advice please ; time xpro 10 pedals or shimano r8000/getting out on the road again !

[picstloup]

they are about the same price here in france...

cleats look similar...

my old pedals are time equipes from the 90s so I'm open to 'new' and exciting :)

I did like the float on the old time pedals. I see there's plenty of float with shimano or time now.

preferences? cleat wear? advice in general?

I just ordered a new pair of shoes, sidi 7 megas...

gonna bring all this with my old Tommaso for a bike fit in the next few weeks so will have them place the shoe/cleat/pedal position as well...after years of my own health problems, and then family too I feel like i'm ready to give this a whirl again...

I was fit on this bike around 1988, so I think it's time for a new fit. Thinking to head to the Specialized store for a 'Retul' fit. It seems thorough based on some reading I've done. They seem well equiped. Just need to talk to the guy doing the fit. Make sure i feel 'ok' with him.

Plan on bringing some of my different stems, but will ask about a new saddle, and hope to walk out of there eventually with a bike fit that considers I'm now 65, 15 kilos overweight, and won't be racing at all. Comfort the name of game. Lose weight. Keep my heart in shape. Enjoy riding on country roads again.

My Tommaso is a 54 with 55.5 top tube. I also have an old Mercian that is 56x56 so if that works better for overall fit, comfort, I'll use that bike. I'd almost prefer the Mercian cause I can get 28's in there easy. It's an audax frame. Can't get bigger than 25mm tires on the tommaso. The tommaso handles better though. Hmmm...

Honest guys, I am psyched to get back out on the road. It has been too long. The Tommaso has campy chorus 8 speed on it. I can transfer to the Mercian. No problems...

thanks for the pedal thoughts
M

I'm thinking to start by mid/late February. Will start hitting gym and stationary bike/treadmill till i get my bike together. Get the blood circulating. If things go well and I can develop the ride routine weekly that I'd like I may spring for a new ride for my birthday in June. I've been eyeing a ritchey road logic. But, going slow. No need to spend bucks for no reason.

In years past I loved to climb (even though I suck at it) and loved the quick descents.

[FlashUNC]

I prefer the Time pedals over Shimano personally. The added lateral float has been a gift for some intermittently creaky knees for me, and XPro models have corrected some of the issues of the Xpresso line. (Namely the sharp outer edge that would occasionally leave a nice gash in your calf.) The variable Q factor through the cleats is a nice touch as well.

They've been durable pedals for me so far and are more easily maintained than the old Xpressos. The biggest complaint I have is a creaky left cleat that comes and goes based on how well I'm keeping it spray lubed.

[NateM]

I also prefer time pedals,shimano dont work for my left knee.The only problem with the Times is that the cleats squeak forcing me to lube pedal platform every 100 miles.

[picstloup]

Flash, Nate...thanks, I'm kinda leaning Time. They treated my knees well in the past.

I'm not sure, but I think years ago there was no 'play' in shimano pedals. Now there is, so thought this could also be an option.

[BdaGhisallo]

If Time's float works for you, then I would stick with them. The Xpros float in just the same way that Time cleats have since their inception.

Shimano spd-sl, while a terrific pedal and the most durable pedal and cleat system you will find, float differently and not as smoothly as Time does.

[Jef58]

I use the Xpresso ones and I scuff the metal wear plate with a scotchbrite pad to get rid of the squeak. I also replaced the bushings with Boca skate bearings which are a direct swap out to make the pedal a little nicer. Time may use bearings on the upper level ones...the ones I swapped out were level 6 which can be had pretty cheap. Cleat wear is no better or worse than any other system I have used.

[merckx]

Do the new Time pedals continue to have the rotation re-centering feature? That is, when the foot is rotated beyond where the cleat is centered, spring tension would pull the foot to re-center.

[BdaGhisallo]

Do the new Time pedals continue to have the rotation re-centering feature? That is, when the foot is rotated beyond where the cleat is centered, spring tension would pull the foot to re-center.

They do - tunable to three levels of centering force.

It's a central tenet of Time's philosophy and has been there since they launched their TBT design in 1987. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a Time pedal that doesn't have it.

Of course, they do now offer a fixed position cleat for the Xpro pedals and the re-centering force concern would be moot with those.

[mcteague]

Hmmm, I used to like Time pedals. IME, Shimano are FAR more reliable.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=170700&highlight=time+xpresso

Tim

[merckx]

They do - tunable to three levels of centering force.

It's a central tenet of Time's philosophy and has been there since they launched their TBT design in 1987. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a Time pedal that doesn't have it.

Of course, they do now offer a fixed position cleat for the Xpro pedals and the re-centering force concern would be moot with those.

Thank you for confirming this. I tried Time a while ago, maybe Impact, and the re-centering feature didn't agree with me. My knees are rubbish, and I am desperately trying to find a better solution. Speedplay has been pretty good in the past, but I did not prefer the smaller surface, and subsequent side rock. I am currently using Ultegra, and the large, solid surface is splendid, but for whatever reason, my knees ache after a good day out. I use yellow cleats with them. I tried blue, but not enough rotation. In any event, I can't put my finger on why the Shimano system doesn't agree with me. I am tentative to begin another pedal experiment, but the Time system once again has me intrigued, but the lateral spring pressure with Time spooks me a bit.

