clipless pedal recommendations
 

i use spd's on the track bike i commute on and i'm not too happy with them cause-

1. i'm big (175lb) and a strong sprinter/torquer and, even with the pedal retention as tight as possible and my bike geared at a healthy spinning 44:17, i can pull out of the pedals on a quick start (annoying) and i can pull out when braking especially hard (scary when your feet are your only braking mechanism) i would never even consider using them on my "for the actual track" track bike, since at 49:15 i wouldnt even be able to do a slow start without pulling out of the pedals.

2. they have no float, i get patellar and medial tendon pain in my knees if the cleat is even a milllimeter off perfect rotational alignment whenever i get a new cleat or switch shoes or something, and being a sprinter i'm especially nervous about the knees since i would like to still be walking and biking after age 40 without multiple surgeries.

however, i am happy with the ruggedness of them and with the volume of riding i do and the massive comfort difference and better energy transfer from going clipless i could never go back to clips and straps.

i have spd's on my mountain bike and road bike too so they're all i ever used. what pedals does everyone else use on a fixie?? any feedback on look, speedplay, time, eggbeaters or those track specific pedals?? any other recommendations???

most importantly i need something super strong, so i can sprint and brake with my mind at ease, also important is a little float for the knees and they need to be able to take a beating cause i ride 50+mi a day and i frequently have to walk 20-30m across concrete and i dont want to waste money on stuff that will need to be replaced all the time.

thanks in advance

I have eggbeaters. I love them. Never pull out. However, a messenger I know complained about the cleats wearing out quickly (he clips in and out way more than I do of course).

I've heard nothing but good things about the Time ATAC pedals. I think they have lots of float too.

I nearly gave up on clipless because I'd only used the spds that came on my bike. I'm very happy with ATACs and I use them on all my bikes. The first time I ever came unclipped was last week, when I was flying over the handlebars of my mountain bike, though I suppose I could have rotated my feet inward about 20 degrees.

Very secure and mounds of float and durable in my experience - I haven't tried eggbeaters because I'm in the 220 range.

speedplay frogs.
you can skid in them
they float like mad.
there are no springs.
they make me happy.

I tried my friend's SPD's, tightened them, and did a quick fishtailing skid. To skid like that you really have to throw your weight to the side and that starts with your ankles and legs. Of course this caused me to pop out of the pedals and rack myself on the stem.

So this won't happen with Frogs or ATACs? That'd be great because I REALLY liked how the clipless pedals felt but I REALLY did not like how it felt to have my heart jump up into my throat.

my frogs skid fine.

the only problem with frogs is there's no 'click' for in/out, because there are no springs. so, sometimes you float to far and fall out. but that's only if you're mad goofy when you pedal. really.

the no spring thing is super good for your knees. that means it doesn't even take any pressure to get out. ideal.

I have been riding eggbreaters for about 3 years and like them alot. They take the mashing and stomping single speeders and fixed riders dish out. I weigh in at 210 lbs, so their titanium spindles are off limits. CrankBros also stand by their product and have good customer service. They replaced a failed Chromo spindle WAY past the two year warranty. With that said; if I were buying again tomorrow, I would try the Speedplay Frogs because they seem to have a better bearing spec'. Specifically, they feature needle bearings inboard near the crank, where the 'beaters make due with a plastic bushing. Both have sealed ball bearings outboard. I don't know how big a sealed bearing the Frogs have, but I was surprised by how small a bearing CrankBros spec'd. But hey, I'm not an engineer and perhaps the sealed bearing in the Frogs is no bigger. Recently my 'beaters started to creak and click. Cleaning and lubing didn't help any longer. I just recieved a rebuilt kit (bearings, bushings, seals & nuts for $15) which I'll be installing tonight.

DanO

I'm in the Time ATAC club. They rock. No complaints. Have never unclipped. Bash them into things they are okay. I ride them on the velodrome too. Though I don't skid often, when I have, they've been fine. I have the XS version, but the cheaper Alium's are pretty much the same I think. They're just a little heavier and don't have the futuristic alien spacecraft steez of the XS. They also have lots of float which you can change by switching the foot that the L and R cleats are on. + 3 different release tensions. They are my first clipless pedals, so I have nothing to compare them to, but I think they're great.

