These pedals are great. I've had them for more than three years of heavy riding. And I'm no lighwieght at 195lbs. These pedals have taken a beating on the northeastern rocks, roots and other obstacles as well as the Pyrenees. At $50, these are an awesome deal.
Strengths: Better than the Cro-Mo version. Same weight but Ti does have durability advantages. It does make some creaking and I hate that. It can become very annoying on quiet trails and where concentration is a must. No real problems with clipping in or out, but I am highly suspicious that there are better entry and exit pedals alive.
Weaknesses: The price for this is ridiculous. Don't buy them unless your a weight weinny and even then it's still not worth your money unless your spoonfed.
Bottom Line:
Don't buy them unless you have some kind of fetish for titanium. There are some advantages of it being Titanium, it's stiffer (i believe). I feel downright scared in the Cro-Mo version because operation can be sketchy and freightening without accidental lock-ins. Don't take them to North Star, you might see my flesh on Sticks and Stones and add yours to my pile. Bottom line, not worth your cash.
Weaknesses: Durability. LOts of axle play and increasingly random release.
Bottom Line:
Bought these pedals in 95. Not cheap then, but they were ridden hard in German mud, rain, snow and a lot of Euro MTB marathons (on my old Litespeed Obed - I miss that frame!). The first problem I noticed was ever-increasing axle play. This is due to the (stupid) inboard bushing design of the pedal -- a design the newer Comp pedal also suffers from. The second problem was the growing unpredictableness of their release. Like other reviewers, I had to keep cranking up the tension setting to keep my foot in while honking back on the pedal on steep climbs. Early last year, the pedals started to release at diagonal angles while airborne, and had developed about 1mm of vertical play between axle and bushing, so I retired 'em. Ever since I have been on the prowl for pedals that work as well as these did those first 4 years. THe new Ritchey release mechanism is a nightmare (only releases when it _doesn't_ matter. Shimano 858's have problems, Times are a bunch of bloated pigs (you shouldn't be allowed to call something that weighs over 400g "carbon")! Is there no salvation in sight? 4 stars for value and 5 for a reasonable period of strong performance, because there doesn't seem to be anything better out there!
Similar Products Used: Ritchey V2 comp (major disimprovement over old design)! Shimano 535, 747, Wellgo 804, ONZA HO (worst pedal of all time)!
Bike Setup: Fisher Supercaliber, XTR, Manitou SXR w/ Englund air, Chris King, Race Face cranks, World Class Ti BB, Easton CT2, Syncros stem, Bontrager Ti Bar, Avocet R 40 (rules!), you get the picture ...
Good reliable pedal, great price. We just finished our Mudfest '01(Spring season) It was a mudfest by anyones definition. Never once during any of the races did getting into or out of the pedals pose a problem.
Submitted by
Bart
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, OR
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2001
Strengths: Light weight, good bearings, stable platform
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
These are great pedals...very light weight yet durable and they look good. They provide a nice wide platform that allow you to pedal when not fully clipped in on steep uphill starts. I've been using them about a 1.5 years and the bearings are still silky smooth. I did have to trim my shoes a bit to allow for easy engagement. I lost the end cap on one pedal and contacted Ritchy via email and had a replacement endcap in three days...excellent customer service. I recommend these pedals, even at full price.
I love these pedals, I would marry them if I could but I am already legally married to my Rocky Mountain Element. I'm considering moving to Utah and converting to Mormanism so that I can marry several of my bike parts!
Submitted by
Will
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2001
Strengths: Super light, small to avoid rocks etc.
Weaknesses: Dirt gets caught easily
Bottom Line:
Great pedals. They help lower the overall weight. However, if you race you might want to consider a different pedal in wet and muddy conditions because dirt clumps in the clip and you can't get clipped in. Or just don't get off your bike (maybe I need to improve my skills).
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashville, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2000
Strengths: light, says 'Ritchey' on it, you can gouge rocks with it and it doesn't work any worse than it did before the rock hit it, it's pretty
Weaknesses: It has to many sharp edges around the mechanism, that grab your cleat or tread, making entry a little difficult. The release is nothing short of dangerous. I don't know how many times I just bumped my foot on a rock and my foot came off. That would be a heel-in exit? Don't try to hop around in place while clipped into these pedals. You will most assuredly hurt yourself, and your children after you.
Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a good pedal, get the Times. They are soooo easy to get into and out of it is amazing. They will very seldom let you out when you don't want out. They're all a little on the heavy side, but it's worth it. I bought the Ritchey pedals because they were light and I didn't like my 323's. I gave them a value rating of 4 because I only paid 49 bucks for them. Their performance only netted them a 2.
