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Pedals: XTR vs. Time Atac XS.....

18K views 73 replies 46 participants last post by  dubthang 
#1 ·
The only thing this has to do with 29ers...is that the pedals in question will be mounted on a 29er..so there!

Ok....I ride in most conditions here in the PNW...from sanding desert, hardpack, rocky, rooty and snotty..... my current requirements would be reasonably light, highly functional and reliable.

I have ridden the old Xt 959 for years...heavy and builtproof...but can be challenging in adverse conditions....in addition I have ridden the old Time Atac's and they were simple and worked well- although engagement could have been more concrete imo.

I would have considered Egg beaters....but I have just read so many issues with them...from breaking, to servicing.... any other suggestions I'm open to as well!
thx
 
#2 ·
I have used many pairs of Time atacs starting back in 1997. Im currently running the Atac Carbons. I have tried egg beaters and I use a pair of 959's on the trainer bike during the winter. IMO there is no better pedal than the Time Atac. Hands down the best mtb pedal I have ever used. Not the lightest but they work in every condition, you can always get in and you always come out!!!

My issue with the egg beaters are two things, one I dont feel very secure in them, the ones i used (older sl's)seem to have some play, I never pulled out but I just did not like the feeling. Second is if you log alot of miles on the mtb (I do, about 3000 a year) then the egg beaters just dont hold up. The spindles develope play way to quickly, they are easy to rebuild but still!! I know many other high mileage mtb's and racers in our area you run egg beaters they love em but they all have issues with having to rebuild them alot. Especially the guys doing marathon events and 24 hour events, they can rack up alot of mtb miles in a year.

The new XTR's look very nice, I have heard they work really well and it's probably the pedal I would run if not for the Atacs.
 
#3 ·
surlyboy said:
I have used many pairs of Time atacs starting back in 1997. Im currently running the Atac Carbons. I have tried egg beaters and I use a pair of 959's on the trainer bike during the winter. IMO there is no better pedal than the Time Atac. Hands down the best mtb pedal I have ever used. Not the lightest but they work in every condition, you can always get in and you always come out!!!

My issue with the egg beaters are two things, one I dont feel very secure in them, the ones i used (older sl's)seem to have some play, I never pulled out but I just did not like the feeling. Second is if you log alot of miles on the mtb (I do, about 3000 a year) then the egg beaters just dont hold up. The spindles develope play way to quickly, they are easy to rebuild but still!! I know many other high mileage mtb's and racers in our area you run egg beaters they love em but they all have issues with having to rebuild them alot. Especially the guys doing marathon events and 24 hour events, they can rack up alot of mtb miles in a year.

The new XTR's look very nice, I have heard they work really well and it's probably the pedal I would run if not for the Atacs.
good feedback-thank you!....so a couple questions on your Atacs, how is the shoe interface? do you get wear marks from the springs(bars, whatever they call them) around the cleats?
 
#4 ·
I second the ATACS, have 6 sets of them. 2 sets are from the mid 90's and still work perfect. Average around 4000 miles a year. Also only one shoe gave me a problem with the pedal interface, 2 year old pair of Shimano shoes with carbon soles broke right where the pedal engages. Running a pair of Gaerne shoes at the moment and this is the 5th year in service and still only minor wear on the sole.
 
#5 ·
I've owned all three...you hit the nail on the Shimano SPD-M959, same exact experience. I switched to Crank Bros Candy's and liked the mechanism and found them to be durable, BUT...if you hit mechanism on something (lots of log crossings on my trails) they release!

I'm now riding ATAC's and while I actually liked the the Crank Bros feeling which as mentioned above are "looser" feeling...the ATAC's are treating me well. And of course I can clip into them in all conditions, including ice and snow.

BTW...the ATAC's do leave wear marks just like Crank Bros do on your shoes around the cleats. If you use CF soled shoes you may want the sole protectors that Crank Bros make.
 
#6 ·
mtnbiker72 said:
I've owned all three...you hit the nail on the Shimano SPD-M959, same exact experience. I switched to Crank Bros Candy's and liked the mechanism and found them to be durable, BUT...if you hit mechanism on something (lots of log crossings on my trails) they release!

I'm now riding ATAC's and while I actually liked the the Crank Bros feeling which as mentioned above are "looser" feeling...the ATAC's are treating me well. And of course I can clip into them in all conditions, including ice and snow.

