Clip your shoes into the Time ATAC Alium Mountain Bike Pedal and hit the trails. A lightweight, tough aluminum body spins with minimum effort, and a knee-friendly 5 degrees of float gives your joints room to move. You won't have to worry about these packing with mud, making it difficult to clip in or out, the self-cleaning springs assures consistent engagement.
Submitted by
jasonzh
a Cross Country Rider
from Newark, DE, USA
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2012
Strengths: Clipping in is solid, pedals are easy to clean, indestructible
Weaknesses: Weight
Bottom Line:
Great pedals. I've used them in all different types of conditions ranging from sand to clayish mud. I haven't had any real issues except in clayish mud, but a simple stomp and clipping in is easy again. The pedals are pretty heavy but they are very reliable and bombproof. Also, I had lost an axle cap and sent an email to Time and I got a replacement from them at no charge and no issues. A good product and a good customer service department. Can't go wrong.
Submitted by
J Biddy
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney Australia
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2011
Strengths: Simple design, very sturdy. In and out when you want every time. Dirt/mud not an issue.
Weaknesses: Weight, lack of adjustability.
Bottom Line:
I got these as I do a lot of riding in unfavourable conditions, and so the simple wire system appealed, and this pedal has a better build quality review than the similar crank brothers. I also like the flexibitlity it has over the shimano. Very heavy though and so I wouldn't use it for competitions. Would recommend it as a first clipless pedal, but then upgrade to a lighter more adjustable one.
Similar Products Used: Clip-in platforms, Shimano basic clipless
Bike Setup: Specialized Hardrock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
mcgong
a Weekend Warrior
from Orange Country, CA
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2011
Strengths: Solid and Simple Construction, bomb proof.
Weaknesses: Adjustability, but it doesn't really need it.
Bottom Line:
I've used just about every clip system on the market. Started with SPD and the SH56 cleats for easy release. Switched to CB Mallets and Acids which were not bad. Finally I've switched to Time and will be the last time I switch. Unlike the CB pedals, you know when you are clipped and unclipped with a nice Click! sound. I rode in the rain the other day and had to walk my bike through some sections because it was just too muddy to ride. Looked at my shoe and there was about an inch of mud stacked on the bottom sole. After clearing the mud off my bike, I hopped on, and was still able to clip in despite the 1/2 pound of mud still cake on the my shoe. No way could I have done that with CB or SPD pedals. I run the TIme Z Control and Atac Alum and both are great pedals.
Submitted by
NUTTAHT51
a Weekend Warrior
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2011
Strengths: Easy in easy out, durable
Weaknesses: not sure I can find one
Bottom Line:
These pedals have lasted longer than 2 frames I have owned. I am on frame number 3 and have transferred these pedals from each one. As good as the day I bought them. I can get in and out with ease. After a rainy weekend in SoCal, I rode in very muddy conditions and these little guys clipped in even with mud caked on the pedals and on the cleats. I just can't think why anyone would run SPDs. I have destroyed 3 different pairs of SPDs, 2 knock-offs and 1 shinamo 747. ATAC aluminum pedals are by far the best clipless pedals out there.
Similar Products Used: Shimano, cheapo welgo and more shimano
Bike Setup: vintage lavadome with lx/xt drivetrain and Marzocci forks
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
nuttah
a Weekend Warrior
from Simi Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2011
Strengths: Easy in and out. Bomb proof
Weaknesses: after 10+ years, I haven't found one yet
Bottom Line:
I have riden with these pedals for 10+ years after I broke my SPD 747 pedals. Very easy to get in and even easier to get out. In SoCal after a rain storm, I rode in the muddiest of conditions. My shoes and pedals were completely caked in mud. I was able to get in and out with ease. By far the best pedals out there. I have riden the SPD models and these are so much better. Outside of being the more popular pedal type, I am not sure why anyone would ride SPDs. I went thru 3 pairs before I went ATAC.
Similar Products Used: SPD 747, several SPD knock-offs
Bike Setup: Sette Ace with old school '98 Z1BAM sront shock.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
fetus19
a Cross Country Rider
from Detroit MI
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2011
Strengths: I bought a set of these pedals when Time first came out with them over 10 years ago. I've abused the hell out of these things and they're still on my bike today! This is by far the most durable pedal I've owned. It's contruction makes clipping in and out a breeze. and the molded shell around the pedal internals makes it indestructable!
