Having always rode with Shimano pedals and cleats I decided to try Crank Bros. The Candy's were £20 in the CRC sale so worth a go.
Are they always so bl00dy awkward to engage? I've spent the last two and a half hours cursing my way around the Peak District. Granted when they're in they feel fine, dis-engaging also feels effortless but to clip-in is a nightmare.
Do they just take some getting used to? I never had this problem with Shimano. They're also a lot larger than I expected and I wonder if Eggbeaters would be more suitable.
Check the your shoe tread isn't fouling when you clip in, did you use the small shim when you installed the cleats?
Nah it didn't look like it would make much difference. The tread looked like it wouldn't interfere a great deal but I will fit the cleats with the shim and test again tomorrow.
Thanks.
I had a similar problem converting from Shimano to CB. It's just that there's a different movement involved. The Shimanos are a "toe-in first" movement and the CBs are a "stamp down hard" movement. I had a very similar first ride experience to yours but now I've been using them for a while, it's just natural to me.
Summary: persevere.
Found them far easier than shimano..been using spd's as the spring on my cb's snapped but got some nackered candy's off the classified and will be back on the cb's monday. Find them much easier to get in and out of and never pull out of them unless the cleats are really nacked, the bearings on the 520's i'm on have died in 3 months of courier use, apart from the spring issue the cb's needed one rebuild kit in a year and 3/4's, so maybe 12/14000 miles...
The debate will go on....
oh and my knees don't like spd's to much..
Cheers druidh
I've fitted the shims even though the manual suggested it wasn't necessary so I will try again tomorrow. I could generally engage my right foot (first in, lead leg) OK but ended up struggling with the left.
This resulted in me concentrating and looking at my left foot trying to engage which was a distraction. And frustrating to boot when the Shimano action has been instinctive for years.
I'll give them a few more rides before throwing my dummy out of the pram and sticking them on the classifieds 🙂
Oooooooo I was wrong, they're nice 🙂
I've just returned from a lunchtime blast. Warm spring sunshine, bone dry Peak trails, hardly a soul in sight and to top it off the Candys performed faultlessly with me engagaing the pedal everytime. I think fitting the shims has helped a lot.
I like!
king of buscuits - same problem here.
exactly the same scenario too, saw them dead cheap on crc....
i too have a real hassle clipping in...clipping out is fine, probably easier...but getting in is a real real real real real bugger, i still cant get used to it 2 months on....i have got slightly better, but then sometimes on a technical climb if i forget to clip back in after a descent, i literally have to come to a halt and clip in standing stationary 🙁 i cant seem to clip in whilst getting ready to power up a climb....(i know i should already be in, but i like to not be clipped in on rocky descents, then trying to get back in is awful)....
im gonna give them a bit longer, ive got my sworks shoes on again now, which are not as bulky and clumpy as my winter shimanos, so im hoping as the sworks shoes are easier to manoveur and feel that they will be a tad easier 🙁
if not ill be buying some xt's 🙁
thought it was just me, which is nice to hear its not!!!
Yes my first ride in them was a real pain Didzy but I immediately installed the shims post ride and today it was fine. Not one issue.
I've got the Spesh Pro shoes which has the same sole as the Sworks I believe so get those shims on to see if it makes a difference.
I'll hand it to you though Didzy, I'd have thrown them out the window after 2 months. If they'd have acted up again today they would be in the bin now (well on the classifieds at least).
The problem comes with riding Shimano for years. The clipping in/engaging motion becomes instinctive and the Crank Bros motion is slightly different.
Had the same problem when I got some egg beaters. Thing I found annoying was the lack of a positive click when you engage the cleat. Got used to them, and they worked perfectly.
However, I've now gone back to spds, chiefly because of witnessing 4 separate occasions of the spindle snapping on mates bikes. While I have no reason think mine would do the same that sort of scenario features quite highly on my list of "f*ck thats".
Main reason I started using CB was for mud clearing ability, but decided it wasn't THAT important.
KOB
what are these shims you speak of??? 🙂
could they be the answer to my £20 prayers 🙂
please explain...i thought i installed everything they came with?
shims are the black things
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ah right i remember seeing them yes! stupid question im sure, but do they go inside the shoes under the sole? im guessing so, but just want to make sure...im not sure where else they could fit....certainly not on the outside sole of shoe surely?
Between the cleat and the shoe maybe?
Yes, under the cleat between the cleat and cleat mount on the sole of the shoe.
