Started riding dh 6 years ago and couldnt get comfortable riding flats so I purchased these. That was 6 years ago and they're still going strong! no play, still spin perfectly. This season one of the springs snapped but somehow they still worked. My only complaint is that now that I'm looking to get another pair I'm shocked that they haven't changed a single thing on them 6 years later. Sure they work great but how bout shaving some weight, adding pins for traction or adding a higher end version. Highly recommended, you will go through 3 crank brothers before u wear out one pair of z's.
Submitted by
Ecogeek
a Cross Country Rider
from Canadian Rockies
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2009
Strengths: V good clip mech. Like the adjustable release tension and float.
Weaknesses: Platform no-where near as much use as I'd hoped. And so, they are heavier than you need - cos if the platform's no use then you could have lighter pedals. You are also constrained to quite a narrow stance, so if you like to mash with your feet a little wider apart...
Seals mean they don't spin as free as cheaper non-sealed pedals. Anything that steals more energy than needed, could be better. Seals were unlubed from factory. If I didn't notice and lube them, they'd have worn away first ride. They were sticking, bunching themselves up as the pedal rotated and as that shortened their length, they were sucking themselves inside the pedal and staying there all twisted up. Grease thinned with a drop of syn oil is what you need.
Bottom Line:
Well, I nearly bought the Mallets, but I thought the Z Control as it looked like they'd be better. Pos better value at the price I paid. But, I wanted to be able to ride with regular shoes or hiking boots (cos sometimes I do bike-hikes or want to just ride somewhere in the flat-lands without putting on my real shoes) and they just don't do that as well as I want. Your shoes are basically on those slippery bars. V little confidence versus the proper platforms on my bigger bikes.
Now, that aside, these are nice clip-in pedals, but if the platform doesn't do enough then it's just extra weight and I'd be better of in terms of weight and cash with the Atac Aliums.
See weaknesses section for potential issue w seals.
So. They are not bad at all. But not good enough either.
I think someone should sell a pedal with recessed mech and a cleat that's like a 'platform cleat' ie longer top to bottom so it still reaches the clips. But, when you ride the pedal with normal shoes, it's EXACTLY like a normal pedal. I don't care if I've got bigger lumps on the underside of my MTB shoes, they're already 5h1t for walking in and I wouldn't do it anyway cos it wears the cleats out fast! The MTB shoes are for biking. I'd rather have pedals that do both jobs well. That's less work than changing pedals (and getting anti-seize everywhere and cleaning it up). It's also better to have a bike that does everything how you want it to. Everyone has a load of different shoes already! Just need a pedal that has a good clip-in mech AND works as well as a real platform with normal shoes. Can't believe it doesn't exist as I could design it myself in 10mins. But I can't seem to find it on the market.
Overall verdict. Great mechanism, great idea, mediocre implimentation of that idea and as a result, pedals heavier and less useful than they should be and therefore not as good value as I'd hoped. Fair?
Bike Setup: Mrs and I use be these on three bikes between us. Custom RM Slayer SXC70, custom Kona hardtail and modded Marin hardtail.
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Submitted by
vaelin
a Weekend Warrior
from Dublin, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2009
Strengths: Platform pedal with clipless option, bombproof construction
Weaknesses: Heavy. Cleat wears pretty quickly.
Bottom Line:
4 bikes. 1 pair of pedals. 5 sets of cleats. 7 years?
They're almost all silver now, from all the bashing, grinding, and crap that I've put these pedals through. Still spinning, still going strong. I've had novices ride them with their regular shoes and they had no problems, then the next day I could just hop on and ride with my own cleated shoes and not have to swap pedals.
These are the *one* piece of bike components that have lasted through four bikes and seven years.
Favorite Trail: Bay Area trails, Northstar-at-Tahoe
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At: SuperGo (now Perform
Similar Products Used: All manner of Shimano SPD including the D-series
Bike Setup: Then: Psyclewerks Wildhare, Iron Horse Hollowpoint, Giant NRS Now: Intense Tazer
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Submitted by
PietroB
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, Colorado
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2009
Strengths: Durability
Weaknesses: Weight, if you care?
Bottom Line:
I've had these for over two years now and have abused them regularly on the front range trails of the Rockies in beautiful Colorado. I've bashed them on several occasions on rocks (that's why they call them the Rockies) and what not and have never had a problem. These are great when the ride gets sketchy and one is bombing downhill. Heck, they're even great uphill on those technical sections... As a side note, my buddy has been running the Crank Bros mallets clipless platforms for a couple years also, and they seem to be holding up as well.
