Time Pedal Obsession
#1
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From: North, Ga.
Bikes: 3Rensho-Aerodynamics, Bernard Hinault Look - 1986 tour winner, Guerciotti, Various Klein's & Panasonic's
Time Pedal Obsession
I have been kind of obsessing over old Time equipe & TBT pedals as of late.
They sometimes go for next to nothing on EB@y. Must not be at all popular.
Do any of you folks ride with them?
Most of my bikes just hand around and the bright colors look cool.
They sometimes go for next to nothing on EB@y. Must not be at all popular.
Do any of you folks ride with them?
Most of my bikes just hand around and the bright colors look cool.
#2
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Bikes: 1986 Alan Record Carbonio, 1985 Vitus Plus Carbone 7, 1984 Peugeot PSV, 1972 Line Seeker, 1986(est.) Medici Aerodynamic (Project), 1985(est.) Peugeot PY10FC
Time makes good pedals that work, since they started making clipless pedals shortly after Look pioneered the industry just before the mid 80's. I always wanted to try out Time pedals since then, but I always found Looks to be a much better, more efficient clipless pedal design. The Time pedals seem to always be a bit bulkier and heaver with more moving parts than the very elegantly simple and light Look pedal designs, and that is why I think, Look had always been the leader in the industry while Time seem to be always catching up with Look in term of popularity. Every time I shop for a new set of pedals for my C&V bike projects these days, I always consider trying out Time pedals, but I always end up concluding that Look pedals still give me the best value for my money, as much as they did when I bought my first pair back in 85 for my PSV.
As for old Time and Look pedals going for peanuts at eBay, It seems like pretty much all of them do (except for maybe the Campagnolos becuase of goofy reasons we are already familiar with), including Looks as you can usually get new clipless pedals at the end of the season from retailers like PBS for so cheap (I bought all my Keo Classics in the past few years from them for something like 68 bucks a set) that it does not really make sense to buy NOS at ebay, so the market for C&V/NOS does not really exist... I also consider clipless pedals like ski bindings, so I always try to go for the newest/best designs for more safety.
JMOs
As for old Time and Look pedals going for peanuts at eBay, It seems like pretty much all of them do (except for maybe the Campagnolos becuase of goofy reasons we are already familiar with), including Looks as you can usually get new clipless pedals at the end of the season from retailers like PBS for so cheap (I bought all my Keo Classics in the past few years from them for something like 68 bucks a set) that it does not really make sense to buy NOS at ebay, so the market for C&V/NOS does not really exist... I also consider clipless pedals like ski bindings, so I always try to go for the newest/best designs for more safety.
JMOs
Last edited by Chombi; 09-20-14 at 01:16 PM.
#3
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From: North, Ga.
Bikes: 3Rensho-Aerodynamics, Bernard Hinault Look - 1986 tour winner, Guerciotti, Various Klein's & Panasonic's
I agree Look pedals are a simpler and probably better design. Lemond & Indurane used Time and I road Time back in the day. My mailbox contained a pair of Time Mag pedals this afternoon. $10 from ebay. I like the design.
Time makes good pedals that work, since they started making clipless pedals shortly after Look pioneered the industry just before the mid 80's. I always wanted to try out Time pedals since then, but I always found Looks to be a much better, more efficient clipless pedal design. The Time pedals seem to always be a bit bulkier and heaver with more moving parts than the very elegantly simple and light Look pedal designs, and that is why I think, Look had always been the leader in the industry while Time seem to be always catching up with Look in term of popularity. Every time I shop for a new set of pedals for my C&V bike projects these days, I always consider trying out Time pedals, but I always end up concluding that Look pedals still give me the best value for my money, as much as they did when I bought my first pair back in 85 for my PSV.
As for old Time and Look pedals going for peanuts at eBay, It seems like pretty much all of them do (except for maybe the Campagnolos becuase of goofy reasons we are already familiar with), including Looks as you can usually get new clipless pedals at the end of the season from retailers like PBS for so cheap (I bought all my Keo Classics in the past few years from them for something like 68 bucks a set) that it does not really make sense to buy NOS at ebay, so the market for C&V/NOS does not really exist... I also consider clipless pedals like ski bindings, so I always try to go for the newest/best designs for more safety.
JMOs
As for old Time and Look pedals going for peanuts at eBay, It seems like pretty much all of them do (except for maybe the Campagnolos becuase of goofy reasons we are already familiar with), including Looks as you can usually get new clipless pedals at the end of the season from retailers like PBS for so cheap (I bought all my Keo Classics in the past few years from them for something like 68 bucks a set) that it does not really make sense to buy NOS at ebay, so the market for C&V/NOS does not really exist... I also consider clipless pedals like ski bindings, so I always try to go for the newest/best designs for more safety.
