Dear Crank Bros...
 

[Closed] Dear Crank Bros...

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[i]...I like your pedals, they're a very clever elegant design, but why oh why oh why do you insist on using such low quality materials, even on your most expensive models ??[/i]

I recently bought some used Triple Tis on ebay, when they arrived they had a worrying amount of play in the bushes. Emailed the seller who said "I thought I said they needed a service". He hadn't said anything of the sort. Thanks. But no big deal, I'll buy a service kit, it's only £15 and that should sort it out. Once I took them apart this is what I found:

[img] [/img]

Part "A" is where the bush runs and should be the same diameter as part "B". The nylon bush has worn away the Titanium axle. Amazing.

So I double-checked the pedals on my other bikes. A pair of Eggbeater C that I've had a while but not used all that much, maybe a dozen short rides, so probably less than 200 miles and they have some play in the bushes. And the other set, a pair of eggbeater SL that I know for certain have been used [b]once[/b], for 20 miles, on a road bike, in the dry and they have play in them too.

I know they're a minimal design and might need a bit more attention than something from Shimano, but seriously, new bushes after twenty miles ? I can only assume they're meant to be like this and you literally run them until they fall apart.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 7:34 pm
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Why oh why does anyone buy crank bros kit? It's all terrible.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 7:37 pm
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I don't know where CB find all the mugs, they must have run out of them by now, surely?

no offence OP 🙂


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 7:39 pm
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Why oh why does anyone buy crank bros kit? It's all terrible.

+1


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 7:40 pm
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should have bought a auto rust headset to go with them


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 7:43 pm
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http://www.titaniumspindles.com/

I upgraded a pair of 2Ti to 3Ti ... Very happy, no probs at all.
Pedals weigh 170g


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 7:44 pm
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lovely design, beautiful packaging, piss poor products!


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 8:07 pm
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Treated myself to a CB multi tool. It is really well made and has all i need bar a bottle opener . Touch on the weighty side , but does have 19 things going on


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 9:26 pm
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I've decided, finally, to give up on CB pedals. One pair of Mallets, 2 acids and some smarty's on the road bike. Going back to Time pedals. I love them in terms of function, in terms of longevity and reliability, they are phucking awful.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 9:50 pm
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Whereas I've had a pair of Time Atac's (that I use daily for my commute) since 1997, and have never had to touch them. In fact I have 2 Atacs and a pair of Time Z freeride's that are over 10 years old, and are still as smooth as new. Having said that, the spring bars are now an 'interesting' shape, but they still work fine - well, they're getting a bit harder to get out of, but they're still better than shimano et al.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 9:58 pm
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I really like eggbeaters, well I did, but I don't after having a couple of pairs self destruct on me miles from home. It's the fact you go from them feeling a bit loose to complete failure in about 200yds that really bugs me

Been using Time for a couple of years now. Never had to do a thing to them


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:22 pm
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Total junk.

4 pairs in 2 years mostly from CX riding. Back on Shimano. Not moving away.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:27 pm
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The crank brothers manage to both suck and blow at the same time, its probably as there is two of them. The axle on my pedal snapped in the middle of know were.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:30 pm
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I've a pair of Mallet pedals of 2005 vintage that are doing just fine. Honestly, I love them.

Their predecessors died within 9 months though, the right pedal ate a bearing and farted out their innards 5 miles into an all day ride. Thanks Crankbros.

I've a set of Candys on my XC bike that are two years old and click like hell, the nut holding the driveside spindle in place just rotates without doing anything, so all I can do is to inject grease and hope for the best.

I dos wish that Crankbros would a) stop making things out of cheese and b) test their products outside of California.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:31 pm
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I wish they would just stop making crap and go bust.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:32 pm
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he axle on my pedal snapped in the middle of know were.

Where exactly is 'know were'?.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:39 pm
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the spring bars are now an 'interesting' shape, but they still work fine - well, they're getting a bit harder to get out of, but they're still better than shimano et al.

