Cyclocross Racing - preferred pedals...

what are people running? anyone run spd's?

I use spd's. I find them really easy to get in and out of, reliable, and they are cheap.

yeah, it's probably my shabby dismount technique rather than the spd. I'd like to try eggbeaters but I'm not sure it'd be any easier for me.

eggbeaters! it's SO much easier. i have kind of a hard time with spd's, but eggbeaters are just fantastic, i actually use them on my road race bike as well. i won't ride anything but.

Performance still has those blue-spindled eggbeaters for $55, which is a relatively cheap way of trying them out. Don't get the MXR version. I had to return mine and apparently others have as well.

i started a thread further down. was racing eggs and liked them. i've done 3 races and a bunch of practice races on candies now and prefer them so far. like having a bit of platform. haven't done anything in really thick mud yet, maybe that would change my mind. the eggs are always in the toolbox anyway.

I used SPDs forever with no problem. Recently converted to Time alium, and now my knees feel better after a ride than before. Cheap enough and good, very good.

Ron

What is the problem with the mxr? Poorly made?

And what about smarties?

allright, I couldn't help myself... I ran to the LBS at lunch and bought the C's. Plopped them on, and rode around my driveway/yard for a min. before I had to book it back to work.

unreal, they go in like BUTTER. BUTTER, JERRY! There is a little bit of vertical play but nothing to get in a twist over. I def. wouldn't rock these racing crits but for CX they seem ideal.

what are people running? anyone run spd's?

The Shimano 959 has the best bearings of all the pedals. It's got the best construction. Mud clearance is fine. It'll last the longest with the least maintenance. Perhaps best value. They aren't cheap though.

ATACs are the old standard. They went to new bearings a few years back which are of inferior quality. You will probably rebuild them as frequently as the Eggs/Candies. They are a fine pedal.

Eggs/Candies are the new standard. There are plenty of reports of sudden catastrophic failures. The end of the spindle will sometimes snap off and the whole pedal body detaches from the spindle. I've owned three sets for a number of years now without incident. I love the Eggs and consider those who prefer Candies to be wussies. I rebuild them about once a year.

atmo, ymmv, hth, &c

I have SPD's. I actually like them alot better than my previous Looks.

Another vote here for Candies- wussy or not, if I miss clipping in I can still pedal without worrying about my foot coming off the pedal. I previously used ATACs for 'cross, and they were fine, but I had problems with the cap that holds the pedal in place along the spindle coming loose and allowing side-to-side play. I still use ATACs on my MTBs, though.

I went from spds to eggs and now ATACs. They all have pros and cons. I'm mclovin my ATACs now.

I use spd's in one for or another on every bike I own, includeing bith of ny cross bikes. Have not had a problem with mud buildup.

shimano pd-959's or eggbeaters

I'm switching from shimano to crank bros. candy this season. The candy are so much easier for me to clip in (and clip out) and the platform gives me that extra little security if I clip out too soon before coming up to a barrier or run-up.

I've been running eggbeaters for 5 years now I think. I got them when I was going to school up in Corvallis. I love them and wouldn't give them up.

Wussy Candy user/abuser here. That little platform is helpful getting going if your remounting technique is not quite as solid as it should be yet. Maybe some day I will overcome wussyness and go for plain ol' Eggbeaters, but I doubt it.

I've gone back and forth between Crank Bros and Times. Both performed well, but the Times have proven more reliable in the longterm. I tend to put quite a bit of stress on the bearings/bushings being 190lbs, and riding rain, mud, and snow.

I haven't used SPDs in 10 years, but I'm sure the newer designs are also good for mud clearance as well as durability.

anyone have any problems with the Candy C? I'm a 190 lb rider not exactly concerned about shaving grams, just a pedal with an easy dismount/ remount that won't break. Coming from spds, which I've been happy with, but then I have no comparison.

If you keep the eggbeaters greased with the little tool they supply, the catastrophic failure is pretty much nil from what I read. I have some of the stainless, 2xti, 3xti and ti with no problems.