JMOs
#5
weapons-grade bolognium


Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Across the street from Chicago
Bikes: Battaglin Cromor, Ciocc Designer 84, Schwinn Superior 1981
Rode them back in the mid-90s. Not a bad system, but something about the "float" didn't agree with my left leg.
#6
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From: Pennsyl-tuckey
Bikes: '86 Cannondale SR400, '86 Pugeot PX10, '92 Bianchi Axis, '95 Bianchi Campione d'Italia, '00 Fondriest X-Status, '08 Specialized Roubaix, '13 Cannondale CAADX
I rode them from about 1991 to 2009. They were awesome, but I broke one reached out to Look Keo's. They just seem more elegant and simple.
#7
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From: North, Ga.
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I agree, they are totally outdated. The worst part is the huge cleat. Probably the worst set up for walking ever invented. I put put them on my old bikes because they look cool and they are cheap. SPd's and shoes with a concealed cleat are my favorite these days but putting them on a classic ride is an abomination.
#9
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From: North, Ga.
Bikes: 3Rensho-Aerodynamics, Bernard Hinault Look - 1986 tour winner, Guerciotti, Various Klein's & Panasonic's
Those look like the first design from 1988 to around 95?? Later the design changed to a more pointy look like what my photos show. I wish I could find more info on models or history on the net .
#10
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From: Appleton WI
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IIRC, Time pedals were created by some one(s) who split off from Look to try their own ideas (float?). Nothing wrong with them, but they never really caught on, particularly as Look and others came out with their own floating cleats, and Time's cleat was incompatible with other pedals.
#12
FWIW, Time was a very formidable brand in the mtb market in the late '90's, very early 2000's, with the Time ATAC's. My guess is that Time made, by far, more money selling ATAC mtb pedals than any road pedal they ever produced. ATACs rivaled Shimano SPDs in popularity at the time (and that's saying something), because they cleared mud better than anything else on the market then.....Again, FWIW.
....ATACS are still available, but to me they seem dated now, and other brands came along with even better mud clearing capabilities, which took their market share for the most part.
....ATACS are still available, but to me they seem dated now, and other brands came along with even better mud clearing capabilities, which took their market share for the most part.
#13
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I liked Time pedals and used them before switching to Speedplay. One problem they had was that you had to use a 4-bolt Time shoe or put up with a clunky adapter. The cleats were easier to walk on and lasted forever (made of brass and aluminum).
#14
#15
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From: North, Ga.
Bikes: 3Rensho-Aerodynamics, Bernard Hinault Look - 1986 tour winner, Guerciotti, Various Klein's & Panasonic's
#16
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Time ATAC , for the SPD type shoes. the Aluminum ones were well priced..
they update them lighter bodies -Carbon Composites.. but the simple spring itself holds the cleat is brilliantly simple.
they update them lighter bodies -Carbon Composites.. but the simple spring itself holds the cleat is brilliantly simple.
Last edited by fietsbob; 09-25-14 at 12:33 PM.
#17
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#18
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I've recently picked up some on ebay for pennies too (Titan Magnesium £180 new, 99p now on ebay!) although some have worn and clicky bearings.The Time pedals are chunky but for me that's part of their charm. I started with Shimano PD-6401 Look pedals for a couple of years but although they're sleek, they're quite anonymous whereas the time are very distinctive, especially on an old steel framed bike with downtube shifters!
The main upside - you can move your foot how you like laterally and rotationally. The first time I rode them it felt very strange as if my foot was about to slide off but I got used to them quite quickly. There's also no way to to release accidentally. The Look pedal relies on the spring tension. The shape of the cleat provides leverage against the tension to unclip, but if you can pull the spring back, it will unclip (as happened to me a couple of times in signpost sprints with the Shimanos). With the Time pedals the cleats engage in the pedal and the red clip and the geometry won't allow accidental release, even if you could pull the spring away. The cleat needs to be rotated 20° to release, but as the spring isn't holding the cleat in place, but merely helping locate the cleat in the right place, release tension is lower.
The downsides? The plastic covers over the springs can come off and then they look naff. Also only a few shoes are compatible with the cleats so you need a plastic adapter for the look mounting which negates the much touted "bioperformance" closeness of sole to axle. However I've always used the adapter and can't say it feels any different to regular pedals. Finally there appear to be no spare parts, even on ebay, so you're facing a gamble on a set of pedals and hoping the parts you need are in those and ok. Oh and good luck working out how to get the spindles out, I still haven't worked it out!
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