Crank Brothers vs. Shimano SPD vs. ??? for a novice

[Carbon_Dude]

So I think the question becomes, which pedal is the easiest to clip in/out for both beginner and advanced riders?

Given the EB have four sided entry, can clip in either rolling forward or backward onto the pedal, is a very open design that does not clog with mud, and has no adjustments to mess with other than swapping the cleat left or right to chose how much float you want, it could be easy to argue the EB's are a more elegant solution.  Coincidentally, these are the same reasons that I continue to like this design.  So far the only argument against EB's is the reliability, which I think Crank Brothers has worked to address in the design implemented about 3 years ago.

Reliability is a difficult measure when we are talking Shimano vs Crank Bros.  Reports I've read about CB's reliability issues have been 3-4 years old, nothing recent.  So from the limited research I've done, it's possible that the two designs are now similarly reliable.  Which leaves usability, in that case I'd have to say CB wins our there.

Only some of us have tried both, and based on our experiences we have chosen one or the other, the good news is there are no bad choices out there.  It's always nice to use the same pedal type as your friends so when they get a new bike, you can test ride it as well .

[RS VR6]

The entry and exit of a pedal probably won't matter for an advanced rider. They'll be able to adapt to whatever pedal system they choose. At that point it'll be the adaptation time to get used to them.

A beginner rider is the tricky part. As they will have no idea what to expect when it comes to being "locked" into the pedal. It takes time to get used to the mechanics of clipping in and out. If you are a complete newbie when it comes to clipless...I highly recommend having somebody set up the cleats, pedals, and a short tutorial on how to use them. Its been about a year...and my GF is finally getting to the point to where she can clip out of sketchy situations.

I've set up a lot of people on their clipless pedals (mostly Speedplay and mostly women). I'd put them on the trainer and have them pedal to get the feel of clipping in and out and then around the block to get an actual feel on the road.

When it comes to MTB pedals for beginners...I'll always recommend CB's.

[final forum]

I'm talking gram per dollar. If you are buying crank bros cause of weight which was mentioned i assumed that was something you were interested in.

Get the Ritchey pedals works with SPD cleats, lighter and cheaper then Shimano comparisons.


http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ca/en/ritchey-pro-mountain-v5-paradigm-mtb-pedals/rp-prod54960

Huh?  The link you sent were $98 pedals, plus $10 shipping.  I know CRC has codes/sales/etc, but both of the Shimano's I listed above are under $50...

[Carbon_Dude]

Get the Ritchey pedals works with SPD cleats, lighter and cheaper then Shimano comparisons.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ca/en/ritchey-pro-mountain-v5-paradigm-mtb-pedals/rp-prod54960

For an SPD style pedal, the Ritchey Paradigm look very nice.  I like the WCS Paradigm also, even though it's a bit more expensive it is a bit lighter.  If things don't work out with my Eggbeater pedals, I may look into these.  Thanks for posting.

[Izzy]

I'm talking gram per dollar. If you are buying crank bros cause of weight which was mentioned i assumed that was something you were interested in.

Good point.

Hmm, never looked into Ritchey pedals until now. Those WCS Paradigm look like the way to go for SPD style cleats. They get rave reviews, weigh 232 grams (whereas XT weighs 343 and XTR weigh 310, and Eggbeater 3 weighs 290),  and they are quite a bit cheaper than XTR as well. The super light weight initially made me worried about durability but from reading reviews they seem good in that department as well.

I've rocking a plain old set of Shimano spd pedals for a few years now and decided it was time to upgrade. Have been considering something from Crank Brothers but if I stay spd I think I'll definitely try out these Ritcheys.

[final forum]

i have used all but XTR pedals so xt and slx spds, The Ritchey's Perform no different only lighter. I guess thats what i wanted considering i am on a carbon bike forum looking for weight savings.

So if your looking to spend around 100-200 the Ritchey's would be my choice after using my for over 2k.

[RS VR6]

Has anybody tried the Look S-Track? I was thinking about trying them out. Friend bought a pair and likes them.

