Time RXS pedals - First ride.

[BdaGhisallo]

Went for the first spin on these babies this am and I love them. They are a vast improvement over the Impacts. Entry and exit is much much improved. You get a good and loud click sound when you are clicked in and a similar sound when you are out. I always had trouble getting into the impacts. Would have to wiggle foot around and pull up on them to assure myself that I was really in them.

The float is nice and smooth. I get the feeling that the float will be smoother for longer than is the case with the magnesium bodied Impacts. I think the bodies will be harder wearing. They look fragile but they sure don't feel it. I haven't played with the SET float adjustment yet. At this point I feel no need to - the float feels great on the lowest setting.

The lateral float is now limited to 2.5mm versus the 5mm that was traditional with Time. On the impact you could reduce that to 2.5mm with the consequence that you also narrowed the q factor. Now the q adjustment is on the cleats. Mount them one way and you have a wider stance. Flip the cleats to the other shoe and the q is narrower. Pretty good solution in my book.

The cleats are all new too. What is nice is that there is now some latitude for angular adjustment of how the cleat sits on the shoe. With the impacts, there was no movement, so the orientation of the cleat bolts dictated the orientation of the cleats. Now there is room for the cleat to move at the front to toe them in or out. The whole cleat doesn't move left and right - the rear of the cleat is anchored over the cleat bolts. There is latitude to change the position of the cleat 5deg either way. A nice new feature.

And to dispell the idea that there is some cleat compatibility between rxs and impact cleats, the british importers are adamant that only the rxs cleat should be used with the new pedal. The differing design of the rear brass cam means that they are NOT compatible enough to provide full functionality. Someone may try it and find it adequate, but it is not intended that way.

The bearings are a little stiff at first. I am hoping that the seals will wear in over time. Also the pedal is pretty well balanced in weight between the front and back of the pedal, so it won't necessarily rest with the back down like the spd-sl and look pedals do.

So a great pedal they are. Give them a try! Those of you thinking of stockpiling the now discontinued Impact pedals shouldn't waste your time and money. Get the new ones.

[bikedadjc]

Hey BDG, what shoes are you using with the rxs pedals?? Do you feel the carbon composite body of the pedals will hold up over time?? I think the 3-hole mounting system, with using the bigger mounting bolts to hold the cleat in place, will be much more secure, than possibly the old tbt method with the plates. Just my thoughts on the matter. Have you seen the new Time Shoes made by Dmt?? I wonder how the fit will be on these new shoes??? Thanks, Jesse

[BdaGhisallo]

I am using them with Sidi Energy shoes with the millennium sole. The body does look like it will hold up well. I have seen the new time shoes and, to me, they look butt-ugly!! After trying a few different shoes and always returning to Sidi I know that they are right for me. I will try to get the new Sidi Energy Carbon shoes at some point.

The cleat redesign is a great improvement. Also they are now using bolts with 4mm allen hex heads rather than the old fashioned screwdriver heads that always got worn quickly. They also include two lengths of bolts to account for carbon soled shoes and the thicker soles like Carnac. Great idea - why can't the others do it. Shimano make longer spd-sl bolts but you have to order them separately. Hello - fix that!!

[Matt Barkley]

BdaGhis - Nice post. So you mentioned that with the new Times you can adjust toe-in/out - and mentioned a bit a q factor either/or - but I am not quite following the cleat adjustment - no left/right? Do I understand this correctly?

Again, really good review. I experience the same thing with shoes that you mention. I keep going back to Sidis and I am always looking for 43 Energys. Thanks :beer: - Matt

[BdaGhisallo]

Yup I should have been a little clearer.

The cleats allow you to adjust the q by 2.5mm each side. On the back of each cleat there is a little diagram. It shows that if you put the cleat on the L then its position away from the crankarm is the higher of the two options. It also shows that if you put this same cleat on the R then the cleat gets positioned closer to the crankarm. They achieve this by offsetting the rear brass cam a little on the cleat. It is similar to the impact cleat. Orient them in one way and you would have a 13deg release angle. Flip them and you would get a 17deg release. Same thing now with the q adjustment.

