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Bebop CliplessPedals

MSRP $ 195.00
# of Reviews 124
Average Rating 3.62/5
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Submitted by Daniel Brown a Racer from Westport, CT, USA
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2009
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $170.00
Strengths:free float all the way to release, no false releases, light, shortest stack height possible (I even had to put my seat down a little when I installed them). Clamp is in cleat for sleek pedal look (I'm in to esthetics, what can I say?). Cleat recessed on MTB shoes for easy walking.
Weaknesses:platform retaining bolt FELL OUT on a killer ride after only a few months of use. Bolt hidden under rubber cover does not seem to require servicing. Now concerned that this could happen again once I replace it.
Similar Products Used:Look Keo Sprint (good pedal, clunky cleat), Shimano SPD MTB
Bike Setup:Look 555 frame, full Campagnolo Chorus drive train and brakes, Campagnolo Sciracco wheels, Thomson seat post and stem.
Bottom Line:Great pedals, but the bolt coming loose and getting lost on a great ride is a real big bummer. Looked for the bolt, but to no avail, thus I had to abandon the ride and call for a car pickup.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Gernot a Cross Country Rider from Ashland Oregon USA
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:Happy trail
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $70.00
Purchased At:Oregon Trail Bikes
Strengths:Light, compact, simple, won't cut you if you slip off of them, float, easy to get in and out of.
Weaknesses:Out of business? Have to carve up shoes to clear the spindle. Mud can jam the cleats and you have to dig it out to get good engagement.
Similar Products Used:Shimano SPD
Bike Setup:Fixed gear, I've had them on my Ibis Alibi and some road bikes too.
Bottom Line:I originally bought some early generation bebops which I brought down on a rock and the cage snapped real easy. Bebop replaced these for a fee and sent me a newer version with the red plastic end cap. This was a much better design than the original and I've put them through much use from XC racing to bike messengering, touring, whatever.
It's super important to keep the cleats a little lubed up or else they can get sticky and hard to get out of. Also you've got keep crap from getting jammed up in the cleats. If you use them for mountain biking, they're really best for dry conditions. I think they're way more sensible for road and track riding than mountain.
It's too bad Bebop's no longer around because after all these years, I think they're a good design despite being a little needy and finicky.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Garrett a Cross Country Rider from Trabuco Canyon, CA
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2008
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $120.00
Strengths:Weight only
Weaknesses:Clip out = ranges from OK to dangerous
Pull out = unexpectedly
Similar Products Used:SPD, Time Attacks
Bike Setup:Shoes were Answer Speeders if that makes a difference
Bottom Line:These are the new VP versions of the Be-Bops. Bought in Mid 2007. They've got the orange or yellow spindle plastic caps (not red like the old Be-bops I've seen).

I bought them to save weight and a friend of mine likes his. I do not like them. I crashed and injured my ribs because for the life of me I could not clip out of them. Actually crashed several times, but the last injury was enough. I gave them 3 months of riding for me to get used to them, thinking it might just be me.

Several times I'd be laying there on the ground STILL trying to get out of them !!! Then they unexpectedly would clip out when I pull up, especially around uphill hairpin singletracks, and I'd fail to make rideable sections. If someone out there knows how I could be misusing these, please let me know, but they don't work for me. Going back to the Times. Heavier, but safer, and I can't risk it anymore.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Jason a Racer from Bay Area, CA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2007
Favorite Trail:Skeggs Point
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $50.00
Purchased At:Bebop owner
Strengths:Light weight. Lots of float. Easy for road and mountain applications. Easy clip in / out. Easy maintenance.
Weaknesses:Bebop is no longer is business so finding pedals and cleats can be tricky. Small pedal surface area (by road pedal standards) is a little less efficient and can put stress in a smaller area. Stiff shoes help this issue.
Similar Products Used:Speedplays of all types, Eggbeaters
Bike Setup:Road: 2007 Orbea Opal & 2007 Rocky Mountain Solo 10
Mtb: 2007 Specialized Stumpjumper. Soon to be 2008 Enduro
Bottom Line:These are fantastic pedals that I highly recommend to anyone for road, cross-country or all-mountain use. All the strengths I listed above make for an excellent pedal system relative to the other options available. I really like that they're at home on both road and mountain bike b/c it simplifies maintenance needs. There are a couple points people complained about, and I think unfairly blasted these pedals for. First, someone commented about the cleat wearing to the point it disengaged. This happens! To all pedal systems! It would be nice if there was a cleat cover available a la the SPDs, but you can preserve cleat life (and wood floors) by not walking around on them extraneously. I've had various pedal / cleat sets on numerous bikes / shoes and never has a cleat needed to be replaced within the first 3 years. My brother has had the same experience riding Bebops since they first came out.

Also, someone had mentioned the cleats are huge and don't fit on mountain shoes. I have a set of Pro Carbon Specialized MTB shoes and the cleat fit was a total non issue. There's plenty of lateral and vertical clearance. Not all pedals work with all shoes though.

Finally, someone mentioned customer service. I agree, it sucks. That's because Bebop isn't in business anymore.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Aaron a Cross Country Rider from Columbia, MO USA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2007
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $150.00
Strengths:Light! My Stainless version sare 198 grams for the pair.
Great bearings.
Rare (a bonus in my opinion).
No rider weight limit.
No adjustments are needed.
Weaknesses:Cleats are big, can slip when walking on concrete and rocks, and require you to cut treads off most shoes before they engage the pedal.

Rare (can't trade bikes with buddies unless you're willing to trade shoes as well).
Similar Products Used:Various SPDs.
Bike Setup:Fisher SuperCaliber.
Bottom Line:I originally bought these simply because they were light. I hated them for the first couple days because they have so much float that you feel like you're standing on ice. However, after a few rides, I began to like them so much that, when I tried my Shimanos again, I realized I could never go back to SPDs ever again. I have never cleaned them or given them any thought as far as maintenance is concerned. After seven and a half years of off-road abuse, they still perform like new.

Expect the cleats to last about three years or so. I'm about ready to buy my third set because the right one occasionally pops out of the pedal.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Brian Clark a Weekend Warrior from Hollidaysburgh, PA
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2007
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Purchased At:Nashbar
Strengths:Light weight, lots of float
Weaknesses:Cleat is huge, and slippery to walk on. Float action binds up from friction between cleat and pedal. Hard to engage sometimes because pedal is so small, and doesn't face UP all the time.
Bottom Line:Update from below:

My left cleat wore to the point where it will no longer stay engaged to the pedal when pulling up vertically on my left foot. I found this out the hard way when sprinting from a dog on a local bike trail. My left shoe disengaged from the pedal while spinting hard, causing me to crash, and resulting in a nice gash over my right eye and possible concussion. I've already taken these pedals off the bike.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Half-Fast Biker a Weekend Warrior from Hollidaysburg, PA
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2006
Favorite Trail:Great Allegheny Passage
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $47.00
Purchased At:Nashbar
Strengths:Lightweight, float, easy release on road bike use.
Weaknesses:Large cleat, have to cut up shoe sole for MTB style shoe to make it fit. Can be hard to clip into pedal in a hurry for me.
Similar Products Used:Nashbar/Wellgo SPDs, Look road pedals.
Bike Setup:1990 vintage Schwinn 434 aluminum road bike.
Bottom Line:I bought these back in 1999 for $47 when Nashbar was closing them out, reason why I bought them was light weight and cheap price. I have them on a rarely used road bike...by "rarely used" I mean I have about 600 miles on this bike in 8 months this year...and yeah, the pedal AND cleats are now 7 years old.

I like the pedals for their light weight and amount of float. What I didn't like when I first got them was having to carve up the rubber treads of my Specialized MTB shoes to get them to work. Also the cleat is pretty big, probably about as long as my old Look road cleats, and can be a pain to walk around on...as in wearing them out by walking on them and the noise they make...compared to SPD style cleats. I can't see using these off road and walking over rocks, etc...for ME...I just prefer the smaller SPD cleats for that type of use, that's why they're on the road bike and not my MTB. Another thing I don't like about them (again for ME) is that I find them harder to engage than the SPD type cleats. By that I mean that because the pedals are so small It's harder for me to "feel" where the pedal is on the bottom of the shoe when engaging them, which can be a problem when starting from a stop going across road intersections. It just takes me longer to clip in....it doesn't help when the pedal isn't face-up either, it's harder to tell if it's face up or 90 degrees to where you want it to be, and you're actually standing on the side of the pedal instead of the face. Sometimes I have to look down to see if it's facing up or not, and then flip it with my shoe. I don't think I'd be able to use these on my MTB especially when trying to clip in quickly when going from a dead stop uphill.

I'll give em 4 stars for value for the price I paid, especially when considering how simple these pedals are...they must be dirt cheap for Bebop to manufacture...but I wouldn't pay $200 or whatever they're selling for now. I'll give em 3 stars for overall, because I know if I had them on a MTB like they're designed for I'd hate walking on those big metal cleats, and I'd have problems clipping in fast when needed.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Tom a Weekend Warrior from Redmond, WA ,USA
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2006
Favorite Trail:White rim
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $200.00
Strengths:Light weight, durable, good for road and mtb, easy to get in and out of, low stack height, no adjustments needed, can't pull out of them, easy to service, non-fatal breakage modes, humorous web site (bebop.com)
Weaknesses:A little costy but worth it. Inner seals may go bad and bearings can then rust if you don't fix the seals. The little catch spring on the cleat can break too, but you can continue to ride. Yet I think reliability is above average, and other pedals have a way of breaking such that you can't keep riding. Carry a spare cleat with you and ride in confidence!
Similar Products Used:SPD, Time, Look
Bike Setup:Litespeed Tuscany, Trek 5500, Cannondale Jekyl
Bottom Line:A remarkably versatile, reliable, and durable pedal. Safe too - I had a big endo-style crash on the road and the bike just came off my feet - while in the air and above me I think - without having to think about it (my thoughts were mostly, am I going to live?) On the MTB I used to get stuck in muddy SPDs and me and the bike would fall over as a unit, but Bepobs are great in the mud. They can get sticky in long sandy rides (had to lube them 2 or 3 times a day on Canyonlands tours). Road shoes don't seem to clip in quite as easily, could be a function of Sidi shoes, but always easier then my buddy's Campy pedals. The inner seals can creep up the spindle, but I haven't seen that in my newer units. Was able to get replacement seals directly from manufacturer. I really believe these are the best pedals made.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Doug Schlyer a Weekend Warrior from Seattle
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2006
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Purchased At:????
Strengths:The pedals are very light have lots of float.
Weaknesses:I've put probably in excess of a thousand miles on my TITANIUM BeBops and I can't find any weaknesses.
Similar Products Used:Shimano, various
Bike Setup:Custom built Davidson Tandem, Titanium Serotta (my god it's light!)
Bottom Line:BeBop did make Titanium pedals. I know I own two pair (and I have had no problems)! They may have recalled those that were out there, that I don't know, but I bought them from Colorado Cycle eight or nine years ago. I've sent an email to BeBop to find out if my nuts are at risk!!
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:5

Submitted by YaMon a Weekend Warrior from Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2005
Favorite Trail:Blue Mountain Peak
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:Internet
Strengths:Light weight, float
Weaknesses:Clip in does not give you the confidence like Shimano or Eggbeaters.
Similar Products Used:Eggbeaters
Bike Setup:Ellsworth Dare freeride
Bottom Line:I own(ed) 2 pairs of these and have had them for over 5 years. I bought them because I used to be the ultimate weight weenie. My riding style has since changed over the years, my preference is more freeride. I now ride the Crank Bros. Mallets. When you clip into those things, you are in, easy to release too.

Up until the point of servicing the Bebops, I would have recommended them to anyone wanting a light set of pedals. Try and get in contact with the manufacturer to get some replacement bearings have left a sours taste in my mouth. Bearings exploded and I wanted to return them to get both sets replaced. E-mailed the company...no response. Called them on the telephone and left a message....no call back.

This company is only concerned about selling pedals and not offering service. The pedals and cleats are not cheap by any standards. I am so pi--ed off that I am going to give them my lowest rating.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Wade a Racer from Woodbury
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2005
Favorite Trail:between the trees
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Purchased At:classifies and online
Strengths:Same as ever--light, simple, superb function, rare.
Weaknesses:cleat wear.
Similar Products Used:Everything.
Bike Setup:SS, FS, HT, roadie--all have Bebops on them.
Bottom Line:I love 'em. Got my first pair in 1999. Have four sets in use now. Frogs do not release to the inside. I've been jammed in SPD's--dirt in the pedal. NO such problem with Bebops.

