Pedal questions

[tuckster]

I'm a little curious to see if newbies get flamed as bad on this forum as the 4x4 tech forums. Well, I am a newbie to mountain bikes. I just got a k2 Zed 4.0. It's a midrange hardtail that should keep me occupied until I can afford something better. It has mostly lx components and a judy front fork.

My question is regarding pedals. Everyone says, "get clipless"... and that's all fine and good. I've ridden clipless on road bikes and I can see their advantages. But where do I start? What kind of pedals and shoes are good, but still affordable on a college budget? Is it a bad idea to buy used (pedals)? And as long as I'm shooting newbie questions. What is float? What are cleats?

I appreciate any insight to these questions. Happy trails.

[Leonel]

when it comes to off-road pedals there's only one choice TIME! averything else sucks!!!

[Way]

I race for the college I attend. My first choice for pedals is Time. My second choice is the Shimano 747. Float refers to the amount of play you have in the pedal (how much you can move your heel right to left as the toe is fixed). It is important to have float so that your knees follow there natural movement and do not wear a new groove in your knee. Improper cleat (the piece that attaches to the shoe--small metal piece thing) alignment can cause severe problems later in life.

If you ride in mud frequently Times self clean. Under severe jumping I tend to fall ou tof the pedal more than I did when I have used other pedals.

I wouldn't reccommend used pedals. The springs and cleat will be worn. I would stick with new ones ans wear them in to your liking.

Clipless is a must for racing it allows you to pull up on the pedal along with pushing down on the pedal stroke. This uses two different muscle groups. This means that fatigue for each muscle group sets in later. The ability to pull up on the pdeal is great for the long grueling climbs. If you are uncoordinated, practice in town prior to hitting the trail. Obviously do not install these the day before a race.

Way

P.S. First time checking this board. Probably won't check it for a few weeks. Feel free to email me for further explanation if need be.

[vova]

My vote is for TIME peddles and Sidi shoes. Spend the money now becasue you'll be able to put them on your new bike (when you upgrade).

[biker10]

Time pedals are very nice but I would also check out the new crank brother eggbeater pedals these things look sweet and are less expensive than the time carbons. As far as shoes go it really deoends on what fits you well. The sidi's are nice but around $180 the main thing is getting a pair that fits well and is still performance oriented.

[ashmanjeepXJ]

Ive been riding the Shimano 535's there a step down from the 747's made of different material but have held up over the years, Mine are like 7yrs old now. Id say used is ok.

In the way of a 4WD, a locker as good an upgrade as SPDs on a bike.

SPDs help with efficiency and doing stuff like "trials" rock climbing or stair hopping. I think thats a good thing to do also, buy some SPDs then practic on some 6set of stairs till you can hop up them both sideways and straight on!!

[D60]

Originally posted by ashmanjeepXJ
Ive been riding the Shimano 535's there a step down from the 747's made of different material but have held up over the years, Mine are like 7yrs old now. Id say used is ok.

Ditto, Shimano is a crappy company in general (ethics, planned obsolesence, etc) but they make good stuff. I used a set of 525s for about 7 years (these were some of the first SPDs and came out just after the original 737s LOL!). I only got rid of them becaue the spindle bearings were gone (like literally gone). If it's a quality pedal used may be ok. I've gotta agree Sidi shoes are sweet. Be careful of cheap shoes, they really won't last long if you ride much.

I hear really good things about the Time off-road pedals, too! And you want float to save your knees!

[nasvik]

Originally posted by D60


Ditto, Shimano is a crappy company in general (ethics, planned obsolesence, etc) but they make good stuff.

Interesting. They play to win in a market of copy-cat cheap knock offs. That makes them a crappy company?

Think about what they've brought to the sport - indexed shifting, integrated shifter/brake levers, affordable components that work, brakes that stop, manufacturing processes that keep the cost down and they've played with all sorts of materials for weight and strength. Where was bicycling before they took over the market? The few people that rode were either on Huffy/Roadmaster/etc 10 speeds or high end Italian race bikes.

I would guess you don't remember any of that.

Now.... get the shoes that fit your feet regardless of cost. I rode cheap shoes for years (and many pair a year) because the good shoes didn't fit. I like SIDI, but they soften up too fast - only thing that lasts is the Lorica they sell as 'leather'. Love Carnac, but because they fit me and don't wear out.

I've used Shimano SPD, Onza, Speedplay and Time. I like the Time pedals the most for all conditions.

Paul

[DemoMike]

Re: Shimano, maybe "ruthless" as opposed to "crappy", but thats free enterprise for ya.

