[wgscott]

Anyone have iSSi pedals? In particular, Pedal iSSi Triple Trail ? I've currently got XTRs with a platform cage, and the bearing seal popped off after a month of use. (Apart from that, I love them.) How would these compare? Usually, when I stray from Shimano, I regret it. I do like the multiple color choices.

 

[Cotharyus]

I don't have iSSi pedals, but I've heard favorable things about them. I'd say it's worth considering.

The other pedal I'd consider is an Xpedo. I used Shimano pedals exclusively for ...15 years? - I picked up a set of MF-4's a couple years ago, and haven't bought a set of Shimano pedals since. Nor have I had to replace those MF-4s. What I did do is buy a set of Xpedo flats last year, and those are still going strong too.

If I were you, I'd give a serious look to both manufactures. I think you can get as good (probably better) quality pedals for significantly less money.

 

[wgscott]

Thanks for the recommendation. I will take a close look at Xpedo.

One of my biggest problem is I need to be able to unlock on the right side by twisting my ankle in toward the bike (due to the lingering after-effects of braking that ankle.)

I've probably gone through close to $1K of pedals in the 2.5 years since breaking my ankle. I used 2-bolt SPDs before then. (I started on 3-bolt road Look pedals when they were first introduced in the 1980s, but found the 2-bolt variety much better. Until I broke my ankle, I was happy with any old Nashbar special).

My current favorite (apart from the bearing failure) are the Shimano XTR PD-M985 Trail Pedal. Best price I found was on Nashbar.

These things are silky smooth and everything about them is perfect. So far.








Prior to that, I used Shimano's A600 for a few months. These are road-ish one-sided 2-bolt SPDs. They are very light and have a minimal profile but good platform. However, getting in and out was a chore, even at the loosest setting, they scratch easily, and the float seems quite restrictive somehow, and I got knee pain for the first time in my life. I used these for about 4 months I think.

Prior to that, I had no platform XT SPDs, which were my second-favorite SPD pedal (which I am now riding on again while the XTRs are back at Shimano for repair), but I really miss the platform. I'm getting some hot spots on longer rides.

Shimano PD-M780 XT Race Pedal

These have better float than the A600 and are two-sided and also much easier to get in and out of. They are almost as good as the XTRs.

Seduced by the bling factor, I purchased some Ritchey Pro Paradigm mountain bike pedals. The red trim matches my hubs and headset and on a black bike looks nice. These pedals suck. You basically have to do two separate motions to unclip. I immediately had a small accident and took them off. These pedals have about 4 miles on them (I tried again to like them and failed) and the red finish is already coming off.

Prior to SPDs, I had these on my mountain bike and transferred them to my new road bike when I bought them. Platform spikey pedals and 5/10 sticky rubber-bottomed bike shoes are almost as good as SPDs. These pedals are excellent and made riding after my ankle break possible (I couldn't twist out of anything for quite awhile). My wife uses these on her road bike now. If you want to avoid clipping in/out, take a very close look at this option and 5/10 bike shoes:

O Neal Azonic 420 Flat Bicycle Pedals
Amazon has them for $90, which is less than what I paid two years ago. Several color options. (I have a second set in black).

 

[TechniKal]

I've ran Shimano pedals for years and recently built up a bike with the iSSi pedals. I picked them because they were cheap, light, readily available and I liked the color options.

From my brief experience, they work ok, but the Shimano pedals are better. Better float, better finish, better build quality. The nice color is also flaking off after a few rock strikes. I'm still running Shimano cleats so that may have some impact on performance - but I have the 'new' version of the iSSi pedal which is supposed to be fully compatible.

To give an idea of what I'm comparing to, I'm currently running the XT 'race' version on my primary bike, and have 959's and 540's on other bikes. I considered the XTR Race, but shied away after seeing lots of posts about durability.

Honestly, I think the iSSi pedals exist solely because Shimano stopped distributing their pedals through QBP. Given that they are similarly priced to XT's, the only benefit I can see is the color option. I figure I'll wear these out and go back to Shimano.

 

[wgscott]

Thanks for that post. That was exactly what I needed to hear.

 

[zgxtreme]

Just picked up a new ride and temporarily may use my Bontragers as a placeholder.

For a more permanent solution I'm considering the Triple Trails for a change of pace.

Any more experience with these that users would like to chime in on?

 

[hey_poolboy]

I won a pair of issi pedals at a race raffle about a year ago. I have them on my road bike and have but ~1200 miles on them. They work alright, but they aren't even close to my xt's on my other bikes. They aren't as smooth and the entry/exit is not nearly as nice. They aren't as light as xt's, let alone xtr's.
I'm not sure that I'd buy them for anything other than a spare bike or budget build.

 

[grubetown]

My LBS is switching to these as their main pedal as the Shimano business practices are so difficult for a small retailer.
@hey_poolboy - weight on the XT trail and ISSI trail is nearly identical.

 

[HEMIjer]

Any long term durability updates on the Issi Pedals?

Also if anyone has weight of flash III would like to know, some web searches come in at 350ish, but that is just one source.

I would probably go flash iii as repalcement for a couple sets of old XTs and XTRs. Not worried about color wearing off more durability over lots of miles and technical traisl where pedal strikes can happen on occasion.

 

[wgscott]

Having seen a number of less-than-stellar reviews about durability, I decided to hold off. The other thing that concerned me is that the default pedal spindle is shorter than Shimano's, and I find Shimano's a bit short, so I would likely want to get one of the longer ones, which precludes anything but black, unless I want to get pedals and a second set of spindles, which seems like a bit of a waste. So I did nothing ...

This didn't help:

Consult a bicycle fitter before changing spindle lengths. Many bike shops have fit experts that can assist riders in finding the perfect spindle length for each leg, along with proper bicycle fitting adjustments. Don’t self-diagnose, as you may exacerbate the problem!