I am considering putting clipless pedals on my fixed gear bike. For me, clips and straps feel clumsy and awkward. Also, I've been using clipless on all my other bikes for the last 15 years, so I think it's more natural for me now. I like having a point of engagement on both sides of the pedals.

Anyway, I've heard that SPD pedals are in the habit of unclipping at the most inopportune times. SPD is what I've used on my other bikes so I'm not really familiar with other options. What's the most reliable clipless pedal system for fixed gear riding?

All relevant advice is most appreciated....

An argument is about to occur.....

I like the Crank Bros. Eaggbeaters.... they work even when muddy.

i've had great luck with eggbeaters. they only unclip when the cleats are super worn. some folks really love time atac's. i ride miche 502's for the track though.

Please! no arguements!

Everyone is gonna go back and forth between Eggbeaters and Time ATACs. I've used ATACs and love them... never used Eggbeaters, so I can't say.

I have some old vp clipless pedals. Last week was the first time I had one unclip on me, that is after at least 5000 miles, prob half fixed, but I am not a big skidder, so your milage may vary, bla bla bla.

YES ARGUMENTS! (that wasn't an argument, it was a contradiction)

I did have a wing break on my eggbeaters, but I sent them back to Crank Bro's and within a week they had replaced the wing, and overhauled both pedals to boot.
Other than that, I haven't had any problems with eggbeaters, and the great service made up for the one problem I did have.

oh you mean this isn't the room for Insults? *channels monty python*

VP?

That's the third monty python reference I've seen in here today. Keep it up

OK, either Eggbeaters or Time ATACs. Is there any big difference with how they disengage? Is disengaging from either of these much different than disengaging from SPDs?

I have never had SPDs unclip while riding fixed, though my old 505's did unclip a couple of times on my geared bike before I learned to set the tension correctly and not turn my feet if i didn't want to unclip. Doing these two things is key to success with any clipless system and you probably know how to do both already. There may not be any need to buy a different set of pedals plus a new set of shoes for your fg.

As a p.s., apparently the silver Shimano cleats are no good but the black ones like I have seem to be no problem.

As far as pedals go, I find fixed gear riding no different than riding clipless on my other non-fixed bikes. If you're already using SPDs, why not try them on your fixed? Of course, I run front brakes on my fixed bikes.....therefore pedal choice is not really limited.

Right now I've been using a pair of Ritchey's that I got about 8 years ago for $5, they've stood up surprisingly well, but my time's that I use on my mountain bike have been unf&*king real. 7 years of pretty hard use, with decent maintenance and new cleats every now and then they've stood up damn well.

Not as far as I know.. the ATACs have two release angles, not sure about the Eggbeaters. I ran my ATACs brakeless and they were fine.. I never popped out or felt unsafe..

ATACs, been riding the same pair daily for about nine years now (relegated to commuter duty, have bought updated pairs since)

Just saying "most reliable" doesn't really give anyone enough
criteria to judge. I think a lot of people love Eggbeaters and
Times because they're easy to "mash into," which is important
for city riding. Neither release unexpectedly, and the cleats are
relatively cheap and should fit in a standard mountain bike
shoe that will let you walk around easier.

SPD pedals are not unreliable in any way, and I would guess
that anyone who has had serious SPD failure did so because
their pedals were not set up properly. If anything, I would
argue that SPDs offer great protection than ATACs and
Eggbeaters, and increased efficiency, but they're not always
the most practical choice for city riding.

Speedplay frogs are also very reliable. No springs, only 1 moving part in the cleat/pedal interface. Impossible to pull up out of. Easy to service.

Time ATACs FTW

Fight the rumors! SPD for LYFE.

I trust toe clips more than i trust clipless.

Look Keo Carbon Fiber

Oh no, this is abuse. Arguments are just down the hall.

Yay Monte Python! You brightened the day, cheers.

PS Eggbeaters rule. So do eggs.

I have ridden SPDs for about three years on my fixed and have unclipped about twice in that time - both times when I was trying some kind of skid for the first time and twisted my foot. They will only accidentally release a lot if the tension is very low or your feet slop around a lot. They are very easy to clip in to, especially if you are already used to them.

I now have Time ATACs and they feel more secure than Shimanos. I think this is because the release angle is greater and maybe because the binding system is better designed. I got ATACs because concensus on this board for the past few yearr has been that they are the most secure, especially for brakeless fixed riding. I also looked at MTB review sites and boards and there is unanimous support for ATAcs working well and being built to last.

I have heard a few stories about Eggbeaters breaking in various ways, although this is always allied with Crank Bros excellent customer services. I have also heard that the "unclipping point" is much less defined than SPDs or ATACs and so that might take some getting used to.

In summary, if you are used to SPDs and have them already then you should be fine. I moved to ATACs cos I got some at half prce and would say that they are better, but that SPDs are fine too.