[DC Z71]

Hey there,

I am just now coming back into the mtn biking scene after getting burned out a couple years ago. I used to race, etc, and I have built my bike from the ground up. I have used different pedals on both my mtn and road bike, and now I use Speedplay Frog pedals on both my bikes, period! These are THE best pedals out there, I promise!! They are kind of expensive, but more than worth the money. I bought them after having knee problems do to my other pedals and those problems dissapeared with these pedals. They are a very simple design. Not to mention that they are very easy to clip in and out of, they have lots of float, will not get clogged with mud or dirt like other pedals, and they are self-servicing almost. They do not have lots of smaller parts like springs, etc like other pedals are therefore are maintaince free. Just lube 'em and you are goood to go. I promise, you will be making a big mistake if you go with anything else. If you don't have the money right now (I really don't know what they sell for now) then save up for them. You will be happy, and will never have to be another set of pedals again! Email me with questions.

Derick

[D60]

Originally posted by DC Z71
Hey there,

I am just now coming back into the mtn biking scene after getting burned out a couple years ago. I used to race, etc, and I have built my bike from the ground up. I have used different pedals on both my mtn and road bike, and now I use Speedplay Frog pedals on both my bikes, period! These are THE best pedals out there, I promise!! Derick

I'm also hearing really good things about the Speedplay Frogs in local riding circles. How much float do the mtn bike pedals have? I ask 'cause in the mid '90s ('93/'94) I was technically sponsored by Speedplay (don't worry, the extent of my sponsorship was a free pair of pedals LOL), I rode the original design and it sucked! It was hard to get into, no audible click, and worst of all you had to twist so far to get out it really hurt confidence on steep technical downhills. I mean if you were behind the saddle it was almost physically impossible to twist that far unless you're double jointed.

I thought it was funny anyone would stand up for Shimano, but everyone's entitled to an opinion. Notice my original complaint was not w/their product but their business practices. So, yes, perhaps "ruthless" is a better term, and yes that is free enterprise I suppose. I run Shimano on both my bikes 'cause that's what they came with and it works great. Still, if I had the money I'd seriously consider one of Campy's road grouppos...

[nasvik]

Not standing up for them per se, but I think the change to 'ruthless' is warranted. Unethical just struck a chord...

I agree with your comments on the Frog D60. Too hard to get out of, and the lack of feedback is annoying. The road pedal is another story though - great pedal.

Paul (with 2 Campy groups on my bikes, Shimano and a bunch of other stuff on others..)

[slug]

Got float?
get a pair of the BEBOPS.......
superlight, easy to get in and out, and massive float.

[DC Z71]

D60,

I really don't know what design the frogs used to be, but I use the mtn bike pedal on my road and mtn bike and love em. There really isn't a loud click like with other pedals, but you know when you are in. There is plenty of float. I had knee problems with my other pedals and now with these I no longer have those knee problems. Clipping out is the simplest I know of. It really doesn't take much, and if you have your pedals for long enough and wear off the stops on the inside of the pedal you could clip out either way (left or right.) But I find that clipping out left is plenty easy, and you don't have a tight spring holding you in either. Hope this helps some.

[RadioFlyer91]

Originally posted by ashmanjeepXJ
SPDs help with efficiency and doing stuff like "trials" rock climbing or stair hopping. I think thats a good thing to do also, buy some SPDs then practic on some 6set of stairs till you can hop up them both sideways and straight on!!

Tirals riding is a blast, I have just gottin into it so I cant do anything real big, I am just practacing my bunny hops and wheelies right now. So far I got the bunnyhop to where I can jump up and off of a curb sideways.

Justin<><

[PGREEN199]

I use the frogs they save my knees

[Bert]

tuckster
When I decided years ago to switch to clipless. I spoke with several people whom I considered an authority on the subject.
I trusted what they told me on the subject of MT bikes and to date I have agreed with them completely on the subjects of mt bikes and riding techniques.

They said, " GET THE MOST EXPENSIVE CLIPLESS PEDALS YOU CAN AFFORD."

I said ok, which ones. At that time it was Shimano 747's
Still have them, still love them, no knee problems.
I think they have 8degrees of float. (i might be mistaken in the number) Release either way. (very important to me)
Mud has not been a problem, and we have mud in PA!
I have smashed them on rocks, trees, dirt, mud, and they still work fine.
They are adjustable release for beginners. Then when you start pulling out of them tighten them up.

Shoes are very impt also. I started with cheep shoes, NIKE
They last about 1/4 of the summer and they will be worn out.

Buy the SIDI shoes.

[ianbike]

My whole view on the pedal situation is this. I've used clipless and have liked them sometimes. I've used platforms and have been much more pleased with them. Don't get me wrong, clipless are much better for climbing, and they are more efficient overall, but I just am more comfortable with the platform setup. I personally would never ride the eggbeater setup, the pedal is way to small and would probably be difficult to find while sliding in on the trail. Shimanos work decent enough to have tons of knock offs. Times are also great, the best mud clipless pedal by far. But, they are by no means the "best" pedal out there. It all comes down to preference, you might like how a sidi shoe looks, and other people might like it, but your foot could be different and it'll let you know that every second when on a long ride where swollen feet and bad shoe fit are painful. I'd reccomend that you grab some clipless pedals, and get some cheap 30 dollar bmx platform pedals as well. Get the best of both worlds.