Viva la France!

Quick release pedals?

Saturday, looking to put 1:45-2 hours in on the bike, I'm being annoyed by an intermittent clicking.

I hate a noisy bike!

When I conclude the noise is my pedals, I pull over and give them a quick inspection. The right seems OK, but the left can move laterally on the spindle about 6 mm. This can't be good.

In a uncommon moment of sensibility I decide the wise thing to do is end my ride early. Only an hour of saddle time.

At home, of course I have every socket but the 8 mm I need to overhaul the pedals, so next best thing, swap out the questionable pedal, and grease the right and the replacement left.

Sunday is supposed to be a big day. 3.5 - 4 hours to make up for the lameness of my week.

Besides making the mistake of skipping coffee after only 5 hours of sleep, things are going remarkably well. I feel like I'm riding through a fog, but I'm cleaning everything challenging, which isn't to say I didn't dab on the simplest root or rock to balance everything out in the karmic universe of singletrack.

Meet up with some friends, ride some more, everything is going great, get to "Stumpy's Switchback" on the Antler Trail... and my right foot flies off the pedal throwing the pedal body up on to the rocks.

Another thing that can't be good.

Of course there is no way to re-attach the pedal body to the spindle, so I get to ride from the ridge to home trying to keep my foot on the well greased spindle. Only 2:50 of riding. The lameness continues...

I switched from Time ATAC's to Eggbeaters 1.5 years ago for better snow and ice clearance after 13 almost trouble free years of riding Time's with only a couple of minor problems...but they never came off the spindle!

Heavy, expensive, reliable.

Viva La France!