[merckx]

Are Time's three levels of re-centering force determined by the retention setting? Would the lightest re-centering tension be considered to have minimal impact on flotation re-centering? I know that I am asking for subjective information, but any reference to other pedal systems would be swell.

[BdaGhisallo]

Thank you for confirming this. I tried Time a while ago, maybe Impact, and the re-centering feature didn't agree with me. My knees are rubbish, and I am desperately trying to find a better solution. Speedplay has been pretty good in the past, but I did not prefer the smaller surface, and subsequent side rock. I am currently using Ultegra, and the large, solid surface is splendid, but for whatever reason, my knees ache after a good day out. I use yellow cleats with them. I tried blue, but not enough rotation. In any event, I can't put my finger on why the Shimano system doesn't agree with me. I am tentative to begin another pedal experiment, but the Time system once again has me intrigued, but the lateral spring pressure with Time spooks me a bit.

Try Keywin pedals. They have six degrees of float that you can tune but have no re-centering force. The cleats are large so there is plenty of surface and there is none of the rocking and wear that plagues Speedplay. And they come in about six different spindle lengths.

The cleats last forever on them.

The newer Carbon models are great but the thirty plus year old CRM design is just as good, albeit with a little taller stack height.

[P K]

Have ridden Time since the old two cleat sports and Elites (had the mags) Love my Time Expresso's, never had an issue with the re-centering force (which is low) but did break one once. Got it warrantied, no problems since.

[ultraman6970]

I was using time for the longest time... incredible you were using the original but not rare, thats one of the best pedals ever made IMO, perfect.

That being said, and after using newer generation of time pedals till the rxs I moved to Keywin pedals, the floating is different, there's no spring but evethought I need the floating once i moved to keywins I did not need the float any more. No need... besides they have longer axles for sale and that's the reason I got them, since i was a kid I needed to have a wider stance in my left foot, with cleats and cages is not a problem but with other pedal system i was getting too short... moved to keywin, got longer left axles, problems fixed.

That pedal is the beast, the cleat last forever aswell.

[picstloup]

there's a lot to think about...thanks for all this info...

i have time to decide which way i want to go...

will keep reading about the two different fit systems available to me here, maybe talk to the fitters about pedals as well...one is specialized retul, the other, smartfit q4 which i think comes via Scott...

the shoes, sidi megas, are a done deal...the only shoes i ever found wide enough with enough space for my high instep as well...I needed a new pair...

[Black Dog]

there's a lot to think about...thanks for all this info...

i have time to decide which way i want to go...

will keep reading about the two different fit systems available to me here, maybe talk to the fitters about pedals as well...one is specialized retul, the other, smartfit q4 which i think comes via Scott...

the shoes, sidi megas, are a done deal...the only shoes i ever found wide enough with enough space for my high instep as well...I needed a new pair...

The fit system is far less important than the person doing the fit. Before you go for a fit you should ride with your current set up and see how it feels. This will be very very useful before a fit because it will provide you with a good baseline. Also, there is a chance that you may not need to make any big adjustments. Usually raising the handle bars and/or putting on a shorter stem is all you may need to achieve a very comfortable position. Give your body some time to adjust to riding and your current saddle. As long as you are having fun on the bike there is no rush to get a fit.

[ultraman6970]

U need to check up Lake. Those are as wider as bont IMO.


the shoes, sidi megas, are a done deal...the only shoes i ever found wide enough with enough space for my high instep as well...I needed a new pair...

[picstloup]

The fit system is far less important than the person doing the fit. Before you go for a fit you should ride with your current set up and see how it feels. This will be very very useful before a fit because it will provide you with a good baseline. Also, there is a chance that you may not need to make any big adjustments. Usually raising the handle bars and/or putting on a shorter stem is all you may need to achieve a very comfortable position. Give your body some time to adjust to riding and your current saddle. As long as you are having fun on the bike there is no rush to get a fit.

Thanks Black Dog, I will do this, see how I feel, how the position feels. Gonna pick up my bikes tomorrow from our storage unit. Then the tommaso goes to the bike shop to have the headset replaced. It's an american classic that i put on about 25 years ago. Stiff. Hmm, wonder if they can find replacement sealed cartridges?...

And yes, I am going to talk at some length with the people actually doing the fit. See what they know. Hopefully more than I know ;-)

[picstloup]

U need to check up Lake. Those are as wider as bont IMO.

I will look for Lake and Bont in the bike shops. See what I can try on. I did check Lake on the web. Some are really pricey. Some i can afford. Not sure they are available in France in a shop.

Bont maybe.

Honest. I haven't ridden 'outside' in years. I haven't been in a bike shop in about two years. Not sure what to expect. Gonna be fun getting familiar again.

thanks ultraman...