However, there's a good sale on blue-spindled egg-beaters... I don't know if it's over yet, but the price is right. I was considering it. Still am. You know, for one of the next 4 bikes I get.

are your cleats worn? new cleats = less chance of unclipping, regardless of pedal type.

I love my Times, use them on my MTB and my fixie.

From what I have always heard, Crank Brothers chose to make their cleats from brass on purpose. The notion is that the softer cleats will wear out faster, but will keep your pedals in good shape longer. I guess they figure its cheaper to replace cleats than pedals...However, I have no idea how well this philosophy works.

Forget clipless.....YOU need double straps... :D

are eggbeater cleats more walkable? I've been trying clipless on my road bike, and while I can walk in them, I wouldn't even think about moving quickly in my bike shoes off the bike. does it also have something to do with road shoes, since they don't have any tread at all on the bottom? would mountain shoes be more walkable?

It depends on the shoe... but as a rule, any mountain bike shoe is WAY better for walking around off the bike simply because they are designed with recessed cleats with that in mind. Of course if you're riding a road bike in the company of other roadies be prepared for some serious razzing.

DanO

Road shoes are not made to walk on the ground. They are made to ride your bike. MTB shoes will perform on the ground just fine.

Time ATAC's are the only clipless pedals I've ever seen on a brakeless fixed gear ridden by a messenger in Boston. I think that means something. Mine work good. I still come out on occasion, but it's never been a big problem.

yeah, I don't walk around a lot on the shoes, but I plan on building up a fixie and I want shoes for them that i can walk around in but I enjoy riding clipless.

it has something to do with road vs mountain, though not pertaining to treads... road cleats protrude out from the sole, while mountain cleats are recessed...

shoes that fit eggbeaters cleat are generally walkable

I generally cruise around, 10-15mph at the most, and if a hills in the way, I'm not too proud to get off and walk, I've got nothing to prove to myself or anyone else.

So I've been thinking about getting a pair of the Shimano or Lake sandals. I've never really liked wearing shoes if I didn't have to. But these are for the SPD type clips, can egg beater clips fit and screw onto these sandals as well? The Time ATAC's clips apparently fit SPD compatible shoes.

i ride the SPD-SL pedals (look style, lance pedal, etc) by shimano. i have them set to their bare minimum tension, and i have never pulled out of them, and i can give the pedals a good yank on a stand-up-and-sprint. i ride them on both the track bike and road bike, and i would recommend them to anyone. only thing is the cleat is not designed at all for walking as it is sizable.

I use time attacs also, and haven't pulled out accidently yet.

Used to use spd's but prefer the time attacs.

Of course. Eggbeater cleats fit all SPD-compatible shoes.
What's more, they are flatter, so protrude less from the sole than SPDs. So even if the sole is worn already, you wont make funny noises when walking. (Actually, depending on the sole of the actual shoe, you might have to use the shim tha comes with the to make them protrude more, in which case the advantage is gone.)

i'm casting my vote for time atacs...i had the same problem of unexpected clip-out and since switching to time's it has never happened. i think it has to do with the fact that time's allow more float without unclipping than spd's.

I ordered shoes and pedals (Time ATAC XS) last week and they finally came in today. I've never ridden clipless pedals of any kind before, just clips and double straps.

Clipless pedals are so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking some up. It's like the last bit of slop in the drivetrain has been eliminated. I feel more connected and in control. Smoother. Something I can do now that I couldn't do with clips/straps is unclip while moving and easily clip back in. The couple of times I tried that with clips, they spun around madly, crashing and scraping on the pavement and it was dang near impossible to get my feet back in. I thought it might take a while to get the hang of clipless, but it's really easy to clip in and out. I put them on in the parking lot behind the store, circled around a few times clipping in and out, then rode them home. The ATACs have a bit of float, which is nice for the knees. I did plenty of skidding and never felt like I was gonna pop out. Of course, the cleats are brand new - I don't know how they'll be in a few months.

thanks everybody for the input, i picked up some nib eggbeater sl's on ebay for 50 and then a friend hooked me up with a pair of the atac's too. so give a month or so and i'll post my thoughts on em all for a nice little spd-atac-eggbeater comparison.

also what's the difference between the eggbeater road cleat and the normal one? what are those side arm things for??

After riding SPDs for years, I just installed a set of eggbeaters and I'm loving them. Just enough float, 4-sided ease-of-entry, and I haven't had an accidental release yet. I've only been riding on them for a short time though, so those opinions may change over time.