Beware of Ebay sellers claiming to have the rare Titanium Bebop. They don't make a Ti pedal and explain why on the website.

I need some cleats right now--but still love the pedal. I've been riding since 1988. Off-road mostly.

This is my 3rd review. 1999, 2002, 2005--once every three year ain't too much is it?
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Kodiak a Weekend Warrior from Berkeley, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:Annadel State Park
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $110.00
Purchased At:Universal Cycles
Strengths:Good float, solid feel
Weaknesses:Only rode it one day, wanted something more durable/reliable in the mud and lower maintenance than the frogs. However kept having multiple slow-mo falls using the Bebop, on technical, rocky trails because I could not get cleats out of pedal no matter how much I tried to anticipate an upcoming stop. The other problem was that the cleat is a pain to install - the cleat is big and you so you end up cutting away alot of the shoe to make a flat spot for it - and it must be FLAT or you have to build up the bottom of the shoe with tape or shoe goo until it is flat. And, the review say that the cleats wear out quick! Goin back to Frogs which have tons of float and have handled the crappiest, muddiest conditions with only minor difficulties.
Similar Products Used:Speedplay Frogs, Time
Bike Setup:Specialized enduro, fairly stock (mid level marrzochi's, disk brakes)
Bottom Line:For float, get speedplay. For durability, get time, crank bros. These pedals too difficult to install, adjust, get out for technical, and have reputation of wearing out.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Zeke a Cross Country Rider from CT
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2003
Favorite Trail:Tyler Mills
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $110.00
Purchased At:Cambria
Strengths:Light, good bearings, extremely low profile, KISS robust design, good website explaining why Ti spindles are dumb. Bought these for my road bike rather than speedplays and am very pleased. Simple setup, easy entry and exit, good float, unusual design to see out and about. Easier to walk around on the cleats than my friend's speedplays. Much better than the SPDs they replaced.
Weaknesses:Only beef with them is that they do not release as easily as the SPDs when rotating your heel out *while* rolling your foot sideways - the natural motion you make when falling over trying to get your foot out. Not an issue in road riding but I would not want to use them on my MTB.
Similar Products Used:Shimano 747 (love'em) off road, 105 on-road (replaced)
Bottom Line:Very nice road pedal - so far I'm very satisfied that I did not buy speedplays (my second choice). 5 chilis for value relative to the speedplays - better bearings, comparable weight and float, simple robust design, lower profile pedal and (especially) cleat. Only 4 chilis overall due to lack of long term durability experience but so far so good.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Somxay a Racer from Philadelphia
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2003
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $70.00
Purchased At:Ebay
Strengths:light wieght, small and strong
Weaknesses:None
Similar Products Used:NOne
Bike Setup:Vertex Team SC, XTR, Crossmax, Sid Race, Sub 21 LBS race bike
Bottom Line:I have used Bebop pedals for over 3 years and have used it on all my bikes. I like it because it's light, small and gets attention from everyone.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by David a Racer from Germantown, MD
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2003
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $70.00
Strengths:Light
Weaknesses:Total Crap. I tossed mine in the trash about two years ago and got some Times. I am a moron for using them for as long as I did. The cleats would be too stiff for about 10 hours of riding and then they would not hold you in. I would take a sloted screwdriver and bend the cleat in to make it hold better untill the leaf spring broke. They also pack with mud.
Similar Products Used:Time. Ritchy.
Bike Setup:Ti hardtail XTR SID
Bottom Line:Crap. They may have got better since I had mine but they would have to come a long way.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Cricket Inbau a Cross Country Rider from Asheville, NC USA
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2003
Favorite Trail:Kitsuma
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $65.00
Purchased At:97 Interbike directly from Bebop
Strengths:Easy to get in and out of. Float is a great thing. Easiest cleats to set up. Light
Weaknesses:They say they are mtb pedals, but I found them to be to slippery in the woods (too much float for me). However I put them on my road bike and they are perfect.
Similar Products Used:Shaminao SPD, Onza, Wellego, Speedplay
Bike Setup:MTB: Zaskar, full xtr
Road: Cinelli Starlight, Record/Chorus mix
Bottom Line:Buy them for the road
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Haro a Cross Country Rider from Tampa, FL
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2003
Favorite Trail:alafia, toe, pisgah forest
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:Perfomance
Strengths:light weight, easy clip in from all angles in GOOD weather.
Good for roadies.
Weaknesses:Sieze up after repeated mud use. NOT recommended for clay or thick mud. Small platform size.
Similar Products Used:SPD, Egg, Time Attack
Bike Setup:Specialized FSR Pro, Hayes disk, Helix pro 6"
Bottom Line:I've experienced several pedal systems and contend Time attack is the best for my type of biking (downhills, free rides, rocks, roots, swamps and sand)

PRO - Adjustment on a flat bottom shoe is easy. They are simple to use. Very low profile makes them great for leaning in on curves (road bike). They are good on your knees.

CONS - The beebops released unexpectedly and had a slippery float feel. They clog with mud very easily and sand makes them tight. I had to send them back to the factory because they seized up after repeated "wet conditions" use. If you are doing a long, rocky downhill and hit a bumb or root, you often pop out and they are hard to get back in while trying to prevent an endo.

Easier to use than SPD, Better than SpeedPlay Frogs, About the same as EggBeaters ..
BUT do not compare to the hold, mud shedding and ease of Time Attacks. If you do heavy riding in very rough terrain, add the 6 ounces and buy the Times. Buy them now or you'll buy them later.

For smooth trails or roading - BeeBops are pretty good.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by A Spag a Cross Country Rider from Australia
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2003
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Light. Lots of Float
Weaknesses:Bearings showing wear and slop. Cleats wear out quickly.
Similar Products Used:Time, SPd's
Bike Setup:Marin Eldridge Grade, S-works Epic
Bottom Line:These are great if you want a lots of float and light weight, but I think they are more suitable for road use rather than off road. Tend to clog up with dirt and the cleats wore out after 6 months riding (5,000kms). Towards the end they got very very sloppy. Make sure you budget a new set of cleats every year.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by air a Cross Country Rider from berkeley, ca
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2002
Favorite Trail:north burma
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:cambria
Strengths:smooth float. easy to get in and out. great design. light.
needle bearings
Weaknesses:don't feel as good with thick mud on them
Bike Setup:yes
Bottom Line:this is a followup from previous review. i love this pedal. no springs/no resistance to exit. it's so funny to see other people fall over when they stop because their "pedals are too tight". never happens with these. getting out is easy-when you turn your foot far enough you just fall off. they always come off in a crash-i never even think about it but i always come out. getting in is easy too-just step down. keep them clean and lubed. i've got em on my road and mountain bike. the cleats will wear eventually and you'll start to click out. when this happens, get new cleats. i've had the same pair of pedals for 3-4 years. i get new cleats each year.
i rebuilt one set after a vigorous hosing down got water into the works last year-couldn't turn them the next week. took them apart;with a little cleanup and grease and they've been fine since.
nice bearings inside.
4 stars for value cause they're a little expensive.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by pete a Cross Country Rider from Maine
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2002
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $100.00
Strengths:lightness
float
maintenance-free
Weaknesses:cleats
Bike Setup:Giant AC Air Lite, stock, except for bebops and a black Psylo SL
Bottom Line:OK, this is a follow up to an earlier review. I've had the bebops for about a year and have gone through 3 SETS of cleats. When cleats are new, these pedals are awesome. When they wear (and they do, damn fast), the pedals just suck...disengaging or remaining locked. Very non-confidence inspiring. Overall, they are pretty good pedals if you keep dropping $25 on new cleats every few months. But for that, you can buy new pedals and ride for years. I'm selling em and trying some composite ATACS...
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Wade a Racer from Woodbury
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2002
Favorite Trail:in the woods
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $65.00
Purchased At:classifieds
Strengths:simple and FLOAT!
Weaknesses:cleats wear out.
Similar Products Used:SPD's
Bike Setup:Turner with zoot parts and Vail Cycle Works steel road bike and a Voodoo HT for a spare.
Bottom Line:I use these pedals on all my bikes. For the last several years I've been using one pair of shoes (at a time two pairs total-but I have a new road shoe now). I wore out a set of the old style cleats-put on a new set (easy I had three pair) and am still going strong. When your feet start flying up in the air, it's time for new cleats.

For the feel(FLOAT!) and ease of these pedals I don't mind buying a pair of cleats every other year or so.

I rode these in the WV Wild 100 last year. That's a an offroad MUDDY metric. Many miles were walked (by all participants--stop snickering, go try it). I didn't have any more trouble that anyone else with clogging. And these pedals have NEVER locked me in like SPD's have.

and you can buy 'em cheap from folks who believe everything they read in reviews.

And I just checked out the egg-whoopers and am not impressed. SpeedyFrogs may be okay, but I already have all these bebops.

5x5 smoking hot hampsters
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by alan petrie a Cross Country Rider from spokane
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2001
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Strengths:step-in engagement, light weight
Weaknesses:cleat wear, inconsistant release
Similar Products Used:Times, Wellgo, Onza, Speedplay
Bottom Line:i first posted a review on this site in '97 and have been riding the beebops all this time. most of my riding has been in the summer and fall, though i lived in seattle most of that time so i still had some wet weather riding. overall the pedals have worked pretty well. i like the easy engagement and light weight. but, i have found that when the cleats wear they tend to disengage when you least want them to (like a jump). though not overly noticable, i think that the pedal cage wear is starting to affect the retention performance as well. i have tried to be diligent about cleaning an lubing the cleat (white lightning), but wear is going to be inevitable.

i did have to service the bearings once...they were quite fouled with dirt and would barely turn. i think the seals would be fine if not ridden a lot in the wet, like mine often were.

rather than replace the cages and cleats, i think i am moving on to the crank bros egg beaters. i would really like to have pedals that have reliable retention and the egg beaters look to be similar to the Times (which i've used for 'cross for years), but lighter.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by B Katz a from Freehold, NJ
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2001
Favorite Trail:Road
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Strengths:It's strengths are weight and float. I bought these since I was having a hard time with float on Shimanos. Decided to try Bebops instead of Speedplay because of weight. Easy to engage, lots of float, and stiff enough to stand (crunch) on without worry.
Weaknesses:I use these on the road and find that they wear at about 6-7000 miles. The symptoms are random dis-engagement. Aaaaach! This is much better than older (pre-2000) versions. Those wore out barely out of the box, and the pedal wore along with the cleat!!! But they've now begun using stronger metal in the Pedal, and I don't have to replace both at the same time.

