Crank Brothers Ti spindles are not for SS use

Just got back from the CB folks in Laguna trying to get my expensive 4Ti Egg Beaters replaced under warranty.

Good news: They did
Bad news: I came away with a bunch of reasons not to run the Ti spindles...

History:

My 4Ti pedals were a gift from my wife. Last week I busted the spindle off the right pedal about 3/4 down Joplin. Had to ride the our Old Camp and down the Luge on only one.

So, first thing they dd at CB was to inspect the pedal to make sure I didn't snap it on a rock. Next they asked me what I weighed since there is a 185# limit on the pedals.
Then they heard I'm a SSer...

Well I weigh a buck fifty on most days. ride a rigid SS with 34x22 gearing and up until recently ran 165 cranks... hardly a candidate for snapping pedal spindles! And these were short spindle Ti ones. I mean, it isn't like I'm Hugh...

At any rate, I was told that not only were the 4Ti's limited to 185# riders, that there were not recommended for SS riding and I could probably expect to snap another one. Seems crazy that the top of the line pedal with the longest warranty would be the least reliable for the type of riding I do.:-k

I'm too happy with the ride characteristics of the Egg Beater so I'll be putting these on my SS 'Cross bike for racing only and will be getting a set of short spindle SS versions for my daily riding.


Consider yourselves warned...

 

uh oh :-k

edit: whew, i'm safe

 

I'd be really reticent to use anything super-lightweight for ss'ing...just seems to me the amount of force exerted is going to work out very differently than the types of forces anticipated in the design of most lightweight products. Besides, if you're already ss'ing, what's the big deal about another 5 ounces (or whatever the weight difference is)?

That said, glad they were able to warranty them form you mark. I saw that pic the other day and was hoping there wouldn't be a subsequent pic of your calf with a big gash in it. Keep killing it out there on your cx bike.

 

What am I fat now:?::?:

HUGH
:beerDIET Coke)

 

Your gearing has little to do with snapping spindles. You can always find a steep enough hill to resist progress and force your maximum effort.

On the other hand the weight limit applies to the force on the spindle, cranking or not. Since you snapped it coming down Joplin maybe you were riding off the seat and supporting yourself on the pedals. Add in a small ledge drop and voila, over 185 pounds of force.

CB should be saying "for road use only".

 

Nope, but everyone knows you are a masher...

 

I stick with the Acid's I am on my 2nd pair in 3 years, there seam to hold up.

 

I like that Ti doesn't rust (then again SS doesn't either) and that the Ti coating on the pedal surfaces makes the pedal easier to get in/out

But they don't say "only 185 lbs of force" ... they say rider weight 185

 

Correct, and they don't say not for SS. :-k

They owe you a warranty replacement every time you break a 4Ti, SS or not.

 

Maybe, but if CB themselves have said they're not recommended for ss'ing, and that it could likely happen again, they don't owe you sympathy when you flay your calf on a busted spindle if you continue to choose to use them for that. Running them on a racing cx bike instead of an ss seems to make a lot of sense to me, given what mark's said.

Thanks again for the info Mark.

 

I have been running CB 4Ti EB's for over a year on my FXR (geared), they have been bullet proof, I regularly use them at Santiago Oaks.

I have to admit and was concerned at first being right at the weight limit, My only complaint is that they wear cleats out fairly quick, and there so dam light at 167 grams a pair.

 

Wow $350 :lol: 185 lb weight limit.

I'll stick to my Shimano M520, used, abused, banged up, no weight limit. And most of all I won't have to worry about snapping the spindle SS or not.

 

i'm about to give up on my Acids, 3 springs broken in 2 years and i'm not heavy or especially hard on stuff, never broken another set of clipless pedals.

 

Glad they replaced them for you Mark cause those suckers are expensive.

 

Ti is brittle. Quit trying to save weight where all your weight is supported and get Stainless spindles.

 

I'll take note of their recommendation when they put it in print or on their web site, as in legal. We'll never see it because the person who spoke was incompetent. The verbal recommendation is BS because there's no difference between riding SS and mashing on a geared bike, MTB or CX or road.

BTW a 165mm crank requires more spindle force to turn than a 175mm crank.

 

No difference between mashing on a ss and a geared bike? I don't know about you, but I spend a whole lot more time mashing on my ss than on my geared bike. The cumulative amount of time spent mashing on said petals is what is going to lead to failure; more frequent mashing is going to lead to greater fatigue on the spindle. If you want to play technicalities then yes, mashing is likely to produce the same force on a ss, cx, or geared bike. Again, it is frequency of stress that is going to lead to failure. Judging from your wording, I have the feeling you already know this.

To call the individual at CB incompetent is ludicrous and arrogant; you have no knowledge of anything of the conversation other than what has been posted here as a warning to anyone (including yourself) to hopefully prevent injury. Take it as it was meant, a recommendation, and quit trying to twist it into a legal or faulty design issue.

 

Well, I'm happy enough with the other characteristics of the CB pedals to keep using them.

They were pretty clear that if I kept using the Ti ones the way I was that I would probably continue to break them, but they also said that they would continue to replace them

I can appreciate their recommendation also....
On the 165mm crank thing, while the forces reqd may be greater, the low 34x22 gearing on a 26" wheel pretty much reduce the forces and the 165mm cranks cause my legs to stall (thereby causing the dreaded push) out where others might keep on mashin' ...

BTW, there was more than one person involved in the conversation over there... although I believe they owe it to us all to mention the spindle breakage issue I guess they would rather keep it on the down-low.

 

Add in standing up and pulling like hell on the bars (think lat raise) to get over the hill and youre over 225lbf easy but thats besides the point since if they said they were made for 185 lb person they assume this 185 lb person will be going off bumps, ledges and standing up and pedaling up hills plus there is a fos built into them if they have an engineering department over there worth a shit(ps im an ME and always open for consulting, testing(destructive and non destructive). Not too many joe blows who sit in the saddle all day buy 4ti CB pedals.

Im glad I only break chains or frames when I give it the business! I did just get my egg beaters back with new wings since I broke one and fractured another from the up stroke pull in the hills at the Rwanda ride.

 

I think the key factor you're missing is the fact that you're riding a fully rigid bike so the Ti axles are seeing alot more shock loading. When deciding on a 185lb max rider weight CB have to consider appropriate use. Ti can fatigue and no doubt repeated shock loading on tough trails riding a bike with no suspension is not good. Stick with SS or CrMo that has a higher sheer strength and better elastic deformation properties until you get a real mountain bike