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Date: 31 May 2007 22:01:14
From: Chris Menzel
Subject: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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About the only ill effects I'm experiencing after recovering from a fairly nasty injury is some weakness in my foot around the ball and big toe -- due, I'm told, to trauma to the sciatic nerve during surgery. This causes me to put undue pressure on the outside of my foot while pedalling and, with Speedplay's small platform, over time I've put a dent in the bottom of my shoe where it meets the edge of the pedal. So my foot is now pronating (or supinating -- can't keep those straight) while I'm pedalling and I'm losing power, as some of the force from my leg is being channeled to the side instead of being directed straight down. I could use a shim, of course, but I think a better long-term solution is simply to move to a wider platform pedal. However, I really like the free float of my Speedplays; my feet always felt angled just right. Hence: I'd very much appreciate recommendations of pedals that combine a reasonably wide platform with a reasonable degree of free (or close to it) float. Chris Menzel
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Date: 05 Jun 2007 19:57:10
From: amakyonin
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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On Jun 5, 12:38 pm, Booker C. Bense <bbense+rec.bicycles.misc.Jun. 05...@telemark.slac.stanford.edu > wrote: > The Crank brothers cleats wear out much more quickly than the SPD > cleats and when they wear out they crack and break. If you're a > long way from home, it's not a bad idea to carry a spare cleat. I've never had an EB cleat crack on me. I've always had enough warning when they start to wear out because I start to get unintentional pull outs while riding. It happens intermittently enough at first that you can still complete a few centuries without too much aggravation. They generally wear out at around 3500 miles of mostly road riding.
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Date: 04 Jun 2007 13:39:41
From: Camilo
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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On Jun 2, 8:44 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca > wrote: > In article <1180761711.874876.113...@g37g2000prf.googlegroups.com>, > > > > Camilo <campasc...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > On Jun 1, 6:04 pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote: > > > Regarding the advantage, relative to what? If you have a road bike, and > > > you already have SPDs, I'd stay with those. If you have flat pedals, I > > > would say by all means get SPDs, or if you prefer, Crank Bros pedals. > > > Clipless pedals are addictive. > > > > Like I say, the Egg Beaters are light, and some people just love them, > > > but I find that they are a little more trouble to get into, while the > > > Candy/Smarty pedals are dead easy. This may just reflect the fact that > > > the platformed pedals work more like the SPDs I have so much experience > > > with. > > Yea, I've been using SPD's for 10-12 years now. I have Shimano spd > > road pedals on my road bike and some very inexpensive doublesided > > pedals on my MTB. I'm happy with both pedals, but I'm thinking at > > some point they will wear out (both are original). Just thinking of > > changing systems when they wear out. > > SPDs have a lot to recommend them. Unless you have a problem that they > aren't solving, or desperately crave novelty, I'd stay there. Indeed, > the only change I'd make to your present setup would be to dump the SPD > road pedals and use double-sided pedals on your road bike. > > If that offends your sensibilities, then yes, Crank Bros. offer several > marketed-to-roadies double-sided pedals, and a special "road" cleat that > bolts right onto a 3-bolt Look pattern, and makes such shoes moderately > walkable. Thanks Ryan. So far, I have no reason to get away from the SPD system, just looking ahead to 2-bolt recessed cleat options when the time comes to replace the pedals. I do like my decent quality MTB shoes on the road bike just for the (1) walkability and (2) I only need one set of cycling shoes for MTB and road. I don't have any reason to change from SPD - but is there some way that SPD is actually better than the Crank Bros "2 bolt" cleat and pedals? Interestingly, I find my shimano SPD road pedals easier to use than the double sided SPD pedals on my MTB. Why? I have the "flip and clip" well ingrained into my muscle memory. I think it goes way back to the day of toeclips and straps - we all had the flip and slide-in down pat, no? So transitioning to the flip and clip with the SPD road pedals was a breeze. When I'm using my 2 sided MTB pedals, theoretically, you just put your foot on the pedal and clip in, but for me, I often don't put my foot right where it belongs, and then I have to grope a bit to click in. With the road pedals, I "know" excacly where the cleat is when I flip the pedal. It also is probably because I put about 10X more time on my road bike than my MTB. For example, this past month I put over 25 hours on the roadie, and about 3 on the MTB.
