Clipless pedals: Crankbrothers Candy 2 or Shimano PD-M530?

Anybody have experience with either?

http://www.crankbrothers.com/pedals_candy2.php

http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/pr...

Will be used for multi-day touring. The Shimanos have a spring whose tension can be adjusted, but the salesman said the Candy 2 was a solid choice, too. Not sure which has more float.

Thoughts?

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Permalink Reply by S on February 23, 2014 at 3:53pm

I had the candy pedals and they fell apart after about 3 years or so. I'd suggest getting time atacs, everything I've heard about them said that they last forever and are pretty much rock solid.  They have a similar mechanism to the candy pedals so they can be ridden without cleats if needed. Oh, they also have lateral float so you can move side to side a little when clipped in.

Permalink Reply by Casey Carnes on February 24, 2014 at 3:05am

I would recommend either the Shimano A520 or A530 (or A600).  All are lighter than the M530s with the same quality, and the A-530 has a platform side.  I use the A530s on my touring bike, its nice to be able to ride in your extra street shoes or flip flops to make quick runs once you set up camp.  I have almost 10k on my A530s without issue, and have the A600s on my roadish bike because they match the Ultegra group silver.

I have also had candy's, which fell apart after some light abuse on a mountain bike.  Crankbrothers do have more float if that is a big concern, but I feel if you get your cleats set right, the float of the shimano's is just fine.

Hope that helps.

Permalink Reply by Gecko on February 24, 2014 at 4:33am

I'll throw my hat in the ring for SPDs as well.  There are many more varieties of SPD-compatible shoes, especially in the walkable versions, and lots of different styles of pedals from many different brands besides Shimano.  I started with clipless on SPD and they were perfect for the reasons Jeff mentioned above.  So far for pedals I've used M520s, Wellgo/VP Components platform/SPDs, Ritchey single-side road SPDs, and the M324s with good results.  As far as shoes, I used old Shimano mtb shoes for awhile but I fell in love with 661's clipless skate shoes and pretty much have been riding those for the past 8 years.  I don't think they're produced anymore but there are lots of other versions out there.

Permalink Reply by Liz on February 24, 2014 at 4:35am

why not go with the ones that are dedicated platform on one side and clipless on the other

http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/pr...

I use them, and unless you're riding in muddy conditions, being able to clip in on either side isn't too much of an advantage vs having the protrusion up when you're riding in normal shoes (especially thinner soled ones). 

Nashbar also makes an off brand version 

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_175406_-1___202530

Permalink Reply by Elliot Bennett on February 24, 2014 at 7:09am

Shimanos. I went through 3 pairs of Crank Bros in two years before I gave up.

Permalink Reply by Gecko on February 24, 2014 at 8:59am

I tend to think the opposite.  The bindings being on one side is not a big deal to me, as the other side is just a normal platform, so you can just press and go, and then worry about clipping in after you get moving.  I have pedals like these on my main city bike, and it can be a little annoying stepping on the wrong side when you have the wrong shoes on, but for me the convenience of not having to switch pedals outweighs the inconvenience of stepping on the wrong side of the pedal from time to time.  I'm not in that much of a hurry when I go anywhere that a few extra seconds or less will impact my ride.  It's nice for my shoe choice not to be dictated by what type of pedals are on my bike.

Jeff Schneider said:

For city stop-and-go riding with cleats, it's a nicer experience to have bindings on both sides of the pedal, so that you don't have to think at all about clipping in and can concentrate on the traffic.

Permalink Reply by Liz on February 24, 2014 at 10:42am


+1. I've gotten the hang of quickly flipping the pedal so it doesn't even really register for me anymore. 

Even when touring I usually carry a pair of flip flops or something similar for showering or going to a pool, and like having the flat platform for the ride from the campsite to the bathroom. 

I use duel sided clipless on my road bike and mountain bike, since I'm only riding those with my bike shoes


Nick G said:

I tend to think the opposite.  The bindings being on one side is not a big deal to me, as the other side is just a normal platform, so you can just press and go, and then worry about clipping in after you get moving.  I have pedals like these on my main city bike, and it can be a little annoying stepping on the wrong side when you have the wrong shoes on, but for me the convenience of not having to switch pedals outweighs the inconvenience of stepping on the wrong side of the pedal from time to time.  I'm not in that much of a hurry when I go anywhere that a few extra seconds or less will impact my ride.  It's nice for my shoe choice not to be dictated by what type of pedals are on my bike.


Permalink Reply by The Grizz on February 25, 2014 at 1:11am
Crank bros pedals can really wear down your shoes. I prefer SPD pedals. I have several models, but on my touring bike I use PD-A530. I've also used M324. I have minimal weight weenie type pedals on my speedy road bike, but for touring I really like something with a platform on the other side.
Permalink Reply by David on February 25, 2014 at 8:12am

Thanks, all, for your advice. Actually, I'm looking to swap in the clipless pedals only for long-distance touring, when I'm biking all day, every day. For commuting in the city, I'll put back my regular pedals with toe cages and ride with the usual sneakers.

Liz, I'm used to flipping those pedals, too, to get the sneaker in the cage. It's second-nature now. So, that's an argument for something like the M234. However, the guy at the bike store advised against these as not as efficient as the other two.

I'm not as concerned with weight. I'll only do touring maybe 3-4 times a year, so durability isn't as big of an issue for me. Not too concerned about mud, either.

Nick, I like your thinking. When I'm biking long-distance, and I take a day off, I want to be able to bike a few miles around the town in my sneakers WITHOUT having to change pedals. BUT... if efficiency is compromised, I'm wiling to pack that second set of pedals for the off days.

Permalink Reply by djm on February 25, 2014 at 9:04am

I liked them when new, but abandoned a pair of Crank Brothers Eggbeaters (no platform) after a couple seasons' commuting:

  • Bearings needed frequent replacement after failures
  • Cleats had a short lifetime even with minimal walking
  • Worn cleats resulted in damaged shoe soles due to contact with pedal cage
Permalink Reply by Gecko on February 25, 2014 at 9:27am

I don't know what the heck that guy was talking about as far as efficiency - it doesn't make any sense.  Technically you should be more efficient when using the clip side because clips are usually more efficient than platforms, but that's the only difference.  The number of sides the pedal has available to clip into doesn't factor into riding efficiency at all unless you're racing mountain bikes and/or cyclocross, where clipping back in needs to be as fast as possible or you lose time.

Regardless, I can say with certainty that each side of my platform/clip pedals have felt no more and no less efficient to me compared to their respective "full" pedals (I have lots of bikes with all kinds of pedals to compare).  When you're riding the platform side, they're just like normal platforms, and when you're riding the clip side, they're just like normal clipless pedals.  Still stumped as to what that guy was trying to convey regarding efficiency *scratches head*

David said:

Liz, I'm used to flipping those pedals, too, to get the sneaker in the cage. It's second-nature now. So, that's an argument for something like the M234. However, the guy at the bike store advised against these as not as efficient as the other two.

I'm not as concerned with weight. I'll only do touring maybe 3-4 times a year, so durability isn't as big of an issue for me. Not too concerned about mud, either.

Nick, I like your thinking. When I'm biking long-distance, and I take a day off, I want to be able to bike a few miles around the town in my sneakers WITHOUT having to change pedals. BUT... if efficiency is compromised, I'm wiling to pack that second set of pedals for the off days.

Permalink Reply by bobweiser on February 25, 2014 at 10:32am

Egg Beaters for me. never could get the hang of spds. my old pair, i think the model 1, lasted years, in rain and snow. upgraded to the model 3 last year when i got my new bike, and they still work great.

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