? for mountain/trail bikers

There are a couple companies that make a pedal that is a platform on one side and a clipless pedal on the other. Sometimes you'll see it called a "University" pedal or something like that. The clipless pedal is almost always the Shimano, mountain-SPD, type of clipless pedal. We have that type on our commuter/do-all bike and ride strictly MT-SPD's on our mountain bikes. (I'm clarifying mountain SPD's because Shimano also calls some of their road pedals SPD. I mean the type you'd probably see on a spin bike at the gym)

Have fun trail riding and don't forget your helmet!

I have always used times in georgia clay and anything in between and have loved them.
John.

I have SPDs. In fact, I have them on all of my bikes cuz I love them. :-)

Last year I did a 40 mile MTB race in the mud and slop and rain, and had no problems cliiping in and out (which I did a lot, cuz I suck and fall off all the time ;-)).

You can get a pair for cheap, too, which is also a plus. I mean, yes, you can spend $150...but you can also pick up a decent used pair on ebay or a bike swap for $10-20 bucks, and Nashbar often has spd-compatibles for under $35 (I have these in red and in black. You can also find dual sided ones--platform on one side, spd on the other. (Like this)

Edited by mmrocker13 2009-08-02 5:30 PM

I have SPD's on my road and MTB.  Use my MTB shoes for both as well.  :-)

I hear Crank Bro's Egg Beaters are great for clearing mud but if there's that much mud to be cleared, I generally don't ride anyway - tearing up trails is bad.

DO YOU USE CLIP IN PEDALS FOR XTERRA ??

HOW DO YOU RUN WITH THEM AND THE BIKE IF YOU COME ACROSS A STEEP HILL/TREE ROOTS/LOGS/ANYTHING A BIKE CAN'T BE RIDDEN OVER ??

Sorry about the capital letters, just want to make sure people see it.

I use the Candy model Crank Brothers pedals on mtn bike and road bike because its easy to release and clip back in. I want to get road pedals but haven't got around to getting any yet. There is enough pedal to use regular shoes in a pinch and they work good in the mud for me. 

The shoes I have are Shimano MTB, they seem like like beefy trail shoes so I can run in them some. On tough uphills I unclip just before I would fall over and run uphill till I can clip back in and then take off again.  This from a relative newbie and used this on an Xterra.

 

Edited by rockrunner 2009-08-03 12:43 AM

In the Xterra triathlons/duathlons you do transitions just like in a road triathlon.

As for going up hills.  There is a major difference between clipless mountain bike shoes vs road bike shoes.  One, the clip in a mtn bike shoe doesn't stick out like it does on a road bike shoe.  Also the shoes are much more flexible than a road bike shoe and have tread on them.  Often times I'm very comfortable walking around in mtn bike shoes.  A buddy of mine blew his tire about 6 miles out on a trail and walked back.  he said he was very comfortable.

Heck, if you got this shoe and some mtn SPDs, you could probably do a sprint triathlon in them.http://www.rei.com/product/765129

I wouldn't want to do an actual run (as in a sprint tri) in my mtn bike shoes, but they are definitely totally comfy/safe for walking around, hiking up hills, etc. They don't bend well (obviously, that's the point), so going up hill can cause some chafing/blisters, but as long as you wear good socks, cover hot spots, and don't try to do TOO much in them, they are fine.

I've always wanted the combo but haven't plunked down the cash. I have the shoes and use platforms with cages. Eh, works for now, I guess.

I have the same pedals on my mtn bike.  The candy's are great.  I just moved them from my tri bike after getting some new road pedals.  I used them on a road bike for one tri, them moved them to my tri bike for another and now over to my new mtn bike for their regular home.  My mtn bike shoes are the Diadora X trail.  I love them. 

I hate to rain on the SPD parade, but you'll see fewer and fewer MTB folks using them these days. Most racers and lots of rec riders will run Crank Brothers or Time ATAC pedals. They have more float and she mud much better than any SPD pedal you'll find. For the most part, they are easier to get in and out of as well and the cost of a Crank Brothers egg beater or Mallett pedal is right in line with a decent SPD pedal.

Bot the SPD's with a platform and the Crank Brother Malletts are about $95 to $110. You can usually find Crank Brothers Candy C pedals for about $50, but I wouldn't want to ride more than a couple miles on them with street shoes.

I think a big reason you see that is more because of anti-shimano sentiment then because of actual performance advantages. Although Egg beaters win on weight.

I run the Shimano 646s pictured above. They are by far the most bomb proof clipless pedal ever made. They out lasted a pair of DH crank arms in a failed wheelie drop off a 6 foot high wall. When my last pair eventually wore out after 10ish years after getting them I tried to go with the Crank Bros Mallet C. 3 months on a very XC oriented single speed with no jumping or stupid shenanigans and the spindles were bent. Next were the Time ATAZ Zs. Yeah they were easy to get into but I also came out way to easy. Trying to J hop a log at high speed is not the time to have your feet fly out of the pedals. My taint says no to Time pedals. in 15+ years on spd pedals I have never once had issues with mud or with getting into them.

Unfortunately shimano stopped making the 646 and the replacement is lame. I was able to find 2 new pairs and a lightly used pair online. I should be set for another 30 years.

As far as the OP goes, pedals with a cage around are not really designed to be ridden in regular shoes. You can do it, but you will still feel the clip in portion of the pedal. The pedals with one side a cage pedal and one side a clipless will work, but when you are trail riding, you have to worry about making sure you are trying to get into the correct side of the pedal. It's a PITA. If it were me, I'd go with the first option, something like a shimano 646, Crank Bros Mallet, Time ATAC Z or for the budget minded a Shimano 545 http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/pr...

Time ATACs on both my mountain bike (XTERRA and mountain bike racing) and my cyclocross bike. These pedals shed mud well and are paired with Sidi shoes that offer great off the bike traction during hike a bike sections and barriers/dismounts (in cx races). Egg beaters are also a good choice. I've used spd's and will never use them again after switching to Times a LONG time ago.

Which ones should I buy?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=233769776

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=233849371

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=234048092

Keywin DH
Crank Bros Candy C
Shimano M520