Description:Time off-road pedals have long had a reputation for working in the worst conditions like mud, snow, and ice, and the new ATAC XS is no exception. Its self-cleaning design is dependable and offers easy entry and exit, even when the cleats are covered in slop. A 13 or 17 degree release angle can be achieved, simply by swapping the cleats onto the other shoe. The included cleats fit any SPD-compatible shoe. Gravy? They're far lighter than previous Time pedals.
Submitted by
chcmuzza
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: July 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Ones I Don't Fall Off
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Easy, positive engagement; a good range of float, clears really well
Weaknesses:
Pedal body unscrewed from the shaft. Is now back in place and hasn't happened again.
Similar Products Used:
Frogs for 8 years
Bike Setup:
07 Durance
Bottom Line:
I got the Times because the Frogs disintegrated after 8 years during an unforeseen endo. I would have got new Frogs however I needed replacement pedals in a hurry and Frogs are hard to come by in NZ.
I was a little worried the Times would be harder on the knees than the Frogs but I have had no problems adjusting. The positive engagement and mud clearing abilities are better than the Frogs.
I also found that with the Times I instantly liked that I had some float but that my foot was firmly held. The Frogs float is very 'slippery' and I believe they may be less efficient at pedaling due to the amount of easy float.
In all I am pleased the change was forced on me and I am really happy with my choice.
3x Chillis for value as I paid NZ$280 for these when in hindsight the non-adjustable version would have been fine.
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Submitted by
bikeuphill9
a Racer
from Abingdon, VA Date Reviewed: July 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Iron Mountain
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Adventure Damascus
Strengths:
Positive cleat engagement. Does not disengage involuntarily. Great design to protect mechanism from rocks and roots.
Weaknesses:
A little heavy. But well worth it for the durrabilty.
Similar Products Used:
Crank Brothers Smarty
Ascent SPD
Cannondale SPD
Bike Setup:
Rush 600 tuned for endurance racing.
Bottom Line:
These are great pedals. Before I went through pedals on a fairly regular basis. These on the other hand are holding up quite well because of the great pedal shape that shields the mechanism from rocks and such. I would recommend these to any all mountain or abusive cross country rider. A great buy.
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Submitted by
zfeldman
a Weekend Warrior
from Little Rock, AR Date Reviewed: June 17, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Nice amount of float. Very comfortable. Never clog with mud.
Weaknesses:
Open when hit with rocks from the bottom. Fall apart after repeated rock strikes
Similar Products Used:
Shimano SPDs
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight
Bottom Line:
They worked great for a while, then i switched frames. The lower BB meant lots of rock strikes. They died within days. If you ride with lots of clay and mud, but not too many rocks, they'll be fine. If you plow through lots of rock gardens they don't cut it.
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Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Barbara Date Reviewed: May 23, 2008
Favorite Trail:
tunnel, cold springs
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
Time Factory Store, SB
Strengths:
intuitive clip in, solid for first year
Weaknesses:
play in bearings, vertical play in cleat/clip interface
Similar Products Used:
ritchey, shimano, old atacs, time road pedals
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth truth, 2008 XT cranks.
Bottom Line:
I loved my old time atacs. These, alas, do not hold up. The play that developed in the bearings is fine with me (my road times have this, I don't notice it). But, play between the cleat and pedal on the upstroke-- that's not cool (isn't the point of these things to lock you in vertically so you can apply force throughout your pedal stroke? ). Like others below, no problems for the first couple of months, if not year, then, lots (fraction of a mm?) vertical of play: It's disconcerting, not to mention annoying, to get to a point in each pedal stroke where your forefoot, which had previously only met with resistant from the cranks, can suddenly lurch up without any resistance. I put brand new cleats in, same thing, and bars themselves do not seem to be deformed (these are on my xc bike, they are not taking any kind of beating). The last thing I'll try is cranking up the release tension (now set on '2'), maybe that will work?
I don't know what's up with this pedal- Design-wise,the bar that moves, and therefore that is spring-loaded, is the forward/front one-- this is not the design of their road pedals, or of shimano's spds. Maybe there's something funny about the up and forward forces in the pedal stroke that wears springs/bars faster than down and backward forces(though the old atacs had the same design, and were fine). Who knows?
All I know is, I'm reluctant to try another mtn Time pedal. The old atacs only design flaw was the dust cover would creak and break eventually (like after 2-3 years)- this was cosmetic; the lock-in function was flawless. They solved that dust cover problem with the new design, but which now has a worse problem--the inability to keep you firmly attached to your pedal throughout the stroke.
If you consider $99-150/year for pedals a bargain, this is the pedal for you. I'd go elsewhere otherwise, until they address this problem explicitly.
