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Strongest SPD Pedals ?

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Road Cycling
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18 March 2005
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Magnusfarce
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  1. Which models would be considered among the strongest two-sided SPD pedals?
    Weight is not an issue. As long as we're at it, are any considered to be
    relatively flimsy?

    - Magnusfarce

  2. Magnusfarce said:

    Which models would be considered among the strongest two-sided SPD


    pedals?

    Quoted message said:

    Weight is not an issue. As long as we're at it, are any considered


    to be

    Quoted message said:

    relatively flimsy?

    All of the Shimano pedals have been durable in my experience, some of
    the clones (Wellgo) have not, but then they were 1/2 the price. The
    better Shimano pedals are really well made, you get what you pay for.

  3. Peter Cole said:


    Magnusfarce said:

    Which models would be considered among the strongest two-sided SPD


    pedals?

    Quoted message said:

    Weight is not an issue. As long as we're at it, are any considered


    to be

    Quoted message said:

    relatively flimsy?

    All of the Shimano pedals have been durable in my experience, some of the
    clones (Wellgo) have not, but then they were 1/2 the price. The better
    Shimano pedals are really well made, you get what you pay for.

    Perhaps choosing a model with a large "platform" surrounding the mechanism
    would be something the OP would benefit from?

    As far as bearing life, yeah, even the basic Shimanos are pretty decent.

  4. maxo said:
    Peter Cole said:


    Magnusfarce said:

    Which models would be considered among the strongest two-sided SPD


    pedals?

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:


    All of the Shimano pedals have been durable in my experience, some


    of the

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    clones (Wellgo) have not, but then they were 1/2 the price. The


    better

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Shimano pedals are really well made, you get what you pay for.

    Perhaps choosing a model with a large "platform" surrounding the


    mechanism

    Quoted message said:

    would be something the OP would benefit from?

    Why? I don't think that has any effect on strength.

  5. Peter Cole said:


    maxo said:
    Peter Cole said:

    Magnusfarce wrote:
    > Which models would be considered among the strongest two-sided SPD
    pedals?

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    All of the Shimano pedals have been durable in my experience, some


    of the

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    clones (Wellgo) have not, but then they were 1/2 the price. The


    better

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Shimano pedals are really well made, you get what you pay for.

    Perhaps choosing a model with a large "platform" surrounding the


    mechanism

    Quoted message said:

    would be something the OP would benefit from?

    Why? I don't think that has any effect on strength.

    No but it can give a "feeling" of strength and stability, which is what
    some folks--especially heavier new riders look for. Not that I'm assuming
    that the OP fits that description...

  6. Sat, 19 Mar 2005 22:41:38 GMT,
    <[email hidden]>, maxo

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Why? I don't think that has any effect on strength.

    No but it can give a "feeling" of strength and stability, which is what
    some folks--especially heavier new riders look for.

    Googling "strongest pedals" hits Aerolite which boasts over 3600
    foot-pounds in a shear-crack test. They're "floating SPD" compatible,
    whatever that means. I haven't seen any reviewers rave about the
    attachment system.

    For their dead stupid simplicity and spring strength, I'd think
    Eggbeaters among the strongest SPD pedals available. They list no
    restrictions for maximum rider weight.
    --
    zk

  7. Zoot Katz said:


    For their dead stupid simplicity and spring strength, I'd think
    Eggbeaters among the strongest SPD pedals available. They list no
    restrictions for maximum rider weight.

    A good friend is still PT'ing his shattered lower leg (since Oct) after
    a slow twisting fall with EggBeaters. He's convinced the pedal didn't
    release.

  8. 19 Mar 2005 15:50:15 -0800,
    <[email hidden]>, "Peter Cole"

    Quoted message said:


    A good friend is still PT'ing his shattered lower leg (since Oct) after
    a slow twisting fall with EggBeaters. He's convinced the pedal didn't
    release.

    I could see that happening with any pedal having loose screws in the
    cleat or a tight toe-strap though a shattered bone is rather extreme.
    Ouch.
    --
    zk

  9. In article <[email hidden]>,

    Peter Cole said:
    Zoot Katz said:


    For their dead stupid simplicity and spring strength, I'd think
    Eggbeaters among the strongest SPD pedals available. They list no
    restrictions for maximum rider weight.

    A good friend is still PT'ing his shattered lower leg (since Oct) after
    a slow twisting fall with EggBeaters. He's convinced the pedal didn't
    release.

    Yeah, I broke my hip in a fall like that and my leg was still clipped in
    to the Eggbeater when they came to carry me away.