As for toe in adjustment. Imagine if you only put the two rear cleat bolts in an impact cleat and no front bolt. You can pivot that cleat such that the toe of the cleat moves left and right on the sole of the shoe. The rear of the cleat will remain fairly fixed over the cleat bolt holes ( in terms of q) but the position of the two rear cleat bolts will slide up and down in the slots as you are doing this. Now with the impacts you couldn't ultimately keep them like this as when you put in the front cleat bolt, it positions the front of the cleat over the cleat bolt - centers it over it if you will. Now the rxs cleat has a much wider slot at the front such that when you repeat the above with the two rear bolts, you can actually fix the cleat in that position since the front bolt now has the latitude to move left and right in the cleat. THink of look cleats and how the washer and bolt can move about in the slot in the cleat. The RXS cleat offers this but only for the front bolt. This lateral / angular adjustment is limited to 5deg each way. This has nothing to do with the +/- 5deg float that the pedal affords once you are clipped in. This is separate.

Do you follow what I mean now?

[Pastashop]

So, totalcycling.com has several models of the RXS, plus an RXE w/out that elasticity doodad. What does it do?

[BdaGhisallo]

What the SET does it adjust the preload on the retention spring. It basically governs how strong the recentering force is when you move your shoe ( and thus the cleat) side to side.

Not hugely necessary but it's nice that they include the feature on their pedals. The only other pedal that allows you to adjust the float, to my knowledge, is the Keywin CRM.

[Matt Barkley]

Thanks - got it!-

BdaGh - you should write ad./promo/review copy for Time - :beer: Matt

[jberk]

I gather from time usa that you can use the RXS cleat on the old Impact pedals, but cannot use the Impact cleat on the RXS.

[quattro]

I was intersted in purchasing a pair of the time RXS pedals when they are available in the U.S., but I was wondering, does anyone know how they compare to the Look Keo, can you compare them? I know both the Keo and the Time are available with Ti spindles and carbon bodies, I think the Keo weighs less. Is the cleat on the Time bigger or longer than the Keo? Any insight is appreciated.

[BdaGhisallo]

I tried the Keos about a month ago, before I got the time RXS pedals. The keos are nice pedals and are a good improvement on the old looks in terms of weight and lower stack height, and the new bi-material cleat which alleviates the squeaking that was the bane of many a Look user. Where the keos fall down is in two particular areas.

The float on the keos is a full nine degrees. There is no capacity, as with other Look pedals, to limit the float to 3 or 6 degrees of float. Also the float is pretty free and very loose. I found that my foot would suddenly snap loose when I was out of the saddle and I would get the full nine degrees of float instantly. It was quite disconcerting and made me feel that I was insecurely attached to the pedal. I like float but I like it to be controlled float with some spring induced recentering. To me float should be for extreme needs in the pedal stroke, like when you are cranking out of the saddle. When you are seated you should be able to pedal 95% of the time without needing any float if your cleats are setup properly. Centered float accomodates this thinking. You set your cleats up well and after you sit back down, the pedal returns your foot to the neutral position. But I digress...

The other area where the Keo falls down is the cleat. It is smaller than the old Look, has a lower stack height ( which is still a good 7mm greater than the Times) and is now bi-material, but why oh why can't Look put some walking pontoons on them like Time and Shimano do for their cleats. Those Keo cleats are treacherous to walk on and doing so wears away the surface that interacts with the pedal, affecting the float and such. I simply can't understand why they overlooked this!

As for the RXS and your questions, the cleat is a little bigger than the keo and has the pontoons that I like. It will also be a lot more durable than the Keo cleat. The stack height is also very low!

As for the ti axle options, they are available with both pedals. However, while Time have used this new injection molded carbon technology to introduce new features and LOWER the prices, Look has done just the opposite. Four hundred dollars for the Ti Keo is outrageous! Sure the Ti RXS is close to three hundred but that is a lot less. Further, with these new pedals being so light there is no real need, unless you are a total and unrepentant weight-weenie, to get the ti axles. You can go with the cro-mo axle, save a lot of money and still have a very light pedal!

I know that the manufacturers assure us that Ti axles are completely safe but if you are heavier it is not worth the chance of failure. I have seen a few cases of Ti failing and why take unnecessary chances?

