Not sure if this is the right place to post but I hope some of you may be able to help me. In another month or so I will finally be able to get back on the road...no mountain biking for a while yet...following an ankle injury. I broke my talus, tore some ligaments and injured my posterior tibial tendon in June while trail running.
All my bikes have SPD/Shimano pedals set to release fairly easy. While on the trainer I can get in and out of them OK but obviously there are no unexpected events on a trainer! Do you have any recommendations on pedals to use as I get back out onto the roads or are these the best type of pedals to use?
It looks like I may have have problems with my ankle for a while and this may have to be a long term switch. I looked at Speedplay Frogs for when I can get back to mountain biking...but am concerned about the mud here. My doctors/physical therapists aren't cyclists...so they have not been able to help much with the pedal question.
OK - not a girl posting here, but I saw the topic in the "latest posts" column and decided to read it... If you are dealing with mud, check out the Crank Bros line of pedals. I have had them clogged with mud and clay and they still work great. So far in about 5 years of riding with them I have never had a fall from not releasing... See if there is anyone else in your region that rides with them - I have been really happy. I don't use the basic eggbeaters though - all my pedals are either the "Mallet" platform or the "Candy" which is a small, light platform about the size of an SPD. They offer about 15d of float (which my knees like!) and have two release positions with the cleats. If you want to try them out for "cheap" they make a model called the Smarty which you can get for about $40 per pair. Good luck betting back on the bike!
Not sure if this is the right place to post but I hope some of you may be able to help me. In another month or so I will finally be able to get back on the road...no mountain biking for a while yet...following an ankle injury. I broke my talus, tore some ligaments and injured my posterior tibial tendon in June while trail running.
All my bikes have SPD/Shimano pedals set to release fairly easy. While on the trainer I can get in and out of them OK but obviously there are no unexpected events on a trainer! Do you have any recommendations on pedals to use as I get back out onto the roads or are these the best type of pedals to use?
It looks like I may have have problems with my ankle for a while and this may have to be a long term switch. I looked at Speedplay Frogs for when I can get back to mountain biking...but am concerned about the mud here. My doctors/physical therapists aren't cyclists...so they have not been able to help much with the pedal question.
what exactly are you concerned about? the twisting motion to release?
if you're really worried about the twisting motion to release, i'd suggest running flats for your first couple rides on the road to see how much in the way of unexpected events you encounter.
or, if you're comfortable with making the transition from the trainer w/ your SPDs to the road, give them a try and see how it goes.
by the time you get back on the mtb your ankle should be much stronger and you will know whether the SPDs are working for you. if they are then stick with them. if they're not then i'm not sure it's going to matter what clipless pedal you use (if the problem is the twisting motion to release) since you will have to kick your heel out to release from any pedal and no other pedal that i know of has as much tension adjustment as the SPDs.
in general, if you ride where it is muddy i would not recommend Frogs. they do not perform well in mud. as teh other poster suggested Crankbros pedals are great for mud. they do not, however, have tension adjustment. i have them on all my mtbs and find them easy to get in and out of (and i have used both SPDs and Time pedals as well).
When I messed up my ankle a few years ago (stupid stairs), I went back to using my Time's right away... though it was winter and I have winter riding boots that provide more support than typical mtb shoes.
They weren't TOO bad, though after a few rapid unclippings I found my ankle was pretty sore, solved that by switching out the newer cleats (that were on the boots) for some fairly worn down ones that allowed me to pop my foot out with less effort.
Getting hurt sucks. I have a history of twisting my ankles, so they are pretty weak and it doesn't take much for me to re injure them. I twisted my ankle pretty bad about a year ago on a log ride. I bought 3/4 mtb shoes (661 brand) and they have a stiff ankle support. I rode w/ them and flats for a while until I regained my strength and confidence on spds. I remember a drill my doctor told me to do also. Spell the alphabet w/ your foot/ankle and that helps build flexibility. And when you can stand alone on that bad ankle, you are getting better.
deanna said:
When I messed up my ankle a few years ago (stupid stairs), I went back to using my Time's right away... though it was winter and I have winter riding boots that provide more support than typical mtb shoes.
They weren't TOO bad, though after a few rapid unclippings I found my ankle was pretty sore, solved that by switching out the newer cleats (that were on the boots) for some fairly worn down ones that allowed me to pop my foot out with less effort.
Thanks for the advice! I think part of my worries stem from my husband wanting to wrap me in bubble wrap after 2 bad ankle/foot breaks and sprains in a row that have basically eaten up the last 14 months with recovery....and him having to do laundry for long stretches while I was a grumpy couch potato with crutches!
The twisting motion is a concern but primarily for emergency exits where it always seems like one twists with more force. My other concern with the SPD's is that my feet occasionally pop out unintentionally when I would hit a rooty or rocky section at speed. Unfortunately that was one of the issues with that model of Shimano pedal---858. So what I was really looking for is there another pedal that is generally easy to get in/out for weaker ankles, releases well in emergencies but not unintentionally and is good for east coast riding.
Will look into the Crankbros...of all the people I know who have them, I don't remember hearing any negative feedback.
Thanks for the comments on the higher shoes/boots too. I will look into that...and maybe they will help my feet stay warmer too!
my 2 cents for what its worth, is that I hated crank bros when i first switched from spds, and i had issues clipping out. I fell over a few times. just so you know. however, i love them now, and use nothign else.
I use both TIME ATAC and Crankbrother Acid. If you are concerned about emergency exit, Crank brother is superior in my opinion. I have never had a problem with accidental disengaments even on the downhill course. I hope you will be riding with full confidence soon.
By the way, when you are ready, make sure to do lots of lateral movements in plyometric format. Your therapist should be able to show you. This is a physical therapist speaking. Good luck with all your recovery!! Happy riding.
Thanks for the advice! I think part of my worries stem from my husband wanting to wrap me in bubble wrap after 2 bad ankle/foot breaks and sprains in a row that have basically eaten up the last 14 months with recovery....and him having to do laundry for long stretches while I was a grumpy couch potato with crutches!
!
Another guy responding here. I can understand you husbands point of view. When my wife had her knee surgery I would do gladly do the laundry after our whipcream and strawberry thing but if he's into bubble wrap, I say go for it.
Annnnnyway back to pedals. I love my SPD's I have a pair that's about 3 years old and they release as smooth as can be. Even at 6'3" and 230lbs I keep the tension way down and never have problems with premature release. No comments please. The one thing I would suggest is if you are nervous about your ankle ask the PT how to tape it. A good tape job will be a big confidence boost as will as adding strength to your ankle. Do not make it too tight
Good luck and a speedy recovery.
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