Similar Products Used: Various CODA and SPD compatible designs
Bike Setup: Building a Mrazek Boh FX with Shimano XT Dynasys drive train
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
OxygenDeficit
a Weekend Warrior
from North Carolina
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2010
Strengths: Unmistakable clipped in feel Also, when clipping out, the pedal feels like it throws your foot out to the side. ( A good thing) Simple function, easy to clean, little maintenance required. (No adjusting/adjustments)
Weaknesses: A little heavy, but not much. ( I'd' rather my pedals be a little more sturdy)
Bottom Line:
I just bought a new bike and use this as a time to re-evaluate which clipless system I use. After a lot of research and review reading, the ATACs fit the bill for a lot of reasons; low maintenance, reasonable price, and confidence-inducing clipped-in feel.
Similar Products Used: Shimano 737s, toe clips, road pedals
Bike Setup: 2011 Giant XTC 29er 1
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
redbranch68
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2010
Strengths: Inexpensive, great mud clearance, simple design no need to adjust anything, making it basically maintainence free, easy to click in and out of
Weaknesses: For some riders,no adjustments could be a down side I know some riders like to control exactly at what point they will engage, how much float they have and at what point they will disengage. A bit heavy if you are a weight weenie, and I find the cleats tend to need replacing at least once a year. Made from brass or something soft.
Bottom Line:
Time ATAC pedals, are the bee's knees in my view. It's a proven system (look at Crank Bros Egg beaters, and Look's Quartz models) They seem to think it works, they just use slightly different variations of the Time pedal to get away with copy right problems (I think)
Similar Products Used: Shimano xt, ritchey spd, and a few diff. ATAC models
Bike Setup: currently run and old set of ATAC world cup carbon/titanium version.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
bnbski
a Cross Country Rider
from St Louis, MO
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2010
Strengths: Durable, maintenance free. Have cracked 100's of rocks and logs and never once had a problem. Natural pedal float.
Weaknesses: Heavier than most mountain pedals. No pedal release adjustment.
Bottom Line:
Out of the box the pedals are to hard to unclip. After several hard falls on technical and rocky climbs I to a file and ground down the cleats. Took them for a spin and filed off more cleat material. Now they are perfect. Test yours out in the driveway and be prepared to file some pedal off the cleats.
Bike Setup: Scott Scale Elite 29er - stock (for now).
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
januhhh
a Cross Country Rider
from Poland
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2010
Strengths: Very definite clip-out (especially compared to egg beaters); won't accidentally unclip; sturdy; have both 15 wrench flats AND Allen key socket; WORK WITH EGG BEATER CLEATS
Weaknesses: Heavy.
Sometimes may be difficult to clip in.
Bottom Line:
I've gone what I would now call the best way to start using clipless. First, I bought Egg Beaters Candy C new with cleats. Those are very beginner-friendly, clip in and out almost intuitively, allow a lot of play for the feet, also shouldn't unclip accidentally, I think because of the design.
After some months of getting used to clipless, I was a little annoyed by the amounts of play, also by the quiet, "rubbery" unclipping, which makes it less precise. My Egg Beaters got a lot of play on the bearings. Then I got a great deal on used ATACs, and gave them a try. Turned out they worked perfectly with the same cleats as my Beaters! In comparison, they don't allow so much play and feel more secure, but my favourite difference is the moment of unclipping, sharp and precise, with a loud CLICK.
Would highly recommend getting them second hand. The paint on my ATAC's is very worn, however they still work like new! Perfect.
Favorite Trail: I ride in the city 98% of the time
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At: bought used off eBay
Similar Products Used: Crank Bros. Egg Beater Candy C
Bike Setup: fixed-wheel road bike
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Submitted by
Carraig042
a Weekend Warrior
from East Tennessee
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2010
Strengths: Has a cage to protect the clipping system from debris and rocks.
Look look pretty good and seem to be built sturdy.