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Submitted by
Marek
a Cross Country Rider
from Poland, Tuchola Date Reviewed: May 13, 2008
Bought them because I had problems with knees. I'm not sure if it was caused by my old shimano m-540. I like new times. They are light - 336g, engagement and release is easy and quick, click sound is better :). There is float but cleats should be very carefully adjusted, so the leg works in its neutral position. Good work in mud.
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Submitted by
Galby Ripper
a Racer
from B'ham, WA, USA Date Reviewed: March 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
i love them all--climbs and decents
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
n/a
Strengths:
great design...i snapped 6 egg-beaters and have yet to destroy the times...they are on both my full suspension and hardtail commuter...i ride one of the pair every day...they are also consistent in their engagement and release...mud does not effect performance
Weaknesses:
like others, these pedals developed play both on the upstroke and laterally...i asked my lbs to order up some replacement parts (spring axles, etc) for one pedal and when I picked them up they asked me for 80 bucks! luckily we all understood that this was almost the cost of a replacement PAIR W/ CLEATS so we worked it out, but seriously...this is mnt biking, we should be able to rebuild our equiptment without buying new...this play and extreme rebuild costs make me very weary about buying any more time pedals....
these awesome pedals have about 500 hours in them before they are toast...if you spread that out over weekends, they will last a lot longer than if you ride multiple times per week or everyday...and the cost to rebuild/maintain is more than the cost to buy new...somethings wrong with that. great pedals, but not worth the cost...if you pay 150 bucks they should last longer imo.
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Submitted by
Scott Gross
a
from Austin, TX Date Reviewed: January 31, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
Performance (exchange)
Strengths:
See below.
Weaknesses:
See below.
Similar Products Used:
See below.
Bike Setup:
See below.
Bottom Line:
Update from previous review. I'm back to the ATACs! 1 ride on XTRs and I realized just how comfy these XSs are. The wider, more substantial platform felt way more solid than I could get the XTRs to feel. Because of the width I think the q-factor is actually a little larger/wider which is much more comfortable. Also, compared to SPDs especially, I don't have to aim my cleat so much. Could've given the XTRs another ride but the difference was glaring enough.
I'll take my chances with durability of the bars and live with the occasional unintentional releases and blood draws from the hacked up comp body. They are just so much more solid and stable underfoot.
Still can't give em 5 untill these nagging problems are fixed. Besides, pedals ARE awfully subjective.
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Submitted by
Scott Gross
a
from Austin, TX Date Reviewed: January 28, 2008
Wanted to love these pedals, but after bending both bars on 1 side of 1 pedal, along with too many unintentional releases, had to bail.
Rode these pedals only once before a trip to Moab and they performed near flawlessly. Coming off of 9 yrs on Frogs I still had no problem getting in/out and I'm not afraid to start up on steeps or just before obstacles (where you need to get in right away).
I ride a lot of very rocky, technical terrain and often smack the underside of my pedals on rock (it's not strictly a matter of style or skill). These pedals would release about 1/4 of the time and that's annoying but not necessarily a deal-breaker. However, after bending both bars within 5 mos of riding these pedals, I was done. They did still work, but I had excessive 'play' on that side of that pedal and must've knocked some matl off b/c that side was always up.
This was my 2nd pair as the 1st had a bearing problem in one and Performance exchanged it. Performance also exchanged this pair for XTRs (I paid difference). I prefer LBS, but for pedals it's great to deal with a 100% return policy like Performance, and they have a shop in Austin.
ATAC XS does have a great 'feel' to them and a very natural entry. [I found eggbeaters to have an unnatural feel, as I had to cant my foot inward to clip in -- didn't want to deal with shims and ATACs don't need them.] If your trails aren't so rocky they'll probably give you years of great use. Otoh, the composite body gets hacked up quickly and will draw blood on the back of your legs very easily.
I'm now back to SPDs as there's nothing left and XTRs now seem to be a big improvement. Just rode around the hood on em and I was surprised to have plenty of float (reported 6 deg - 1 more than XS). Also, my friends that I ride these rocky trails with mostly have SPDs and have not had the problems I've had. One guy does have some Aliums and he's always taking a wrench to them to bend the bars back.
Value is hardly an issue to me with something so critical, unless you're getting into Ti territory. Overall, they're probably more like a 4 but between the axle problem, unintentional releases, frequent blood draws, then the bent bars...
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Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ Date Reviewed: October 30, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Sabino Cycles
Strengths:
The best Cleat attachment, maintenance free and smooth.
Weaknesses:
Spring tension adjustment doesn't matter. I could have saved some money buying the lower model without this feature.
Similar Products Used:
Old Time Atac.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight
Bottom Line:
I was surprised to see some negative comments about durability. Mine are as solid as my old atacs were, which worked flawlessly for 9 years without even greasing or rebuilding! After a year, my XS's still have no squeek and bearings are as smooth as the first day.
