I have put over 2000 (yes, two thousand) miles on my pedals and by all accounts are still going strong with NO maintainance . I have fallen over twice (at a standing stop) and couldn't unclip fast enough but I really think thats my fault. I layed it down another time when my rear tire slid sideways but it occured so fast I couldn't even think or react to unclip----not really the pedals fault. If I were using regular platform pedals I would have instinctively put my foot out and probably would have torn everything in my groin by doing the splits. The end result was a very light scrape and that was it....phew.
These were freebie pedals that came with my bike (10/2008) and I have been very satisfied with them. I guess I got a good run from the factory.
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Submitted by
yoni ferneau
a Cross Country Rider
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2012
Strengths: look great, clip in well, provide a good platform when you are not clipped in
Weaknesses: get scratched and torn easily, bearings wear out easily
Bottom Line:
a good cheap pedal. They are reliable and have a pronounced 'click' to let you know when you are in. They give you a good platform and stability wether you are clipped in or not. Even if it does get scratched, it is only cosmetic and does not decrease its performance.it clears mud very well, but you might need to clean mud out of the cleats, but that is not a big deal. Even if the bearings wear out, they still roll well and it is easy to ignore.
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Submitted by
elopez
a Weekend Warrior
from Leon, Gto. Mex.
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2012
Strengths: Easy to clip in and out, not to heavy. These pedals do not catch my attention when riding. I do not even remember that I am using clipless pedals.
Weaknesses: Difficult to disengage when coupled to Shimano MT32 shoes; but the shoes should be blamed, not the pedals.
Bottom Line:
I purchased these pedals to replace my old Ritchey Logics. I first used them with Shimano`s MT 32 shoes. I used to like those shoes because it is easy to walk on them and the sole is wide and stable enough to feel stable out of the bike. Nevertheless, I did not realize that the sole interfere with the pedals, making it difficult to engage and disengage. After one silly (but painfull) landing, when I was unable to disengage the pedals, I realized that the problem is the interference. I switched to a new pair of SIDI shoes, and since then the pedal action is really good, easy to engage and disengage.
P.S. Check for interference when using this pedals, otherwise you could suffer accidents and injure yourself.
Submitted by
Salty
a Weekend Warrior
from Squamish
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2011
Strengths: Light and easy to get into when muddy. Likely jam up less than SPDs.
Weaknesses: Easy to get out of when planned but when you really need to get your foot down they require to much angle to release and are not adjustable.
Bottom Line:
I have been riding hard ass trails on the North Shore, Squamish and Whistler for 15 years and have never been as covered in scabs as I am since buying the Candy. Today I got three stitches in my head from falling over and sticking a limb butt in my temple because I couldn't release, again. I will continue to use Crank Bros on my road bike but on my mtn bike, off they come and back to SPDsI go.
Submitted by
Michael07FSR
a Cross Country Rider
from Sherman Oaks, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2011
Strengths: They looked good for a short time
Weaknesses: Lasted less than 250 miles and the bearings were junk.
Bottom Line:
Went cheap on the pedals and it cost me dearly. After just 250 miles of mostly dry road riding in Southern California the pedals failed. The left pedal was so bad it barely turned by hand. Both pedals squealed and cried every turn of the crank for the last 100 miles. Had to put on my old (2500 mile) shimano spd 520s to get me through to the arrival of my new spd 970s. Its raining this week and the spd 520 are still working great so I will leave them on for awhile.
Bottom line stay away from Crank Brothers products. I also bought their new skewers and I am disappointed.
Submitted by
jonjy998
a Weekend Warrior
from South Pasadena, Ca
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2010
Strengths: Easy to clip in and out of. Stable platform. 2 float choices,depending on how you clip into the egg beater. Still have a platform to pedal on, when not engaged yet, like when starting out on rocky or rough terrain. Good float and peal cleat system will not clogged up with mud or debris.
Weaknesses: Purchased 2010 model on closeout, good deal. Composite body material may break according to some reviews that have been written. 2011 pedals are now aluminum. That's okay though, I'm not that hard on equipment.
Bottom Line:
Overall I like these pedals thus far, no complaints yet.
Submitted by
dosas
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2010
Strengths: Solid platform, easy entry, no clogging
Weaknesses: Weak composite body
Bottom Line:
Bought new on craigslist (take offs); rode this set of pedals for less than 3 months. Went to clip in after a short mid-ride break and discovered the composite body was broken in half. Must have caught a rock with a low pedal while riding, but not hard enough to take notice.
Returned these to Crank Bros - they said that damage wasn't covered by warranty, but they would repair them and perform recommended service. With return shipping, this would come to $34. Plus the $5 to ship to them... $39? When I can buy them new for $30. Thanks anyway :(
Similar Products Used: SPD (Shimano, Ritchey), Candy SL, Candy SE, Candy Ti
Bike Setup: RIP 9, Fox FIT QR15
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Submitted by
BillyBlur
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, California, USA
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2010
Strengths: ease of use and maintainence
Weaknesses: plastic
Bottom Line:
Had a set of these pedals for 6yrs without any problems. Ride Santa Teresa's Rocky Ridge a lot; and the pedals had no issues being bounced of rocks. Replaced the old ones when got the new SC. The new Candy's only lasted 8mos. So I bought a new pair and they only lasted 3mos. Contacted Crank bros, they fixed the 8mos old pair and sent spacers for the 3mos old pair. Customer service was great, quick, and they did what they said they would do. Love these pedals and recomend them for XC or all-mountain.