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Date: 04 Jun 2007 23:44:21
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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In article <1180989581.995155.52050@o11g2000prd.googlegroups.com >, Camilo <campascual@yahoo.com > wrote: > On Jun 2, 8:44 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote: > > In article <1180761711.874876.113...@g37g2000prf.googlegroups.com>, > > > > > > > > Camilo <campasc...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > > On Jun 1, 6:04 pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote: > > SPDs have a lot to recommend them. Unless you have a problem that they > > aren't solving, or desperately crave novelty, I'd stay there. Indeed, > > the only change I'd make to your present setup would be to dump the SPD > > road pedals and use double-sided pedals on your road bike. > > > > If that offends your sensibilities, then yes, Crank Bros. offer several > > marketed-to-roadies double-sided pedals, and a special "road" cleat that > > bolts right onto a 3-bolt Look pattern, and makes such shoes moderately > > walkable. > I don't have any reason to change from SPD - but is there some way > that SPD is actually better than the Crank Bros "2 bolt" cleat and > pedals? Hm. The SPDs use a steel cleat while the Crank Bros cleats are brass (they also make a "tougher" cleat, which is made of harder brass...). I haven't enough experience with Crank Bros cleats to discuss the wear issues, but with the SPDs, I have broken several pedals but never worn out a cleat (I generally had at least two and sometimes three sets of shoes on the go, so cleat wear was spread out accordingly. But I also had two to four sets of pedals on the go as well). I think the fact that SPDs are widely available and very cheap is a big plus in their favour, but I gather that either the better SPDs or most of the Crank Bros pedals are within your budget, and for comparable nice-level pedals, they're pretty close in price. The two pedals do have a slightly different feel on entry and exit. After a brief familiarization, I think the Crank Bros pedals feel nicer, but it's not enough to matter, could be pure placebo effect, and is almost certainly a matter of taste. Which is to say, you might like the SPDs more. The SPDs also have a roll-out-to-the-side release mode with the multi-release cleat, but I gather in practice that's sort of an MTBer's crash-release mode. In practice, the Crank Bros pedals seem to be both secure when engaged and yet they release quite quickly when I need to. > Interestingly, I find my shimano SPD road pedals easier to use than > the double sided SPD pedals on my MTB. Why? I have the "flip and > clip" well ingrained into my muscle memory. > It also is probably because I put about 10X more time on my road bike > than my MTB. For example, this past month I put over 25 hours on the > roadie, and about 3 on the MTB. Heh. Then for you, I wouldn't bother with double-release cleats! I understand the temptation of the new. I should say that some of the high-end SPD designs are now very light and almost elegant. The 540 has quite the reputation as a great pedal. Oh, and here's one advantage of the SPD if you like: the double sided pedals are essentially two fully independent clip-in mechanisms, so if one fails (as has happened to me on a couple of pedals) the other side is still available for use. The Egg Beater design essentially uses a single spring and the same wing-bodies are used for clip-in on any side. That said, I've only ever heard of a single wing bar getting bent, and that doesn't take out the whole pedal either. -- Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/ "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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Date: 05 Jun 2007 16:38:42
From: Booker C. Bense
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- In article <rcousine-20B2EF.16442004062007@news.telus.net >, Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@sfu.ca > wrote: >In article <1180989581.995155.52050@o11g2000prd.googlegroups.com>, > >Hm. The SPDs use a steel cleat while the Crank Bros cleats are brass >(they also make a "tougher" cleat, which is made of harder brass...). I >haven't enough experience with Crank Bros cleats to discuss the wear >issues, but with the SPDs, I have broken several pedals but never worn >out a cleat (I generally had at least two and sometimes three sets of >shoes on the go, so cleat wear was spread out accordingly. But I also >had two to four sets of pedals on the go as well). The Crank brothers cleats wear out much more quickly than the SPD cleats and when they wear out they crack and break. If you're a long way from home, it's not a bad idea to carry a spare cleat. Also, there have been some problems with design flaws in the early models of the Candy pedal where the bearings sort of self-destruct. I've had this happen with one set of pedals, but all the others are going strong. Given all that I really like Crank Brothers pedals for the most part, but if you're happy with SPD's ( I wasn't), I don't see a compelling reason not to stick with them. _ Booker C. Bense -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBRmWRkWTWTAjn5N/lAQFhCgP/YNoRI4Xx8T+Tz5wlNnMYGALOeINxaEkK JnmQoyN9mWOi0DMJMn5VE/n4xV+CL32290mgPi1thE2tQyeu4KUADrB8XkZnyibi AePxQp1l8veBAFkxE7uNcYiPq34BeakhquDRLo1RsJFar8lUASvy2az8AEb03cPG R90uW1FPfo0= =ehHW -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
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Date: 05 Jun 2007 04:32:10
From: Steve Gravrock
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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On 2007-06-04, Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@sfu.ca > wrote: > The SPDs also have a roll-out-to-the-side release mode with the > multi-release cleat, but I gather in practice that's sort of an MTBer's > crash-release mode. Oh, is that what those cleats are for? That could've been useful. When I used to use SPDs, I had a knack for going over the bars while still clipped in. I'm told it was fun to watch, although I can't say I got much enjoyment out of them.
