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Tech letters - Keywin pedals
Edited by John Stevenson
After our recent review of the lightweight Keywin pedal system, we got lots of emails from readers who used the system, almost all of them positive, some pointing out a few features and details we'd missed. Here's a selection.
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From: John Barry, USA
Thank you for your tech report on Keywin Pedals. I recommend them. A lot of friends and team-mates ride the pedals and love them. Besides their light weight another plus is replacement parts are cheap and easy, if needed. Also, the cleat does not wear out as its attachment mechanism is the recessed part of the cleat.
From: John Kolios USA
I have been using the Keywin Titanium pedals for five years and am extremely pleased. When you consider the wide platform, lean angle, light weight and reasonable cost they're hard to beat. I was using Time pedals and shoes previously.
From: Dave Hwang
The Keywin pedal design is brilliant! No moving parts in the retention system!
I have been riding them for the past three years and I love them! No problem clicking In; no problem with retention; no problem with release. Cleat is very easy to walk in and is very long-lived. Also, the user-replaceable retention tab breaks in the event of a crash preventing injury - brilliant!
Keywin's are the best!
From: Peter Ulmer, New Zealand
From my experience with both the titanium and steel-axled CRMs, the bearings will free up with use, allowing for easier access when clipping in.
From: Colin Evans
I ride two bikes - one with SPDs and the other with Keywins. I have absolutely no problems with entry into the Keywins and change from one to the other without giving it a thought.
The only problem is they last for years and I like to be always putting shiny new bits on my bike!
From: J. Grant Mann, USA
Good article. Reliability over time for mine has been excellent. For many (even Lance) pedals seem to be very hard to choose and once the choice is made they adapt and do not relish a change. Keywins hold up over time.
Further, the cleat is not changed if you float or fix the shoe. It's a rare application, but I know of some riders who have one damaged knee and who like Keywin because the pedals allow them to set things up so one foot is fixed while the other floats.
The track version has the added unique feature of the lock pin which I use for road sprinting to assure that any wild motion in the sprint will not allow a premature release.
Last but not least the plastic of the pedal is excellent for USA racing, with all of our crits, if and when you touch a pedal the bike reacts in a more forgiving fashion to the contact with the road than metal and does not force the back wheel off the ground.
From: Martin Ross, Australia
I have used Keywin pedals for many years as well as tried all the other mainstream pedals but keywin are the most comfortable for me and also use the x/long axle option that they give you which is why i can't use all the standard Look pedals without problems. Time I found great to position your feet in the right spot but gave me all this nasty float that I didn't need. I once showed my Keywin pedals to a multiple Tour De France winner and he loved them but needless to say probably not in a position to jump on board with a smaller manufacturer.
The other positive with these that when you outer casing wears out you can just replace them without having to buy a new set of pedals so you can afford to give yourself a new set of pedals regularly without blowing the budget. Also this is probably the cheapest 100-150gr weight saving you will ever get on an already light bike. As you can tell I love these pedals and although you may have to replace your cleats a bit more frequently you should try these pedals. Just remember whenever you go away to a race make sure you have a spare pair of cleats just in case, because not all shops are going to have these in stock but whatever pedal system you use you should always have a spare pair in the kit bag anyway.
From: Chris Agostino, NY, USA
I have been using the Keywin pedals for about six months now and love them. I had problems pulling out of Look 396 and Campy Record Pro-Fit pedals, both while training and racing. The Keywins have not let me down yet. It does take a little getting use to when trying to get in and out of the pedal, but every pedal has a familiarization period. I strongly recommend these pedals to racers who are looking for a large platform, concerned about weight and don't want to pull out. They are not for the commuter, as they are a little tricky to get in and out of in a hurry.
From: John Caskey, Australia
I have used Keywin for some time after coming off Look. I used to work in bike shops and always thought Time to be way too fiddly and unreliable. The Keywins have been great. They are easy to service too. I am yet to use the track lock device (you didn't mention this feature) but I know a few trackies who do use it and love it.
From: Leon Barmuta, Australia
Although I'm running the chromoly axle version of the CRMs, I agree with the review wholeheartedly. The only downside is riding in traffic if you have to clip in and out lots; not that I'm a racer, but for the long rides that I prefer these pedals are great. Good platform, enough float and they don't 'rattle' like SPDs (the only other clipless system I've used). Oh, and the price is pretty damn good too. My only wish is that Keywin would make cleat covers to fit their cleats - I have to teeter up and down steps to get my bike to road level from our house and Look covers don't quite fit!
