There are plenty of points to consider when buying a pair of clipless MTB pedals for your mountain bike. Today there are a range of clipless pedals designed for many types of riders and riding. The benefits of riding with clipless pedals make them one of the finest investments you can make in your riding.
The two majors kinds of clipless off road pedals are what I call the conventional clipless and the platform type clipless. They standard kind of clipless features a smallish pedal body and are really engineered to be ridden only while clipped in. This is the most typical type and you probably have seen these many times. Crank Brothers Egg Beaters are likely the best example as they have nearly no platform and the rider must be clipped in at every point. Shimano, Time, Look, Ritchey, Speedplay, BeBop, etc all make standard type clipless MTB pedals. The benefits of normal clipless are lighter weight, simple clean design, direct engagement of rider and pedal and better performance in mud. On the down side you'll need a cycling particular shoe at every point for safety since the non existent platform provides no grip and can make a doubtless perilous interface between rider and bike. To paraphrase, your feet will slip off and you might get hurt!
In recent years producers have offered pedals that provide the solid engagement of being clipped in with a platform for those times when you may not need to be clipped in. The Crank Brothers Candy is a good example of a platform clipless design Initially designed with the downhill racer in mind these types of pedals became very talked-about with commuters and casual mountain bike riders who prefer to unclip while navigating challenging sections of trail. The enormous platform does let riders to back out of cycling express shoes when they are just taking a brief spin to the store as an example. There is a weight penalty with platform type pedals but for the added confidence they give many riders this is of little concern.
So the inquiry is which type is best? Not to sound like a politician but it really does depend on the rider. I run normal pedals on all my bikes. For the type of riding I do (XC MTB, cyclocross racing) being clipped in at all points is best. I have been clipped in since '91 and back then platforms were not a choice.
I had no alternative. If i were just making the move to clipless though I can see some real benefits in learning on a platform and then moving on to a standard as my confidence grew or I turned into a racer. For most riders I think platforms offer the best of both worlds.
The two majors kinds of clipless off road pedals are what I call the conventional clipless and the platform type clipless. They standard kind of clipless features a smallish pedal body and are really engineered to be ridden only while clipped in. This is the most typical type and you probably have seen these many times. Crank Brothers Egg Beaters are likely the best example as they have nearly no platform and the rider must be clipped in at every point. Shimano, Time, Look, Ritchey, Speedplay, BeBop, etc all make standard type clipless MTB pedals. The benefits of normal clipless are lighter weight, simple clean design, direct engagement of rider and pedal and better performance in mud. On the down side you'll need a cycling particular shoe at every point for safety since the non existent platform provides no grip and can make a doubtless perilous interface between rider and bike. To paraphrase, your feet will slip off and you might get hurt!
In recent years producers have offered pedals that provide the solid engagement of being clipped in with a platform for those times when you may not need to be clipped in. The Crank Brothers Candy is a good example of a platform clipless design Initially designed with the downhill racer in mind these types of pedals became very talked-about with commuters and casual mountain bike riders who prefer to unclip while navigating challenging sections of trail. The enormous platform does let riders to back out of cycling express shoes when they are just taking a brief spin to the store as an example. There is a weight penalty with platform type pedals but for the added confidence they give many riders this is of little concern.
So the inquiry is which type is best? Not to sound like a politician but it really does depend on the rider. I run normal pedals on all my bikes. For the type of riding I do (XC MTB, cyclocross racing) being clipped in at all points is best. I have been clipped in since '91 and back then platforms were not a choice.
I had no alternative. If i were just making the move to clipless though I can see some real benefits in learning on a platform and then moving on to a standard as my confidence grew or I turned into a racer. For most riders I think platforms offer the best of both worlds.
About the Author:
Art O'Connor has ridden clipless pedals since 1992. On his site he reviews many makes of pedals for every type of riding.
Posting Komentar