sabazel

Hey all. I'm at Interbike and I got the chance to ride in some Bebop pedals. I have to say, I liked them. I felt secure, they had nice release but won't come undone on a hard effort, and were easy to clip in/out of. Weight wise they beat Speedplay in all three versions (cro-mo, steel, and ti). They can be used in theory for both mountain and road, and though I wouldn't race cyclocross in them, they seem to be a useful, all around pedal system.

Except that they are for "dorks," as all my friends keep reminding me.

Please, someone explain why? I'm curious from both an aesthetic and a performance viewpoint, as of course, all the rep did was talk them up.

tagaproject6

What matters most is that you like them and if you find them useful, get them.

Gearhead65

Terrible product name.

lechat

I have them on both my road bikes and my mtn. bike. Love them.

BikeWise1

If you have friends who like to say things like that, get new friends. It's not the equipment you choose that might make you a dork, but calling other people dorks, is, well.....dorky.

Better to have an open mind about new products than act like anything outside one's normal sphere of knowledge is the province of dorkdom.

CyciumX

Yes, completely abandon a friendship over the usage of the term dork. Thats logical and moral....from an idiots viewpoint.

BikeWise1

Having a chorus of apparently small minded, immature sounding people hanging around me doesn't sound like what I consider "friends" but to each their own.

Besides, it's not like he was trying to ride around with PowerGrips and bowling shoes..... that ensemble might just win a scarlet "D".

ADSR

You call that dorky?

Fat Boy

They're pretty damned nice for the road. I use them and have used them for quite a while. You can't get the $500 dollar model like you can with Speedplay or Look. You have to settle for the $85 model that's lighter, works just as well, and lasts forever. It's a real problem.

mrvile

wat

Speedplay Zeros are the same weight as Bebops throughout the entire line (cromo, stainless, titanium). Also, the cromo Bebop is about $90 and the titanium model is $350. Speedplays are $120 and $330 respectively.

a_phat_beat

i don't consider anyone a friend until we can exchange insults without hurting each others feelings. but then again i don't spend my time swilling sherry at the fireplace thumbing through the economist. lighten up.

Fat Boy

OK, I thought there was one version of Speedplays that were just crazy money (as if $330 isn't), my bad. Anyway, I got mine for $85 and haven't looked back. To think that one is cool and the other is dorky is a bit much. They're very similar.

Carbon Unit

I don't ride to make a fashion statement, so I don't care if people think I look dorky--because I do. What I do care about is equipment that works well and is durable. I have used Speedplay since taking up cycling 4 years ago. I can't imagine that I would like any pedals better than my Speedplays since they are fool proof. I say this because I am a fool and I can use them. However, if Bebops worked better, I would switch. Anyone make the change from Speedplay to Bebops? If so, what has been your experience?

Fat Boy

Honestly, they don't work better than Speedplays. They're almost exactly the same idea, they're just done a little differentyly. Speedplay actually tried to sue Bebop and lost. 2 companies came up with about the same idea at about the same time. There's no need to switch in either direction.

Since you're in Orange County, it might be interesting that Bebops originally came from Huntington Beach, but they come from China like everything else, now.

SlimAgainSoon

What are Bebops?

Never heard of them.

Carbon Unit

Thanks. I have never actually seen anyone use Bebops. At least with Speedplays, I can go into my local bike shop and buy cleats.

I didn't know that Bebops started in Huntington Beach.

Carbon Unit

https://www.beboppedals.com/

crhilton

So what makes these suck? Not that they aren't good, but every pedal system sucks in some way. I doubt I'm going to see any of these around here, speed plays and crank bros are special order items around here. And I rarely see Time.

Velo Dog

I don't know a thing about those pedals...but I can say with absolute assurance that in more than 40 years as an adult cyclist, I've never once looked at anybody's pedals and said or thought, "Boy, that guy must be a dork.?
Who gives a f*** what kind of pedals are on somebody else's bike?

Fat Boy

Well, going on your premise, I think the same criticism that I'd have for Bebops I'd have for Speedplays. When you have a big cleat like on a Shimano or Look Keo pedal, it tends to be more stable. You have limited float and in a full sprint (end of race), it feels more secure. You are using few muscles for stability, plain and simple. That's my criticism and why I've considered going back to a Look. I do like the float that I get with this type of pedal for every other situation, so it is a compromise.

MajorMantra

I can't help wondering if that's at least partly psychological. I've never felt in the slightest bit insecure about sprinting with my Speedplays. I have, on the other hand, pulled out of my SPDs unintentionally. One of the things that I like about Speedplays (and I don't love them unconditionally) is that it's very difficult to clip in or out by accident.

Gluteus

Availability. That's a problem.

brianappleby

Nobody I know uses them. And, as secure as they may be, the don't look secure in pictures on the internet. That's enough of a reason to stick with what I have.

mrvile

Hmm, I've never used the other platforms, but IMO the Speedplay cleats are pretty big, especially compared to MTB offerings (which includes Bebop).

lpolliard

They look like a SpeedPlay knock off to me.