[Closed] Time Atac Vs Shimano SPD?

Having used both (and eggs) time are best in my opinions

Most shoes don't have a deep enough tread to stop them rocking laterally. I had Alliums and Z-Controls. Found that 2 differnt shoes rocked around on both. My feet tended to walk to the outside of the pedal and then rock over the end of the spring.
I went through a stage of speedplay frogs, and now I'm back on Shimano shoes and Shimano pedals.
The trick for my knees was getting some proper stiff racing shoes. Ankle support is critical to stop your knees wandering all over the place in the pedal stroke.

I've used them both. 10 years or so on spd an about 6 on time aliums. I like them both. The time have the obvious advantage of more float and they're better in mud. They also work when your shoes are snow clogged, which spd don't! Gone back to spd again mainly cos i prefer the retention feel - more secure, but the time's are top choice if you have dodgy knees.

Time for me. Used Eggs and (briefly) tried SPDs. I prefer the non-ROC ones (ie the ones with just a curvy bit of spring wire to hold you in, rather than half a cast metal octagon).

Used the originals (which are still going after about twelve years with no maintenance), Z Controls and the current ATAC XS. And the design basically hasn't changed in 12 years either, making them cheap like Shimano, not expensive like Crank Bros.

At 16st no shoe is particularly stiff for me and with dodgy knees I like float. Therefore Time every time as it were. Actually I think they work best with either a very close fitting (to the pedal) shoe or a slightly softer shoe. Shimano shoes are a good choice - I use the MT90 boot and the MT085 disco slipper depending on whether warm feet and muddy water proofing or performance is more important.

Add in the fact that mud/snow clogging is something you hear about but never experience, and the fact that that little knob behind the rear spring loop is design so that as you hit it kicking in, it flicks the pedal so the cleat catches the front spring, and you have a pedal that is ridiculously easy to find when you need it - think road pedal to SPD and the same difference again.

That said for the co-ordinationally gifted, who never ride in mud and have no knee problems I might go with SPDs.

I use the Speedplay Frogs after being on Shimanos specifically because of a knee problem (left foot points outwards slightly, makes skiing painful after 10yards of involuntary splits!).
No problems at all since moving but they don't have the positive action of the Shimanos so they can be a bit wishy washy to get clipped into. Once you get used to them they're pretty good.

Would be intersted to hear if the Time etc. could do any better / give more float than the Speedplays.

I use to be a Shimano SPD man for many many years, starting on the original DX pedals, through to the current XTR but i noticed knee pain when getting up from playing with my daughter or being on my haunches...

Refused to believe it could be the pedals as i'd used them all my riding life (pretty much) with no problems at all and knees gave no bother while riding at all.

Eventually I had enough and had to do something, so Time Atac Roc pedals bought, felt great, side parts really supportive and no knee pain, but then my Shimano pedals never hurt while riding.

About 2 -3 weeks later though the pain getting up wasn't there, just noticed that it didn't hurt any more.

May have been the pedals may have been something else, not sure, not risking it though, Times still on the bike, perform brilliantly, and they're staying put!

[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/SearchResults.aspx?Search=time+pedal ]Time Pedals at CRC[/url]

All interesting points...

Speedplay do have a lot of rotational float, though I've never had an issue with SPDs not have enough of that. It's the lateral float of Times that interests me. But they're no good without the extra stability that a platform offers.

I recently gave classic none-platform SPDs a go again after years of M647s... didn't like it at all. Kept unclipping accidentally from my foot rocking to the side. Also got really sore ankle the following day. So I'm back on the (fairly knackered) M647s till I decide what new ones to buy.

I use Time Freerides (after years of using ATACs) and they give excellent stability. They also give a tad more grip for those moments when you find yourself unclipped (but don't want to be).

The downside is that brand new cleats are buggers to get unclipped from. Resulting in a couple of clipped in tumbles the first couple of rides.

But they're no good without the extra stability that a platform offers.

They do offer good support, the body of the Roc pedal does exactly that, one of the first things I noticed with them that my foot wasn't rocking, instead was sitting on the pedal, nice and solid feel.

I like Time I use atac aliums on my commuter and Control Z on my mtb. I have never tried spds and I doubt I ever will as these pedals are ace.

I use Time Z Freeride - bit cheaper and good platform. Can ride them without SPD shoes if just nipping to shop on Singlespeed for eg.
I can ride downhill safely [well not ubber technicall /rocky]on these even with my SPD shoes on - I find that long downhills hurt my legs for some reason and prefert o move foot back unclipped than stop.
mud /snow makes no difference always clip in. No knee pain and never unclipped unintentionally.