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Date: 04 Jun 2007 15:13:17
From: Mike Jacoubowsky
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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> About the only ill effects I'm experiencing after recovering from a > fairly nasty injury is some weakness in my foot around the ball and big > toe -- due, I'm told, to trauma to the sciatic nerve during surgery. > This causes me to put undue pressure on the outside of my foot while > pedalling and, with Speedplay's small platform, over time I've put a > dent in the bottom of my shoe where it meets the edge of the pedal. So > my foot is now pronating (or supinating -- can't keep those straight) > while I'm pedalling and I'm losing power, as some of the force from my > leg is being channeled to the side instead of being directed straight > down. > > I could use a shim, of course, but I think a better long-term solution > is simply to move to a wider platform pedal. However, I really like the > free float of my Speedplays; my feet always felt angled just right. > Hence: I'd very much appreciate recommendations of pedals that combine a > reasonably wide platform with a reasonable degree of free (or close to > it) float. I don't think you need a new pedal system, but perhaps a new pair of shoes. Speedplay cleats use the 3-bolt "Look"-style mounting configuration, which offers a dramatically-wider base of support than, say, SPD or Crank Brothers or any other system using just 2 bolts. Besides, why mess with something that works? You've said that you really like the Speedplays, and I don't think you'll find posts from anyone else saying that they caused them problems for the reasons you listed. --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
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Date: 01 Jun 2007 22:21:51
From: Camilo
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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On Jun 1, 6:04 pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca > wrote: > In article <1180736105.979036.105...@i13g2000prf.googlegroups.com>, > > Camilo <campasc...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > On May 31, 10:16 pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote: > > > You might find the Egg Beaters have a bit more lateral play than the > > > platformed ones, but I'd have to check that. The mechanism is incredibly > > > elegant, and I have found entry and release butter-smooth. > > > > BTW, the big difference between the Candy and Smarty pedals is the > > > bearings. I think the Candy uses cartridge bearings, and a rebuild kit > > > is available. The Smarty uses cup-and-cone bearings. > > > > Oh, and tasteful replaceable rails on the Smartys in several fetching > > > colours. > > Ryan, is there any functional difference between Candy and Smarty? Do > > you think there would be any advantage to any of the pedals for > > someone like me who rides road bike w/ MTB shoes? > > The Candy and Smarty are very similar pedals except that the Smarty has > a cheaper bearing configuration. > > Regarding the advantage, relative to what? If you have a road bike, and > you already have SPDs, I'd stay with those. If you have flat pedals, I > would say by all means get SPDs, or if you prefer, Crank Bros pedals. > Clipless pedals are addictive. > > Like I say, the Egg Beaters are light, and some people just love them, > but I find that they are a little more trouble to get into, while the > Candy/Smarty pedals are dead easy. This may just reflect the fact that > the platformed pedals work more like the SPDs I have so much experience > with. > > -- > Ryan Cousineau rcous...@sfu.cahttp://www.wiredcola.com/ > "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics > to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos Yea, I've been using SPD's for 10-12 years now. I have Shimano spd road pedals on my road bike and some very inexpensive doublesided pedals on my MTB. I'm happy with both pedals, but I'm thinking at some point they will wear out (both are original). Just thinking of changing systems when they wear out.
