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I appreciate I'm about 15 years behind the curve here but anyway. I recently ended up buying some Crank Bros Mallet shoes that are like flats but with the cleat slots. Generally great but when mashing up steep hills and bouncing down rough descents I could feel the cleat with my foot so I wondered if they're designed to be used with some of these platform type pedals.
Now I see that Crank Bros themselves make a pedal called the Mallet, which you'd assume is designed to match, but it's £160 which is a bit steep. There's also the Doubleshot which looks the same and then Candy which are much cheaper, but does that platform really give support?
Just to be clear I'm not looking for pedals that can be used either clipped in our out, I just want more support for the sole of the shoe. So I guess that's what Candy is for?
There's also Shimano PD-ME700 which are nicely priced as usual but does this platform mate up well with Crank Bros shoes?
rule # 23 (or whichever one it is)
No Crank Bros products with moving parts.
I use the XT version of that shimano pedal you linked to, and it's pretty much like every platform pedal in that it entirely depends on the sole on the shoe your using, I'm not convinced the Recon I'm currently using touch the platform much at all.. I'm pretty sure it just 1. gives you something a bit bigger to aim for, and 2, a larger platform just in case you can't get clipped in. I think Crank Bros shoes come with the inserts to adjust the height of the clip if you're using some-one else's cleat.
My lad runs Mallet DH pedals and loves them. He also has multiple pairs of CB Mallet boa/speedlace. The Mallet and Mallet DH can be picked up for butons.
I've actually got an old pair of Mallets we don't need/use if you want them so you can try without any outlay.
We don't pay for his shoes or pedals now, so they're surplus to requirments.. they're tatty but perfectly functional.
I use Nukeproof Horizon CLs. They’ve gone up in price since I bought mine (now £99) - you can alter how many pins you’re using / the height of them from memory. They’re the easiest spds I’ve used to get into (using the genuine Nukeproof cleats - they’re work with Shimano ones but click in a lot easier with Nukeproof ones)
There's some suggestion that the Mallets take some getting used to after Shimano..?
Question is - does the platform actually help when using that kind of shoe?
I've been using Candys for years. There is a little more "platform" to them, depending on the sole/pedal interface. Certainly more comfortable in that respect than the Shimano 520/540s etc I'd used previously. I stopped getting a hotspot on my soles and can happily ride all day (and I mean 24hrs +) with no discomfort. There are Mallet DH and Mallet E's now (E for Enduro?) the latter being smaller and lighter.
rule # 23 (or whichever one it is)
No Crank Bros products with moving parts.
Here's the Crank Bros pedal step-by-step guide:
The Shimano cleat on my Mallet shoes must be pretty much flush with the sole (before it wears) because any tiny bit of grit when walking on flat ground can be heard grinding against the cleat. On most platform pedals the platform seems to be level with the pedal surface inside the clip, so I'm guessing it'll be alright.
Thanks for the kind offer @weeksy but I'm a bit leary of the different clipping in, plus I want the same shoes for multiple bikes so I think I need to remain Shimano.
There’s some suggestion that the Mallets take some getting used to after Shimano..?
It's definitely a different motion. With Shimano it's a case of toe-in, heel down. With Crank Bros it's more a vertical "stamp" as the cleat forces the wings apart. I can easily swap between my Candys and SPD-SLs without really thinking about it though.
I really hated the mallet pedals, if you can use the platform then they are really hard to disengage, if you set them up so you can disengage then the platform is just there for looks. Moved to the shimano saint platform spd's which are miles better IMO.
That wasn't with mallet shoes, which may match up better than the spesh recons I was using at the time.
Shimano DX SPD pedals. As bombproof as you’d expect from Shimano pedals
Time Speciale 8 (or if feeling rich the 12's). None of this Crank Bros stuff, they were rubbish when I last used them and going by the comments above they haven't improved.
Question is – does the platform actually help when using that kind of shoe?
i watched a recent youtube review on a new mallet pedal. there were some shots of various pedals with the same shoe. some pedals looked like they’d been designed to give more support.
would it not be cheaper to change the shoes, rather than the pedals?
After three decades on Times (MX2s for the last c.8 years), I made the move to Shimano this year. Various reasons. The standard M540 grenades on one bike, and I took a punt on the ME700s for the other. I much prefer the latter, to be honest, really easy to engage. Comments above re: shoes apply, I guess, but this is using the same shoes.
Been using mallet dh for years and have no plans to change, always with Shimano shoes (me7 currently). They definitely do need more maintenance than other brands, the cleats are made from brass and will wear out faster than the steel used by other brands, and taking the time to set them up properly (shims under the cleats and getting the pin height set exactly in my case) makes all the difference. They were the only decent option of platform/clips available when I started using them but every brand out there has similar offerings these days
The key to having clip in pedals with a platform is having slightly flexible shoes, if you get the right shoe then it really can feel like the perfect blend of flats and clips. I was a long time spd user but switched to Mallets a while back as I felt the mechanism works much better for more hardcore riding. They clear mud better, are easier to clip into IMO and you can't pull your foot out like you can with SPD (straight up).
I'm still happy to use SPD's for XC and gravel riding with stiff shoes but much prefer CB pedals with enduro and DH style shoes.
I've bought all my Mallets 2nd hand and they last fine, the bushings develop slight play quickly but keep them greased and they still work perfectly. I don't think I've paid over £40, just keep an eye on PB and eBay for people who were trying clips and have quickly given up.
You can get Mallets of one flavour or another for closer to £100. I've been using them for years and love them. Dead easy to get out of, have plenty of float and whilst I don't ride as often as many, I've never had any issues.
The shoes I use with them
would it not be cheaper to change the shoes, rather than the pedals?
No, pedals are cheaper than shoes these days. Plus I like the shoes.
Just decided to splash out on the XT ones, PD-M8120. Can I find any in stock for the weekend? Can I buggery.
I'm another Nukeproof fanboy. Much better platforms than the Shimano XTs, easy to service and last ages. They have pins so i find in wet weather they're much easier to locate with your foot.
Picked up some PD-ME700 at an LBS. They didn't look like the cage would be in contact with the sole of the shoe, but it seems to when I put my weight on it. £55 which I think is RRP.
They are heavy, but the result is pretty good. Feels like riding on actual flats, but clipped in. I found my feet rocked side to side even with traditional racey XC shoes, particularly once the cleats had started to wear a bit, but due to the platform these are rock solid. However, they're not quite as nice to pedal in generally so I can see myself getting some more XC shoes in the future.