Bike Setup:Road bike.
Bottom Line:I'm buying another pair for a new bike.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Clay Holt a Cross Country Rider from Yuma AZ
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2001
Favorite Trail:Anywhere cars arn't
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $147.00
Purchased At:Cambria .
Strengths:Great pedals,lotsa float,(I like float)real good quality.(I like Quality!) These pedals should last for a while,they have just over 4000 miles on them now(average 52.35 miles per day so far this year)
Weaknesses:The cleats really suck,as far as quality goes. and they don't last,when they get worn they don't engage easly,and completely,or at times disengage,as well as they should,as one occassion I discovered. we don't have a lot of mud around here so I can't comment,on that. But we do have lotsa fine dust-sand stuff,that make both entry and exit a little touchey.(especially with worn cleats) It seems that such a fine pedal,deserves a good cleat. and at $35.00 a pair for replacements so does the buyer. Couldn't they spend a little time and money, to build something right!!!!
Similar Products Used:AR composite,welligo.
Bike Setup:Rigid Cannondale,
Bottom Line:First I would to point-out that the first review I posted on these pedals,got posted under shimano 636. I'm sorry they got the blame for bebops lousy cleats.probibly anyone reading that will see the snafu.(shimano's cleats are Pretty good)THE BOTTOM LINE, Bebop pedals are great!! the are lighter than any outher I've used.The excellent float make them a mandatetory Item,simple installation,no adjustments Except for shoe cutting.is all straight forward,enough even for someone like me. Once you ridden any distance you'll be sold on them light-weight and lotsa float,once you get used to the float.you'll feel naked without it. (I hate the cheaply designed and made cleats,But what can I do)
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:5

Submitted by B. Sanders a Weekend Warrior from IL
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2001
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $65.00
Strengths:The LIGHTEST at 210 grams/pair(!), yet tough as nails
One pedal for road, MTB, cross, touring
Super-easy clip-in - just step down and go
Low maintenance, high reliability
Very low-profile design = better power transfer
Few moving parts (only 2)
22 deg free float, knee friendly
ZERO unscheduled clipouts
Can ride 'em in street shoes in a pinch
No rider weight limit
The simple elegance of perfect design
Best pedal on the market, period.
Weaknesses:Mud clogs (doesn't affect me...)
Some lugged shoes require slight shaving (easy/quick)
Similar Products Used:Bontrager, Ritchey, Shimano 535 & 747, Kore, Wellgo, Speedplay (Frogs and Magnum's), numerous clip & strap platforms
Bike Setup:Custom 6/4 Ti hardtail, King HS, XTR M900/950/XT 8sp, LX V's, Z3 Bomber, Sun SubIV/LX wheels, Titec post, Kore stem, carbon bars, WTB SST saddle. Reliable, fast, light and comfy. Total cost: $1,100
Bottom Line:These are the best dry-conditions pedal in existence. Find them on sale and buy a pair for every bike you own. I have them on my recumbent, road bike, tandem and hardtail. They stay clipped-in much better than SPD's, and are the most knee-friendly pedal I've ever ridden (even more than Speedplay). Frogs are OK; but the goofy little polymer spring that keeps the cleats engaged will wear out or break-off. Bad design. BeBop's have a well designed engagement spring mechanism, and I've never had any problems with clip-in or clip-out - EVER! They are the only pedal I've tried that has worked so flawlessly. SPD's are very hard to get into, and I've unclipped by accident many times in SPD's (ouch!). If you ride in mostly non-muddy conditions, or you're not sure about clipless pedals, or have knee pain, or feet that tend to splay outward a bit more than most pedals will tolerate, then you must try BeBop's. They have solved all of my pedal problems in one fell swoop. All this AND THEY'RE 1/2 POUND LIGHTER THAN SHIMANO SPD's!! Is there really any other choice? These are the ones to get.

(Swear on my great grandma's grave that I'm not a shill - just a happy camper.)

Five x Five Char Broiled Varmints - MMM...that's good eatin'.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Chris Hatch a Cross Country Rider from San Diego
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2001
Favorite Trail:Cuyamaca Mts.
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:local shops
Strengths:light weight, lots of float, on or off-road compatible, low foot to axle height, good cornering clearance.
Weaknesses:Cleats must be kept lubed, need to trim most shoe soles, fails to release in clay like mud or if neglected.
Similar Products Used:Shimano SPD, Look Mt., Wellgo, etc.
Bike Setup:Many, these pedals are on all my road, mt. and tandem bikes.
Bottom Line:The most versatile and light weight pedals I've found. Great for people who want to use one pedal system on many different bikes. Not so great in thick clay like mud and not for people who can't remember to put a little lube on their cleat springs every other ride or so.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:4

Submitted by joshua erde a Weekend Warrior from pittsburgh, pa
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2001
Favorite Trail:boyce park
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:nashbar
Strengths:light has hell, work well in all conditions, and look cool!
Weaknesses:lack of spring tension adjustment, occasional accidental release, bearing seem to get contaminated easily. COST!!!
Similar Products Used:shimano clipless, onza clipless
Bike Setup:OCLV gary fisher, king headset/hubs, easton carbon seat post, kestral carbon handlebars, gripshift, speedgoat fork
Bottom Line:i love these pedals. sometimes i wish i could increase the spring tension so i wouldn't accidentally clip out of them, but that is the exception, not the rule. occasionally they are hard to get into when it is muddy, but again, not consistently. i guess my biggest complaint about them is that the bearings seem to be easily contaminated. i had to send the pedals back to bebop about a year ago because the pedals were sticking on the spindles. they implied i had been washing my bike inappropriately but replaced the bearings quickly and free of charge anyway. i have been mountain biking for almost 10years and know how to and how NOT to wash a bike. i have NEVER had any problems with any other bearing'd apparatus on any of my bikes, so i don't think it has to do with the way i wash my bike. recently they have started sticking again, and since my first experience, i have been EXTRA careful about washing in the pedal region, so i REALLY don't think it has to do with my washing technique. but other than that, NO COMPLAINTS. these pedals kick a$$.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Pete a Weekend Warrior from Columbia, SC
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2001
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:(trade)
Strengths:lightness, real light
float! (did I say float??)
easy to maintain
easy click in/out
Weaknesses:those dang cleats!
easy release if not set up properly
Similar Products Used:actually none
Bike Setup:SC Tazmon, XT stuff, Ritchey stuff, plus more stuff
Bottom Line:I had a choice between these pedals and Speedplays as part of a trade. I opted for a pair of cro-mo bebops that lightened my bike by 200 g a pedal! I was a little leary about either, but really wanted to try something a bit different.

Set up is not difficult; follow some instructions, trim some lugs off your shoes, install cleats, and go. Make sure the cleats are set for the correct easier release depending on preference (in or out twist) or they release a little too easy (esp on jumps)! The click in is a snap. The float is GREAT! Little getting used to that, but it only takes a ride or two! Overall, great pedals. I give em 4 of 5 (I don't think there is a five chili pedal!)
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by mic a Cross Country Rider from va
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2001
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $70.00
Purchased At:cambria
Strengths:light weight, lots of float, release both inside and outside.
Weaknesses:Having to wear very hard shoes; but you should wear hard shoes for MTB anyway. Limited shoes, the shoes have to be trimmed. Not a big deal!!! Call bebop they will help you.
Similar Products Used:most
Bike Setup:Tuner O2, Hayes disk brakes, Manitou CL, raceface, carbon seatpost and bar
Bottom Line:Bebops are great pedals!! Not perfect pedals, but those don't exsist. I have never had a customer service problem.
But, then again I've never ask for anything unreasonable, like my cleats wore out.

Bebops can be a pain in clay mud, the cleats fill with the clay and you have to take a stick and clean them out. This takes about 15 sec; They work great in all other conditions. I'm a east coast rider so, there is lots of clay. But, they just so lite and have so much float and are so easy to get in and out of. The minor inconvenience of the padels cloging with clay is not even an issue. much much better then SPD's
less moving parts, just use white lighning on the two moving parts on the cleats and your gone.

I've had to replace one cleat in two years.

You just can't do better then Bebops as an overall pedal.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Mike a Cross Country Rider from Flower Mound, Texas
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2001
Favorite Trail:Tyler State Park
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:Cambria
Strengths:Simple design, great power transfer and float, light
Weaknesses:Can't always get out of them, plating comes off quick, cleats looked two years old after first ride. Cambria selling old pedals as current model
Similar Products Used:Ritchey (sucked), SPD 747 (good)
Bike Setup:98 RM Element Race, 2001 SID XC, AD-10, King Hubs, RF cranks
Bottom Line:Bought the stainless model from Cambria. I love the way these pedals work. The float feels wonderful and the power transfer seems more efficient than SPD. Platform feels big when you are clipped in, like you are pushing on a big flat pedal. Using AXO shoes, I set them up as per the manual with no dragging of the sole on the spindle. First ride was disasterous. Fell many times in technical sections, just couldn't dissengage the left one. Tried my old Shimano shoes. Still had problems. After only one ride the plating was peeling off the pedals and the cleats looked two years old. Called Bebop and they said that Cambria had bought a big batch of pedals that were several years old, cheap. The old pedals had QA problems that had been resolved in later models. Said I should send them in. Sent them to Bebop, they changed their story after looking at them. They said that they could tell by the serial number that they were several years old, they agreed to replace one of the rings that had peeled but not the cleats. They mailed them back. I called Cambria and they admitted that the cleats were not the 2001 or even 2000 model and they would allow an exchange. Only problem is I never got them back. Bebop sent them to the wrong address and the local recipiant lost the package. I'm still riding my old 747's. IF you get Bebops, make sure they are the 2001 model.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:2

Submitted by BreTT a Racer from Tokyo, Japan
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2001
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $50.00
Purchased At:Nashbar
Strengths:Light as crap! Lots of float.
Weaknesses:Not mud pedals.
Similar Products Used:Speedplay, Richie's
Bike Setup:Kestrel CSX, full XTR, King headset, SID Race, Thompson stem and post.
Bottom Line:Great pedals if it's not muddy and you don't have to hike-a-bike (the cleats will clog up). I cussed these things when I first got them, but after a few rides, I got use to all the float and clipping in and out. I haven't tried the Time ATAC's yet, but the Bebops are great for dry conditions. Buy them if you ride only when it's dry.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Trey a Cross Country Rider from FL
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:came with bike
Strengths:Light
Nice engagement
Nice disengagement
Secure when properly set up
everybody notices them
look cool
float

Weaknesses:Price
Finicky Setup
Similar Products Used:Time
SPD
Frogs
Bike Setup:Race bike
beater bike
Bottom Line:This is my second review for these pedals. The first time I had only used them for a month so I thought I would follow up. I really like these pedals. The more I use them the more I like them. You have to take your time and set them up right. They recess down into the lugs of most shoes. I find they recess deeper than spds or atac cleats. If you think they are too hard to get into and hard to get out of (think too much tension here), let the cleat conform to the bottom of your shoe and it will open somewhat. If you think the opposite, build an area for the ends to sit on so that the cleat is ever so (I mean just barely) concave. That is how I set mine up and you still have that great float with just a little more positive entry and release and I forget about accidental releases. It goes without saying but they are very light. They are expensive, but the budget was sank into the engineering of the product. I have tried them in mud and they performed much like any other pedal/cleat system. They do have one bonus in this area in that they cleat is what packs up and the pedal doesn't matter near as much. It is easier to bang mud out of the cleats on your shoe than from the pedals.

