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Price: £189.99/$189.99 Weight: 329g/11.6oz (pair) Colours: Blue, Red, Black
In the off-road clipless pedal world, one fashion of pedal and clipping-in mechanism dominates: Shimano SPD. While manufacturers, together with Shimano itself, in addition to Look, Hope, Nukeproof and DMR all use the SPD cleat retention system, Crankbrothers has been a notable outlier in utilizing a light-weight, simplistic ‘egg-beater’ fashion design.
Its Candy pedals add a refined alloy platform to this design for just a little extra foot help, and the Candy 7 mannequin represents its newest model of this design.
The Candy 7s include loads of marketed benefits, together with a lighter clipping-in ‘really feel,’ 4-sided pedal entry and customisable launch angle and float. Fitted to each a gravel and XC-oriented bike, I used to be eager to check how they felt, and whether or not they justify their inclusion in our information to the most effective gravel bike pedals.
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Design and Aesthetics
With a reputation like ‘Candy,’ you’d count on these pedals to be brightly colored, and certainly there’s an Electric Blue, Red (which additionally comes with a vivid red-painted spring)…and black choice. Naturally, I had the plain black. In the field comes a set of brass cleats not like the cast metal choices seen in different manufacturers, 4 M4-head hex bolts, cleat spacers for deeper-treaded sneakers and a QR code for the instruction handbook.
Even in black, the Candy 7s are ostensibly ‘designed.’ There’s a refined emblem embossed into the physique, flashes of silver contrasting to the black, and the alloy our bodies have a checkered tread-plate engraved in. The axle is metal, the spring and clips stainless-steel, and there’s an alloy bash guard on the top.
It’s price noting that the mechanism is just a little completely different to most SPD pedals. The inner ‘eggbeater’ clip mechanism with 4-sided entry can rotate freed from the outer alloy cage, which means that, in idea, you simply stamp down on the pedals and the eggbeater rotates itself to some extent the place you clip in.
Despite their bigger pedal construction and platform, with the mix of an alloy physique and light-weight mechanism, these weigh in at a really respectable 329g/11.6oz for a pair.
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Performance
Set-up with these pedals is, arguably, even less complicated than one thing just like the Shimano XTR M9100 that I just lately reviewed. There’s no adjustment in any respect – pedals on, cleats on, and go. While pedal rigidity is fixed and would seemingly cut back barely because the spring fatigued, you may modify pedal launch angle via a selection of 4 completely different cleats – that launch your foot at both 10 or 15 levels, and that permit your foot to ‘float’ (rotate freely with out unclipping) for both 0 levels or 6 levels.
I bought the plain golden cleats, which have are essentially the most beneficiant float, permitting a 15 levels launch and 6 levels float angle.
I’ve used Crank Brothers pedals earlier than, however coming from a few years of SPD use it took some getting re-used to. During clipping in, there may be some tactile and audible suggestions, however nothing just like the distinctive click-clack of SPDs. Clipping out was considerably much less crisp, with a really refined change from the very fringe of being clipped in to being clipped out. Eventually, I grew to depend on muscle reminiscence and observe to know once I was connected.
On the paths, this refined really feel, beneficiant float and launch angle meant I handled these slightly like flat pedals, not clipless. Instead of staying clipped in and leaning onerous in opposition to the pedals to barter turns, or jump over obstacles, I discovered myself continuously unclipping to place a foot down or using sections with one foot clipped, the opposite pedalling rested in opposition to the pedal physique, however unclipped.
In the muddy and unpredictable circumstances of mid-February, this created a really pure and fluid using fashion, and certainly that is one which Crank Brothers aficionados continuously reward. The 4-sided ‘egg-beater’ clipping mechanism got here into its personal – it rotates freely contained in the alloy platform, which means that I may simply discover the precise angle. They additionally act as an efficient mud-clearing mechanism – spin to take away any cussed bits.
Despite the preliminary vagueness, as soon as I used to be used to it my toes remained related solidly even via myriad bumps and ranging pedalling speeds out and in of the saddle.
On my gravel bike, there was an impression of very slight help afforded by the added pedal physique, at the very least in comparison with the unique Eggbeaters or different cageless SPD pedals. On longer rides involving prolonged durations of seated pedalling, my toes felt snug with not one of the ‘ghost’ stress exerted by narrower pedals. I felt just like the Candy 7s excelled with softer-soled sneakers, which gripped when unclipped and felt much more communicative of their motion.
The impression on the Crank Brothers web site is that these pedals are designed to be sturdy and have a long-lasting service life, with double-sealed Enduro bearings and chamfered edges to stop rock strikes. A cynic may say it’s because servicing them is kind of concerned, needing a hex key, a hex socket wrench, a bearing drift, torx keys and myriad different instruments which could postpone the house mechanic. The alloy physique and smooth brass cleats have been additionally beginning to look drained after only a few months of using. In all, Shimano’s comparatively sturdy and easier-to-service choices have them beat.
I additionally know that Will Jones’ Candy 7’s had bearings which totally seized up in below a 12 months. You ought to in all probability consider an annual service, both at house or with a mechanic of your selecting for an optimum service life.
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Value
For me, the last word problem is worth – at £189.99 RRP, the Candy 7 is a costlier pedal than most of its opponents, together with even Hope’s Union TCs that are, ostensibly, a ‘premium’ choice. Nukeproof’s Horizon CS Ti pedals are available on the identical worth however with the fanciness of a titanium axle. As such, most of those SPD-compatible pedals undercut the Candy 7s with out the cleat put on and strange clipping-in motion.
There are, after all, cheaper choices within the vary although. If the marginally extra free really feel appeals to you then there are Candy choices right down to round £40/$50, foregoing the alloy physique for plastic amongst different adjustments. For the 7 nevertheless it is a more durable promote on the worth entrance.
Verdict
The Crankbrothers Candy 7s stand out as an fascinating different choice to the clipless off-road pedal. Ultimately, it comes right down to the client whether or not flashy attractiveness, a lighter clipping motion, and extra pure really feel on the paths are definitely worth the excessive worth and lowered sturdiness.
Different for positive, with the caveat that being completely different typically comes with its share of compromises.
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Testing scorecard and notes
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Design and aesthetics
A effectively thought out design if what you are after is a lighter really feel and higher mud efficiency
8/10
Weight
Pretty mild, however heavier than the cheaper XTR different
8/10
Durability & serviceability
Harder to service than Shimano choices, and wish extra common servicing too
6/10
Foot retention
A lighter motion is not essentially unhealthy, however they lack the direct really feel of an SPD.
7/10
Value
It’s onerous to justify the price over a set of XTR pedals until you completely need what’s on supply right here.
