Mountain Biking - Pedal and Crank questions!

Hi guys

I got some questions. I have read some reviews for the 959 pedals. They said that they are not durable. Also i have read good reviews for the Time ATACallium and Time atac Z-freeride. I was considering the z-freeride because of the platform that allows to pedal unclipped. Any opinions?
Also i have read reviews that say that the DeoreXT cranks are crap and fall off the axle easily. Anyway i am looking for the toughest BB-Crank combo feasible without spending a fortune. So NEXTLPs and Nshore ,Turbine are out of the question.
I am thinking about XT 2003 Cranks + ES70 BB Octalink
and Raceface Prodigy with a RF BB but dont know which.
Help me out if possible.
Also Prodigy stem worth? or not? should i go for the Deus?
I am doing aggresive XC and mild downhills with a hardtail.
I dont do drops at all.

I have about 1500 miles on a set of 959's with zero problems. Out of 71 reviews, they have a 4.49 out of 5 rating on mtbr.com.

The old square-taper XT cranks would come loose...at least mine did. They also creaked. I doubt thats a problem with the new Octalink XT.

2003 XTR is a one piece bottom bracket and crankset.

Oh, I don't know about the Deuce yet...I just installed one on my new frame but haven't ridden it yet. It FEELS very solid for what it's worth :)

That's bull**** about the XT cranks coming out. Besides with the new octalink you really cant go wrong b/c it's basically an ISIS bottom bracket with one less/more engagement points so that Shimano could patent it and not go ISIS while staying with a strong combonation. I've got an 03' LX crank with Octalink and it's definately stiffer than my old shimano square taper BB. Plus the XT cranks are a lot lighter than the other ones you're looking at

Good luck

Originally posted by math2p14
I was considering the z-freeride because of the platform that allows to pedal unclipped. Any opinions?


Platform clipless pedals are not designed to be used with regular shoes, they just provide a more stable base when clipped in. If you wear regular shoes, you are still riding on top of the clamp part.

And palooka, there is an edit button at the bottom of your posts, you can use that instead of posting twice.

You mean that the platform extra weight isnt worth if i am counting on pedaling unclipped?

Originally posted by KleinMp99



And palooka, there is an edit button at the bottom of your posts, you can use that instead of posting twice.

Klein, there is an edit signature button in your control panel. You can use that to take out your annoying advertisements :)

Oh yeah...

Shimano 324:
http://pricepoint.com/media/Shimano_324Pedal.jpg

One side is a platform, the other is SPD :beer:

Either crank and bb combo you mentioned would be fine. They are certainly comparable in quality. IMHO, the Race Face is a better setup just because it's a little more rare. If you're going to go with a Race Face stem, I'd go with the Deus. Much better than the Prodigy. 959 pedals are about our best seller at our shop and no one has had a problem. You might also want to check out Crank Brothers' Egg Beaters. I'm a big fan of those.

Originally posted by palooka
Klein, there is an edit signature button in your control panel. You can use that to take out your annoying advertisements :)

Awwwwww I didnt mean to make you cryhttp://64.207.13.28/mysmilies/contrib/ruinkai/FIREdevil.gif