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Last year during the snow i had flat pedals but in the springtime i got a new mtb and have been using SPDs since. Was just wondering how they are in the snow? Do they jam and freeze up with compacted snow and ice?
My Shimano lower end ones were acceptable. Of course they do get some snow in them, but no worse than winter mud. I never rode for long enough or in cold enough weather for the snow to actually freeze in the cleats tho'
Which ones have you got? I've had no problem with the more open-bodied recent Shimano designs the last couple of years - just need a little stamp to clear:
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8133348@N03/4256897933/ ]IMG_5913[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8133348@N03/ ]oxym0r0n[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/4256900849_67cbaeab37.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8133348@N03/4256900849/ ]IMG_5914[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8133348@N03/ ]oxym0r0n[/url], on Flickr
If the snow does compact hard it can ice them up, but only sometimes.
By then you will have found other reasons to fall off and / or slide into the undergrowth. If they do freeze up it only affects you when trying to clip in, not unclip. Id not worry about it and just ride. When mine froze up it was only once or twice this year and gave me the opportunity to get off, catch my breath and use a twig to remove the ice.
They can jam up in the wrong type of snow. Eggbeaters are the best alternative.
Its the DX ones with the cage / platform so probably a bit more prone to ice build up than the others.
Times work pretty well. But flats and walking boots are betterer.
just perfect the "kick the snow off show before clipping in manoeuvre" and you'll be fine. Or just don't stop and put your foot down.
I found my 959s and xtrs (i.e. the open-ish bodied) ones fine last year. Certain kinds of snow will start to generate little balls of ice on them if you have to walk in them any distance, but you can usually kick it off fairly easily.
They can clog and freeze up, if you stay on top of knocking snow off your shoes before clipping in it's ok. They can freeze up to the point where you'll need to pee on them eventually if you want to clip in (a friend not me).
Crank brothers of all variety are very good in the snow. But snow is the one time I do acutally switch to flats.
I used to carry a can of de-icer (the smaller sized ones sold as lock de-icer are a good size) to free off pedals that had iced up.