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You've already tried them so I don't need to add any weight to the benefits they are so much more efficient and I find them really useful on descents coz my feet can't get bounced of the pedals, and then the extra oomph you have going uphill is awesome... not a big fan of shimano pedals though despite using them for 2 years now they really suck balls when it gets muddy and clog and make it difficult to clip in- so I'm going to give some Crank Bros pedals a go, will prob stock them as well though they seem to get the same reception as shimano pedals ( marmite)

I recently tried flats out bought some some nukeproof neurons but could not get on with riding flats..
I've riden SPD's for years and love them, couldn't agree with you more, you definately feel so much more in control being clipped to the bike. Once your confidant you will be unstoppable and ultra quick round the trails!

Good luck dude!

Im keen on flats, ive got DMR mag v12's and just wear normal trainers. Although ive seen some others but around £60+ which isnt really an issue but i was thinking wouldnt astro turf boots work?? eady wipe clean, stable & decent grip if your foot comes off on a slippy up hill.
i like to reposition my feet quite often & spd's would hamper that.

MuZzA

I was going to try Crank Bros before continuing with Shimano, the reason I changed my mind is because one mate who tried them for the first time didn't like the fact that they weren't adjustable (... are they?, I don't actually know) but it started me thinking, then another mate who rides a lot said they ruined the bottoms of his shoes. In the end I just went with what I knew. It's true though, they do clog up when it gets really muddy - best way to avoid that is try to keep your feet on the pedals and not in the mud!

You swap the cleat round to adjust the release point... as far as shoe ruining goes not heard that before... everyone I know running crank bros really like them and those that didn't get on with them have gone to Time, don't know anyone that's gone back to Shimano pedals after leaving them

Well, I'll keep that in mind next time I change my pedals. Ta.

I'm going to try the Crank Bros I'll get em ordered tomorrow- or maybe later today I'll give them a go at dusk til dawn and let y'all know how I get on...

Are you referring to the Mallets? I tried them a couple of times but found getting the binding in a real pain, especially if they came undone mid-descent.

Having tried both disciplines (and perhaps having had more croppers using clips), I would say clips for uphill and long, flat bridleways, anything involving gravity and when you need that extra foot-down insurance policy, flats all the way.

I'm going for Candy's seeing as they come in green to match my new Kona... I'm more an XC/ trail type of rider and have used SPDs for everything that I've done i.e. local trails, trail centres but I'm by no means a gravity rider I've not hit any DH runs on them just the likes of Coed Y and some of the 7stanes

Have to say that during my time at epping they did get clogged quite alot when i came off of the bike, but im hoping i wont be coming off to much once im used to them, but next time i get pedals i think ill look at the crank brothers they do seem a bit more simplistic in their design and wont clog up as much...

Oh and to also add when i need new shoes ill be going for a carbon fibre sole as i deffinatly suffered from hot foot and the carbon fibre is meant to illiminate this...

I have ridden with Crank Bros Egg Beaters for years no issues, never adjusted them, never needed to, just clip in and go, don't seem to get clogged with mud.

Ordered some Candy's earlier in green ( well in all the colours but it's the green I intend to use) was going to go for the egg beaters but well you know gotta get my colour co ordination right!

I've used clipless pedals since the early 90's and have used both shimano and crank brothers and both have positive and negative points. Crank Bros are very good for float and as stated they can be adjusted by turning the cleats the other way so you release the cleat with more or less foot rotation. The springs aren't adjustable but that's not a problem and getting out is a cinch but I did find that it was quite easy to unclip when not wanted. The cleats however are quite soft and I found they wore quickly.
I went back to spd's because I felt they were more secure and you could adjust the tension to suit plus the cleats last longer. I've had several incarnations of spd's starting with the original XT PDM 737 which was a heavy fecker and these older models did suffer from bad mud clogging and lack of float but the newer ones are a lot better. I'm currently running the new XTR trail pedals and am loving the feel of these so far. I would suggest getting the best shoes you can. Carbon soles can be very harsh to walk in due to stiffness which is why I don't use them but they are efficient on the bike.

Tested the Candy's out over Dusk til Dawn on Sat night - I'm happy, love the float, feel that perhaps I have been running my cleats in the wrong position for last couple years now though, had no issues with mud yet either which is great and they match the colour of my bike which is obviously the most important thing!