I have all three now, the chromoly, stainless and aermet spindles. The aermet are stupid light and stupid expensive. I really wouldn't buy unless you are so good, that the 30 grams actually make a difference. I like the stainless the best. Slight weight savings over chromoly and seem to look better longer. Also, any time I have e-mailed bebob with any questions, I have been answered inside of a day. Can't complain about that. I'm giving these bad boys 4 for value just because if you don't have a dremel you have to buy one to mount the cleats properly. You don't have to actually but it works best. They get 5 on overall because of solid design and the fact that they just work. It is a better mouse trap.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Wayne a Weekend Warrior from Idaho
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2001
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:Cambria
Strengths:I bought the high end Bebops with the Airmet (Bebop does NOT make titanium spindle pedals!) spindles. The pedals are light as a feather! They are simple in design. All of the moving parts (there aren't many) are in the cleat. The pedal is simply a platform with a lip that the cleat snaps onto. They are easy to set up (Yes, you WILL have to carve on your shoe soles a little bit) and have mega-float.
Weaknesses:Lousy in the mud
Indistinct, weak feedback when engaging
Small platform
Similar Products Used:Shimano, Wellgo, Time
Bike Setup:Heckler, SID 100, XT discs........ TIME pedals!
Bottom Line:Bebops are great pedals as long as you don't ride in mud! The Bebop website says that they do great in mud.... something about mashing your foot down on the pedal and twisting back and forth to clear the mud..... Well.... I tried it and it doesn't work! They can best be described as nearly dangerous in a mud race! They also have a fairly indistinct snap when you clip in. This snap gets weaker as they pack up with mud. When they do get muddy, you will spend all of your time worrying about whether or not you're clipped in! They are also so darned small that when they finally do completely pack up and refuse to snap in (it doesn't take long in the mud), there is no platfrom to speak of to stand on.
After suffering with the poor performance of both SPD and these Bebops, I finally bought a set of Time ATACs. Times WORK IN THE MUD! When your pedal and shoe does get packed with mud, you simply mash down on the pedal and they snap in.... it's that simple. Yes, Times weigh a LOT more than Bebops, but I will gladly carry the extra weight.
Bottom-line..... If you want an ultr-light set of XC pedals AND you don't ride in the mud, take a look at Bebops. If you ride in the mud, buy Time..... 'nuff said!
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Andy a Cross Country Rider from New York
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2001
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $50.00
Purchased At:Nashbar
Strengths:Easy to clip in, light.
Weaknesses:Cleat design, retention, etc.
Similar Products Used:Frogs, SPD's
Bottom Line:Well, these babies may be ok for the road, but not off road. The cleat is very long and wide, and must remain flat to work properly. As a result, they will protrude past the lugs of most shoes. You could be hiking over rocks and have nothing but metal between you and the rock. (Picture yourself crossing a stream on slippery rocks.) It's also possible to pull out of them pretty easily. If you must have float get Speedplays and give your support to the people who invented it instead of the ones that ripped off the idea. The frogs are a far more elegant design, and work much better to boot.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by KEITH a Cross Country Rider from TUCSON ,AZ
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2001
Favorite Trail:HAVENT MET ONE I DIDNT LIKE
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:SOMEWHERE ONLINE
Strengths:VERY LITE, SIMPLE. EASY CLIP IN -OUT. HAVEN'T HAD UNINTENTIONAL CLIP-OUT YET.[1200 MILES] THE FLOAT IS WONDERFUL. GOOD INSTRUCTIONS[FOLLOW THEM!!]
Weaknesses:THE CLEANER THE SMOOTHER THEY FEEL.DONT HAVE TO MUCH MUD HERE SO CANT GIVE STRONG FEEDBACK ON THAT BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING THAT WORKS WELL IN MUD. I DO REGULAR CLEANING OF CLEET. WOULD RECOMEND THIS, IF YOU DONT LIKE FREQUENT CLEANING CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE. THEY ARE SWEET WHEN CLEAN!!!
Similar Products Used:RITCHEY
Bike Setup:KLEIN MANTRA PRO,XTR, MANITOU, KING,FOX, AVID
Bottom Line:I RIDE 5 DAYS A WEEK. DO MAINTAINANCE EVERY 2 TO 3 DAYS ON BIKE. DONT MIND CLEANING CLEETS AT SAME TIME. THAT SAID THESE ARE VERY NICE.VERY GOOD PERFORMANCE,VERY LITE AND CAN BE HAD AT DECENT PRICE BY SHOPPING AROUND.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by air a from berkeley, ca, usa
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2000
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $99.00
Purchased At:cambria
Strengths:great float, easy in and out
Weaknesses:rocky/sandy clay, if you step in it. it clogs the cleats
Bottom Line:i have two pairs of these on different bikes. my post ride knee pain vanished after i started using them due to the wide float. they work great for me for road biking or mountain biking. every one of my friends has tipped over stopping when they couldn't clip out of their spds( hah hah)-i never have. they don't release if your pull is straight up on the pedal stroke-i do lots of jumping and hopping and i've never clipped out unintentionally. yet they release great in panic situations. i keep them well lubed-white lightning or teflon dry lube before each ride so they're nice and smooth and i clean the cleats after each ride. on a ride you do have to clean the cleats after walking in mud though, at least to keep the wear down-they do clip back in but they're stiff with mud in them. they're great for dry conditions though.
i have had problems with both pairs but the company took care of them without hassle. once the right pedal stripped out because the bolt loosened while riding (replaced) and on my other pair the plating came off after a few rides, but this is being replaced too.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Trey a Cross Country Rider from Valrico
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2000
Favorite Trail:Tsali
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:came with bike
Strengths:weight, cool design, ease to get in and out of
Weaknesses:haven't found any yet
Similar Products Used:shimano, wellgo, time
Bike Setup:Trek 9900 pro issue
Bottom Line:I got these pedals with a bike that I recently purchased. I was skeptical after reading all of the reviews that they wouldn't last long on my bike considering both the pedal and the clip were used. I e-mailed the company for installation instructions for the cleat and they faxed some back to me the next day. After removing a cleat with a Dremel tool, which is annoying, but not difficult, I found the installation to be a snap. Since you don't have to pay close attention to the cleat alignment, it was easier than spd at that point. I have ridden on them several times and have yet to get stuck or pop out unexpectedly. So far I really like these pedals. They are trick looking, light, and never fail to draw comments. I'm giving them 4 flaming chili's, for the rating, with a minus just because I had to take the lug off of my shoe on overall. Value I'm going to mark as a three, $100+ is a bunch of money for any pair of pedals.

If you are a racer who wants some light pedals that work consistently, give these a try, you might like them.

If you are getting your first set of clipless pedals, get some wellgo's from supergo to see if you like going clipless before buying the expensive versions.

Value Rating:3Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Fred a Cross Country Rider from New York, NY
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2000
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:Lots of no-resistance float, light weight, easy to clip in.
Weaknesses:Also, while the PEDALS shed mud, the CLEATS do not. If you get your sole muddy, you'll never get clipped in properly.
Similar Products Used:SPD 535s.
Bike Setup:1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2FS, mostly upgraded to XT.
Bottom Line:Bebop does NOT stand by the product. My cleats wore out after three months -- even the company said that was faster than normal -- but they still made me pay for new ones. $36. Ouch. Read below for a verbatim e-mail from the company's owner, John Steinberg, explaining why it's my fault they won't stand by their product.

I had already told them that my SPDs had lasted three full seasons. And during that time, I was averaging about 1,000 miles a year, all in true, dirty mountain biking conditions. But this year I moved to New York City, so I only rode these Bebops about 500 miles, half of which was road riding.]

We have examined your pedals and cleats, and the cleats are indeed worn out. for most riders the spring clips are the most significant wear item, and that is the case here as well.

one summer of useable life is not "normal," but it is not unheard of either. i can tell from looking at your stuff that either (a) your feet move quite a bit when you ride or (b) you click in and out very often, (or (c) both). i can also tell that you have an efficient pedal stroke -- that is, that you pull up on the pedal. this combination of factors is the worst for cleat life. the good news is that our system allows that grinding to occur between cleat and pedal, rather than femur and tibia. the bad news is that any interface that allows that much motion in an abrasive environment will wear. SPD cleats may last longer just
because they do not allow much relative motion.

for most riders, they last longer than they apparently did for you. but cleat life has so many variables -- mileage, biomechanics, rider weight and strength, riding conditions, etc. -- that we cannot guarantee any specific lifespan.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Fred Seelig a Cross Country Rider from New York, NY USA
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2000
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $130.00
Purchased At:Cambria Bike catalog
Strengths:light weight, lots of no-resistance float
Weaknesses:Company does NOT stand by the product. My cleats wore out after three months -- even the Bebop said that was faster than normal -- but they still made me pay for new ones. $36. Ouch. Read the Bottom Line below for a verbatim e-mail from the company explaining why it's my fault they won't stand by their product. Also, while the PEDALS shed mud, if the CLEATS get muddy you'll never clip in correctly until you clean them out.

Similar Products Used:SPD 535
Bike Setup:1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2FS with several XT upgrades.
Bottom Line:[I had already told them that my SPDs had lasted three full seasons. And during that time, I was averaging about 1,000 miles a year, all in true, dirty mountain biking conditions. But this year I moved to New York City, so I only rode these Bebops about 250 miles, half of which was road riding. From John Steinberg at Bebop, who I believe is the owner of the company:]

We have examined your pedals and cleats, and the cleats are indeed worn out. for most riders the spring clips are the most significant wear item, and that is the case here as well.

one summer of useable life is not "normal," but it is not unheard of either. i can tell from looking at your stuff that either (a) your feet move quite a bit when you ride or (b) you click in and out very often, (or (c) both). i can also tell that you have an efficient pedal stroke -- that is, that you pull up on the pedal. this combination of factors is the worst for cleat life. the good news is that our system allows that grinding to occur between cleat and pedal, rather than femur and tibia. the bad news is that any interface that allows that much motion in an abrasive environment will wear. SPD cleats may last longer just
because they do not allow much relative motion.

for most riders, they last longer than they apparently did for you. but cleat life has so many variables -- mileage, biomechanics, rider weight and strength, riding conditions, etc. -- that we cannot guarantee any specific lifespan.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Todd a Cross Country Rider from Utah
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2000
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:light weight, easy in and out
Weaknesses:the need to modify your shoe, hard to determine when release actually occurs.
Similar Products Used:SPDs, Look's road pedals, toeclips and straps, platform pedals
Bike Setup:I have these pedals on a Cannondale Super-V and a Cannondale road tandem.
Bottom Line:I really like these pedals for the easy in and out that they offer. I do my hard, fast rides on a road bike, where I use Look pedals with the release tension as high as it will go to prevent releassing in sprints. I would never trust that job to these pedals. On the other hand, they work great for the more relaxed style of riding I do on the tandem and mountain bike. I cannot comment on the ability to clear mud, as I do my best to stay out of it. I love the elegant simplicity of the design.
I have noted some limitations here, but they are outside the range of what I bought the pedals for, and they are awesome for their intended use. I got mine on sale, which you can usually do if you are patient enough, which makes the price much more reasonable.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by kFanghe a Downhiller from Toronto, Ontario
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2000
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:A light ingenious little design. Works as well and the Shimano's minus the weight (bigtime)
Weaknesses:MUST modify the shoe to ensure ample clearance for the spindle. MUST lube the cleat before or after every ride to ensure that the mechanism keeps functioning properly. Must support the cleats overhang on the soles (i.e. duct tape) to keep it from bending. Not so good in mud.
Similar Products Used:737
Bike Setup:Ellsworth Truth
Bottom Line:Believe it or not this is a good pedal. It weighs 1/2 a pound less than most other pedals and offers the same functionality as the Shimanos. On dry land it couldn't be happier but when muddy it's definatly harder to get into and out of. As long as you heed the "musts" above this pedal is in fact a good one.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:4

Submitted by nick a Cross Country Rider from washington
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2000
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:light, lots of float, have taken a beatin and kept on tickin
Weaknesses:can only use your clipless shoes with the pedals, since the pedal is so small
Similar Products Used:shimano 525, ritchey clipless (the original red ones)
Bike Setup:nukuproof stealth, xt/xtr, wtb, marzocchi z3 qr 20 w/ M's hub and rhyno lyte rim
Bottom Line:these pedals are great since they clip in and out so easily, becoming accustomed to the float takes a little while, but so did convertin to clipless pedals originally. so if you want a lot of float, light weight and great mud pedals these be da ones for ya. i only give em 4 chilis since it's no fun to commute to class with your everyday tennies on the bebop pedal.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by James a Weekend Warrior from New York, NYC
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2000
Favorite Trail:Jim Thorp, PA
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Easy entry, lots of float, light and look cool
Weaknesses:None
Similar Products Used:Speed play x2, frogs, shimano 747
Bike Setup:Dean Ti mountain bike xt/xtr setup, Cannodale caad3 road bike, ultegra flightdeck
Bottom Line:These pedals are great, easy to get in and out of, positive entry. They have lots of float so your knees will thank you.
Didn't like the way the speedplay x2 worked.