  10. In article <[email hidden]>,

    Magnusfarce said:

    Which models would be considered among the strongest two-sided SPD pedals?
    Weight is not an issue. As long as we're at it, are any considered to be
    relatively flimsy?

    - Magnusfarce

    You surely couldn't go wrong with the metal-caged 636 and 646 "DX"
    designs, but are you sure you're asking the right question?

    The SPD mechanism may not be much for clearing mud (at least in some
    versions), but it's pretty sturdy. You could probably use most of the
    metal-bodied mountain-bike pedals to break rocks. The current Shimano
    "caged" designs use plastic or aluminum cages.

    Are you asking about resistance to breaking spindles, as from a big
    drop? They're probably all fairly similar (at least for Shimano's own
    stuff), since the big S uses cr-mo spindles in all of its SPD pedals,
    even the Lance-tastic Dura-Ace SPD-SL road pedals.

    Anyways, the 6x6 pedals have something approaching a cult following. I
    have a set of the 636 pedals, and they work fine. Both pedals are now
    discontinued, but are readily available, as well as more or less
    reasonable replacements.

    --
    Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
    Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

  11. Ryan Cousineau said:


    Anyways, the 6x6 pedals have something approaching a cult following.


    I

    Quoted message said:

    have a set of the 636 pedals, and they work fine. Both pedals are now

    Quoted message said:

    discontinued, but are readily available, as well as more or less
    reasonable replacements.

    Those are monster DH pedals. I never understood why anyone would use
    them other than for their intended purpose (catching big air after
    being winched up on a ski lift). Now 747's -- there's a cult pedal,
    pure beauty on or off-road. Can't kill them either.

  12. In article <[email hidden]>,

    Peter Cole said:
    Ryan Cousineau said:


    Anyways, the 6x6 pedals have something approaching a cult following.


    I

    Quoted message said:

    have a set of the 636 pedals, and they work fine. Both pedals are now

    Quoted message said:

    discontinued, but are readily available, as well as more or less
    reasonable replacements.

    Those are monster DH pedals. I never understood why anyone would use
    them other than for their intended purpose (catching big air after
    being winched up on a ski lift). Now 747's -- there's a cult pedal,
    pure beauty on or off-road. Can't kill them either.

    They were originally aimed at the BMX market.

    One advantage of the 636 design is that you can momentarily unclip to
    ride them as if they were platform pedals.

    as for the chair-lift set, they are almost entirely on flat pedals.

    --
    Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
    Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

  13. Magnusfarce said:

    Which models would be considered among the strongest two-sided SPD


    pedals?

    Quoted message said:

    Weight is not an issue. As long as we're at it, are any considered


    to be

    Quoted message said:

    relatively flimsy?

    - Magnusfarce

    If you mean most durable, the Times are clearly
    the best.

    Robert

  14. Peter Cole said:
    Ryan Cousineau said:


    Anyways, the 6x6 pedals have something approaching a cult following.
    I have a set of the 636 pedals, and they work fine. Both pedals are
    now

    Quoted message said:

    discontinued, but are readily available, as well as more or less
    reasonable replacements.

    Those are monster DH pedals. I never understood why anyone would use
    them other than for their intended purpose (catching big air after
    being winched up on a ski lift). Now 747's -- there's a cult pedal,
    pure beauty on or off-road. Can't kill them either.

    I use the older 535 (525?), which is similar to the 747 -- same generation, one
    model cheaper. The ones on my MTB are several years old and still going strong.
    For some unknown reason they seem to clip and release more predictably than the
    newer ones. I wanted identical pedals for my road bike, so I sought them out on
    eBay and got a NOS pair for $25. They're great.

    My original 737s weren't nearly as good, and lasted only 4 years or so. I think
    the durability of my current pedals speaks for itself. I flush them with
    solvent and relube with Phil Oil occasionally, because they're too fiddly to
    disassemble. It seems to work anyway. As far as strength goes, the steel axles
    in these are probably stronger than the bones in your foot. What more could you
    possibly want?

    I hate single sided SPDs. I don't see the point in so much hassle, in the name
    of racy minimalism and saving maybe an ounce. It pains me to see other riders
    struggling to get into these. Some don't even like to ride their road bikes
    through town, because they have so much difficulty with their pedals in stop and
    go traffic.

    Matt O.

  15. Ryan Cousineau said:

    One advantage of the 636 design is that you can momentarily unclip to
    ride them as if they were platform pedals.

    I have no trouble riding a couple of miles on my regular SPDs in tennis shoes.

    The 636 comes in handy for riders who are bouncing around a lot, like
    BMX/slalom/downhill racers. In fact I think slalom was the original intended
    market.

    Matt O.