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Submitted by
Kevo
a
from CA Date Reviewed: September 7, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$125.00
Strengths:
engagement, sealed bearings and float
Weaknesses:
they squeek worse than a rusted chain, do not buy these pedals!
Similar Products Used:
shimano, crank bros,
Bottom Line:
friends had reccomended the Times based on older models which were great.
they worked like a dream for about 9 months, but now the spring is not very strong, and they squeak so bad. (it's the plastic pedal body-it squeaks when you squeeze it with your hands) I got three years out of my $35 shimano pedals.
If you like replacing pedals every 9 months-pick up a set today.
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Submitted by
Scott O'Reilly
a Cross Country Rider
from MA Date Reviewed: August 20, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
performance
Strengths:
shed mud and snow
Weaknesses:
springs wore out. body brok
Similar Products Used:
old time atac carbon. shimano 520 and I think 720 which lasted @8 yrs
Bike Setup:
xc
Bottom Line:
Springs wore out very quickly leading to accidental releases all of the time. Body can't handle a beating. Getting less than a year out of pedals is not acceptable. The older ATACS were much better
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Submitted by
Damien Theophano
a Cross Country Rider
from Glenside, PA, United States Date Reviewed: May 7, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Float, engagement in all conditions (ice, mud)
Weaknesses:
not very strong
Similar Products Used:
eggbeaters, shimano, clips and straps
Bottom Line:
Good pedals except they don't last. The springs lose their firmness and the pedals are dangerous because the cleat pops out too easy. Also, the body is worn down from just the sole of the foot, but I son't think it hurts it too much. someone else mentioned the rebuild price is the same as new pedals which really stinks. I am going to try and bend the springs back to working order and that might cause me to change my mind, but I am not all that impressed. I want stuff to last more than 1+ yr.
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Submitted by
Pertti
a Weekend Warrior
from Finland Date Reviewed: April 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
anything local
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
- always works - survives rock strikes well - easy to clip in/out - enough "platform" to keep pedaling if you miss the clip in. - I hear they also work in muddy conditions
Weaknesses:
- not the lightest - rock strikes leave big scratches on the composite parts (cosmetic, no effect on function)
Bike Setup:
Tough frame, budget build.
Bottom Line:
These pedals work and keep doing so even if you abuse them a bit.
The XS has three different tension settings but the loosest one holds my feet in place securely enough. I suppose the cheaper model without the adjustment would serve me equally well.
The foot has some room to move sideways, which some people might find distracting. It does not bother me at all.
The real bottom line: Reliable, Easy, Strong.
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Submitted by
Tony
a Weekend Warrior
from DC Date Reviewed: April 25, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
Sharp looking, great engagement, easy to mash into in the city.
Weaknesses:
Play between cleat and pedal, creaking noise.
Similar Products Used:
None.
Bike Setup:
Fixed gear
Bottom Line:
Ride these pedals fixed in the city. Only when it gets really quiet do I hear the noise coming from these, but I'm generally disappointed in how securely they hold the cleat. When I pull on the upstroke, I get the same play that a couple others have reported. Sent an email to Time's US office and didn't get any response back. Planning on returning if performance will take 'em back.
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Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Front range CO Date Reviewed: March 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
pricepoint
Strengths:
positive engagement, clips in with muddy cleats
Weaknesses:
there is play in between the cleat and the pedal. no tension adjustment for release, however the pedal tension is set nicely
lightweight. good positive engagement like the older times, but the play inbetween the cleat and the pedal is really annoying. While pedaling, when you pull through on the upstroke, the cleat lifts iff the cleat by a mm or 2. drives me crazy. maybe the more expensive times have some adjustment screws to take care of this. go with the 959. way better.
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Submitted by
GlowBoy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland OR Date Reviewed: January 2, 2007
Favorite Trail:
anywhere in Oregon
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Unbreakable, no adjustments or maintenance needed, last forever, totally reliable in the worst mud and snow conditions imaginable, dependable entry and release, won't bash up your shins if you miss on the first pedal stroke. Still moderately rideable in street shoes.
Weaknesses:
Heavier than Eggbeaters, and more expensive than entry level Crank Bros. pedals.
Similar Products Used:
Eggbeaters, Time Aliums (see my 1/31/04 review of those, to which I would add very little except they're still going strong).
Although most of my friends have switched to Crank Brothers Eggbeaters or Candys, I've seen no reason to switch. Yes, those are cheaper and lighter, but they still have a higher failure rate. I've already got two pair of Aliums, and when I needed a third pair, I grabbed a set of the much lighter XS pedals as soon as they came out. The three sets of pedals now have a combined 15,000 miles and I've done almost nothing to them except replace cleats a couple of times.
