Time ATAC pedals - always stiff?

Shtukka
Shtukka Posts: 59
edited November 2013 in Road buying advice
Help me out here - I can't decide if I'm worrying about nothing or suffering a constant drain in silence!

My Time ATAC Z Strong have been a great first clipless pedal - big platform and usable in trainers. However,they've always seemed to be fairly stiff to rotate. I'mused to pedals (even the cheapest of the cheap) that would spin round a few times if given a flick - or if squirted with a hose they'd fft-fft-fft-fft round at speed. None of that on the ATAC's: give it a flick with a finger and there's maybe a quarter turn, squirt with a hose and doesn't budge.

Note that when I first got these I thought something was wrong and was sent a replacement. No change. I've taken these apart and regreased the spindle - a slight improvement.

I've just spent a bit more money on the newer model the XC8. Same problem, the pedals are stiff to turn. Perhaps they'll bed in, but on the experience with the previous ones, that's not the case.

Does anyone have experience of these ATAC pedals? Should they spin more loosely? Have I just been unlucky? Or am I just obsessing about something that will have no effect?

Comments

  • Barteos
    Barteos Posts: 657
    They should loosen up after a while but it doesn't matter anyway.
    "Spinning tests" say nothing about how the (wheel, pedal, bottom bracket, headset) bearings and seals are going to perform under load, especially after several downpours...
  • Mine don't rotate particularly freely either. Not stiff, more like mildly damped if that makes sense. I've got All-roads and assumed it was so that the clippy side or the flat side stayed where you put it. Wouldn't really want them spinning away.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I think mine are the same. I think you're obsessing over something that will have no effect.