From: Mike Perry, Alaska, USA
I can't say enough about ease of use and feeling more a part of the bike rather than the SPD feeling of two points on contact under my Sidi shoes....They are light, easy to get in and out of - like a ski boot - and are flawless in giving me support without pressure points. They are also easy to walk in on the ground. The only improvement I'd like to see is to the screw connection in the plate that attaches to the shoe: it can isn't quite the best of fits in the slots of the plate. But after six months and 3000 miles. I haven't had to tighten them.
From: Nick Clements
I've been riding a pair of CRM Titanium for about three years now and they are great. Once you use them a bit the bearings free up so the pedal tends to right itself more than it did when it was new, though being so light it doesn't always. Still I've never found this a problem as the pedal's "catch" area is easy to hit (unlike my old SPDs). I've since fitted a pair of chromoly ones on my training bike and they work just as well. The large contact area is great and they hold really positively. You can also half the float by putting one of the stops in or fix it completely by putting both in.
From: Keith Comardelle, USA
I've had Keywin pedals on my bike since the bike was new. It's only been about six months and I love them. I was using Shimano SPD on my old bike and clipping in and out was not as easy as with the Keywin pedals. I didn't like the SPD tension adjustment. When the adjustment was tight they were hard to get out of, but wouldn't let you release at the start of a sprint. However, when loosened to ride around town, don't try to get a jump on the guy in the truck next to you in the Stop Light Grand Prix or you may end up singing tenor in the Vienna Boy's Choir.
With the Keywins, on the other hand, once you're in, no matter how hard you jump, you won't come out until you're ready. The seal around the shaft of my pedals loosened up after a couple of weeks and now spin like a merry-go-round on ice.
From: Rui Faria, Johannesburg, South Africa
I have recently purchased a set of Keywin Titanium pedals. I was amazed by the lightweight properties, the main reason for purchase. I wanted a sub 7kg bike, so it was the way to go. At first the pedal (non float) properties took a while to get use to (didn't want to fiddle with the adjustment), after several rides and getting to grips with the pedals found that it was just a matter of habit. The "clip-in" is definitely not the easiest, as you almost always have to look down at the pedal and rotate them into the correct position prior to "clip-in", but for racing they are great. I would recommend these pedals to anyone.
From: Norman Hoy, Adelaide, Australia
I have been using the Keywin Titanium for about two years now on both my racing and training bike. I do about 2000km/mth.
Your comments about the pedal being stiff and not coming back to a constant place to ensure trouble-free clip-in is true but only for about the first 1200km or so, the seals loosen up after a while and it becomes a non-issue.
The best thing with them for a trackie is the addition of the locking pin to prevent pulling. I have had the odd problem with Looks pulling but with the Keywin (road, so no pin) no such problems.
Yes they are light and a great pedal. I have had an occasion when an olive seed ( :-) ) got stuck in the cleat and this prevented me from locking in correctly, I still did the race with no issues and it was only after the race on closer inspection to see why the cleat/lockin process "felt different" that I found the problem.
All cleats suffer similar issues however.
From: Deon Johns, New Zealand
I've used Keywin pedals for four years and find them great. There easy to get into and to maintain, and have good cornering clearance. Also they're light and strong. I use a set on my track bike and even though you can get a track pin for them (which helps you from pulling your foot) I use normal toestraps with them, for extra security. I would recommend these pedals for anyone who wants an advantage over their rivals.
From: Marco Aledia, USA
Best pedals I have ever ridden. Best thing about them is if you clip them in a corner, they don't make you bounce like other pedals; the material just wears away and you stay upright.
From: John T. Noblin, Jackson, Mississippi
I've had two pair of Keywin pedals, one of each spindle type, titanium and stainless, for about eight years and they have been incredible. The stiff bearings mentioned in the review free up in the first few rides and the entry motion becomes second-nature just as quickly. The broad platform is much more stable than any of the SPD type pedals out there. Weight is far less than anything else I've seen. I'll buy them again but, the way they're lasting, I may never have to.
From: Keith Goldstein, USA
I have been using Keywin pedals for a number of years now, and love 'em. I tried them after Diadora stopped producing their pedal system. Keywins are light, have a large contact area, and easily repaired if broken in a crash - usually the hook may break. They do get easier to get in and and out of as they age. I live in New York City, and find clipping in and out to be no problem. They are my favorite pedal. Too bad other riders don't use them.
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