BTW...the ATAC's do leave wear marks just like Crank Bros do on your shoes around the cleats. If you use CF soled shoes you may want the sole protectors that Crank Bros make.
Thank you...more good feedback! Its funny I was leaning towards the XTR's...more because of the known on my behalf than the unknown,,,,but you all are swaying
 
#9 ·
I also run Time ATAC XS pedals (plus some Time Aliums on various other bikes). They've been infallible in bad weather. Quality buy it and forget it kind of part.

Broke my CB Candy's twice in 14 months before going to the Times.

Started on Shimano SPDs - never had a problem with them, but they were a little more challenging to engage when muddy. Can't beat the steel cleat though - will last you much longer than the brass Time cleats.
 
#15 ·
Over the last few years I have been using the carbon soled shimano mtb shoes, zero issues with the Atacs and those shoes. I think becasue the sole of the shoe rests on the pedal body, there is some wear there and that probably takes the pressure off the bars. But you could always use the crank bros plate, though I dont think it's needed
 
#17 ·
Just happened to see this thread, and I too am looking for new pedals. I have the old... I think they are '747' (??) Shimano SPDs from the 90s. Very nice till you step in clogging dirt and can't clip in, so I removed them from my MTB and put them on the commuter. I then got Time Carbons, again back in the 90s. They are now on their third mountain bike and are still going strong. Would like something lighter, like the new Time TI-Carbons, but thought I would look around at SPDs again before spending the bucks. So far, I have seen nothing that looks better than Time, and if they last like my old yellow Atacs I will surely get my money's worth.

Eggbeaters interested me for a bit too, but I want something more durable.
 
#19 ·
I would suggest the Time pedals. I have multiple sets of the previous generation of time mtb pedal and they still work like the day I got them. Ive actually wanted to upgrade to newer atacs but cant justify it so long as my current ones work so well. They are bomb proof, smack them on rocks or fill them with mud and they just keep going.
 
#20 ·
bcaronongan said:
xtr's will be going on the new 29er when it arrives.

been riding since 1990? and have never used anything other than the shimanos. started with the 737 and still have them and am using them.
737's drove me to Time ATAC's in 1995 because screws kept on falling out of them, and when the cleats wore the wouldn't release.
I loved the Times, but for some reason started having problems breaking the bars when I started riding SS. I switch to CB Eggbeaters, was happy with them until the pedal body decided it didn't like being bolted to the spindle on two different pairs (oddly within a week or so), and went back to Times.
I built up a 1x8 as an experiment with gears, and switched back to the CBs to save some weight (almost a 1/2 pound lighter than ATACs), but when race season comes around I'll probably go back to the Times.
 
#21 ·
Another long term Time user. I'm now on the XS Carbon titanium pedals. Always work. Mud, leaves, snow or whatever bring it on. I've never had an issue ever with release or entry. Bought a bike with Candy pedals on it and after accident releases every time I rode them and I never know if I was clipped in or not threw them in the trash.

Go Time.
 
#22 ·
I rode on XTR's the last 2 years: Almost perfect. Great bearings, great function in all conditions. They beat Eggbeaters (which I had before) in the durability and platform surface field big time. Sure, XTR weighs a bit more, but I could not care less the way they perform and do not fall apart like Eggbeaters.

The only downside of XTR's I found, was that my shoe soles slowly eat away at the pedal body, which results in vertical play after a while. I had this problem with both Shimano and Specialized shoes.

No experience with Time, but friends of mine are very pleased with them.

Now I am trying out Look Quartz, which I got very cheap. You have to set them up right by adjusting the cleat height with spacers to match the tread height of your shoes. Once I got the setup right, they seem to work like Time's and XTR's, with a very good shoe-pedal interface (lots of platform surface) and low weight (260gr for the pair). If these do not start to fall apart in the near future, they could be the best combination of price, weight, durability and function I have used yet.
 
#25 ·
Yes

bonesetter2004 said:
Are the aluminium Alium's more durable than the plastic XE/XC's?

Anyone tried the Freeride platform Time's?
They work as great as other Time pedals.

To the OP...........I have been running Time's since 1999 and they have never let me down once.

To this day is amazes me that riders still purchase Time pedals with their track record for failure. CB pedals are great for photo shoots and e-riding but if you want a pedal that will work maintenance free for years.....nothing beats Time.

Have not used Shimano pedals in years. The ones I had (10 years ago) were a PITA.
 
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