Submitted by
GoremanX
a Weekend Warrior
from Ile-Aux-Noix, QC
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2009
Strengths: Look pretty, ATAC mechanism stays clear of mud and dirt
Weaknesses: Only one bearing per pedal, weak bearing retention design, ATAC mechanism is stiffer to get into than Shimano SPD, failed multiple times within 2 weeks
Bottom Line:
Freeride my a$$... these pedals crumbled at the first sight of a gentle XC run. Each pedal only has one bearing on the outside, and a plastic bushing on the inside. The bearing is held onto the shaft by a 10mm nut, and a super soft plastic end cap prevents the pedal body from sliding along the shaft. As soon as this end cap gets warm (and therefore softer), it can come loose and allow the pedal to slide in and out, thereby ruining the bearing and the plastic bushing. This plastic end cap is the worst design I've ever seen. I could almost forgive having a plastic bushing on pedals that retail for $135, but the end cap ruins the whole deal. I've tried everything to keep it in place, to no avail. It just keeps popping out. The bearings and bushings are ruined. I've wasted my money. Going to the trouble of getting it fixed by Time doesn't seem worth it, they'll just come back with new worthless plastic end caps and the whole process will start over again.
Worst pedals I ever bought. Complete waste of money. Extremely disappointed. Soured on Time products forever...
Similar Products Used: Shimano M545, Bontrager Big Earl, generic crap
Bike Setup: 2008 Kona Hoss, custom built
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Submitted by
screws loose
a Cross Country Rider
from Honolulu, HI USA
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2009
Strengths: Very easy to get out of. Large platform.
Weaknesses: A little on the heavy side.
Bottom Line:
So easy to get in and out of. Unlike the previous pedals I had, which took a ton of force to get in and out of, these pedals take only a light twist of the foot and you're out. The size of the pedal also helps because even if you don't click in right away your foot doesn't slip off the pedal. You can get a few solid strokes in before engaging. No more falling at stop lights!
I have not tried these on the trail yet, but look forward to it.
These pedals are great for someone who is new to clipless pedals. Don't make the mistake of buying cheap pedals. These are the best.
Bike Setup: Jamis Dakar XLT 2005 Anniversary Edition
Fox Vanilla fork with Float R rear
Hayes 9 and all XT derailleurs
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Submitted by
Ned Netterville
a Weekend Warrior
from Signal Mountain, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2009
Strengths: versatility
Weaknesses: a little tight coming out
Bottom Line:
I'm about to order a second pair. I like the idea of being able to jump on and ride without bike shoes. Since I've had these, I seldom put on bike shoes for rides of short duration even if there is some technical stuff enroute, because sneakers atop the Z's platform can handle most anything.
Bike Setup: Trek Fuel, Franklin (custom) hardtail, IBIS ss
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Submitted by
north20
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington state
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2009
Strengths: Super durability and reliability. The most foot support I've seen and felt in any clipless pedal.
Weaknesses: They need to be more adjustable in spring tension. I've used other Time off road pedals in the past and these are a fair bit more difficult to get in and out of.
Bottom Line:
Typical (at least for me and other riders I know) Time durability and reliability in all conditions. If you're looking for a clipless pedal with a lot of support - in contrast to something like Eggbeaters for instance - this is a great option. However, as mentioned, the springs are *stiff* and haven't really slackened much in a year. Still a fantastic pedal.
Strengths: Durability, durability, durability!
Stability and the distinct feeling.
Weaknesses: A bit too wide plattforms on a low BB bike=hitting stuff.
Bottom Line:
If you are looking for a fit and forget pedals with plattform support I can't see how you can go wrong with theese. Lost count of how many times I smashed these pedals into rocks, roots and obstacles. At first you think the pedals are trashed after a major hit but they look fine and keep working flawlessly and after a while you just keep biking in confidence. :)
After I got a second bike it didn't last long before I got another pair of the Zed's on that bike too!
Similar Products Used: Time XS, Bontrager, Shimano
Bike Setup: Using Time Z on both my bikes, a Giant Reign and a Surly Pugsley.
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Submitted by
tribune
a Weekend Warrior
from Irvine, CA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2008
Strengths: I absolutely love these TIME Z pedals. The wide platform provides extreme stability over my previous Shimano SPD M5xx series pedals. I don't get hot spots on my feet and I feel much more comfortable. Like everyone else says, clipping in/out is extremely easy. I'd recommend learning with these pedals over the SPDs.
