Originally Posted by
kmv2
I never had good experience with off brand pedals. The float, and durability is not on par with what they are based on. Hence saving a couple of bucks. They are in essence cheap copies of a proprietary system that was originally designed by someone else.
I've had the opposite experience with 2 different house-brand pedals: Nashbar and Performance (Forte) SPD pedals which I've used on my commuter/distance bike for quite some time. I paid under $30 for each pair, and they've lasted me an admirable amount of miles. My Nashbar SPDs went over 5 years before one of the front retention clips broke. Not bad for a big guy on a singlespeed, pulling hard on the pedals over lots of hills.
I replaced them with a Performance Forte SPD pedal, and they have been working quite well after I made an adjustment to the retension setting. They were initially set *really* light, and I pulled my cleat out just trying to climb a slight incline. I cranked them down tighter, and these pedals are working fine now.
YMMV.