For me, the fastest & easiest solution when the awful Shimano M552 cranks failed, was to get turbine cranks. The cranks on my trek 6300 bike failed, so I de sided to switch to my trusted Turbine crank, plus crisp King bb, so I decided to try Atlas cranks, I thought I would notice the difference, and I did.
I am about probably between 72-80kg, I ahven’t been on a scale in a long time (but this number varies on how much stuff I got in my backpack, I have not weighed in a long time, so I am probably heavier now.) with all the gear on
The crankset is quite similar looking, but there are several differences, the turbine cranks look pretty similar to the Atlas cranks, but the Turbine have a lot more material shaved off in arm where the bolt is & on the tip, the is also a difference in how much material is shaved off behind the crank, the Atlas has more material near the pedal.
Both of the cranks have a nylon preloading, which has a small Allen screw, which was easel rounded off even though I was very gentle.
So as soon as Cane Creek Preloader came on the market I ordered it for all the cranks.
Here is a pictures of it installed.
On the Atlas Cranks
And on Turbine:
Turbine:
for commuting, or xc/light trail, these cranks were stiff enough, but on rougher trails, I could feel the difference in stiffness or another technical riding. I think turbine cranks have a good stiffness compromise & of lightweight.
The crank ground on a concrete wall, I was unharmed, it did not even hurt. My right shoulder slipped turning the bars to the right, resulting front wheel dropping off a wall, and me falling down with the bike about 1 meter on concrete. the reach dérailleur hit the top of the wall & grinding along it, the fork first went off the wall to the right but the rear was grinding it eventually fell down and the fork hit the wall and eventually, the whole bike went down with me.16mm cap, self-extract bolt, washerOn the bike
Atlas crankset:
First ride with Atlas cranks:
Even before riding the cranks on the trail I could feel the difference in stiffness, just by a quick test in being on the bike in the kitchen, I tested a lot of positions, but then I took it for a spin on the trails some days later.
The first ride on the trails, I felt the difference, even though my frame is quite flexible in the BB area.
I could feel that the Atlas cranks were stiffer while riding technical trials.
The bolt has bad tolerances, causing wear, this is the case for both Turbine & Atlas the cranks of course
New bolt installed 31 may 2019, tolerances are still not great.
Verdict:
I think turbine cranks have a good stiffness compromise & of lightweight, so perfect for a commuter bike or for lighter riders.
I am all for everything that gives me better control, and stability, which both Turbine and Atlas cranks gave me over the cheaper much more flexible Shimano cranks I have ridden in the past.
James Did a nice job explaining the benefits of the Catalyst pedal, instead of me explain it all the out the videos.
This is just a short-term review, so might update it later, if necessary.
The reasons I can’t ride with Clipless:
My feet misalign, and I have to get them back in place, so with flat pedals, this is easy to do.
my toes also get forced up which results in pain if I continue riding with it misaligned, so I have to put my other foot over it to get it back in.
a frame with a low standover height helps a lot with this too.
Initial use:
Some long time ago I found a review of the Catalyst Pedals on pinkbike, since then I wanted to buy them, but did not get around to doing it, But this year I did, actually wanted pedals with a long big platform like the Catalyst pedals for several years, but I could not find anything until I found that review on Pinkbike.
I felt at home straight away:
The first time I took my feet on the pedals I felt at home straight away, I did not even take them out for a ride yet, and I could feel the difference, but then I took them for a And they were what I expected, they gave me more control, I noticed my climbing was better, when doing manuals I was much more in control, No matter what I did on the bike It felt great, and more in control, I Rode up a wall in the city plaza and jumped off it, there was a definite difference when I landed, the drop off, my feet were much more stable, standard size pedals always it felt weird for me on landings, but with the Catalyst pedals, landing jumps and drop-offs hard feels a lot easier on my body.
Many benefits:
More precise pedal stroke, more stable climbing, I no longer spin the rear wheel while climbing Gravel roads while standing.
The pedals hold position when you spin the cranks with the foot off, which is great, but of course, at extreme speed, they will move slightly.
The bigger platform also makes it easier to place the feet on the pedal, in those situations when you can struggle to put your feet on the pedal properly.
These pedals have much less drag than the Straitline DeFacto pedals.
I installed the longer pins from the get-go, as I got issues with my joints, which mess up my riding from time to time, so the maximum of pins is the only choice for me.
Size comparison between Catalyst pedal and Straitline DeFacto pedal
After few weeks:
After weeks of use, I did not notice any creaking or noises from the pedals, unlike the Straitline pedals, which have issues with a O-ring, but the Catalyst pedals don’t have any flimsy O ring that could cause issues, instead, they use a bushing and bearings inside the pedal.
So far the cleanest & smoothest pedals I have used, which the Straitline Defacto struggled, they needed service more often and got dirtier, and washer got worn, the O ring stretched and disclosed, there are no so such issues with the catalyst pedals.
The black bushing has never dislocated.
The catalyst doesn’t attract as much dirt as the Straitline pedals, because they don’t as open design, with shims, and E pins.
The platform does not get as much dirt stuck in between the platform as the Straitline pedals do, but their pins will get dirt stuck in them.
Using the long pins everywhere is a must for the winter, the longer pins will give you grip when the pedals get covered in snow.
easy to service:
What you need:
6mm Allen bit or key for the cover
9mm socket for punching out bearings
8mm socket for the nut, you might need a 8mm nuts to fit inside the socket so the nut does not travel into the socket
extension bar
ratchet
you need an 8mm socket, a 6mm Allen key or a bit.
Check out BikesAreFun video showing how to service it:
So there was no point in me doing a video on this.
The same set of pedals on my new bike at February 27, 2020, the pedal looks like, this is the pair that was on my old bike and I used the most. Still going strong, only the black ring is getting worn. For some reason the left pedal has more polished look than the right. For me this pin setup works great, no lack of grip for me.
Cons: No issues so far.
The pins are won’t be easy to remove when damaged, because of the female Hex design, the Straitline pins are easier to remove, but if you have can drill out the pins this won’t be an issue, not everyone has the tools for that job, I managed to smash some pins on my first rides.
Both sets I received came with missing long pins, also one pair had 1 more missing pin.
Verdict:
I absolutely recommend these to any rider, if you are using standard size pedals you are missing out, The catalyst pedals are the best pedals on the market In my opinion.
scratches easy and gets covered in scratches fast, just takes few days to get it all scratched up, few weeks and the touch is does not work properly.
anything hard will scratch it with ease.
easy to apply and remove.
waste of money.
mtbboy1993 