Quattro trouble

[rapid cycler]

Does anyone here ride Crank Brothers Quattro pedals? If so, what was your break-in period (assuming they feel broken-in to you)?

When I first went clipless a couple of years ago I chose Looks and had zero trouble growing used to them. Didn't suffer a single newbie crash and felt comfortable with them within just a couple of rides. (Interestingly, I had gone down once before because I couldn't get a foot out of clips and straps!)

I switched to the Quattros because I was delighted CB had finally come out with a roadie pedal—I love my Eggbeaters on my mountain—and because they're super pretty on my bike. Shallow, I know.

A couple hundred miles since the switch I'm still having the devil of a time getting into them; no problems getting out. Because of the outer cleat tread, I find it really difficult to gauge when I'm in the sweet spot—and therefore whether I'm not engaging because I'm not over the spindle or because the spindle's not positioned correctly.

I will say that because of the platform design it's possible to gain some forward momentum without being engaged—whereas on the rare instances I misengage the Looks, my foot often goes sliding right over the front of the pedal—but every time I push off on the Quattros, it's a mystery whether I'll click right in or struggle to find the sweet spot for a hundred feet or more. Not a great trade off!

Do I need to ditch these suckers, or might it get better in a few hundred more miles?

[Eden]

? might just be a question of getting used to them or maybe your shoes and the pedals disagree. I have quattros with Sidi's and I love them to death. I find they are very easy to get into and equally easy to disengage. I can even use my mt bike shoes with my quattros.

[Surlygirl]

I have used the candies and I have the quattros on my road bike now and I have never had a problem getting in or out of them. I bought them because they are easy to get in and out of and I have bad knees and didn't want something that needed a lot of torque to get in and out of. You might check your shoes. I use mine with Specialized mountain bike shoes and had to make sure the tread didn't interfere with the cleat. You can cut down the tread if this is a problem. They can also be harder to engage when the cleats wear out. I tend to change mine once a year. I think they also sell spacers for under the cleats. I think the owners manual shows a picture with the spacing you need. You might want to call customer service and chat with someone there and tell them what shoes you are wearing and troubles you are having.

[Tater]

I have Quattros on both road bikes and eggbeaters on my mountain bike/commuter. I also use a pair of Specialized Taho shoes for all three, as the recessed cleat idea really appealed to me. I don't remember having a break in period though.

According to the instructions the left and right cleat will change release position. Would that help to change them?


Edit: Oh, duh! I just reread your post and you don't have problems getting unclipped. Sorry!

[amelia05]

I've had my quattros for about 300-400 miles, and I think I'm having more trouble clipping in with them now than I did in the beginning. The last time I was in the shop, the guy moved my cleats back about half an inch, so maybe that's my problem. Anyway, I find that because the part I clip into rotates, the "hook" isn't always in the right place for an immediate engagement. Like you say, though, the platform is big enough that I can still usually get moving before the pedal is fully engaged, so I don't worry about it much. Also, I have much less trouble with my road setup (the smaller cleat built on the rubber platform, on Sidi Zetas) than with the standard eggbeater cleats on my recessed-cleat shoes...I think because the rubber platform is designed to fit on/around the pedal, which makes finding that "sweet spot" easier.

Even with the issues, I like my quattros soo much better than my old SPDs.

[rapid cycler]

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback.

I'm using Sidi road shoes, for the record.

Amelia, yeah, I'm also having trouble knowing whether the spindle is aligned properly to hook in. So when I'm not engaging, I don't know whether I'm missing the sweet spot or am in it but missing the spindle hook. And my spindle doesn't turn without some effort on my part, making me visually spot check my pedals waaay too much in L.A. traffic. That brings up a question: I'm surprised at how difficult it is to turn the spindle within the platform; did anyone have to adjust or lubricate theirs? Is this a manufacturing variable that may account for my and Amelia's difficulties?

It sounds like others are having a lot less trouble, so I'll definitely fiddle around with tension and position and talk to Cranks Bros. custo service before I give up on them. I owe myself that since I love the solidly connected feel of the pedals once engaged, and release is as fluid as can be—one reason I've liked Eggbeaters so much.

[RolliePollie]

I love my Quattros, but I have nothing else to compare them to because they are the only pedals I've ever tried. I generally do not have trouble clipping in, but sometimes my right foot does give me some trouble. My left foot "knows" exactly where the sweet spot is, but sometimes my right foot gets a little confused. Have you tried pointed your toe downwards when you're trying to clip in? Usually I can feel when the edge of the cleat has hit up against the spindle part. Then I just rock my foot back and it engages right away.

Also, are you sure that the cleats are tightly screwed into your shoes? This is my one complaint with the Quattros. I check my cleats before every ride because the screws tend to loosen up quickly. This may be a function of my specific shoes and how they interface with the cleat and surrounding tread plate thing-a-ma-bob. But if they are loose at all, it is virtually impossible to get clipped and unclipped.

Also, yes, the spindle part on my Quattros is a little more difficult to turn than I had expected. However, I think I'd rather have it this way than if it spun freely. If it turned more easily, it seems like it could spin away from the cleat every time you tried to clip in.

Good luck!

[SadieKate]

Sara, have you used blue Loc-Tite on the cleat screws? If not, RUN go do it before your next ride. Screws that loosen that easily could trap you in the pedal.

[RolliePollie]

Sara, have you used blue Loc-Tite on the cleat screws? If not, RUN go do it before your next ride. Screws that loosen that easily could trap you in the pedal.

Ahhh, I will try this! Thanks! I've just added Loc-Tite to my shopping list!

Yes, I know all about getting trapped in the pedal. That's how I discovered this pesky problem the first time! Luckily, only my right foot got stuck and I was able to unclip the left and stop the bike without tipping over. Even then, I was standing there with my right foot stuck to the pedal. I was right next to my garage, so I leaned over to steady myself and was able to twist my foot far enough to finally get it loose. That's when I started checking the screws before each ride.

[rapid cycler]

Sara, thanks for the tip about the cleat screws coming loose—I'll definitely check them before every ride from now on.

Thanks also for the suggestion by several that I wasn't so much missing the target as missing the hook. Regarding cleat engagements, this morning's ride went much more smoothly when I pointed my toe down, per Sara's tip, and rolled the spindle forward each time before trying to click in (rather than first fishing around for it, blithely hoping that it was in the right position).

There's also that thing called the power of suggestion: Hmm, seems others aren't having so much trouble with these, ergo they must be better than my initial perception indicated. Just as with my first set of clipless pedals, and most everything else in life, comfort of use seems to be about 80% mental. Hey, if change were easy, humans wouldn't be so scared of it!

[Surlygirl]

Glad you are having better luck. I had to actually think about how I get into my Quattros since it's second nature at this point. I do the same as SadieKate. Point my toe down and roll the spindle forward and wallah. It also helps to put a little grease on them once in awhile. Good luck.