Similar Products Used: Shimano 323, Time ATAC Alium
Bike Setup: Y2K GT XCR-1000, Marzocchi Z-1 X-fly, Avid cable disc brakes, Easton EA 70 stem, monkey lite bar, XTR shift/brake levers, cassette, Rr. der., XT Ft. der., Race Face Turbine LP crankset, Girvin rock ring, TIME pedals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jochen
a Cross Country Rider
from vienna
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2000
Strengths: lightweight (especially when u loose 'em)
Weaknesses: crappy, snap ring cannot fix it
Bottom Line:
on the second ride the pedal went off the axis, still fixed on my shoes, the snap ring that ought to fix it was somewhere in the botany, nice to ride home that way.... ;-(
changed it for 747 immediately, and i will stay with those (or maybe get me some 858´s)
Submitted by
Bob
a Weekend Warrior
from Littleton, CO
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2000
Strengths: Light, reliable, easy to get in and out of.
Weaknesses: Sometimes lack a positive click when clipping in.
Bottom Line:
I have used these pedals for years and I like them very much. They are very light and easy to use. To my recollection, they have never accidentally released. Always easy to get in and out of.
Strengths: Lightweight, easy clip-in. Reliable exit, once "fixed".
Weaknesses: can release by pulling up too hard! doesn't double as a platform pedal.
Bottom Line:
I have these pedals on my FS and my hardtail. I pull out of them when hopping onto ledges and tables, in their stock settings. I even tightened them all the way, and still pull straight up and out! I solved this problem by grinding off the little tab in the tension indicator window. This allows me to tighten them down MUCH harder, and now I have no entry or exit problems at all! When I clip in I hear a very solid CLICK, and never have a problem getting out WHEN I WANT TO! This is an easy fix to do, but you'll probably have trouble putting the pedal back together. (there are a few tricks to it) E-mail me if you want me to walk you through it. Also, if they squeak, you need to grease your axles. It is a bushing on the inside and a bearing on the outside. I'd only rate this a 2 stock, but as mine are now, I'll give them a 4. If only I could find a good, lightweight clipless, with a platform cage!
Similar Products Used: Most shimano, speedplay, onza, tioga, ...
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Alex HA
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee, WI, US of A
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2000
Strengths: The pedals are light.
Weaknesses: They do NOT provide enough retention... I came out of these pedals to the outside and to the inside when I didn't want to...This is a large weakness.
Bottom Line:
I would not recommend these pedals...unwanted release is a very bad thing...The whole point of a pedal system like this is to keep your foot clipped in! I ride with the cleat all the way forward in my shoe...just behind the ball of my foot...MAYBE if you like too ride with the cleat all the way back on your shoe these pedals would provide enough retention....They are light pedals and you can get them for cheap these days. I would recommend 747's and ATAC's, both are excellent pedals, but I prefer the ATAC's.
Similar Products Used: Shimano 747, Shimano 525, TIME ATAC
Bike Setup: Serrota T=Max w/ Judy
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Hoschton GA
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2000
Strengths: easy to clip in and out (haven't used them in any muddy conditions yet), very light, cool color
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I feel like I got the deal of a lifetime with these pedals. I bought them from Supergo at $49 and they have performed over and above my expectations. As soon as I put them on, I was clipping in and out with my old cleats and didn't even have to adjust anything. Very smooth. My buddy has shimano 535's and is thinking about switching to these. I would give them 5 chilies but I havent had them long enough. I will repost in a few months.
Submitted by
Derek Jensen
a Cross-Country Rider
from Edmonds, WA
Date Reviewed: December 9, 1999
Strengths: VERY light, cool color, pretty good entry/release, killer deal at Supergo (I paid $65, now they're $49, and you get Ritchey cleats for free!)
Weaknesses: Occasional accidental release and a tough to get into in only very muddy conditions (in light to moderate mud they do fine). Note: I'm using non-Ritchey cleats, so these problems might not be all because of the pedals.
Bottom Line:
Incredible weight and an incredible deal at Supergo, with pretty good operation. I was looking to replace my crap worn-out Icons and was looking at Shimano 535's, but really didn't want pedals that were 420g compared to my old Icons' 364g. Shimanos may work well, but they're heavy as hell. Then I found these, at 310g, for an awesome price. They work well in all but very heavy mud, when it's hard to clip (although I have them set pretty tight) but you can still get out. Have to say that I'm very satisfied.
Similar Products Used: Icon Solemate, Ritchey Logic Comp
Bike Setup: Trek 7000
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Eckardt
a Cross-Country Rider
from Huntington, IN
Date Reviewed: November 18, 1999
Strengths: Looks good - light - good entry & release
Weaknesses: Squeaky spindle - plates rust easily
Bottom Line:
Got these babies for $59 from Supergo. I can't figure out why everyone is whining about the entry & release. I use Specialized shoes, and have not had any difficulty whatsoever. Only have 2 isues with this pedal: 1. When I installed the non-drive side pedal, it took several tries to get it threaded into the crank. We'll see how easy it comes out (and yes, I used plenty of anti-sieze). 2. After 6 months of riding, the spindles have developed an irritating squeak. At first I thought it was the bearings, but they still spin just fine. I'll probably go ahead and tear them down over the winter. Other than that, these pedals have worked just fine. I would like to give them 3.5 chilies, but I guess I'll have to round up to 4.