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Date: 02 Jun 2007 16:44:54
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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In article <1180761711.874876.113400@g37g2000prf.googlegroups.com >, Camilo <campascual@yahoo.com > wrote: > On Jun 1, 6:04 pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote: > > Regarding the advantage, relative to what? If you have a road bike, and > > you already have SPDs, I'd stay with those. If you have flat pedals, I > > would say by all means get SPDs, or if you prefer, Crank Bros pedals. > > Clipless pedals are addictive. > > > > Like I say, the Egg Beaters are light, and some people just love them, > > but I find that they are a little more trouble to get into, while the > > Candy/Smarty pedals are dead easy. This may just reflect the fact that > > the platformed pedals work more like the SPDs I have so much experience > > with. > Yea, I've been using SPD's for 10-12 years now. I have Shimano spd > road pedals on my road bike and some very inexpensive doublesided > pedals on my MTB. I'm happy with both pedals, but I'm thinking at > some point they will wear out (both are original). Just thinking of > changing systems when they wear out. SPDs have a lot to recommend them. Unless you have a problem that they aren't solving, or desperately crave novelty, I'd stay there. Indeed, the only change I'd make to your present setup would be to dump the SPD road pedals and use double-sided pedals on your road bike. If that offends your sensibilities, then yes, Crank Bros. offer several marketed-to-roadies double-sided pedals, and a special "road" cleat that bolts right onto a 3-bolt Look pattern, and makes such shoes moderately walkable. -- Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/ "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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Date: 01 Jun 2007 15:15:05
From: Camilo
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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On May 31, 10:16 pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca > wrote: > In article <mp8v53t1njk7r9ug6d8jin30qa9kqqi...@4ax.com>, > Zoot Katz <zootk...@operamail.com> wrote: > > > On Thu, 31 May 2007 22:01:14 +0000 (UTC), Chris Menzel > > <cmen...@remove-this.tamu.edu> concluded: > > > >I'd very much appreciate recommendations of pedals that combine a > > >reasonably wide platform with a reasonable degree of free (or close to > > >it) float. > > > All Crank Brothers pedals have six degrees of rotational float. > > All models but the "Eggbeaters" have platforms. They all use the > > same cleat and bomb proof eggbeater design. > > > The "Quatro" is their road pedal. > > If you want ultra wide downhill style pedals, they got those and the > > more modest width "Candy" and "Smarty" pedals in colours. > > As someone who has recently moved to Crank Bros pedals in a big way > (needed cyclocrossing mud clearance) I'd say the Candy is a good choice, > though the Quattro has a narrower Q-factor and a rather large platform > which is well-suited to road shoes (nice touch: the 3-bolt road cleat > comes with a rubber surround that would seem to convert a road shoe to a > semi-walkable shoe). > > I find that the platformed pedals (I have Candy, Smarty, and Egg Beater > sets) offer a little easier entry and exit, but that may be just me: I > find I'm a little prone to missing the entry on the platformless Egg > Beaters. There's also a weird issue with the Egg Beaters (but again, I > don't think with the Smarty and Candy models) that I think is affecting > my full-speed running dismounts, but I doubt you are looking for a pedal > that allows full-speed running dismounts. > > For all that, if I wasn't riding cyclocross, I doubt I would ever have > swapped out my SPDs. Except for mediocre mud clearance and problems with > entry when the cleat and pedal are fouled, SPDs are cheap and great. > > You might find the Egg Beaters have a bit more lateral play than the > platformed ones, but I'd have to check that. The mechanism is incredibly > elegant, and I have found entry and release butter-smooth. > > BTW, the big difference between the Candy and Smarty pedals is the > bearings. I think the Candy uses cartridge bearings, and a rebuild kit > is available. The Smarty uses cup-and-cone bearings. > > Oh, and tasteful replaceable rails on the Smartys in several fetching > colours. > > -- > Ryan Cousineau rcous...@sfu.cahttp://www.wiredcola.com/ > "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics > to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos Ryan, is there any functional difference between Candy and Smarty? Do you think there would be any advantage to any of the pedals for someone like me who rides road bike w/ MTB shoes?
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Date: 02 Jun 2007 02:04:41
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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In article <1180736105.979036.105710@i13g2000prf.googlegroups.com >, Camilo <campascual@yahoo.com > wrote: > On May 31, 10:16 pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote: > > You might find the Egg Beaters have a bit more lateral play than the > > platformed ones, but I'd have to check that. The mechanism is incredibly > > elegant, and I have found entry and release butter-smooth. > > > > BTW, the big difference between the Candy and Smarty pedals is the > > bearings. I think the Candy uses cartridge bearings, and a rebuild kit > > is available. The Smarty uses cup-and-cone bearings. > > > > Oh, and tasteful replaceable rails on the Smartys in several fetching > > colours. > Ryan, is there any functional difference between Candy and Smarty? Do > you think there would be any advantage to any of the pedals for > someone like me who rides road bike w/ MTB shoes? The Candy and Smarty are very similar pedals except that the Smarty has a cheaper bearing configuration. Regarding the advantage, relative to what? If you have a road bike, and you already have SPDs, I'd stay with those. If you have flat pedals, I would say by all means get SPDs, or if you prefer, Crank Bros pedals. Clipless pedals are addictive. Like I say, the Egg Beaters are light, and some people just love them, but I find that they are a little more trouble to get into, while the Candy/Smarty pedals are dead easy. This may just reflect the fact that the platformed pedals work more like the SPDs I have so much experience with. -- Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/ "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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Date: 02 Jun 2007 00:40:25
From: Kurd
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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> ...is there any functional difference between Candy and Smarty? Yes, the Smarty pedals have junk bearings. Get some on-sale yellow Candies and be happy.