[sspielman]

Since the new generation of Time pedals is out, I assume that it is safe to sound the death knell for the Impact series. That was an extremely short product life...especially for Time...essentially three years. There seemed to be a significant amount of resistance to the design, even among the sponsored pros. Notably, Igor Astarloa clung to the Equipe Pro series. I am very glad to hear that the new series offers some performance improvements over the Impact series as well as a more competitive price. If anybody has any additional information on the compatibility of the new cleats with the Impacts, I would be most interested. Thanks for the info.

[Big Dan]

I still have 4 pairs of the Equipes, tried the Impacts and quickly went back to the Equipes. If they could have shaved a little weight off that model they would have been even better.. :D

[quattro]

BdaGhisallo, thank you very much for your input on the differance between the Time and Look, very helpful indeed!! I will look (no pun intended) forward to purchasing the new Time RXS carbon pedal once available in the U.S. with the cro-mo axle. Let us know how you like yours once you have a few more miles ridden. Thanks :beer:

[bostondrunk]

Big Dan, I agree, the original Equipes were the best. Too bad the cleat pattern required a huge spacer/adapter with look drilled shoes...

[JGardner]

"And to dispell the idea that there is some cleat compatibility between rxs and impact cleats, the british importers are adamant that only the rxs cleat should be used with the new pedal. The differing design of the rear brass cam means that they are NOT compatible enough to provide full functionality. Someone may try it and find it adequate, but it is not intended that way."

GB,
Great review. Let me add my $.02 (don't know Euro equivalent). I wondered about cleat compatability and asked Time about it. They responded:
"The current IMPACT cleat will not be compatible with the RXS pedals, but the RXS cleat will be compatible with the IMPACT pedals. It sounds like we are going to offer a new IMPACT cleat that will be compatible with the RXS pedal."

Well, I had to find out myself. I just received my set of Ti RXS's (from Total Cycling) and tried the RXS cleat on the Impact pedal. It works. I didn't have any problems engaging or disengaging. True, the RXS's are easier to engage, but I was not having proving engaging the Impacts. Bottom line: If you have two bikes, one with the RXS and the other with the "new old" Impacts, you can ride both with the new RXS cleat.

[BdaGhisallo]

Subsequent to my post I too was told the same by the US Time distributor. If the product distributors aren't fully informed, how does Time expect the consumer to know?

They make great products but there product literature and information could use a little help!

[iPaul]

Bda, I noticed with the impacts that the cleat tended to have some slop when pulling hard up hills. Also there always seemed to be a loss of power compared to my older equipes. How do the new RXS pedals and cleat compare to the over connective feeling of the system? Is it an improvement over the impacts? :bike:

[jberk]

in defense of TimeSportUSA, they've been saying that the RXS cleat would work with the Impact but not the other way around since the pedals were first announced.

[dgauthier]

I think the bodies will be harder wearing. They look fragile but they sure don't feel it.


Hey Bda, are you talking about the RXS (with the composite body), or the RXS Carbon (with the carbon reinforced composite body)?

Thanks for the helpful review.

[lephead]

Yes, that age old question. Lot's of great informative discussion on the new RXS pedals. I'm really glad I held out (have older Equipes) and waited. My question is:

Is the q-factor (distance between outer edge of the crank arm and the center of the pedal body [perpendicular]) of the RXS, narrower than the old Euippes (not Impacts) or wider. I know the cleats are "adjustable" on the new RXS model but would also like to confirm the actual body size. Thanks.

[BdaGhisallo]

I have been referring to the RXS carbon pedals.

As for the earlier question about security - I haven't done too many hard efforts on them yet but my sense is that they are more secure than the impacts.

And Time USA did have it right. The UK time distributor did not. Time should be posting this info on their websites. Consumers should not have to trawl around on internet forums to find out basic information on products. Can you imagine if this was the case with automobiles?

[BdaGhisallo]

The q factor on the rxs, even on the wider setting, is narrower than the equipes that I have - I compared them. Having said that, the equipes I have are the regular consumer model with the longer axle with the wrench flats. I was never able to get my hands on a pair with the shorter, 'pro' length axles where the pedal body was almost flush against the crankarm.