Give them a try I don't think you will be disapointed
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by David a Racer from Gaithersburg, MD
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2000
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Good road pedal
Weaknesses:Cleats wear out every 4 or 5 months. On hard efforts or bunny-hops they release unpredictably.
Similar Products Used:Ritchy
Bike Setup:Airborn Ti with SuperFly, Kooka cranks, Hugi hubs, Ti Airborn post and mostly XT stuff.
Bottom Line:At first I thought I just needed to break them in. Now I just think they suck. The design looks good on paper but the real world disagrees. Not great in mud. Not great off-road anywhere. I'm going to give them to my wife and get a pair of times or some good old SPD's. This was a very expensive lesson.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:2

Submitted by John a Racer from Draper, Utah
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2000
Favorite Trail:Nantahala, North Carolina
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:Positive click, easy in-out, 20 degrees of float, mud clearance.
Weaknesses:Haven't found any yet.
Similar Products Used:Shimano 747
Bike Setup:2000 Trek 9.9
Bottom Line:I mounted a Bebop deluxe pedal on the left crank arm and a Shimano 747 on the right. I road about 100 miles with this setup. The Bebop pedal was easier to engage and disengage, allowed more float and at least 60% of the time I felt a positive click. The Shimano pedal, while obviously more bulky, had less float and was easy to engage, but wasn't as easy to get out of as the Bebop. I did not feel any difference between the two pedals in dry or muddy conditions. I purposely walked through some mud to gunk up my cleats, but this had no effect on either pedal. The bottom line... Despite what others have written here, the Bebop pedal performed as well as, if not better, than the Shimano 747. The pedal is easier to engage (once you get the "feel" for where the pedal is under your shoe), it shed's mud well, and I didn't feel like I was disengaging early as previously suggested in other reviews. I would even go as far to say that this pedal would make an excellent choice for a beginner cyclist.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Paul a Cross-Country Rider from Antioch, CA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2000
Favorite Trail:
fast & rocky with no horse crap!
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
light weight
Weaknesses:
too much float
Similar Products Used:
one too many
Bike Setup:
8sp, dual
Bottom Line:The cleats suck!!! They wear out fast. If you put your foot down in the mud, forget trying to clip in again. And if by the grace of God you get in, it's not long before you eject out and bop your knee on the stem. Maybe that's how they got their name? The Be-Bops are great if you ride in dry, clean conditions, like the street. But if you like getting dirty, don't buy this pedals! Look at the Time Atac review now that's pedal.
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Matt a Cross-Country Rider from LA, CA
Date Reviewed: December 7, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
If you are reading this, you know what they are.
Weight, Looks, Float, entry style.
Weaknesses:
Learning curve for a totally new type of clipless pedals. Remember when you switched to SPD?
Similar Products Used:
535, Specialized, Wellgo
Bike Setup:
Specialized FSR Expert
XTR/222 wheels
RaceFace LP's, Ti BB and Low Riser bars.
Real Levers, Avid Brakes, King H-set, XT der's
Bottom Line:Just put them on and went for my first ride, a quick 20 miles on the road and easy fire roads. They take some gettting used to, but the hold is secure enough for hopping and jumping. The float feels fantastic, and of course the weight is heavenly. I will be taking it ewasy for a week or two until I learn how best to use them, and I strongly recommend that any other buyer do the same. Without taking the time to learn these pedals, you could be in for some trouble. While SPD's hold your foot in place and resiste the float, these encourage it. At first I found my feet swaying alot looking for the center point. After a couple of miles though, I barely noticed it, and my knees feel great! These are good pedals, though I have heard of trouble in mud.Customer Service is excellent, if you have set up questions they get back to you that same day, and are eager to give you a hand if you send them in to them. Setting up the shoes takes a bit longer than with SPD's, and it hurts to cut the tread. Still, I never missed the tread on my ride, and these pedals are staying on my Bike. Best $50 I have spent so far. Five dead rats.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Richard Jodoin a Racer from Boucherville, Quebec
Date Reviewed: December 7, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Bromont #5
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Lightweight, ease of entry (once dialed in correctly), no breaking parts on the pedals (springs are under the shoes). They look cool and attract a lot of attention!!!
Weaknesses:
Took about a week of fiddling with cleats and shoes to get them to work. Also they RELEASE WHENEVER they're not supposed to (or so it seems!!!).
Similar Products Used:
Nothings looks and compares to them
Bike Setup:
Kona HeiHei Ti with Sid XC.
Bottom Line:I raced all summer with them. They work well in mud, sand or any crap the trails here in Quebec could dish out. There are no Bebop dealers in Quebec so I'll have to get help from the US if I have any mechanical problems with them. The cleats are expensive and a little weak. Every few rides I have to grab a large set of plyers and bend the cleats inwards towards the center to get them to hold on better. If I don't, they'll start releasing every time I jump or do anything other than basic pedalling!!!Overall they are worth it because added float is great on the knees, they are killer light and offer satisfactory performance.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Brian D a Cross-Country Rider from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: November 23, 1999
Favorite Trail:
TCR
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Light weight; simplicity in design and function. Easy to find when clicking in on rough sections.
Weaknesses:
Cost, availability. Also, 20 degrees of float takes some getting used to. Rotational feel of float changes with time.
Similar Products Used:
Wellgo, Ritchey (mud traps)
Bike Setup:
Specialized FSR M4 S-Works
Bottom Line:I just competed in a typical Oregon cyclocross race (i.e. mud bath) with the Bebop pedals. The mud on the course was about 4 inches deep in some sections. Even with the pedals completely packed with mud they would still engage (WOW!). I did have to kick excess mud off of my cleats after some of the run up sections but the pedals performed very well in the mud. I also have a set on my road bike and appriciate the smooth float and ease of engagement. Clicking into a pair of one sided clipless pedals in traffic can be a little nerving when trying to sprint for your life.Recently during a hardcore trail ride one of the retention springs on my right cleat broke. I was a little pissed because I had to finish the ride (mostly uphill) without being able to clip my right foot in (no pull on the hills). Upon calling Bebop, they issued me a warrantee repar number and instructed me to return the cleat (which I did). Bebop sent me a new cleat, without hassle, by express mail. Overall I am very happy with the product and service from Bebop. Based on the comments in this section of MTBR I think the cleat failure I experienced was an anomily. The pedals truly excell in muddy condition and, overall, have been very good to me (and my knees). The price probably prevents many would be buyers from giving them a try. I would buy this product again but not at the retail price.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Mike a Cross-Country Rider from Birmingham, Al
Date Reviewed: October 29, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Oak Mountain
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light weight
easy in and out
positive click when entering
float
Weaknesses:
float
having to cut shoes
Similar Products Used:
SPD's
Bike Setup:
Shimano M-150 shoes
Bottom Line:Great pedal once the're set up. I have mine with less float than suggested setup. If you angle your cleats you can have as much or little float as you want. These pedals are much better than SPD's.
Never any problem with premature release, the only problems I had was getting out before I set them like I like them.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Dilberto a Racer from Colorado
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1999
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
light, lots of float
Weaknesses:
lots of float
ohh, my knee
Similar Products Used:
747
Bike Setup:
a red one (with two wheels)
Bottom Line:I have the older version but The new version looks almost identical. Basically the cleats wear very quickly in muddy conditions. And unfortunately when they wear they begin to release at the worst times (whenever you are torquing even medium hard) New cleats are expensive, too. If you are needing lots of float check out the speedplay's. I give them credit for trying somethin new though.
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Alex a Weekend Warrior from Charlotte,NC
Date Reviewed: October 13, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Cataba
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
light, strong
Weaknesses:
non-adjustable
Similar Products Used:
SPD
Bike Setup:
Haro/Marzocchi
Bottom Line:I've had these about six months. Got them from Nashbar for $70 on sale. Had some problems initially with the pedals releasing too much. I had to cut down the soles in my shoes and build up the bottom with shoe-goo and problem was fixed. In mud, they handle very well, in sand the release gets stiff, in clay - life sucks but then again SPD's do no better in clay.
I like the peddals because they are simple construction. You can enter the pedal from virtually any angle and release with a twist. I haven't yet had a earth shattering wreck were the pedals did not release - thus no knee injury. The float takes a bit to get used to, feels like ice at first but now I wouldn't go back to SPD. Planning on getting BeBops for my road bike too! For newbees - take and easy trail the first few uses because you will wreck many time switching from plain pedals to any type of clipless.My rating is ....
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Ilan a Cross-Country Rider from Austin
Date Reviewed: September 19, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:An update on my previous review. Its been about three months so i have some more experience with these. I had my right cleat angled wrong and it wore the tab away to the point where they would let me out on bunny-hops. I contacted Bebop and was patched through to John Steinberg. He was very nice and just told me to send my shoes and pedals and he would set them up for me. Turns out I ride duck-footed so he angled the cleats to comepnsate. He also replaced a few parts for free, very cool. Over all, some excellent customer service.
Just last week I wrecked on some rocks and totally screwed up the right pedal. I sent the pedal to John again and he will only charge for shipping and parts, no labor; I can't complain. Next time I'll be more careful on that section...
So overall, the pedals have been performing very well (when they dont suffer from user-error) and I am happy with them. So go buy them and if you break them send them to John Steinberg, flood his desk with work ;-).
5 chilis
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Jacques Vroom a Weekend Warrior from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
light, pretty, very easy on knees of older gentlemen
Weaknesses:
not any dealers in Dallas, so not much experience or or specific knowledge in the local collective unconscious
Similar Products Used:
747s, Bontrager spds
Bike Setup:
Reasonably high-end road bike
Bottom Line:Confused by the dichotomous reactions in these reviews. I am NOT any kind of wrench, but found the cleats easy to attach directly to Nike Gabouche Due road shoes and Sidis with the bebop adapters. Have the recent edition of the stainless bebops. Recently ordered the deluxes. Will report if the differences are anything other than psychological... Very excellent pedals, it seems to me. Everything works just they way one would hope. My subjective thought is that they are visually quite beautiful, as well.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by vinnie a Weekend Warrior from little river cal.
Date Reviewed: August 20, 1999
Favorite Trail:
any trail
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
light weight, lots of float
Weaknesses:
clogs easily, inconcistant release
Similar Products Used:
spd's
Bike Setup:
alibi
Bottom Line:this is my second review, after several rides I find that the pedals release is not very
consistant which leads me to believe that during a crash they may not release which
in turn could cause leg or knee damage. The first few rides they were fine but now they seem like they are not releasing as well. I have used white lightening which seemed to help but having other problems which included the end cap coming off and the screw holding the pedal together backing out almost completly during a ride on two occasions. This should not be happening with new pedals so I am going to return them
and go back to spd's. I was advised to locktite the screw but with new pedals you should not have to do that.Now lets look at the overall performance of the pedal.
inconsistant release and trouble with screws backing out.
pedal performance is easily affected by dirt.
Super light good road pedal as long as conditions are clean and you don't mind having to worry about screws coming out.
so my overall rating has went from 5STARS to.....
DRUM ROLL PLEASE
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by vinnie a Weekend Warrior from Little River California
Date Reviewed: August 9, 1999
Favorite Trail:
any trail
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
light weight, easy in, easy out
lots of float
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
other clipless pedals
Bike Setup:
Ibis Alibi
Bottom Line:Right off the bat I had to replace one of the cleats because I was having trouble engaging the pedal. After the cleat replacement I had no trouble at all.
Very easy setup, just follow directions.
Nice and light and my dog likes em too!
I have only used them on two rides but I love them already.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Sak Igarashi a Weekend Warrior from Whistler, BC
Date Reviewed: August 8, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Very Light
Float
Weaknesses:
Clogs with pacific northwest mud badly
Dry moab dust clogs pedals
Similar Products Used:
Onza HO
Shiimano 747
Bike Setup:
Bow ti
Bottom Line:The pedals work well if they are clean, muddy conditions make them into a non clip in pedal that will eject you at the most worst possible moment. I quit using them after 1 month and will use them on my road bike. They will be ideal in clean conditions
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by matt b a Cross-Country Rider from mankato MN
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1999
Favorite Trail:
any
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
super light, high quality construction, easy in and easy out.
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
shimano pedals
Bike Setup:
Lake LX60 shoes, klein mantra
Bottom Line:I've read many of the reviews and I'm happy to say that I didn't have any of the problems that others spoke of. My shoes are the sneaker style w/soft flexible soles, I barely had to trim anything at all. I have nothing but praise for these pedals. They are so much better than anything that shimano has to offer right now. I have never had a problem with engaging or accidental release. Mud -no problems. I wonder if my shoes have a lot to do with the excellent performance. I've got the sneaker type lakes. They are very much like the $18 nashbar SPD Sneakers NA-SN. These pedals are the best by far the biggest improvement I've made to my bike.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by jay a Cross-Country Rider from new orleans
Date Reviewed: July 22, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Clear Springs, MS
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Bottom Line:got to tell you - I don't have these on my mtb bike - I put them on my road bike and I will never use anything else. The amt of float is incredible - no knee pain. At first the float seems unsteady like others have said - but with some miles on them my pedal stroke has never been smoother. Best upgrade I've made since I bought my bike.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Peder a Cross-Country Rider from Laramie, WY
Date Reviewed: July 12, 1999
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light, simple, true friction-less float, releases both to the outside and inside
Weaknesses:
Have to cut sole of shoe to give spindle clearance, big cleat makes walking on hard surfaces noisy and uncomfortable
Similar Products Used:
Onza, Ritchey
Bike Setup:
Side Dominator shoes
Bottom Line:I've reviewed these before and found them good and just wondering about the durability. Well, they've held up better than other clipless (for me). With SPD style cleats, I would have engagement and pre-release problems after just 4 months of use -- the Bebops are going strong. I just did a 62 mile race through every condition, including mud, and they worked perfectly -- instantaneous engagement and exit (but only when I wanted it). A friend tried my setup out for a bit and switched from Time. I don't know why anyone would ever use anything else... Some of the engagement and release issues people are having might be a reflection of the stiffness of the sole of the shoe -- they seem to work great with Sidi Dominators.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Dave a Weekend Warrior from Jacksonville, FL
Date Reviewed: July 2, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Hard Rock
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Lots of float is a plus. I used these pedals for a year or so, broke the original cages (since improved), switched to other brands, and wondered why my knees hurt all the time. Now that I'm back on Bebops, there is no knee pain.
Weaknesses:
So much float that you can't use your feet to control the bike position as well. Also, even though low stack height is said to increase power, the super slippery feeling of the pedals actually reduces my power. But, I certainly can't be powerful when my knees hurt, so I'll take these pedals any day!
Similar Products Used:
747s, Nasbar pedals, etc.
Bike Setup:
Nike shoes, and recently Bebop shoes. Believe it or not, I still had to cut the sole of the Bebop shoes -- you would think they would design the shoes for the pedals!
Bottom Line:very good pedals. very light. very cool. new design seems more sturdy.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Coolop a Cross-Country Rider from Arlington, VA
Date Reviewed: June 28, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Tsali was great
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Incredibly light and sexy looking
Float, float, float
cheap at Nashbar
Weaknesses:
cleats can get poorly affected by mud
cutting treads off your shoe is not fun
mediocre feel of engagement
Similar Products Used:
747
Bike Setup:
C'dale RAven w/ Morati Cranks
'99 Specialized Team Shoes
Bottom Line:Conditions (MUD):
The worst time I had with these were in mud. It was difficult to engage and tough to know when you were in or out, or half-way in or halfway out. I would not suggest these for those who often deal with muddy conditions. It is possible to reach underneath your shoe and pull out some mud while riding non-techncal terrain so if you do run into the occassional mud pit, it's not the end of the world. I plan to hold on to my old Shimano pedals and old shoes w. Shimano cleats and use them in really muddy conditions. It only takes a minute to change pedals. Conditions (TECNICAL)
These pedals are great in dry conditions and fine for rocky & rooty technical trails. During my initial rides, the small lollipops were difficult to find but I goat used to knowing where my cleats and feet had to be in relation to my crank arm to find the pedal. They don't sit as far out from the crank arm as my shimano pedals. If you can, it's best to engage while riding and to avoid trying to find the pedal before your first pedal stroke. I found that I'm able to slip my foot into place before the two crank revolutions. I did race with these pedals yesterday on a VERY technical course and they were fine. You can jump with these pedals if the cleats are alligned properly. You just have to be sure that you feet are really clicked in when you think they are. Positive engagement is a weak point of the pedal but I'm begining to get used to knowing when I'm in or out. At this point, I don't throw my the rear of my bike around with the confidence that I used to have with Shimno pedals but I'm getting there.CONDITIONS (DRY & FAST):
This is the pedal. No need for anything else. This will get the job done with the benefits of lightness.Float:
The float on these pedals are great. I didn't think that I had bad knee problems but now after using this pedal I know how my knees should feel after a ride. No aches. no pain.Set-up:
I read the instructions that I received with the pedals and maybe I'm stupid but I seemed to understand them differently than people who posted earlier. I understood that it was NOT necessary to flatten out the bottom of your curved shoe sole for the benefit of the cleat. It IS necessary to change the shape of soft flat soles that come on some shoes. The goal is NOT to have a cleat that bends with the shoe in a concave position thus making the cleat difficult to disengage from the shoe. It seems that people are making adjustments that are not needed! I bought some new Specialized Comp shoes with a stiff curved sole and made Zero adjustments to to the surface of the sole. I have not had problems getting my feet unclipped. If I didn't understand the directions and am doing something wrong, someone please tell me.I did have to shave the tread on the inside of the shoe and that wasn't fun. I thought I would remove a finger or thumb in the process. If you can perform this without needing to require re-attachment surgery afterwards, you won't regret the task.Shoes & Cleats: Be careful on flat and slipper rocks with this shoe and flat cleat set-up1YES or NO: I would suggest these pedals to those who are patient, have experience with other clipless pedal systems and a searching for pedals that are crazy light and offer plenty of float. Just don't throw away your old pedals and shoes unless you live in the Southwest!
These pedals deserve 3 flamers.
Overall Rating:3

