Life In The Saddle

The Crankbrothers Double Shot 2 Pedals are a hybrid pedal with one side offering a flat platform pedal and the other side a clip-in pedal. I have been using these pedals on my errand-running Kona Dr Dew urban trekking bike and they have proven to be the perfect match. The pedal body is made from premium grade aluminium with moulded pins and ribs to enhance grip on the flat side of the pedal. The clip-in mechanism of the pedal is made from stainless steel with a stainless-steel spring. Inside, there are top quality Igus glide bearings and Enduro cartridge bearings that are lasting well, even with the challenging conditions of winter. Crankbrothers pedals use their own unique cleat, made from a brass alloy. Some riders complain that these are soft and get easily damaged; but from my experience if they are recessed well within the lugs of your mountain biking shoes then they last a decent time. Crankbrothers pedals come with a five-year warranty that provides peace of mind that thes...

I have tried and tested the majority of mountain bike pedals on the market today: from the reliable and cheap Shimano M520, to the innovative and expensive Look S-Track. To date though, I have yet to try the Crank Brothers offering. The Eggbeater has always intrigued me, and I recently had the chance to test and review it. This is my feedback... The Crank Brothers Eggbeater 3 pedal is the lightest mountain bike pedal on the market today, and yet it boasts 4-sided entry and a high pedal-to-shoe contact area. It achieves this through the unique compact spring design; which allows the cleat to engage with the pedal in the recess of the shoe's lugs, whilst the tread lugs themselves stand firmly on the axle of the pedal either side of the spring. The minimalist design is created to not just be lightweight, but also highly effective at shedding the mud and debris that might build up on a bulkier pedal. This makes the design highly attractive to mountain bikers, cyclocross riders,...

Shimano M520 SPD pedals have long been the standard for mountain bike clipless pedals; they are durable, easy to use and good value. However, like even the higher end Shimano SPD models, the M520 presents a number of compromises.  For example, they're quite heavy, not great at mud clearing and their spring adjustment can take quite a bit of fine tuning; not to mention the contact area with the cleats is relatively small. Look is one highly innovative French firm, and the original inventor of the clipless pedal. For a long time they have been a real force to reckon with in the world of road clipless pedals with the Look Keo.  However, they have always been on the fringe of the mountain bike pedal range, previously with the Quartz pedal. With the entry of the new S-Track pedal I think that could all change... Look appear to have taken the  check-list  of minor faults with the Shimano products and ironed them out completely whilst producing the Look S-Track. This ...