The main benefit of these pedals IMO is the large platform. On numerous occasions, in rocky/technical sections where I need to dab (or else die) I can hop my foot back onto the pedal and get enough crab to clean a section, instead of slipping off the pedal like with an SPD and eating $$$t.
Weaknesses: None so far. The pain wears after smashing rocks (duh) and the crappy plastic dust caps soon fall off.
Bottom Line:
I'm probably going to buy a 3rd pair just to build up my inventory.
Bike Setup: Too many to list. Use them on two of my MTB bikes.
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Submitted by
banddad
a Cross Country Rider
from Orlando, FL
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2008
Strengths: Once you are clipped in, they won't let go (unless you want them to), good power transfer
Weaknesses: No adjustments
Bottom Line:
These are the first clipless pedals I have owned. I ride mostly on the street for exercise, but do a little offroad. I am still having a little difficulty unclpping, but getting better all the time. I have about 500 miles on the pedals and they are still going strong.
Similar Products Used: None, these are my first clipless
Bike Setup: Specialized Rockhopper Comp disc
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Submitted by
gaterose
a Cross Country Rider
from Tuscaloosa, AL
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2008
Strengths: Platform for riding without cleats
Weaknesses: Very stiff spring, platform not very comfortable without cleats
Bottom Line:
Despite the great reviews here, I did not like these pedals at all. They seemed like a great idea because of the platform, however platform hurts my feet pretty badly after a couple hours of riding with regular shoes because of the clipping mechanism poking into the sole (i.e. ruined a pair of new balances). The pedals look great but have no adjustibility and caused me to wreck a couple of times due to my inability to unclip in emergencies. These pedals would probably be great if the spring could be loosened a little bit, but I found the spring was so tight it was hard to even clip in, much less get out. The XT pedals are MUCH easier to get in and out of and even the Candys were easier than this though still too stiff. The pedals were a huge let down especially when the price is taken into consideration.
Submitted by
daleksic
a Weekend Warrior
from Kissimmee, Florida
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2008
Strengths: Awesome pedal, solid, strong construction
Weaknesses: Heavy, no adjustments
Bottom Line:
I heard these pedals are the best out there so I bought them. I never regretted their price tag and am overall happy with them. Swap the cleats and get more float. Can't get easier than that.
A couple of complaints though (with nothing to compare them to), I have no fine adjustment. I need to be able to unclip in a crash (which I didn't several times) like during skiing, you want to separate from the equipment. It's too heavy, I'd pay a lot more for Lightweight version of these, maybe titanium or carbon in a platform.
It would be interesting to have a version where you can only clip in on one side. Because of my crashes in the past I do now unclip in certain situations just in case i don't make it. Or just have an escape adjustment...
Overall these pedals are great. However, because of the missing escape feature the overall rating doesn't deserve outstanding.
Submitted by
aaron98433
a Weekend Warrior
from pacific northwest
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2008
Strengths: -Very sturdy and resistant to damage from crashes
-Wide/flat design mimics standard pedals making it possible to ride even if you don't have your shoes
Weaknesses: None, extra weight if your a gram junkie
Bottom Line:
This is my first set of clip ins and would never have it any other way; these are bomb proof and have held up perfect; they never come loose and are fairly easy to clip in to considering they are only 2 sided and easy to get out of; hard crashes will normally "knock you out of the pedals" so you can escape worse inury. Highly recommend a set of these for just about anyone who doesn't mind a few extra ounces for a truly long lasting set of pedals that will never fail.
Similar Products Used: This has been my first and only set of clip ins
Bike Setup: IronHorse Sinister 19" frame full suspension with Shimano Shifters/Brake levers, upgrades to derailleurs (Deore XT) and drive train. Hayes H2 Mechanical discs, 26" wheels
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Submitted by
Luke Becker
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, Or.
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2008
Strengths: Very solid system. Used by heavy guy (230#) for over three years, virtually no maintainence.
Weaknesses: Slicker than snot with city shoes.
Bottom Line:
Great for mountain use. Tough, reliable, but cleats do wear quickly. I replace 2x per year. Bearings\bushings excellent useful life. Three years and nearly no maintainance. Not recommended for 'city' shoe use. My shins will attest. Do squeak after 20 or so miles riding, a little lube on rubber bushings cures problem, but really annoying when you have 10 miles to go!