  16. On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:07:46 -0500, "Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]>

    Quoted message said:
    Ryan Cousineau said:

    One advantage of the 636 design is that you can momentarily unclip to
    ride them as if they were platform pedals.

    I have no trouble riding a couple of miles on my regular SPDs in tennis shoes.

    The 636 comes in handy for riders who are bouncing around a lot, like
    BMX/slalom/downhill racers. In fact I think slalom was the original intended
    market.

    Matt O.

    There's a couple gadgets that snap into SPD pedals allowing you to pedal in
    regular tennis shoes.

    Here's a plastic one from Nashbar ($5 bucks US):

    http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=108&subcategory=1077&brand=&sku=2434

    Here's a better closeup picture of the above:
    http://www.eyebike.com/product/nashbar-tennis-shoe-adaptor-p370.html

    Winwood makes a similar thing out of metal, but requires you purchase a set
    of cleats (not included). They weigh 250gms and are supposedly a bit
    difficult to get on and off ($25bucks US):

    http://www.winwoodbike.com/pedal.html

    Never tried 'em, so ymmv, caveat emptor, yada, yada.

    jj

  17. Matt O'Toole said:
    Peter Cole said:
    Ryan Cousineau said:


    Anyways, the 6x6 pedals have something approaching a cult following.
    I have a set of the 636 pedals, and they work fine. Both pedals are
    now

    Quoted message said:

    discontinued, but are readily available, as well as more or less
    reasonable replacements.

    Those are monster DH pedals. I never understood why anyone would use
    them other than for their intended purpose (catching big air after
    being winched up on a ski lift). Now 747's -- there's a cult pedal,
    pure beauty on or off-road. Can't kill them either.

    I use the older 535 (525?), which is similar to the 747 -- same generation, one
    model cheaper. The ones on my MTB are several years old and still going strong.
    For some unknown reason they seem to clip and release more predictably than the
    newer ones. I wanted identical pedals for my road bike, so I sought them out on
    eBay and got a NOS pair for $25. They're great.

    Nashbar has the 525s for $30. I've got 'em on the mountain and road bikes. Just
    too good a pedal for too cheap to not go with.

    Quoted message said:

    My original 737s weren't nearly as good, and lasted only 4 years or so. I think
    the durability of my current pedals speaks for itself. I flush them with
    solvent and relube with Phil Oil occasionally, because they're too fiddly to
    disassemble. It seems to work anyway. As far as strength goes, the steel axles
    in these are probably stronger than the bones in your foot. What more could you
    possibly want?

    I hate single sided SPDs. I don't see the point in so much hassle, in the name
    of racy minimalism and saving maybe an ounce. It pains me to see other riders
    struggling to get into these. Some don't even like to ride their road bikes
    through town, because they have so much difficulty with their pedals in stop and
    go traffic.

    Matt O.

  18. RonSonic said:

    On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:04:57 -0500, "Matt O'Toole"


    Quoted message said:

    Nashbar has the 525s for $30. I've got 'em on the mountain and road


    bikes. Just

    Quoted message said:

    too good a pedal for too cheap to not go with.

    Yeah, I scooped a pair, with a 20% off coupon, $24, crazy deal when you
    consider they come with cleats & cleats are $20 by themselves.

  19. Peter Cole said:


    RonSonic said:

    On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:04:57 -0500, "Matt O'Toole"


    Quoted message said:

    Nashbar has the 525s for $30. I've got 'em on the mountain and road


    bikes. Just

    Quoted message said:

    too good a pedal for too cheap to not go with.

    Yeah, I scooped a pair, with a 20% off coupon, $24, crazy deal when you
    consider they come with cleats & cleats are $20 by themselves.

    One thing I should've mentioned for anyone else considering them, is these are
    the cleats without float, so if you need that you'll be using your old ones or
    buying another pair of cleats.

    Hey does Shimano still sell the old "pontoons" for making SPDs on a road shoe
    walkable?

    Ron

  20. RonSonic <[email hidden]> wrote in
    news:[email hidden]:

    Quoted message said:
    Peter Cole said:


    RonSonic said:

    On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:04:57 -0500, "Matt O'Toole"


    Quoted message said:

    Nashbar has the 525s for $30. I've got 'em on the mountain and
    road


    bikes. Just

    Quoted message said:

    too good a pedal for too cheap to not go with.

    Yeah, I scooped a pair, with a 20% off coupon, $24, crazy deal
    when you consider they come with cleats & cleats are $20 by
    themselves.

    One thing I should've mentioned for anyone else considering them,
    is these are the cleats without float, so if you need that you'll
    be using your old ones or buying another pair of cleats.


    I think that both types have float it is just that one is a multi-
    release and the other releases like normal road pedals.

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