😆


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:42 pm
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the axle on my pedal snapped in the middle of know were.
Where exactly is 'know were'?.

lol it was a wet day in north Wales about 30 miles from bike shop and 15 from a train station..ive had to many ciders to care about the spelling Nazis!!


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:42 pm
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I did make the mistake of trying a set of egg beaters a few years ago but luckily snapped one really quickly so didn`t have to hate them for long. Lost count of the number of snapped joplins I saw at the Mega this year. My mates snapped 5 mins off the very top on the day we practiced the galcier (what there was this year)so he got to ride with an arse spike all morning.

In contrast I still have a fully functioning old red set of shimano DX SPDs that I have had since about 1997. They are still ace but sadly weigh a little more than the rest of the bike (with me on it).


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:44 pm
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On and on and on and on and on...

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:44 pm
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Mr Woppit, I love those DXs. Honestly I do. However when I bought my pedals they didn't have any in my LBS so it was Mallets. And I like the ease of clipping out.

I do have a set of M424s that died within a fortnight. I know they're not resin caged, but still...

It's all about balance on STW.


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:52 pm
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Old Shimano DX for the win. Why don't they still make them?


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 10:53 pm
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shimano all the way

paul


 
Posted : 17/09/2011 11:54 pm
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As much as I have moaned about my CB Candys on here in the past I like the new design of the Candy 3s. Bearings in and out-board and twice as many seals. As with all minimal stuff, CB pedals need a bit of care and attention.


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 8:40 am
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2 snapped candy's. 2 snapped eggbeaters.
Zero response from Crank Bros
So as soon as these pair snap I am going back to Shimano


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 8:41 am
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Shimano weigh a ton in comparison. I use Egg Beaters, never had any problems, fill them with grease every few months and they're fine. Shimano will last forever, but it's a price I'm prepared to pay personally.

We're kinda overlooking the fact that Crank Bros have actually addressed these issues and totally redesigned the pedals though, we can do all sorts of bitching about other obsolete products...


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 9:25 am
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njee20 - Member

Shimano weigh a ton in comparison

Have you got any leg muscles, or what? 😯


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 9:27 am
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We're kinda overlooking the fact that Crank Bros have actually addressed these issues and totally redesigned the pedals though, we can do all sorts of bitching about other obsolete products...

And have put a decent warranty on the redesigned gear. Their stuff does look lovely, but there's still no way I'm going back from ATACs.

Andy


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 9:32 am
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Have you got any leg muscles, or what?

Whats that got to do with it? £30 CBs are lighter than £120 Shimanos, as I'm happy with how the CBs work that's not rocket science... I've still got 2 pairs of XTRs which I often use in winter, as I know they'll last forever, but I don't care about that longevity for racing, I favour the lighter option.


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 9:35 am
 Del
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snapped the axle in half on a pair of candy sl. damaged my shimano boots but fortunately didn't cut my leg open so felt like i got away with it.
2pure did replace them, to be fair. after that though, i replaced pedals on 5 bikes, which cost a packet, but i wasn't going to stick with CB after that.
unless CB have changed the design such that the spring mechanism is part of the body, completely isolated from the axle, many of their problems resulting in a high servicing requirement will persist as the pedals get older. once the seals between body and spring mech have deteriorated the crap will get to the internals. it was never a problem that they used a bush on one end - in fact time do just this.


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 9:36 am
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unless CB have changed the design such that the spring mechanism is part of the body, completely isolated from the axle,

They have. The body is now water tight and protects the internals.


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 9:41 am
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I wreck shimano pedals in no time, but my candys go on forever.


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 10:00 am
 Del
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The body is now water tight and protects the internals.

oh! jolly good for them.


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 10:08 am
 Dino
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6 Year old mallets still going strong,
that said they are the Mag ones and the bodies are getting a bit worn!
They dont stand up to Luddites like shimano do, thou i must admit just dont like the Shimano cleats, each to there own.


 
Posted : 18/09/2011 4:26 pm