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[email protected]> wrote in message
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[email protected]...
> Hi - I'm using some circa 2000 atac alium pedals on my mtb and
> considering upgrading (?) to the newer xs or roc atacs (just the CrMo/
> composite ones - not the pricey carbons).
>
> I'm very satisified with the pedal-cleat action and would only switch
> because the xs and roc pedals have smaller bodies and would provide
> better rock clearance.
>
> Could anyone tell me if there is any significant difference in the
> clipping mechanism, feel, or durability between what I have and the
> newer ones I've mentioned.
I've been riding the Crank Bros pedals and I came across a problem with them
that we should probably understand:
The pedal is made from steel but the cleats are made from bronze or some
other copper based material. This would be perfectly acceptable but the
failure mode of this combination turns out to be that the cleat wears quite
rapidly. Two sets of cleats only wore about 1,500 miles each before they
started popping out.
And the "popping out" part isn't a good thing either.
As Shimano SPD's wear, the release becomes harder and harder until the shoe
starts getting almost impossible to get out of the danged pedal. But that
does signal you that you need to replace the cleat. Also the cleats are
steel and wear quite slowly.
Since Crank Bros. pedal's cleats wear by pushing the bronze around it forms
a bump to the inside so that if you turn your heal inwards it becomes
progressively easier for your foot to pop out of the pedal with the
slightest inward motion of your heal. Pedaling sometimes causes your heal to
rotate inward a small amount and with enough wear on the Crank Bros. cleats
this is enough to release the cleat from the pedal.
Now, except for this problem I prefer the Crank Bros. pedals to any others.
They are cheap, simple and other than this problem - reliable. I use the
X-pedals but if you want to have some surface so that you can ride with
street shoes on occasionally, they have the modified platform pedals as
well.
But covered in bruises, scars and healing road rash as I presently am, I
believe that the cleats could be better designed.
There is a question about Time pedals - which failure mode do they have?