A question for those who like to ride clipless on technical/steep terrain

[Dromond]

What pedal/shoe combo do you use and why?

I rode only clipless (mostly SPDs) for years for XC and DH.

Now I switch between flats/5.10 shoes and crank bros candy pedals depending on the bike/ride. I much prefer the efficiency of clipless for climbing (der...) and rolling terrain. What get's me is the lateral instability of my shoe/pedal combo. Even with new cleats, each pair of candy/eggbeaters I use let's the shoe roll left and right a bit which feels weird and unstable in corners. This is both with specialized carbon vundershoes and Lake mx165 vibram soled shoes.

Is it just that the connection is loose with crank bros pedals? Have SPDs gotten better in the years I haven't been using them? A cage obviously helps with getting back into the pedal in tricky spots, maybe that is the solution for the rolling effect as well. I used to ride DH with old CB Mallets, but those things are super heavy, and the pedal body itself provided no actual traction.

Anyhow, I'd like to ride clipped in more, but when I do I am increasingly missing the feeling of control that I get from flats. I just can't seem to move my bike around in the same way, at least with the setup I currently have.

[Jethro]

I ride SPSs with the multi release cleat. It releases sideways and up and to the side. They hold me in when I need it, and I can get out easily when it is muddy, or when I am going over the bars. Never ridden flats

[bennerlur]

I use 661 Filter SPD compatible shoes (really really cheap on chainlove). They're heavy, stiff, good protection for your foot, and let you get a good pedal in even if your not clipped in. I bought some shimano SLX trail pedals. Well, they might not actually be SLX trail pedals, but they look like the XT trails, but are way cheaper, and I found them on some euro site for $38. I had Crank bros candys too, these are much better, the connection to the pedal is tight.

[rainier]

I have four pairs of crank bros pedals in my parts bin because i rode shitty 520s and saw the light. Crank bros are too loosey goosey for my tastes

[Dickeymotto]

I use Crank Bros Mallets and Specialized Tahoe shoes with the cleats pushed all the way back. Gives a good flat pedal like foot placement and feet, the security of clipless, and CB pedals are super easy to get out of when needed and have a ton of float. I hate flats.

[jamesp]

some friends like CB because they have more float. Shimano work just fine for me. My new ones have some black plastic cage (sound the same as bennerlur). My first set lasted 15 years...

Most people just use whatever they're accustomed to. In steeper or techy terrain this usually means whatever pedals they can get out of fast...

[that dude who did that thing]

I ride SPD. On my old road bike I could crank the screw down to eliminate lateral movement, but they were a bear to get in and out of. For mtb I can't screw them down that tight enough to eliminate lateral movement without making them too hard to get out of (in my experience, MTB is like skiing, if you're not falling down sometimes you're not trying hard enough and ifyou are falling down the ability to release from your pedals gets prety important).

[toast2266]

I ride Times. SPD's don't have enough float, and the crank brothers are made by crank brothers, so that pretty much settles that.

[Jethro]

I ride SPD. On my old road bike I could crank the screw down to eliminate lateral movement, but they were a bear to get in and out of. For mtb I can't screw them down that tight enough to eliminate lateral movement without making them too hard to get out of (in my experience, MTB is like skiing, if you're not falling down sometimes you're not trying hard enough and ifyou are falling down the ability to release from your pedals gets prety important).

Try the multi release cleat. You can tighten the pedal and the angled interface still lets you click out when needed.

[concretejungle]

Multi release cleat in technical terrain? Those things release if you look at them sideways.

[joetron]

I have four pairs of crank bros pedals in my parts bin because i rode shitty 520s and saw the light.

^^^This is awesome.

I am an fully admitted SPD zealot. 647s are my go-to pedal for DH and most trail riding. I keep some 520s around for demo bikes, randomness and emergencies. Unfortunately I haven't spent much time on any of the new 'trail' pedals, but have not heard any complaints or warranties.

I have definitely fully bottomed out my bike with a pedal at 6:00 more times than I could possibly count, making for a terrible noise and dreadful thoughts, particularly if it's not the chocolate right foot. They just keep on going. I can think of only one true pedal failure I've had on a ride. The spindle was seizing up and unthreading the body on a 520. Just coasted back. I've never had a binding issue, despite some massive impacts and have rallied some tremendously clapped out 647s. They just keep on chugging along. SPD durability is off the charts in my book compared to what I've seen of other brands.

