Im thinking of getting SPD pedals and want to run this thinking past everyone,
Considering getting Crank Brothers Mallets then I can use them occasionaly when I do a route thats too scary for me to be clipped in BUT, also if I got for a platform SPD then if I come out of the SPD whilst riding the platform will be there to support my foot.
Or should I just go for a small SPD type pedal ?

There's a similar thread running just below, but yes, buy the mallets, I changed to them after years of spds and they're much better.

Mallets are great, grip when not clipped in depends on the footwear. My SPD shoes don't grip great when not clipped in but my trainers are fine.

I've been riding mallets for about 3 or four months (about 300 miles). You can ride unclipped as long as you keep your cleat well away from the mech (ie. on your heel). Otherwise you can clip in by accident and then fall off when stopping because you think your unclipped.
I'm still unsure about the release pressure if you need to pull straight out such as in a crash as their is no tension adjust. But haven't had a major problem with releasing apart from the cleat holes on one shoe are offset to the right but that's a shoe problem.

They don't get clogged up with mud and can use them with normal trainers for quick runs or practicing wheelies etc. (Don't try bunny hops in trainers though as the springs spin your feet off the pedals.)

Dave

I bought a set at the bike show this year for £40 to give them a try. I've got them on my singlespeed and they are ok but i prefer my SPD platform pedals ( i have 3 sets). I just don't find the mallets have a positive engagement when clipping in a compared to SPD's. Having said that, once in they are good but i find i don't get the instinctive 'click' and i'm in that i get with shimano.

Personal choice really, you can only give them a try.......

What is it with SPD users and this click ! :-)

My mallets make a clicking noise when you click in which is audible, but most threads about cranks vs spds usually mention clicks.

Do SPDs make a particularly nice sounding click? or is it louder? are SPD user's shall we say, at that age when their hearing is less than perfect ? :-)

Mallets are a softer, better quality, brass gently wearing sort of click.
SPDs are are a CHUNK of steel jammed into steel.

AHHH so it's the sound of steel jammed into steel that SPD users like......

Kind of like a robots wet dream, says it all really.

My Time Atac's make nice clunck ,trouble is i can never get out of them !apart fom that they work well.

Funny you should say that, my local trails have dried out rock hard in this weather, having previously been severly rutted my some twats on motocross bikes.
On Monday I flipped myself and my bike on these very ruts, landing on my head and shoulder, a few of feet away from the bike.
The moral of the tale is that both my feet disengaged from my mallets, during the incident, without tearing a knee off.
I was impressed, well some time later I was anyway.
Me, very sore on the right hand side.
Dawg? not a whimper, buy one.
And mallets.

chris davis 3 - I has that problem with my times, found it was that the cleat needed more space around it as the grips on my shoes were stopping it disengaging. I cut away a small amount of the grips on my shoes and problem solved :)

had a good ride on them (for first time) last week. Managed to not crash ! but just on easy going route around derwent. Will have to try a harder challange to fall off :-) Pretty happy though, think that maybe my shoes are clashing a little with the pedal on release....going to study it.

Did you get Mallets Simon, if so then the parts of the shoes to check are the soles (obviously) but also the distance from the side of the shoe to the crank. You may find that trying to release at certain crank angles is harder if this is a smaller gap.
Also I rotated the cleats slightly (opposite direction to release rotation) so that the release twist angle is less (if that makes sense). Make sure you rotate the right way (diff for left and right). This is in addition to putting the cleat with the dot on the correct side for the reduced release angle.

Happy riding.

Thanks for those tips Dave, I think I may have to rotate them slightly. Checked the DOT and thats correct for the low angle. Just once or twice I felt that it was "Sticky" getting out of them. Found more success if I applied NO upward pressure when releasing, and if I twist out when the crank is at the bottom it was much easyer.
cheers.

If it's easier release at the bottom of the crank turn then it's the definately the gap between shoe and crank. Try putting the shoe on on it's own (ie without your foot in it.) It's a bit tricky but can be done and you can see what's going on.

D

Couple of bits hacked off my shoes but as you say above, perhaps a little shim btw cleat and shoe would be a good idea.