I have a pair of the older Quartz pedals and didn't really like the way they released.

http://www.lookcycle.com/en/us/vtt/pedales.html

[Carbon_Dude]

Has anybody tried the Look S-Track? I was thinking about trying them out. Friend bought a pair and likes them.

I have a pair of the older Quartz pedals and didn't really like the way they released.

http://www.lookcycle.com/en/us/vtt/pedales.html

Looks like a two-sided Eggbeater pedal, or if you combined an Eggbeater with an SPD pedal.  Reasonable weight and pricing for the mid-tier model.  Their Look Race edition is the same weight as an EB (290g/pr) although the price is about double $80 for the EB, versus $165 for the Look Race.

Although, after looking at the LOOK pedals a bit more online and on Youtube, I am very intrigued by this design.  Again, it's like an EB but only a 2-sided entry, however, and I'm not sure it makes that much of a difference with a carbon sole shoe, the additional contact area appears to be a nice thing that could make riding more comfortable.

The cleat design looks very good as well, not overly large like some clipless pedal designs.  Wish I knew someone who had a pair of these so I could compare them to my EB3's.

[RS VR6]

You can find the basic ones for about ~70 on eBay. I almost hit buy on a couple of occasions. I think I'll just wait for my buddy to get rid of his.

[jwilds1]

Well, I took the leap.  The girl at REI was great helping me out, and I joked with her that if my knee explodes or I die I will hold her accountable

Got these - http://smile.amazon.com/Shimano-2015-Recreational-Cycling-Shoes/dp/B00LWGS49K/ref=sr_1_24?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1431434068&sr=1-24, and the A530 double-sided pedals.  Haven't put them on yet, but going to do a work session tonight on the bike to install them and bleed the brakes...

[Carbon_Dude]

Well, I took the leap.  The girl at REI was great helping me out, and I joked with her that if my knee explodes or I die I will hold her accountable

Got these - http://smile.amazon.com/Shimano-2015-Recreational-Cycling-Shoes/dp/B00LWGS49K/ref=sr_1_24?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1431434068&sr=1-24, and the A530 double-sided pedals.  Haven't put them on yet, but going to do a work session tonight on the bike to install them and bleed the brakes...

By your shoe and pedal selection I can tell you are not ready to go "all in" on clipless , although I think my first clipless setup was similar to yours only I didn't like the SPD and exchanged them for Eggbeaters.  I will say that it's always a smart idea to have the right shoe for the sport, getting any mountain biking shoe is a step in the right direction.  Just ask the guy (me) who has broken three toes when he first started riding mountain bikes wearing athletic shoes.  Those shoes should do a good job of protecting your feet.

Congrats on taking your first step onto the next level of biking.  Now you will have more stability on those fast, bumpy downhill trail sections as well as the ability to "pull up" on your cranks when climbing for improved pedaling efficiency.

Remember to practice, practice, practice unclipping.  Do it in a soft grassy area, don't get frustrated when you are on the trail, come to a stop, and fall over.  Everyone does this when they are first starting out.  When coming to a stop, clipout early so you are ready to put a foot down when you stop.

Good luck and happy biking!

[jwilds1]

Hahahah, yeah, non-committing is my thing.  My other commuter-style bike will get these handed down to it once I get used to them.  I tend to use that bike riding around town a lot and sometimes it's my road workout bike so it makes a lot of sense.

Now, if I could only get the old pedals off my Chiner...

[Carbon_Dude]

Here is a tip, to remove pedals turn your wrench towards the back of the bike.

[carbonazza]

And if the turn-to-the-back tip above still doesn't work.
Do not hesitate to offer some additional power to the wrench

[jwilds1]

Well, the problem is I rounded the pedal over on the drive side, so my allen wrench slips now   Possible I was going the wrong way (yeah, yeah)...  Going to have to sacrifice the pedal and grind some flats into the pedal axle so I can get a proper wrench on it.  Will do that first, then break out the blowtorch if needed