[Russ]

Well,

I got a pair of these pedals from a buddy that just arrived from the Continent...

I took them on a windy, 60 mie ride and I tried to do as much with them as one could on flat terrain.... sprint, one and two minute intervals, slow spin, fast spin, etc. I also climbed hard on the couple of over passes that we have.

I agree with most of the positive statements about the RXS that have written on this post. I can't speak bad about them so far. Furthermore, these are my findings:

1) Easier to get in or out than the Impacts.
2) It is easier to walk on the larger cleats, and they are less slippery.
3) The pedal seemed less flimsy and I had no sense of my foot floating more than wanted.

BTW,

a) I have always set my pedals in a neutral position, leaving them just as they come from the factory.
b) I have the cleat positioned about 3 degrees pointing to the inside (toe in).
c) I used the "short" q-factor set-up. Perhaps, this was the only thing I noticed that made me get of the bike once to readjust my cleats... Before the ride, I placed the cleats as close as I could to the postion I had my Impacts.
d) I use Sidi Ergo 1 shoes.


My first impression is that these will be good pedals. Although, I'd like to see how the carbon is going to hold over time. The paint on my Impacts chipped away in many areas in about one year of heavy use and the axle was making all kinds on noises, so I am delighted that Time has now used oversized bearings! I will keep you informed. :)

I noticed that the pedal body is about 2mm slimmer than the Impacts. The question: BdaGhisallo, did you change your saddle height?

[BdaGhisallo]

I did lower my saddle a few mm but that was mainly because I was using the spd-sl prior to these. I had given up on the impacts due to its shortcomings. I am fairly sure that these pedals will last on my bike. I may try the keos again when I get the new gray 4.5deg float cleats, more to make sure that the times are the ones.

I have just gone to sidi energy carbon shoes ( got 'em from Italy since I needed a half size) and the thinner sole has allowed me to drop saddle another mm or so.

[iPaul]

I did a bit of a comparison between the Keo's and the new Rxs pedals. Though the Rxs are an improvement over the impacts, I just don't feel as connected as I once did with the older equipes. Mabe it was the TBT sole, but the pull up stroke is loose compared to the Keo's. I went with the black cleats and the connection felt much better than the Rxs or impacts. I need to get more miles as my knees seem to adjust but I'm sure I can adapt.

BDA, I was considering trying the spd-sl's as they seem to have a better cleat for walking and I nice little feature that keep the cleat from moving back against the spring tension. How would you compare them to the Keo's? :crap:

[BdaGhisallo]

As much as I like the Time Rxs, but for one aspect, I thought the spd-sl pedal was perfect. The thing I didn’t like about the spd-sl was the float. The float is at the toe, opposite to the Looks where the toe of the cleat pivots and the rear of the cleat moves. That isn’t so bad but my main beef was the fact that there is a lot of lateral movement in the cleat. By my reckoning, the spd-sl pedal could move up to 6mm in the pedal. This lateral movement annoyed me tremendously. It was a desire to eliminate this type of lateral movement that drove me away from the time equipe and impact which had 5mm of it. What was especially frustrating was that Shimano didn’t advertise this lateral float and none of their other pedals ever had it. Why did they suddenly add it to this one?

In all other ways, I thought the spd-sl was the perfect pedal. Super easy entry and exit, very secure feel even with the tension on its lowest setting. It was slim with a low stack height and kind of sexy looking if a pedal could ever be described as such. The cleat is also perfect. Durable, solid and very easy to walk in.

I never got much time on the Keo – two hours in fact. The full 9deg free-float was too much for my taste so I gave up on them. I might try them again with the gray 4.5 deg float cleat when it’s available. It felt similar to the spd-sl: easy entry and exit and a solid engagment. The float is more free and the cleat pivots about the nose of the pedal, opposite to the spd-sl.

If you can handle the float of the spd-sl I would go for that. If you ride with fixed cleats, then it’s a no-brainer – go with the shimano, a hands down winner.

But for me I think it is the Time RXS for now.

[bikedadjc]

with the fixed cleat on Sdp-sl. I remember seeing in here in the past. Do a search to find it.