I’ve been using some OEM Shimano ones that I bought to try out riding clipless and then never got round to replacing. They’re a bit crap in mud as there’s nowhere for it to go and I really struggle to get my trailing foot clipped in (partly down to a gammy leg). Which of the veritable cornucopia of options are easy to get in and out of and won’t have me cursing and throwing my bike into bushes in disgust?

What’s wrong with flat pedals?

What’s wrong with flat pedals?

Nowt, and I shall continue to use them for occasions where I scream like a small, scared child whilst clipped in.

ATACs?

Andy

time atac aliums

The best pedals for mud are Eggbeaters. Candys work out pretty well too and are a favourite amongst CX racers, who have to deal with the stuff a lot.

The clipping method is slightly different to Shimano. With the latter, you have to “toe-in”, then stamp your heel down. With Crank Brothers pedals, it’s more of a direct stamp down as both the front and rear wings move apart. You may, or may not, find this easier.

Are eggbeaters not a trifle prone to falling to bits?

Time atac’s for mud IME, & they don’t require regular servicing to hold together.

egg beaters ftw in mud
acids for a bit more platform and mallets platform & grip
mallets are used by most world cup dh racers who clip in (even the shimano sponsored ones)

they do require regular servicing though, (new bearings every 6 months to a year)

The new Eggbeaters (well , the 2’s, 3’s and 11’s) have a 5-year, no-service warranty.

Flats!

As a total roady who has crossed over to the dark side I had assumed I would get some kind of spd but wasnt sure what so got some cheap flats on my bike.

After quite a bit of riding since I got it I cannot think of a situation when I would want SPd but everytime I see a mate banging mud or ice off his cleats or falling off cos he was clipped in I can see why you don’t want them.

Once I’d decided to stick with flats I got a pair if the supergrippy shoes ( mine are the shimano black ones not nearly the grippiest but pretty weatherproof) and the amount of grip is just amazing . Unless you are racing I can’t see why you would need more grip.

But am happy to be enlightened…

But am happy to be enlightened…

Clips are at least 2.9% more efficient on the average ride.

Which ‘OEM’ shimano SPDs are they?

I’ve not had a problem in mud with (current) shimano M520’s except after the odd prolonged walk, where a couple of kicks of cleat to pedal has been enough to get them to clip back in

I find SPD’s attachment to the bike gives me a more secure feel & more so more confident which equals more control for me.
I dont use them for pedalling efficency, and I have enuff pin dents on my shins to know I don’t want to use flats again.

I’ve never seen Time or Eggbeater pedals have issue with mud, ice is a different matter as it clogs up your cleat not the pedal. Time and eggbeater still handle this better than shimano IME.

I’m not sure if they’re 520s or something lower (is there such a thing?). I was out on SPDs today for the first time in ages and found them a great help, hence the question. I have flats already, so as a suggestion it’s not adding an enormous amount to the whole “what SPDs should I get thing”.

I’m a big fan of the big S when it comes to Spds no issues with mud 99% of the time mare.

XTR spds clog a lot less than the cheaper models I find. There was a pair in the classified for £40 or £50 the other day.

I’ve had SPDs clog with frozen mud.
It’s just about impossible for that to happen with Egg Beaters.