Submitted by me a Racer from nnl
Date Reviewed: June 28, 1999
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
name
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
mtb
Bottom Line:i don't own these, but the name is humorous.
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Greg Sampson a Cross-Country Rider from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: June 27, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Nepaug Forest in CT
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
No moving parts, won't clog with mud, light weight, easy to learn, low stack height
Weaknesses:
I had to fabricate a flat mount between the cleat and shoe, Cut off shoe lugs to clear axle, cannot find anyone who carries spare cleats
Similar Products Used:
Speedplay Frogs, Shimano M535
Bike Setup:
1996 Trek 7000 with OEM Rock Shox
Bottom Line:Despite what I read here and what I was told at the bike shop I fabricated a piece of thin aluminum and four rivets into a flat mounting base for the cleat. My Diadoras have a nice curvy bottom and rather than muck it up with Shoe-Goo or RTV I wanted a nice solid mount. So far so good.
I got used to these pedals very quickly as well. Its my first set of clipless and I was tearing around the local trail in minutes! No moving parts to worry about or tension, nothing to clog with mud... and modifying the shoe is not hard at all. I used my Dremel (TM) to cut off two lugs on each shoe.
I did buy these used but if I had the money I'd buy them new.
I'd give them a five but they would have to do my laundry on the weekends so instead I'll give them 4 5/8 B-B-Q'ed condoms.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Edward Kang a Weekend Warrior from Naperville, IL
Date Reviewed: June 16, 1999
Favorite Trail:
whatever's local.
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
*light weight
*extremely small pedal size
*(seemingly) well built
*quick engagement
*solid retention
*very quick inside-heel escape
*decent outside-heel escape
*audible click-in
*extremely cheap through Nashbar($39)
Weaknesses:
*very, very finicky about cleat setup
*cleats extend beyond shoe bottom
*requires shoe sole trimming on instep lugs
*difficult to differentiate between full-in and half-out conditions.
Similar Products Used:
none!
Bike Setup:
'94 GT Pantera frame, Specialized Future Shock.
Bottom Line:Well, I bought these from Nashbar on 6/15 for $39.00. They're the black chromoly kind, and not the stainless steel version. Nashbar shipped them out through 2 day fedex for $9.00, and I received it today on 6/17. The shoes I used for these pedals is pretty a generic Performance Bike Shops brand.Either way, the cleat area of the sole is pretty curved, so I took some grey non-slip tape as per recommendation by the directions included with the pedals, and applied them to the upper and lower portion of the cleat's engagement areas. At first, I forgot to trim the sole, and I piled the tape a little too high. The end result? The cleats were bent VERY slightly concave, and the pedal spindle rubbed against the sole of the shoe. Engagement was nearly impossible and getting out once engaged was a NIGHTMARE. At one point, I stopped the bike and had that all-too-familiar sinking feeling that I was going to topple over onto the sidewalk trapped helplessly on my bike. Fortunately, the left cleat was not quite so over-layered, and it released at the last possible moment.Going back to the drawing board, I carefully removed the tape until _just_ enough was left on the front and bottom of the cleat engagement area to allow a very slight wobble. Roughly 1-2 mm of wobble. Tightening it (and therefore removing the wobble), I then took to a drill press and, using a nice sharp half inch bit, started milling away a great deal of the instep lugs next to the cleat engagement area. Once a satisfactory amount of lug was removed, I then walked over to the bike, and could actually lock the shoes into the pedals with simple hand pressure. Click! Rotating by hand, they unclipped through both inside and outside rotation.Getting the shoes on, I rode once again around the block. This time, getting in was a _breeze_. Step down, and click! The only difficulty was finding the very small pedal cage. I'm assuming that familiarity with the product will yield better results. After the first nightmare with disengagement, I practiced clipping out in every way possible, at any and every speed, and cilpping out was consistent. On slow, very sharp turns, a smooth quick inside exit is easy to manage. When stopping, or whenever outside exit is desired, all you have to do is turn the heel outward, and during that motion, the pedal becomes unclipped.
I also tried to force myself to come out of the pedals by doing little hops up and down with my bike, then torquing my shoe around laterally, tilting the azimuth, and pulling up hard, etc. No accidental releases.There is a _very_ smooth feeling that the float provides. Almost as is you were slipping around on ice. Due to this float, it is imperative that you center the cleat on the ball of your foot. Otherwise, the pedal ends up rotating in and out during hard efforts out of the saddle.The only problem with the extended float is that you never really _quite_ know when the pedal is too far out and just about to release. I'm assuming that familiarity with the pedal will lend more to knowing just where that shear point is.I have not tried any severe jumping or anything, and I probably never will, since I use a Hoffman Big-Daddy Freestyle bike and platform pedals for that sort of thing. Even XC races are mostly fireroad. Sorry if X-Treme is your style of mountain bike riding.Overall, my first impression is favorable. however, you _must_ spend the time to set up this properly - and the cleat screws must be tight! (Not overly tight, but snug and firm, you know what I mean.) If you're having problems with engagement, disengagement, or retention, check to make sure your cleats are not bending due to weird cleat engagement area thickness problems.I give these pedals a 4, and once I get more riding in, I'll come back with another review and another rating.-Edward
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Scott a Weekend Warrior from Silver Spring, MD
Date Reviewed: June 12, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Light
Weaknesses:
Poor quality
comes uncliped
Bike Setup:
F2000 Cannondale
Bottom Line:Nice and light but comes unclipped at the worst time. My left pedal won't stay clipped in for more than 2 minutes. Mine are being sent back as we speak. Heck, I rather use toe clips!
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Ilan a Weekend Warrior from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: June 4, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Float, easy entry, light.
Weaknesses:
Cleats, shoe cutting.
Similar Products Used:
first clipless
Bike Setup:
Specialized Sport MTB shoe, CAAD3.
Bottom Line:You will need to lube them with White LIghtening or something after every hour of riding. I found that i could not get out if the cleats got clogged with dirt and mud.
I sprayed them with water and put WL on and they were like new. I ride through both dry sand pits and wet sticky mud, so i give them just about everything. The float is great and took no time at all to get used to. They are fairly easy to find in a rush and make a nice audibel click assuring you you're in. Also, slicing some of the sole was annoying, but you have to do it if you want them to work. I sliced about a centimeter off the top of the inner lug of my shoes. Read the instructions carefully and do what they say- be patient. I had a question so i called customer service and they were very nice. First i was patched though to some lady who didnt know what she was talking about, then she sent my call to a guy who did help me out.
For any first time clipless riders, Bebop's are great. I was scraed at first, but after a while you get the hang of it no problem. Best upgrade i have made yet. But dont pay full price..
I would give 5 chilis, but they wouldnt let me out after a while, and they DID let me out twice when i didnt want out. Made me slam my crotch on the top tube- ouch.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by El Tormente a Cross-Country Rider from CA
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1999
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Light, good price on
sale, lots o' float, easy on the knees and
easy to clip in/out
Weaknesses:
Finicky setup, grinding away bits of shoe sucks, cleats seem to wear out quickly
Similar Products Used:
Speedplay X/2s, Ritchey
Logics, Shimano 535s,
Speedplay Frogs
Bike Setup:
Trek Y33 and road bike
Bottom Line:Good pedal, won't comment on mud tolerance 'cause
there ain't much mud around here. Once they're set up properly they work great, but it can take some fiddling around with cleat installation. Helps if you use a shoe that doesn't require much sole to be cut away. Make sure the cleat is fully supported by the shoe, use Shoe Goo or tape if you have to--otherwise the cleat will eventually become warped and you'll have trouble staying in (or worse, getting out of'em).
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Andy Moto a Cross-Country Rider from Fort Collins, Co
Date Reviewed: May 12, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Never you mind!!! It's all mine
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Sharp looking
light as a pedal can be
Weaknesses:
Intensive set-up
Mud jamming in cleat
Similar Products Used:
Shimanos
Wellgo
Bike Setup:
LTS-2
Bottom Line:It's like pedaling with frictionless swivels on your feet! I agree with the 'sexy' feeling of other reviews. Cleat set up is everything -DON'T LOOSEN CLEAT BOLTS- build up shoe base with Shoe-goo. The pedal may shed mud but the cleats don't very well. I'm going to try some silicon to keep mud out - or move to Moab. 4 flaming dumps!
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Matt Bender a Cross-Country Rider from Mankato,MN
Date Reviewed: May 11, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
super light, I weighed these at work and the pedals are only 105g each,the cleats are 38g each. I have the chromoly version. THERE IS NO TENSION SET UP!!! put them on and go. I did have to trim my shoes a bit
Weaknesses:
you might have to trim your shoes
Similar Products Used:
shimano535 545 747
Bike Setup:
Klein mantra Lake shoes
Bottom Line:A lot of people have had problems with the OLD bebops, because of this many stores are selling them below wholesale -I got mine for $50. Probably one of the most noticeable improvements that I've made to my bike. These pedals put shimano 535's to shame. Everything works great. when I first saw them I realized that I got a great deal -the detail is astounding these little puppies look and feel like xtr quality. I really can't beleive that nashbar is giving these away at $50 a pair. They were a deal at $118 a pair. Just in case you are a fat ass and are worried about how strong these are -keep in mind that I ride hard and way 210lbs! I've only had these for 3weeks, so I'll post another review in a couple months. So far i give these little monsters five cookies.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Wade a Weekend Warrior from The Boro, TN
Date Reviewed: May 11, 1999
Favorite Trail:
in the woods, dummy
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
sexy, light, smooth, falling prices.
Weaknesses:
none yet
Similar Products Used:
shimano 535's
Bike Setup:
Ti HT, big yeller fork. Nike Yuha's
Bottom Line:Setup!!! Well, I don't know if I a mechanical genius, but I got these in the mail today. (Bought 'em through the marketplace you know) I DIDN'T GET ANY INSTRUCTIONS! I MAY HAVE 'EM ON UPSIDE DOWN AND BACKWARDS! Nevertheless: I mounted a cleat, clipped the pedal on, trimmed for spindle clearance and then repeat that procedure for the other shoe. I then mounted the pedals on the bike and the shoes on my feet. I rode around. I made one cleat adjustment. I simply centered them up on the shoes. Then I spent half an hour riding around on the street, in the yard, on and off, wheelies, hops, bumps, jumps. I had absolutely NO problems! The SMOOTH in and out of these pedals is like sex, you just want to keep doing it. They're going to the trail tomorrow. I don't dab, so I don't expect any problems. I think shoes make a lot of difference on these pups. Here's five flaming dead mice.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Kavenator a Cross-Country Rider from Pittsburgh
Date Reviewed: May 3, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Low weight, easy unclip
Weaknesses:
Yeah, the pedals shed mud, but the cleats do not. Some shoes will be more compatible with these than others. My shoes required almost no shaving.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano 636 DX
Bike Setup:
Hardtail, Specialized Gato Shoes
Bottom Line:These pedals require some mechanical ability to install so they actually work. They clip in a out just fine and have about as good mud clearance as any other pedal. If you never dab these are the pedals for you. Big platforms are better in mud for abvious reasons.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by PAUL B a Cross-Country Rider from FT LAUF FL
Date Reviewed: April 30, 1999
Favorite Trail:
hard rock ocala
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
light rotation weight
easy clip and relese
Weaknesses:
if you are completely retarted and cant
turn 2 screws dont try these
Similar Products Used:
747's
time atack
Bike Setup:
cake if you can follow easy instructions
rocky mountain fs bad ass mf
Bottom Line:these pedals rock on all terain if you set them up correctly cust service
is a breaze if you actually call them.
ps: if you dont work on your bike yourself as in true whls aln deral have someone
set them up for you and you'll love them i sure as hell do anyone who gives these a bad review is a stupid f--king idiot that dont know sheet
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Mark a Cross-Country Rider from San Jose
Date Reviewed: April 25, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Wilder Ranch, Santa Cruz
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Light
Durable
Easy to disengage
Weaknesses:
Have to tweak with them before they work properly
Similar Products Used:
Onza's
747's
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Tazmon
Bottom Line:This is follow up review to the one I wrote in Sept. 1998. I still love the pedals.In response to all the users who have problems with engaging, I have a solution. The idea of loosening the bolts on the cleats makes me uncomfotable. I don't like venturing out with a piece of equipment that is not tight and in the best condition possible. What I did to one of my pedals that was not engaging was the following:1. Remove the pedal ring
2. Sand the top surface of the ring. Put a piece of 220 snadpaper on a flat surface and rub the ring on the paper.
3. Check the fit with the cleat in one of your shoes. The ring should be slightly loose in the cleat. (Remove the ring from the cleat by rotating it with long nose pliers.)
4. Re-assemble the pedal. Make sure you use blue locktight on the screws.For lubrication I like Pro-Link on the cleats and White Lightning on the pedal rings.As for mud. They work as well as my 747's use to - acceptable but not great. I don't know any piece of equipment that will work as well when covered with mud as when clean and well lubricated. Maybe Time Pedals (I haven't tried them) would work better, but they are very heavy.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Paul Cyr a Racer from Canada
Date Reviewed: April 25, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Lots of float;
lightness
Weaknesses:
Do not work in mud;
Customer service
Similar Products Used:
Shimano 747
Bike Setup:
Trek 8900
Bottom Line:I've ridden these pedals a couple of times and as soon as you put your foot down where there's mud, you won't be able to clip in the pedals until you stop and wash them with a toothbrush. I don't know in what kind of mud the persons who gave good reviews for mud conditions rode in, but here in New Brunswick, we have real mud, especially now when the snow's melting, and I can say that the cleat does not engage properly when there is a small amount of mud on the cleat. Imagine going down a hill and bunny hopping over a rock and becomming unclipped...I replaced them with my 747 after a week of use. I would give them 3 stars because they'be great for road biking, but this is a MTB site, plus I have to compensate for BEDHEAD who gave many 5-star ratings for nothing...
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Ian Lyons a Cross-Country Rider from Carlsbad, CA
Date Reviewed: April 20, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Whiting Ranch
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Great float
Light
Conversation starter
Nice on a road bike
Weaknesses:
Dangerous in mud - cleats clog
Can't trust em
Have to trim shoes
Similar Products Used:
Ritchey
Onza
Bike Setup:
Voodo hardtail
White Bros pro shock
Bottom Line:I first used these on my road bike and the only problem I had was that the cleats were nasty to walk in and made very destinct gouges in hardwood floors.I then up them on my mountain bike - big mistake. The only consistent thing that I've found is that they will release at the worst possible times.In the marketing blurb, they talk about the great pedal design and how mud passes straight through it. They fail to mention that it all collects in the cleats and makes clicking in impossible! I litterally have to stop, take my shoe off and clean it - each time I put my foot down!I've also had increasing problems with my left foot clicking out pulling up.I'am almost afraid to try contact costomer service after reading the feedback here. Anyone from Beebop listening?Time to go back to some good old SPDs.
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Bedhead a Weekend Warrior from NY
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:The Bebop guy told me to either use blue loktite on the bolts, so they would not be loose, or to use some 3M Tape to level the sole.The reason for this problem is if the bebop cleat is not flush with the sole, and you cinch the cleats, it will bend, and the pedal will not clip in well.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Steve a Cross-Country Rider from Croton,N.Y.
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Bottom Line:This is my second follow-up on these pedals. I ride technical single track. I have spoken to /Customer service 2 times. After setting the pedals up wrong the first time I gave them another try. They seam to work great except that they still come uncliped at the worst times! I loosened the cleat bolts as instructed. now they come loose so I tightned them a little, now they are a bear to engage. The company said I could send them my shoes and pedals and they will set them up for me. Bottom line, A pedal is something you should trust, step& go. I'm afraid, after 7 rides to bunny hop or do anything sudden because I don't know it I'll come unclipped! My 747's are back on my bike. To bad because there so light and the float is sweet. They would be great road pedals!
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Jake a Cross-Country Rider from CT
Date Reviewed: April 7, 1999
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Weaknesses:
Poor design (MUD)
The worst customer service I have ever seen.
Seals don't work.
Similar Products Used:
Ritchy
Bottom Line:I will try and keep this short because I could go on and on about my disgust with BeBop.
First I waited 3 months to get my pedals and when they did arrive the right pedal squeaked so loudly I had to return it. This was met with resistance from BeBop who refused to send me a new pedal until I returned the defective one.
After 4 months, of weekend riding I started having problems with unintentional release and the problem has only become worse.
I never even bothered to call BeBop about this because of all of the trouble I had with John, in customer service, when I had my initial bum right pedal.
Now in the mean time I have tried to service the pedals, which are said to never neeed servicing, and am unable to remove the philips head, which is now stripped. Needless to say I cannot recommend these pedals, I won't even give them away. I am looking into Time pedals.
The most frustration part about this is that I feel that I have no choice but to buy new pedals because of the piss poor customer service. As a 10+ year bike mechanic and someone who now works in the bike industry I have never seen such poor customer service.
If anyone from BeBop ever reads this I would welcome your input/Fix to my peoblems.PS sorry to al about the spelling.
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Bedhead a Weekend Warrior from NY
Date Reviewed: April 5, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:I just want to add a few things, since I was in a rush earlier.(1) Brooks' review down below should be deleted. He gave 3 stars to a product he has never even tried. What a prick! People should not be reviewing products that they have not actually used.(2) The Canadian guy's one-star review is totally worthless re the perfomance of the bebop. His beef is with their customer service, and instead of libeling bebop here, he should have dealt with the situation more maturely and rationally. You got alot to learn about life kid!
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Bedhead a Weekend Warrior from NY
Date Reviewed: April 5, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:I also bought the Bebop pedals from Nashbar and had the same problem you did--one pedal would not engage. I called up Bebop, and since the guy was busy, he called me back a few minutes later. Went into the garage and he had clip the shoe into the pedal and describe what was happening. In sum, he told me to loosen the bolts on the cleats (which I had cinched), and voila!, my bebops have been working flawlessly since then. The guy on the phone was very friendly, and I would not trade these pedals for anything else currently on the market.If I were in your shoes, I would return the pedals to Nashbar, call your credit card company and dispute the charge if necessary.And if anyone from bebop is reading this, send the guy some new cleats! Of course, there's the possibility that he is a crook and just trying to get a free pair of cleats... Just kidding guy!
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Paul M. Cyr a Racer from NB, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 4, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
weight
Weaknesses:
CUSTOMER SERVICE; PEDALS
Similar Products Used:
Shimano 747
Bike Setup:
Threk 8900 w/ full XTR; hayes discs, Crossmax Discs; SID;
Bottom Line:DO NOT BUY THESE PEDALS!!, the worst thing you want when you buy something is an awful customer service from the manufacturer. I bought a pair of the stainless that were on sale in Nashbar because I never used them, at 50 bucks, I thought that it would be an easy way to afford to try them. As soon as I received them, I installed them on my bike and shoes; then one of the pedals couldn't fully engage with the cleat, so I shipped them back to Bebop the fix them. They told me that it was normal??? and shipped them back to me and the cleats were not in the box, so I sent them an e-mail explaining the situation and they replied that their clerk was CERTAIN that my cleat was in my box??? How can he know that, they must be receiving hundreds of these pieces of gargage every day... Then I posted my story on MTBR.com to let everybody know that they are crooks; In response to that, john Steinberg (Mr Bebop) told me that because of that he will NOT return my cleats... Is it me or did he take away my freedom of speech? I will not accept this injustice; to be treated this way is unacceptable.
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Mark Cebriak a Cross-Country Rider from Spokane, WA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
20deg of float, lowest stack height, super-easy entry and very light weight.
Weaknesses:
Cleat installation - it's _everything_. Also, have heard of pedal cage ring breaking and high ($25) repl. cost.
Similar Products Used:
Onzas and most recently the 747s.
Bike Setup:
Clark-Kent Ti F14, '98 Atom Bomb. More importantly, Specialized S-Worls Strongarm crank and Shimano M110 shoes (too afraid to mount them to my Sidis yet).
Bottom Line:As mentioned, cleat installation is the key to being happy w/ these pedals. My friend who scored these barely-used stainless versions for $45 (shipped!), still has pre-release problems when trying to spin (on the up strokes). I told him that the Shoe-Goo sole shimming that is noted in the installation instructions did it for me. Because the plate of the Bebop cleat takes up a rather large area (thus the need for the infamous sole trimming) and is somewhat flexible, if you don't have something like Shoe-Goo underneath the fore and aft edges of the cleat, you won't get decent engagment - for me, it would bind on one side of the pedal (but not both which is odd). This is why people mistakenly recommend you not over-tighten the cleat bolts. You can tighten these to a decent torque so long as you make the mounting area as flat as possible.I had no problems getting used to the float - almost from the very first ride. I love having all that float. Although, pre-releasing still gets me here and there. I may have to adjust the cleat by rotating it a ew degrees one way or the other. You can also mount the cleats as pictured in the manual or 180deg around to favor releasing either heel-in or heel-out (they will release either way no matter - just makes it easier on one vs. the other). I think I'm 180deg from recommended though I may still try our the other method.Mud is not an issue for me. And, lastly, these pedals are incredibly light - probably 1/3 lb lighter than my 747s. A great product so far.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Bryan a Cross-Country Rider from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Light
Weaknesses:
Finicky, (sp?), set-up
Similar Products Used:
Speedplay Frog's, Ritchey Comp's
Bike Setup:
Litespeed Tuscany, Kestrel EMS fork, Shimano R210 shoes.
Bottom Line:I use these pedals on my road bike. Bought them because I became addicted to the feeling of float I get with my Frogs. They should write accross the top of the installation instructions: IF YOU CAN'T CLIP IN LOOSEN THE BLOODY CLEAT BOLTS. Anyway, after correcting the set-up I have to say I am very pleased with these pedals. The float is nice on my knees, the pedals are very light, clip in and out is a breeze yet once you're in, you're in. The cleats seem like they will be very durable for road riding. I obviously can't rate mud performance because it's not an issue on the road. These pedals are great and at roughly half the weight of the competition I would highly recommend them for road use.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Steve a Cross-Country Rider from Croton,N.Y.
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
float
customer service
light weight
quality
Weaknesses:
tske some getting used to
Similar Products Used:
times,535,s747.s,girvins
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth Truth (the best x-country ride!)
Bottom Line:This is a follow up of my 3/23 review.
After my horrid review the owner of the company got in touch with me. After a conversation we realized I HAD SET UP THE CLEATS WRONG.
After trying again they work great. A must if you like float.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Mike a Weekend Warrior from Chicago, Il
Date Reviewed: March 24, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Light
Great float
Positive connection
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
747's
Bike Setup:
Nothwave shoes
Road bike
Bottom Line:Decided to try these pedals on my road bike before I put them in the dirt. I had to do a bit of cutting for clearance, but it was limited to a small area.It took a little while to get used to the float, coming from that centered feel of SPD's. But, after 100+ miles, I've now really like the feel. The connection is so smooth, I somtimes wonder if I'm still clipped in. However, when I'm push hard, I like to pull up on the pedals, and the solid connection is very obvious. Clipout is also very smooth. Next step is to put them in the dirt.If any of you that hate them have got a stainless steel pair you want me to take of your hands, drop me a line!
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Steve a Cross-Country Rider from Croton,N.Y.
Date Reviewed: March 23, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Blue Mt.,Peekskill,N.Y.
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Float
Light weight
Weaknesses:
Not good in the mud
Similar Products Used:
747,s times,girvins,
Bike Setup:
Sllsworth TRUTH
Bottom Line:I,ve only ridden them for 2 rides so keep this in mind. Both rides were in the mud. I had a SUPER HARD time staying cliped in. One pedal had a nice click the other one ???????? The Float is great, It helps on all the tech. climping I do. One the second ride I was ready to throw the F*^$#%@ing peices of s@#$ into the wood and walk home.I SLAMED my nuts and ankles at least 4 time by coming uncliped. I noticed at the end of the ride that if I cliped in at an angle the engagement was more positive.So one more try or the become my fair weather pedals. By shiminos so you can just RIDE!
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Paul Cyr a Racer from Edmundston, NB
Date Reviewed: March 22, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Bottom Line:Talk about an awful piece of @#$%, I bought new pedals, the cleat wouldn't clip on one of the pedals; I sent them to bebop and it's normal.... Hi, welcome at bebop world, where deffect is normal. They were kind enough to return my pedals and to keep my cleats. A process that took over a month.... Thanks MrBebop, you're great...
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Mick Mortikii a Cross-Country Rider from Tally, FL
Date Reviewed: March 17, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Smoooooooth, even caked with mud which surprized the hell out of me. I herd the stories with disbelief, but now Im a firm believer. They took a little time to break in, to expediate the process go for a ride in some nasty mud and than clean them and put a few drops of Whit Lighting on the cleat pivots.I have had no problems, smooth exits and enterances. I went from SPD Richy copies and will never go back. I was surprized at the ease that I adapted, one of my friends had some trouble going from Frogs to Bebop.The float is great on my knees, I find that they are easier to get in and out of, as well as stay in that were my SPDs. Even with multiple settings on the SPDs. If they were easy to get in and out of, I come out unintentionally. If adjusted to stay in = hard to get in and out. And dont even get me started when mud comes into the equation!Oh yea, did I mention they were light as $%@!in dooky!!
Weaknesses:
None yet, but Im keeping my eye on the bearings.
Similar Products Used:
Ritchy SPD copies.
Bike Setup:
Custon Kona Kula, Manitou SXR
Bottom Line:Dependable in ALL XC conditions, easy in/out, smooooth, easy on the knees, and LIGHT!
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Peter a cross-country rider from Laramie, WY
Date Reviewed: March 2, 1999
Bottom Line:

I've only had these a short time, so the review is based on limited usage, but I am quite impressed. On the bike they're great (I'm comparing to Onza HO and Ritchey Logic pedals). I like true float, not because I have knee problmes but because I feel the ability to twist around on the pedal helps me on technical trails. I also find that I like to toe-in when I'm grunting up steep heels, but like to toe-out when I'm spinning down the trail. Float is very important to me, and these pedals do it perfectly. Entry and exit are true and more predictable than any other pedal I've tried. We'll see how the cleat holds up, but I'm somewhat concerned because it's big -- it sticks out from the sole at the toe end of the shoe. Consequently, it's tough walking around on pavement or your wood floors -- it's more like a classic road setup that way. However, walking around off road isn't a problem -- if the cleat doesn't clog or wear because of it, it almost functions as a traction accessory. I've clomped around in snow with them and they haven't iced or clogged up. I don't know about mud performance, but I usually avoid mud so I'm not that concerned about it. The big cleat and the way it surrounds the pedal leads to a _very_ secure connection with the pedal -- none of that rocking/rattling sensation found with classic SPD style shoes. As others have indicated, it would be an awesome road pedal -- for me it looks to be an awesome off-road pedal. Performance is great, I just hope it's durable.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Chris a racer from LA
Date Reviewed: March 1, 1999
Bottom Line:

i race these both on and off road. they are awesome road pedals, and very good cross-country mountain bike pedals. super-light, and they actually work. i had some trouble setting them up, but after reading the directions (they are actually well-written with useful diagrams) i got them pretty good. since they are local, i called with a couple questions and also found the customer service excellent. a tip for you guys having problems getting out, lube the cleats with a little white lightning or armor-all. dirt doesn't stick as much with those as most lubes.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Hugh Hamilton a racer from Toronto, ON Canada
Date Reviewed: February 26, 1999
Bottom Line:

Reading these reviews I see many growing pains with clipless petals. I've been ridding BEBOP's since they began production and have broke my share of first generation petal's. The new generation have been the BEST petals I've ridden. More float than Shimano 747's,Look Moab,and Ritchey logic.(Your knees will be grateful.) I have no trouble clipping out under ANY condition! This includes 4 hr rides in -35 C, to spring mud fest's in clay and loam. Like all high performance products, proper preparation and maintenance MUST be taken before entering the extreme. Spray or lube your cleats before every ride. (WD-40 is good enough for most cases. Be careful when using waxes on cleats they tend to gum up.) Set up the cleat to your foot posture.(Ride on a trainer and watch your feet swivel.) Set the cleat to the center of your own swivel. This insures you will not clip out in forceful out of saddle acceleration. when cutting your shoe make sure you allow for the swivel. You may have to cut 3-5mm wider than the spindle. This will save you GREAT pain from an unexpected release. I pack the petals with industry grade grease from SKF (LGM series) every 20 to 40 hrs in winter to once a month in summer. If entering a race clean them out and fill them with oil. Regrease them after your 50 km. I have spent many thousands of dollars on high-end bike parts and many are crap. This is one very well made pedal I give it Full Spice.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by jim mclellan a cross-country rider from west hartford CT
Date Reviewed: February 19, 1999
Bottom Line:

I had the Bebob's for 6 months, never could predict an escape, had to anticipate problems in advance and start dismounts early. After many bruises and cuts, I gave up and returned for Frog's..........which were very good.
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Yash a racer from Baltimore
Date Reviewed: February 7, 1999
Bottom Line:

After a three hour road ride in the cold today(25 degrees F), I noticed that the pedals became harder and harder to clip out of. Finally at the end, they completely got locked in and I crashed pitifully. Has anyone else had trouble with these pedals in the cold?
Overall Rating:2

Submitted by mujahid a weekend warrior from California
Date Reviewed: February 2, 1999
Bottom Line:

Got a pair as a gift and they are pretty neat. Easy entry (and unfortunately for me, the exit is a bit too easy), lots of float, and very light. I was going to use them mostly for the road, and they seemed to fit the bill, but the retention was just a bit too weak. If a cleat with stronger retention was available, I'd give 'em another shot, but until then, these will have to find a new home. ps..customer service was very pleasant and helpful when I called (in contrast to other postings here...maybe they're reading the reviews :-))
Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Brooks a cross-country rider from Vermont
Date Reviewed: January 26, 1999
Bottom Line:

I got a Nashbar ad via Email that have the stainless steel version for $49. From
the reviews, they sound questionable but for $49....what the hell. Here in Vermont most of the year is spent in the mud so I expect to have problems. The 747's I have now are great so if these are too bad, I'll use them on the road.
Overall Rating:3

Submitted by jeff a cross-country rider from utah
Date Reviewed: November 30, 1998
Bottom Line:

these pedals suck. even though i am in love with josh louis they suck, just like me
i am a crappy rider who doesnt have these pedals, but they suck. i am going to be retarded now so eat these 5 chilis you weenies!!!!
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Mario a weekend warrior from Boston,Ma
Date Reviewed: November 16, 1998
Bottom Line:

I find the cleats easy to enter, much easier then my topo comps.
The float is great. Bought these used thru the Marketplace, and now see from the reviews that I must do a little cutting on my soles to allow more room for the spindle.
The light weight is incredible
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Martin S. a cross-country rider from Edmonton, AB
Date Reviewed: November 15, 1998
Bottom Line:

Just an update from previous reviews, I'm looking at switching to Times as I've kind of had it with the wearability of the cleats. I seem to be going through 2 sets a season and at about 80$ Can it's getting pricey. I've also had extensive prob's with the red seal on my left pedal working its way up the shaft towards the crank, especially in muddy conditions - the worst time for such a thing to happen. Bebop sent me replacement seals with instructions to glue them in but it only seems to last about a month. If these prob's didn't exist I would still run them, but I'm going towards long term durability and lower cost and buying some Times.
Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Myself a weekend warrior from AZ USA
Date Reviewed: October 25, 1998
Bottom Line:

I've had my Bebops for 3 months and enjoyed them thoroughly enough to get the Deluxe for my road bike.Hafta to love all the float they give you. Definitely took a little getting used to but then again new toys usually do. I've only had a few worthy crashes and pedals are doing absolutely fine for now. From the sounds of things I hope I don't have to deal with customer service. Light is right. Especially in rotational weight. You can certainly feel the way they spin so freely. Go fast!! Just gonna drop a word on my Nike Cairns here, cracked the cleat platform while hiking my bike,still good shoes though. The pedal are worth far more than a four so I'll give them five chilies because everything is fine and dandy so far.
Overall Rating:5

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