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Date: 31 May 2007 22:07:55
From: Zoot Katz
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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On Thu, 31 May 2007 22:01:14 +0000 (UTC), Chris Menzel <cmenzel@remove-this.tamu.edu > concluded: >I'd very much appreciate recommendations of pedals that combine a >reasonably wide platform with a reasonable degree of free (or close to >it) float. All Crank Brothers pedals have six degrees of rotational float. All models but the "Eggbeaters" have platforms. They all use the same cleat and bomb proof eggbeater design. The "Quatro" is their road pedal. If you want ultra wide downhill style pedals, they got those and the more modest width "Candy" and "Smarty" pedals in colours. -- zk
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Date: 01 Jun 2007 06:16:18
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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In article <mp8v53t1njk7r9ug6d8jin30qa9kqqi322@4ax.com >, Zoot Katz <zootkatz@operamail.com > wrote: > On Thu, 31 May 2007 22:01:14 +0000 (UTC), Chris Menzel > <cmenzel@remove-this.tamu.edu> concluded: > > >I'd very much appreciate recommendations of pedals that combine a > >reasonably wide platform with a reasonable degree of free (or close to > >it) float. > > All Crank Brothers pedals have six degrees of rotational float. > All models but the "Eggbeaters" have platforms. They all use the > same cleat and bomb proof eggbeater design. > > The "Quatro" is their road pedal. > If you want ultra wide downhill style pedals, they got those and the > more modest width "Candy" and "Smarty" pedals in colours. As someone who has recently moved to Crank Bros pedals in a big way (needed cyclocrossing mud clearance) I'd say the Candy is a good choice, though the Quattro has a narrower Q-factor and a rather large platform which is well-suited to road shoes (nice touch: the 3-bolt road cleat comes with a rubber surround that would seem to convert a road shoe to a semi-walkable shoe). I find that the platformed pedals (I have Candy, Smarty, and Egg Beater sets) offer a little easier entry and exit, but that may be just me: I find I'm a little prone to missing the entry on the platformless Egg Beaters. There's also a weird issue with the Egg Beaters (but again, I don't think with the Smarty and Candy models) that I think is affecting my full-speed running dismounts, but I doubt you are looking for a pedal that allows full-speed running dismounts. For all that, if I wasn't riding cyclocross, I doubt I would ever have swapped out my SPDs. Except for mediocre mud clearance and problems with entry when the cleat and pedal are fouled, SPDs are cheap and great. You might find the Egg Beaters have a bit more lateral play than the platformed ones, but I'd have to check that. The mechanism is incredibly elegant, and I have found entry and release butter-smooth. BTW, the big difference between the Candy and Smarty pedals is the bearings. I think the Candy uses cartridge bearings, and a rebuild kit is available. The Smarty uses cup-and-cone bearings. Oh, and tasteful replaceable rails on the Smartys in several fetching colours. -- Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/ "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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Date: 01 Jun 2007 05:37:00
From: R Brickston
Subject: Re: Moving from Speedplay -- pedal rec's pls
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On Thu, 31 May 2007 22:07:55 -0700, Zoot Katz <zootkatz@operamail.com > wrote: >On Thu, 31 May 2007 22:01:14 +0000 (UTC), Chris Menzel ><cmenzel@remove-this.tamu.edu> concluded: > >>I'd very much appreciate recommendations of pedals that combine a >>reasonably wide platform with a reasonable degree of free (or close to >>it) float. > >All Crank Brothers pedals have six degrees of rotational float. >All models but the "Eggbeaters" have platforms. They all use the >same cleat and bomb proof eggbeater design. > >The "Quatro" is their road pedal. >If you want ultra wide downhill style pedals, they got those and the >more modest width "Candy" and "Smarty" pedals in colours. or wider Acid model.
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