But here's why ATACs really rock: I live in wettern Oregon, where it's muddy and/or snowy 6 months of the year. I can get my ATACs to clip in and hang on successfully in ALL conditions, even the worst of the worst. If 3" of muddy wet snow is caked onto my soles I may have to scrape some off some of the excess, but I don't have to be meticulous about it and then they just clip in, no problems. Release angle is good and very dependable, always seems to happen when I need it. Easy to clip in and get out. Accidental releases from rock strikes are rare (I've had this happen maybe 10 times, total) and much less common than is being reported with Eggbeaters. Also unlike Eggs, they are easier to stand on to cruise around town in non-cleated shoes, and they don't chew up your legs if you roll off them. $120 is high for a pedal of this weight but not for a pedal of this function.
The XS model, at about 330g, saves a substantial amount of weight over the Aliums, well under the $1/gram threshold that makes it worth considering to me. The XS carbon model (like the old Carbon model that preceded it) saves less than 20 grams but costs $50 more. Not worth it. Unless you're stepping all the way up to the Ti model, just get the basic XS and be happy. Or, if you're that much of a weight weenie, you may want to just get the higher end Eggbeaters and live with hamburger shins.
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Submitted by
Olivier
a Cross Country Rider
from Paris, France Date Reviewed: December 21, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Time.........lasts
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Time ever since i've been on a mtb....20yrs
Bike Setup:
sunn ti, xt, xt, mavic
Bottom Line:
These pedals rock!!! as always
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Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from OC. CA Date Reviewed: November 3, 2006
Favorite Trail:
All
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$89.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Easy clip in. One of the best. When you clip in it snaps in. Nice float too.
Weaknesses:
The noisiest pedal I have ever used.
Similar Products Used:
shimano pd959
Bike Setup:
epic 06 s works
Bottom Line:
These pedals work great if you don't mind the noise emanating from below your feet. These are the composite xs model and the plastic of the pedal combined with the plastic of my shoe (undersole) would just creak like crazy after half an hour of riding. I have two completely different brands of shoes and it would creak with both. I only ride in dusty conditions, maybe mud is a good lubricant. Also there was a high pitch ticking noise coming from the left pedal with every pedal revolution. I never thought it was the pedal at first. I thought it was the chain, sprockets, bearings, etc. Then I simply switched to platforms and all noises were gone, including the ticking. Now I realize that this may be a small annoyance to some people. But riding on a quiet trail and all you hear is major creaking and ticking from your pedals with every stroke it gets freakin annoying. I tried dry lube on the pedals like white lighting and it helped for maybe 30 minutes but it would slowly come back. I even took apart and checked bearings everything was clean and lubed. Needless to say pedals should be a mount and forget type product. I have gone back to shimano pd959 and love them. No noises whatsoever. Maybe the carbon would be better but I refuse to try. Will stick with Shimano. 2 chilis only because they do the job well as far as clipping in and holding.
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Submitted by
Aleksander K
a Cross Country Rider
from Piekary Slaskie, gorny slask, POLAND Date Reviewed: October 1, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$75.00
Purchased At:
twomark-chorzow
Strengths:
freedom of side / angle - movements
Weaknesses:
price.
Similar Products Used:
-
Bike Setup:
kalkhoff sport XT
Bottom Line:
they are great. everything is ok exept the price. I use my bike as a touring bike or cross-country. Before buying time atac i used normal platform pedals. Because of knee problems after longer rides I bought a set of new TIME ATAC and specialized shoes. Since then my knee problems are gone and my performance has improved. The only one weakness, exept the price, is that i can't find such accessory platforms which could be attached to those pedals to ride with normal shoes.
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Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson Date Reviewed: September 3, 2006
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
LBS Sabino Cycles
Strengths:
Total Quality and flawless performance.
Weaknesses:
Higher priced than competition but you get what you pay for.
Similar Products Used:
Older Times, Occasional Shimano on rental bikes.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight.
Bottom Line:
My old Time pedals lasted 11 years and I never adjusted them, greased them, or rebuilt them! I bashed them on countless rocks and they bodies looked beat to hell but they performed flawlessly until the day I left one in a hotel room. It was an easy decision what brand my new pedals would be. MY XS's look cooler than the old body style, but the feel and performance is exactly the same. I would recommend, if you want to save about $30, buy the XE instead of the XS, because the spring tension adjustment is unimportant. You can tell a small difference on the higher setting, but it is mostly a bit louder snap when you unclick. It really doesn't matter what setting they are on. I considered Eggbeaters but my LBS says they have rebuilt and replaced lots of those, as they seem to wear pretty quickly. I believe in giving a brand my loyalty if they exceed my expectations with a product. Time has done that. Also notice, I could have saved a few bucks by mail ordering these, but I supported my LBS!!
$
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