:
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...6&category=397

Crank Brothers Candy is still my top choice though.

[Monique]

Thanks, great info all around.

So is my new bike here yet? Is it here yet? Why isn't it here? Will it get here today? When will it get here? Is it here yet...?!!

[Cornholio]

Thanks, great info all around.

So is my new bike here yet? Is it here yet? Why isn't it here? Will it get here today? When will it get here? Is it here yet...?!!

Heh. I totally know this feeling, and I found out today that I have at least 3 MORE WEEKS. So frusterating. Doubly so because I'm selling my old bike this weekend and will be forced to ride my 'cross bike everywhere until then! D'oh!

[funkendrenchman]

Time ATAC.. I have had mine for 4 years and have never had a problem.... they also have just about the best performance of any pedal in mud. Check out the reviews on www.mtbr.com

[Pedro]

I just put some candies on my bike the other day and took it for a spin today, very nice, it was very muddy today and i never had any issuse getting in to the pedals.

[fondigley]

If you aint bought a pair yet, read on.

I rock Time ATAC, not the carbon, but composite and have beat the crap out of them for the past 5 years. They show some wear, a small piece broke off some time ago, don't really remember. Raced 2, 24 hours of Snowshoe races in the nastiest mud around, where my shoes were completely ripped apart because the mud was so thick, ripped the bottoms right off of them, but they still clipped in no problem through all that. And have raced in several XC races over the past 4 years, with no problem. Also have some Time platform clip in pedals Bag sent me which work well for me for DH. I retired Shimano years ago when Bag was anti as well. They just seemed more difficult to clip in and out compared to the Time.

I have a brand new pair of Eggbeaters just waiting for me to purchase a new bike, but I may end up selling, since mainly into freeride and DH now. But gave the GF a pair of Eggbeaters last year for her road bike and she loves em. (Bought a few pair of Eggbeaters for cost, dirt cheap when sponsored.)

[Ski Monkey]

I'm riding atac's as well. I don't have much to compare them to but they've worked awesome for me. Not planning on changing them anytime soon.

[Monique]

I finally got the bike the day before skiing reopened locally so I haven't put pedals on it yet...but I'll check out the options and then repost to see if anyone's trying to sell a pair at that point, thanks!