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Bebop Pedal
By Jon Sharp
Being a cross-country mountain biker, I want equipment that is
dependable, durable, and light. When I first found out about Bebop pedals,
I knew they would fill my need in the last category. Right away I noticed
the lightweight of their standard CroMoly pedal (210g per pair) and the
extremely light deluxe Aero-S pedal (175g per pair). Bebop also makes a
stainless steel model that weighs 195g per pair. Even when adding in the
60g weight of the cleats, these weights are incredible compared to the
average competitor (350-400g). But what good is a pedal that is light
but doesn't work? Well, as it turns out, they work very well.
Installation of the pedals are straightforward, but cleat setup is a
different story. Most SPD-compatible cleats just screw into the base
of the any SPD-compatible shoe. With the Bebops, however, some shaving
and cutting was required to make room for the cleat. More shaving was
needed to ensure that the sole of the shoe wouldn't interfere with the
pedal or get in the way when engaging/releasing the pedal. Bebop
believes that low stack height, which is the distance from the center
of the pedal spindle to the ball of your foot, is important in a good
pedal. Bebop's stack height is incredibly low at 11mm, so the shoe
has to be cut away to make clearance for the pedal spindle. Bebop
provides a shoe compatibility chart to help with shoe selection.
Once set up, using them was intuitive. To engage, step down. There
is an audible click when you are fully engaged. There is no toe-entry
required. To release, simply twist your foot either inward or outward
past a small spring. I noticed right away the added float, which is
the amount of foot rotation before release, compared to other pedals.
Bebop allows 20 degrees of foot rotation before releasing. Their
float is also special in that it is truly "free". Most pedal systems
have float that isn't really free, but have a spring to center the
foot on the pedal. Bebop pedals have a completely free-floating system
that allows your foot, instead of the pedal to pick the most comfortable
position. This will make some people nervous at first when they notice
their foot twisting all over, but I found the adjustment to be short.
Once I got used to them, I learned to love the free movement, and the
added comfort associated with that movement.
Bebops are great for shedding mud. The pedal is completely open so
when engaging, the mud flows right through. After using them in a
variety of conditions from thick mud to stream crossings to desert
sand, I found that these pedals have the durability to withstand
the test of time and the elements. The only maintenance they need
is a little dry lubricant (such as White Lightning) when the float
isn't quite as smooth as normal. In extreme cases, these pedals
have been known to resist releasing. This happened mainly in the
sand and then only when the pedal was not lubricated. In fact,
these pedals worked better in the mud than in the sand. To preserve
their free float and easy release for a long period of time, I
recommend using a dry lubrication every week or so, depending on use.
The main difference between the standard, stainless, and deluxe models
is the spindle. The standard pedal uses a CroMoly spindle, while the
stainless uses (guess what?) a stainless steel spindle, and is slightly
hollowed out. The Deluxe model uses Aero-S steel. Aero-S steel is
extremely strong and allows the use of completely hollow spindles for
lightweight. This is superior to titanium, as titanium has weight
limits when used in small diameters such as pedal spindles and isn't
as stiff. The Aero-S pedals have no such limitations, and as such,
are much stronger than a comparable titanium pedal. The CroMoly
version retails for $119, the stainless for $149, and the Deluxe for
(gasp!) $269. High tech comes at a price.
Summary: The Bebop clipless pedals are light, durable, and dependable.
They require low maintenance and are easy to use. Any drawbacks,
you ask? Well, the price is a bit high. If this is in your price
range and you live in muddy conditions, this is the pedal for you.
As for me, I'll be using these pedals for a long time to come.
Jon Sharp is a new contributor to GearReview.com and specializes
in mountain biking.
For more information, contact:
Bebop
985 E. Hillsdale Blvd. #21
Foster City, CA 94404
(650) 873-0200
mrbebop@bebop.com
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