Happy dance - new pedals!

[Aggie_Ama]

I have had a love/hate relationship with my Candies by Crank Bros. Last week I finally ordered some Time Atac XL (women's Time Atac) and installed them for my ride today. Wow, much better. I am still getting the confidence to not unclip too early in a hairy area but on the less technical features I clip in. On the Candies it was so hard to unclip I never clipped in one pedal. These are much easier to disengage and engage.

[Zen]

I have had a love/hate relationship with my Candies by Crank Bros...On the Candies it was so hard to unclip I never clipped in one pedal. These are much easier to disengage and engage.

I hear you there.
I just got new platforms and mini-cages to replace the Mallets and I have some Smarties still in the shrink wrap.

Reckon I'll put them on Ebay.

I've heard good things about Time pedals.

[Eden]

?????? I used Quattros almost exclusively until recently and I've always found Crank Bros to be the easiest pedals to get out of.... you can unclip in either direction. Could your shoe have been getting in the way of the cleat?

They are discontinuing Quattros so I've switched to Speedplays on my race bikes, but still have some on my commuter.

[tctrek]

They are discontinuing Quattros so I've switched to Speedplays on my race bikes, but still have some on my commuter.

I just graduated this year from SPD's to Speedplay Light Action on my road bike. I had a dickens of a time the first several rides getting my right foot to clip in. Never had trouble clipping out. After about 6 or 7 rides the clip in is natural and easy, but I was frustrated for several rides! Sometimes, patience is the key to something new and I'm usually short on patience.

[Eden]

I just graduated this year from SPD's to Speedplay Light Action on my road bike. I had a dickens of a time the first several rides getting my right foot to clip in. Never had trouble clipping out. After about 6 or 7 rides the clip in is natural and easy, but I was frustrated for several rides! Sometimes, patience is the key to something new and I'm usually short on patience.

I understand Speedplays have a break in period.. I'm a habitual right foot unclipper. My right is definitely easier to clip into than my left, which gets less action. Do watch out - if you have small feet like me, your cleats can actually be a bit un-level. When I first had the sp's installed I had a terrible time clipping in, then couldn't stay clipped in... I thought for a while that I wasn't going to be able to use the pedals (even a light pull up would pop my foot out), until I figured out that the person who'd done my cleat set up had used the wrong shim set for my very small feet. Once I had the proper shims in there and the cleats were sitting flat, no more problems. I like that there is a very positive cleat lock- no up/down movement at all. I still have some float, but may dial that out - I think I can with Zeros.

[Zen]

??????

I use mountain shoes. I've fiddled with them every which way.I'm going back to spuds on the one bike that I do want to be clipped in on.

[Eden]

Another thing to watch out with Crank Bros for is which side you install the cleats on - they don't have a definite left and right cleat. Depending on which side you put the cleat the release angle can be 15 degrees or 20 degrees - that extra 5 degrees that you have to turn your foot out could cause it to feel more difficult to pull your foot out.

[Zen]

I know about the left/right little dot thing. I just have trouble finding the spot to clip in. I put my foot on the pedal, move front, back, side to side (sounds like a dance) to no avail.
I don't need 'em anyway.

[tzvia]

Aggie_Ama,
I've had Time Carbons (older version) since the mid 90's and when I bought my new Giant last year, I put them on and am still using them. Every time I think of trying the Crank Bro's, I stop myself and say 'save the money for the new TI Carbons when your old pedals wear out or break.' Well, I relubed them last year and I think they will be good for the next ten years, so no new pedals for me. I also like the two release angles you can set by swapping the left and right cleats. They have made clipless MTBing possible for me; the confidence I have that I can unclip without fighting it is worth every penny. They shed mud really well, and judging by what I have read on the Crank Bro's vs. my experience, they last longer and are easy to open and clean and don't need new bearings all the time. I'm on my 10+ year old bearings and they are fine. If I hadn't discovered Speedplays in the 90s I would be using Time Atacs for the road too. I love them.

[Aggie_Ama]

My cleats were definitely installed the easy way, I checked them numerous times. I used Candies on my commuter and loved them (same shoes I mountain in) but on the mountain bike no way. When you are really putting a hard effort up a hill and then suddenly need to put a foot down I found it difficult. They didn't seem to be an easy pop for me. But a lot of people love Egg Beaters for the trail so I have come to believe pedals are as personal as saddles. My husband is a die hard Time fan so to humor him I gave these a whirl.

Yesterday I rode again and find the disengaging much more intiutive. With Candies I was thinking of how to get my foot out. The Atacs are like my Keos on my road bike, light tension so I just pop out on demand.

[alleyoop]

My cleats were definitely installed the easy way, I checked them numerous times. I used Candies on my commuter and loved them (same shoes I mountain in) but on the mountain bike no way. When you are really putting a hard effort up a hill and then suddenly need to put a foot down I found it difficult. They didn't seem to be an easy pop for me. But a lot of people love Egg Beaters for the trail so I have come to believe pedals are as personal as saddles. My husband is a die hard Time fan so to humor him I gave these a whirl.

Yesterday I rode again and find the disengaging much more intiutive. With Candies I was thinking of how to get my foot out. The Atacs are like my Keos on my road bike, light tension so I just pop out on demand.

I am growing a season of discontent with my SPDs... and DH is like C, all over Time. I think I might have to give them another go around. Problem is that I love my SPDs for ease of getting out of, it is the getting in that is taking forever. I am scared of the reverse with the Times. Hmmmm. I am hopeing to save up some RLAG swag gift certificates for some new shoes, maybe I will make the switch then. Riding tonight??

[Aggie_Ama]

I am not riding tonight, way too exhausted but planning on coming out next week. We were going non-stop all weekend but I like RLAG so I will be out most weeks.

My Times are supposedly lighter tension than the regular Atac because they are women's. Plus I wonder when you tried T's if he had them adjusted for a higher tension? That is how C set up his new ones but I will stick with the weenie setting, I like it. I like that they are obvious when they engage, the Crank Bros weren't.

I used to ride SPD pedals (just like yours) on my road bike and loved how easy they were to get out of but clipping in I sometimes had to look for the pedal, a lot harder on the trail than the road.

[foldHer]

I know about the left/right little dot thing.

What's this? I just got eggbeaters and I wasn't aware there was a right and left cleat... Where's the dot? (Thanks!)

[Eden]

I know about the left/right little dot thing.

What's this? I just got eggbeaters and I wasn't aware there was a right and left cleat... Where's the dot? (Thanks!)

It's not exactly that its a left or right cleat, but how you install them - on the left or right alters the angle that you have to turn your foot at to unclip to either 15 or 20 degrees. The dots are on one of the cleats, on the inside of the two angled parts , the other has no dots - put the 2 dot cleat on the right shoe and you get the 15 degree release, put it on the left you get the 20 degree release.

[Jewell]

How I do love me a good happy dance...