4 pairs for me, on and off road. They are the bomb.

also looking at the Smartys. are there any shoes that do NOT work with the Smartys due to tread, platform contact?

Pedals are like saddles. Everybody has an opinion on them, and more than likely, it won't be the same if you ask ten people. Get the pedals (saddle / bars / insert bike part here) that works best for you, the way you ride, and what you need it for.

also looking at the Smartys. are there any shoes that do NOT work with the Smartys due to tread, platform contact?

i had issues with 07 dominators and candies (never ridden smarties). i could clip in, but with noticeably more effort and fuss than with regular ole eggbeaters. so the candies are now on the road bike, eggbeaters on the cross.

I have set of ATACs but the left spindle is bent. I'm debating getting another set as SPD-compatible pedals are so much cheaper (and I'm cheap).

The new Look Quartz pedals look very similar to ATACs... I wonder if they perform similarly.

Shimano 525 SPDs, or 545, or whatever the number is, they're the mid-range ones. They work fine for me, step down, click in, and ride like a madman. I started using SPDs back when I race racing MTBs in the early 90s, and now I use the SPDs on my SS and CX bike. Either way, ryand hit the nail on the head: there are a lot of pedals and a lot of opinions. Mine is that you can't go wrong with SPDs and they'll work just fine for CX racing.

(BTW, shameless plug for the SPDs; Sven Nys rides the 959s)

My new bike is coming with eggbeater Cs. I'm wondering if I should try them out or stick with Shimano. I'm curious to try the eggbeaters, but I'm thinking the Shimanos would be better for road use as well, since I can ratchet the tension up (the bike is going to be my roadie as well as cross rig).

If I use the eggbeaters a bit, it will hurt the resale value. I'm torn, but leaning towards sticking with shimano, as I've had no issues with them and my klutzy beginner feet like the small platform the pedals provide.

My new bike is coming with eggbeater Cs. I'm wondering if I should try them out or stick with Shimano. I'm curious to try the eggbeaters, but I'm thinking the Shimanos would be better for road use as well, since I can ratchet the tension up (the bike is going to be my roadie as well as cross rig).

If I use the eggbeaters a bit, it will hurt the resale value. I'm torn, but leaning towards sticking with shimano, as I've had no issues with them and my klutzy beginner feet like the small platform the pedals provide.

For what it's worth, I ride the eggbeaters on both mountain bikes, a cross bike, and my road bike. If you are racing crits, I'd perhaps reconsider, but if you are just talking about riding your cross bike on the road, etc, the eggbeaters will work fine. I logged thousands of miles on road with mine.

Give them a gentle try; They will technically already be used (i.e. lacking the fancy metal package, etc), so I don't think an hour on them is going to hurt their ebay price much.

Good luck,
m

I use Eggbeaters and I'm happy with them. They're a breeze to get out of - in fact when they were brand new I was a bit worried - there was no sense of tension before unclipping ... you just rolled out of them w/ no resistance. Now that I've broken them in they have some feedback and I stuck with them over the Time ATACs I used to use just because they're lighter, 4-sided and in theory should clear mud a bit better. I had no specific issues w/ the Time pedals though and really enjoyed them when I used them.

(I initially switched because I work at a shop and was trying out a number of pedals for experience)

I don't like SPDs because in my case the float isn't enough. Others have done just fine w/ them but they're not for me.

In Canada at least, Time/Cranks Bros rebuild kits are available from two huge suppliers that every shop deals with. That means people can get these replacement parts in without any hassle. With Shimano (you have to buy Shimano pedals from Shimano Canada), wait times on orders are notoriously long at times and it can be a huge hassle to get stuff in in-season. That's one other obscure thing to consider.

i had issues with 07 dominators and candies (never ridden smarties). i could clip in, but with noticeably more effort and fuss than with regular ole eggbeaters. so the candies are now on the road bike, eggbeaters on the cross.

+1

I just switched back to eggbeaters from candies and noticed a huge difference (for the better) in ease-of-use.