If you do a quick Google you should be able to establish that 1) Shimano is about as reliable as pedals get and 2) Crank Brothers have incredibly variable durability (some people have no problems for years, others break multiple sets in months). There's luck of the draw, but Crank Brothers probably has one of the worst reputations for product reliability out there.What's people's thoughts on these two different forms of clips? I'm into Enduro racing and want to know what you guys think in terms or suitability and reliability. I'd love to hear your own personal experiences or from those riding buddies you ride with.
Thanks in advance
My bold. I can assure you that Shimano DO have float, and anyone who tells you otherwise needs to clean the mud out of their cleats.wotsis said:If you want reliable and float, get Times or Speedplays. If you want reliable and very positive engagement (and no float) get Shimanos.
Didn't take you to be snarky at all mate. Just I've really been given great advice to my posts and those of others, and really respect the diverse range of views and experience.Oh, I wasn't trying to be snarky. It's more that a very small sample isn't going to get you reliable results, but if you look online for failure reports you get a better view of things, and CB seems to outstrip every other brand combined.
I always thought they had about 8 degrees of float - which biomechanically would be spot on as most people feet face slightly outwards / 7 degrees. Although having a look on the shimano website I can't see any reference to this (the yellow road cleats certainly do). I also angle my cleats slightly so I sit right in the middle the float - been using SPD for 18 years now, never a problem, so I am a little biased towards SPD above all others.My bold. I can assure you that Shimano DO have float, and anyone who tells you otherwise needs to clean the mud out of their cleats.
As explained a couple of posts up, "float" is the small amount of rotation that the cleat can make in the pedal before it begins to release. Having some float makes setting up cleat position slightly less critical, and allows for minor misaligments in the legs that can cause the feet to point at different angles depending on knee angle. Fixed cleats, which have no float, can put a lot of strain on the knees if they're not set up totally accurately.I'm not sure what you guys mean by float and therefore its importance. Can someone please explain it to me please. I'm still learning all of the terminology.
This is not the same. The Crank Brothers retention system uses two clips that run through both sides (or all 4 'sides' if you look at Eggbeaters) so that an impact to the bottom of the pedal opens up the clips at the top of the pedal, ejecting the cleat.While it is true that if you jam your pedal down on a rock or other object it can release the cleat it is not a big deal; just clip in again. Shimano SPDs can release too under these circumstances though they are less prone to. I like the fact that CBs are 4 sided entry and also very easy to get out of. I used Shimano SPDs for a few years and was forever being trapped in them. Mud, wood or bark chips from logs can all foul the retention system and keep your cleat jammed in the pedal. The simplicity of eggbeaters mean they clear mud and other obstacles very easily.
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