For non-spds, Times seem to hold up the best from what I've seen.

If you want to go SPD, I recommend the single-release cleats. Shimano SH-51. The Multi-release SH-56 remind me of Marker binders back in the day. Scary pre-release episodes. I found them useless for DH, way too much body english going on.

I've never had issues with a lack of float. That kind of stuff can usually be cleaned up with some basic cleat alignment and maybe a fit.

[Jethro]

Multi release cleat in technical terrain? Those things release if you look at them sideways.

I don't view pedals like I do ski bindings. If it is technical, I want to release if I am going down

[Dromond]

I don't view pedals like I do ski bindings. If it is technical, I want to release if I am going down

But you also don't want to go down because you released unintentionally.

I originally switched to Crank Bros because I felt that retention was better while maintaining easy release. i.e. the float allowed more movement without release but there was little actual resistance when you needed to get out quickly. You didn't have to increase spring tension to avoid flying out of the pedals on a hard climb or something. Now they feel just plain loose.

[Eluder]

After a season and a half using flats and 5.10's for my Trail bike I went back SPD's.
I am Using the XT Trail pedal with Shimano AM-45 Shoes. They work great. I feel a more positive connection with them than When I am using My 540's on my hardtail. This may be because the AM-45 have a little more give than my Carbon soled XC shoes did and they like the slightly larger interface. I also like the cleat position on these shoes over a traditional XC shoe. Great setup IMO.

I still use the Flats and 5.10's for DH riding though.

[beaterdit]

I ride Times. SPD's don't have enough float, and the crank brothers are made by crank brothers, so that pretty much settles that.

This. Crank bros pedals suck balls. I've seen a few people pull their foot straight up out of crank bros even with no rotation.

Time/Lake MX165 here. Most shoes will do though until the sole wears down a lot. I use Time's platform style pedals, X-Roc trail on the trail bike, Z pedals for DH racing. The wider platform helps with lateral stability.

I do use flats and five10s on the DH bike if I'm not racing.

[Dromond]

The XT Trail pedals aren't too pricey on sale. I'll give them a shot and hope for a better interface.

It's stupid to have all of these pedals floating around, but they are one thing that is tough to use when you don't have confidence in them.

[Jethro]

But you also don't want to go down because you released unintentionally.

I originally switched to Crank Bros because I felt that retention was better while maintaining easy release. i.e. the float allowed more movement without release but there was little actual resistance when you needed to get out quickly. You didn't have to increase spring tension to avoid flying out of the pedals on a hard climb or something. Now they feel just plain loose.

While I do release easier with these cleats, I do not have a pre-release problem with them. I am not a downhiller or hardcore freerider either though. I is a personal preference, and at $22, it might be worth trying for some people http://www.rei.com/product/738015/sh...ase-spd-cleats. I tried these cleats at least 15 years ago, and have not gone back to the SH-51 since. Sometimes I just could not get out of the SH-51 in muddy conditions

[Roxtar]

I'm a big fan of all CB pedals. I use Mallets on my FR & DH bikes and still have the first gen beaters (10 years old?) on my XC bike.
I've used spds and Times and IMNSHO, CBs are head and shoulders above them.
I really don't get the CB hate here. It's not like I've just been lucky, I have several friends who use them and the only thing close to a problem I've seen is the rare sideplay issue and the CB spacers instantly eliminate that.

I'm currently working on learning to ride platforms on the "big bike", though.
Not liking them so much.

[Yeah!]

I have four pairs of crank bros pedals in my parts bin because i rode shitty 520s and saw the light.

520's are the best deal in the bike industry. Been running 2 pairs for 4+ years now. Sometimes more float would be nice, but when I've tried floaty pedals, they feel too loose to me. Pretty sure there's now a version of the 520 with that semi-cage around it. Not sure what it's called though.

Dromond- Shimano 520's and Specialized comp or PI x-alps are what I use for everything from trailwork days to road centuries to riding chairlifts.

[willmtbike4food]

You can improve lateral stability on Crank Brothers by building up the body on the sides of the bales. Easy to do on Egg Beaters (simply wrap them with a few layers of electrical tape), more challenging on Candy's.

Your best bet is to get a different pedal (really, any one not made by Crank Bro's).