Weaknesses: Heavier than some. (Not a big deal to me as I am not looking to save every ounce possible)
Bottom Line:
These pedals are very nice, especially for the price. I really like how they have a aluminum cage to protect the components of the pedal. The design does not seem to collect dirt/mud, so clipping in and out anytime is easy. These are my first clipless pedals, but they were a little hard to clip out of at first, but once the cleats wore in some they got a lot easier to clip out of. The other day I did lose a little plastic end cap piece on the trail, so hopefully it is not needed. The paint/powdercoat/or whatever it is is starting to rub off. No big deal there, just aesthetics.
I would recommend them to anyone wanting a nice pedal at a good price.
Submitted by
yoroshikune
a Weekend Warrior
from K.L. Malaysia
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2010
Strengths: Tough
Weaknesses: Heavy
Bottom Line:
I started using this pedals back in 2003 on my 1st full sus Giant NRS XTC Team and have been using it ever since. My 1st and hope not my last TIME Atac Alium. I have even used these on some road bikes too. Easy to clip in and out. Need some time to get used to at the beginning but that's the same with all clipless pedals I guess. Use them at all sorts of trails in this part of the world and in Japan. Muddy, rocky, rooty etc. They just won't disappoint. Never have I done any maintenance on it and I don't think they will ever need it other then lubricating the cages. Agree with LT comment earlier that 'once dirty, the cages and platform "creak" against the bottom the shoe'. But hey, nothing WD40 can't solve. It could be lighter but there is always the Atac XC carbon to choose from if you have the money to get rid of the 72lbs that is getting in your way to the podium.
Bike Setup: 2010 YETI ASR-C, Dyna-sys XT gset, FOX Float 32F RLC 100 (2009), Crossmax SL Disc, Kenda Nevagal 2.1, ritchey pro 4X and Ritchey Superlogic carbon riser (24.5lb overall setup)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Phiu-x
a Weekend Warrior
from Quebec city
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2010
Strengths: Sturdy, easy to clip in and out. Superb lateral and angular play so they are knee friendly. No fear of un-clipping even when standing and pushing hard. I'm a first-time clipless user and I'm very pleased with the Time ATAC system. After a 5 min test run in my backyard, I went to my favorite trails and never had a single problem with the system. A nice "clunk" confirm that I'm clipped-in. An outside twist of the foot and *clunk* foot is free. You can choose between 13 or 17 degree angle for unclipping. That, and the fact that they are fairly large makes them perfect for AM. I can use my bike for quick errand without my cleat shoe as the platform is large enough for that. As a first time user , I did fall a couple of time in a technical climb (this is MTB btw, man up! there WILL be blood!) but that was because I forgot to unclip at the right time, and the left leg unclipping is a bit harder than the right leg for me. I highly recommend the Time Pedal to any beginner or first time clipless user. I did a lot of research before buying and trust me you cannot go wrong with these. Much more secure than old cage clippy. I will never go to other system. BTW I use them with shimano sh m076 shoe (that I highly recommend) and they are totally compatible with SPD. Definitely an A-1 product.
Weaknesses: None to date
Bottom Line:
Easy and sturdy clipless sytem. Buy with confidence.
Had a set of Ritchey V4 spd pedals as my first set of clipless(total crap product that seized very quickly). Bought the Time ATAC alium based on the reviews here.Have been on a few 15+ mile rides with them now and find them much better than the spd pedals. That's based on the one pair of spd's I've owned, but as everyone says;they are easy to get in and out of and seem built to last. Bought them with the Sette mountain shoe for $100 and the shoes are pretty good as well.
hey, the alium is 8 grams heavyer and $30 cheaper, which one would you guys recommend? aside from the composite versus aluminum body is there any difference? Read More »
Hi,
i´m looking for a clipless pedal to use ocasionally with regular shoes.
Can i use the Time Atac Alium with regular shoes ocasionally without big risks of accidents or ruining Read More »
Hey guys,
I currently have Time Atac Aliums and Pearl Izumi shoes. I don't like the shoes much anyway and the velcro doesn't work well anymore, so it's time for something new. Read More »
I did a bunch of research and everyone seems to have good things to say about the Time ATAC's. Do these good reviews apply to the Alium model also, or just to the more expensive m Read More »