Submitted by
sinjin
a Cross Country Rider
from abq nm
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2010
Strengths: light, simple.
Weaknesses: plastic wears down.
Bottom Line:
have had three tries on these. all crapped out with spindle breaks, all from pedal strikes. first two totally broke with very minor strike, third one dented down with two strikes, leading to a bad crack on it. i managed to bend it straight and use it, but difficult to clip off afterward. easy to use, but they don't last long with any chances of pedal strikes, the last one lasted only 9 months, although 1200 miles, but still usable. i'll be trying time or shimano to see for durability.
Submitted by
slow_pedaler
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2010
Bottom Line:
Don't use these pedals for rocky trail riding! These are my first clip-less pedals but still they don't seem to be easy to get out of! I'm riding a 29er for the first time and clip-less for the first time and its only day three of the experiment but I keep falling on my ass! One needs to be able to get out instantly and without any planing and by reflex. Maybe that is easier with the regular egg beaters but it seems the surrounding plastic plate catches on the shoes and makes detaching a deliberate effort. Maybe I'll get platforms.
Submitted by
tstayin
a Cross Country Rider
from Reston, Va, USA
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2010
Strengths: Came with the bike, easy to clip in
Weaknesses: Very very difficult to clip out and non-adjustable. I have to go nearly 30 or 40 degrees to clip out unless I totally slant the cleat on the bottom of my shoe to offset this flaw.
Bottom Line:
Hate these pedals, but they came with my new bike. There are 20 cuts or bruises on me at this point in time as I am often unsuccessful at clipping out. For now (until I replace them), I'm forced to clip out before the approach on any semi-treacherous climbs, jumps, etc... just to ensure that I don't hurt myself. Sucks. Would not buy them again.
Submitted by
epiphreddy
a Weekend Warrior
from Anybiketown, USA
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2010
Strengths: Good click in and out, good adjustable float, fairly lightweight, user serviceable.
Weaknesses: Multiple methods of failure. Plastic body becomes damaged to where end caps don't fit, bearing failures, spindle failures, customer support ignores all requests, although warranty advertised to be 2 years - never covers anything. Pay $$ for warranty repairs, what sort of warranty is that? Annual re-build required at $25 a pop.
Bottom Line:
These pedals are probably better than all of them, except they are just not that durable. I have had multiple sets fail through the above mentioned means. When sent in for warranty, they either ask no questions and repair them for free or they don't. It seems to be a crapshoot. And when asked what can be done different, CB's totally ignores yours questions. They work great when they work, but you better have some spare pairs laying around because if you ride hard at all they will eventually fail, sometimes after only a few weeks or months. Also, an expensive pedal like this should not require an annual re-build as CB's recommends. $25 for a rebuild kit gets expensive after each year. They still work better than SPD's, but are not nearly as durable. CB's has totally re-designed all of their pedals so hopefully the previous weaknesses have been resolved. They have a 5 year warranty now too. Yippee! Maybe they will honor this warranty unlike they did with their imaginary two year warranty.
Similar Products Used: All of them, Time, Shimano, Ritchey, Speedplay Frogs.
Bike Setup: Lynskey Pro 29er Geared, Shimano XT, SRAM x9, A/C Hubs with Arch rims tubeless Maxxis, Avid Juicy Ultimates, RockShox Race SL 29er, Ergon Carbons.
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Submitted by
Marco
a Racer
from Puerto Rico
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2010
Strengths: Super easy on and off. In a race, the plastic frame give you support if you have to get off your bike and can't clip in fast for some reason.
Weaknesses: If its too muddy is a bit hard to clip in because of the plastic frame.
Bottom Line:
Great pedal for a good price. Great for new users of this kind of pedal. I still use them!
Submitted by
Natedogz
a Cross Country Rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2009
Strengths: Free floating spring type retention mechanism. Lightweight, compact, easy to clip in/out, rebuildable and greasable.
Weaknesses: Plastic composite body is getting pretty chewed up around the screwed in aluminum end cap. Stainless steel kickplates on front and back are getting loose and will eventually fall off.
Bottom Line:
Great pedals that operate easily even in mud and rain, lightweight, easy to use. Buy them....I just wish the composite body was a little more durable to rock strikes and abrasion from those inevitable crashes. I would rate the overall rating a 4 or 5 if the plastic composite body was more durable, but for what I paid they are a good deal and I will buy another pair.
Submitted by
pdebruin
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2009
Strengths: Light weight, lots of float, less fussy entry
Weaknesses: Less predictable release than shimano
Bottom Line:
I like them becasue they are a lot lighter than the DX pedals I was using, and the clipping in action is less fussy than the Shimanos. If you miss, you can just stomp down or pull back to get clipped in instead of having to pull your foot back for another try. The thing I don't like as much as the SPDs is the release. With SPD the realease point is very predicatable, but with these, although the difference is subtle, it's not quite as confidence inspiring. When you're unclipping under control this isn't an issue - they're not hard to get out of - but in a crash when you might not be pulling out in exactly the right way, sometimes they can hold on a bit too long. I'm happy enough with them, but when they wear out I'll buy some lighter SPDs.