Shimano designs their shoes so the pontoons on the bottom of the shoe are at an appropriate height to interface with the sides of their SPD-style pedals - this is a huge help in lateral stability.

I use Time (ATAC XS and Z Control) pedals with both Diadora and Giro shoes. Won't use anything else. If I hadn't already had a knee operation, I'd be on SPD for durability/availability of parts. If I were able to use Shimano (need more float...), I'd use my same shoes, but with XT or XTR level - period.

[El Chupacabra]

This. Crank bros pedals suck balls. I've seen a few people pull their foot straight up out of crank bros even with no rotation.

^^^ This is why I got rid of mine. No ability to adjust spring retention strength, and I could pull straight out of the pedal.

My favorite pedal for a long time was a generic Wellgo (Ritchey), available for $20-30 under a bunch of different name brands. Works fine so long as you don't encounter mud very often.

Since Shimano produced the 520 at the same price, that's the pedal of choice. I still have several Wellgo pedals, but buy the 520 when I need new ones.

[LaBelle23]

I love the Times as well. My cleats are getting more worn and I released on a jump in the air the other day, but somehow managed to save it. That told me I need new cleats. The pedals are going strong after 10+ yrs (only used them about 6 though).

I use similar shimano shoes to what rludes posted and agree the cleat placement is very good, plus it is more like a regular shoe with a very stiff sole. Now that I have been using them again (1 season back on them after 5 on flats) I am getting more confidence in technical terrain, but up to a point. If I am on a trail I usually shuttle then I want my flats back immediately. Basically I leave them on my trail bike and run flats on the big bike. Even though the Shimanos are much better to hike in than tap dancers, they still suck compared to 5.10s (especially for someone with bad ankles) for hiking rocky terrain.

[DirkaDirkaJack]

I'm a big fan of all CB pedals. I use Mallets on my FR & DH bikes and still have the first gen beaters (10 years old?) on my XC bike.
I've used spds and Times and IMNSHO, CBs are head and shoulders above them.
I really don't get the CB hate here. It's not like I've just been lucky, I have several friends who use them and the only thing close to a problem I've seen is the rare sideplay issue and the CB spacers instantly eliminate that.

I'm currently working on learning to ride platforms on the "big bike", though.
Not liking them so much.

yeah i dont really get all the hate either. i use 1st gen mallets on my CX bike. 10 years old and work fine still. also have 1st gen mallets that i sometimes use for trail and DH (mostly use flats) they also work great.

its weird that the OP doesnt like CB pedals for not enough play, because that is exactly why i really like them, they are impossible to pull straight up and out unlike SPDs even with loose springs. no idea how people earlier in this thread claim they have this problem, but i guess when someone is like "i saw a buddy..." yeah whatever...

anyway, they have plenty of float in all directions, which is why i think they kick ass for DH. it seems like they are pretty common on WC DH bikes too.

OP: i dont know if SPDs would give you more play in "roll" i havent ridden SPDs in a long time, but i bet they would have less

[kidwoo]

What pedal/shoe combo do you use and why?

Shimano AM something pedals (the black ones everyone else has) because I got sick of busting my ass walking around in hard soled sidis, and even though they're laced, you can get them tight and not be stretching the shoe every time you pull up pedaling.

Times of various models because I like to be able to rotate my feel while riding without popping out, and they last forever. I still don't get the 'ooh so drastically different than CB pedals'. They feel almost identical to me, the times just don't come off the spindles.

I will say I've run into one problem with the higher end time pedals.....the ones that don't have the round bar for the rentention deals. The flatter ones wear out eventually (I'm talking like 7 years here) and engage in a way that allows play between the underside of the bar and the cleat.......and new cleats don't remedy it. I just bought some lower end times for my trail bike because for some reason, no matter how worn out your shoes, not matter how old they get, the cheaper round bar style just locks and you don't ever get that play.

[jqualls]

I have been on CB's for probably 8 years or so and I have not really had any problems. I had my first pair of cheap candy pedals start to get rough and not spin very well but I used them for a couple years commuting in Portland in the rain and road grime without ever doing any maintenance or rebuilding. I have had several pairs since with no problems. Every once in a while if I get real squirley in the air I will release out of a pedal but I have never been able to pull my foot straight out. I wanted to try some spd's to see if it helped with the release but I have adapted and it rarely happens anymore. I think it was happening because I was twisting my heal when I was off balance