Table Of Contents
Crank Brothers Candy 1 Mountain Bike Pedal Review: Best Clipless Mountain Bike Pedal Review
Best Bang for Your Buck Clipless Pedal for Mud and Weight Savings
- Platform feel 60%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 90%
Weight per Pair: 294g
Clean Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Price: $49.99
What We Like: Extremely lightweight and well-rounded pedal for the price
What We Don’t: Lack of traction pads found on higher end Candy pedals, not the most solid platform
When choosing an all-around budget clipless mountain bike pedal, we looked for a well-rounded pedal that was lightweight and provided the features of its more expensive counterparts. The Crank Brothers Candy 1 and Shimano M530 both check most of those boxes. However, the Candy 1 weighs in a full 159g lighter than its Shimano counterpart and offers better mud shedding capabilities to boot.
If you are an SPD purist, then the Shimano is the way to go, otherwise, read on to see if the Crank Brothers Candy 1 is the budget clipless mountain bike pedal for you.
Compare to Similar Products
Crank Brothers Candy 7
- Platform feel 60%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 90%
Pros
Great performance for a reasonable price, excellent mud shedding, best weight to cost ratio available
Cons
Small platform compared to the similarly priced Crank Brothers Mallet E
Weight: 320g
Cleat Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro XC
Shimano XT M8020
- Platform feel 70%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 70%
- Weight 80%
Pros
A high-end pedal for a mid-tier price
Cons
Significantly heavier than the Crank Brothers alternative
Weight: 404g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro XC
Crank Brothers Mallet E
- Platform feel 100%
- Ease/feel of entry 90%
- Ease/feel of exit 70%
- Mud shedding ability 80%
- Weight 70%
Pros
Lightweight for the size of the platform
Great pedaling platform
The most adjustable Crank Brothers pedal
Easy to clip into
Cons
Vague sense of clipping in and out
Heavier than Candy 7
Pins can make clipping out more difficult
Weight: 420g
Cleat Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, Downhill
Shimano Saint M820
- Platform feel 90%
- Ease/feel of entry 90%
- Ease/feel of exit 70%
- Mud shedding ability 60%
- Weight 30%
Pros
The most adjustable pedals that we reviewed
Great pedal platform
Satisfying SPD feel
Cons
Heaviest pedals in our review
Not the best for extremely muddy conditions
Weight: 545g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, Downhill
Crank Brothers Candy 1
- Platform feel 60%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 90%
Pros
Extremely lightweight and well-rounded pedal for the price
Cons
Lack of traction pads found on higher end Candy pedals
Not the most solid platform
Weight: 294g
Cleat Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Shimano M530
- Platform feel 70%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 80%
- Weight 70%
Pros
Virtually the same pedaling and clipping experience offered by the much more expensive Shimano XTR M9120 and XT M8020 at an entry-level price
Cons
Heaviest mini platform pedal in review, painted cage is slippery when wet
Weight: 453g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Crank Brothers Eggbeater 3
- Platform feel 30%
- Ease/feel of entry 50%
- Ease/feel of exit 90%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 100%
Pros
A high-end pedal for a mid-tier price
Cons
Significantly heavier than the Crank Brothers alternative
Weight: 404g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro XC
Shimano XTR M9100
- Platform feel 50%
- Ease/feel of entry 60%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 90%
- Weight 90%
Pros
Lightest SPD pedal in test
Fairly large contact area for an SPD pedal
Cons
Pricey and heavy compared to Crank Brothers alternative
Weight: 310g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: XC
Crank Brothers Eggbeater 1
- Platform feel 30%
- Ease/feel of entry 50%
- Ease/feel of exit 90%
- Mud shedding ability 100%
- Weight 100%
Pros
Unbeatable weight for budget XC pedals
Cons
Difficult to clip into
Weight: 280g
Cleat Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: XC
Shimano M520
- Platform feel 50%
- Ease/feel of entry 60%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 90%
- Weight 70%
Pros
The same pedaling experience of the XTR M9120 for a third of the price
Cons
Heavier than the Egg Beater 1
Weight: 310g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: XC
Shimano XTR M9120
- Platform feel 70%
- Ease/feel of entry 80%
- Ease/feel of exit 80%
- Mud shedding ability 70%
- Weight 80%
Pros
All of the great features of the XT M8020 in a lighter package
Cons
Heavier than Crank Brothers alternative and not enough difference to justify the price increase over the Shimano XT M8020
Weight: 398g
Cleat Type: SPD Mountain
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Platform
The Crank Brothers Candy 1 offers the same great compromise in platform found on the Candy 7. It is smaller, and offers less clipping interference than the Mallet E, but offers a platform when you need it and is much easier to clip into than the Crank Brothers Egg Beater pedals.
Unlike the Candy 7, the Candy 1 is made from a stamped steel construction, and it does not utilize the adjustable traction pads found on the candy 7. The stamped steel construction, common on budget clipless pedals, is what makes the Candy 1 a bit heavier than its more expensive counterparts.
Ease of Entry
Clipping into the Crank Brothers Candy 1 is identical to clipping into the Candy 7. The small platform will catch your shoes and keep the pedal from rolling under foot like the Eggbeaters, and allows for an easy clip in. However, those used to SPDs will notice that there is very little in the way of feedback to let you know that you have successfully clipped in.
Ease of Exit
Also, like the Candy 7s, the lack of pins in the Candy 1 pedals makes them easier to clip out of than full cage offerings like the Shimano Saint M820s or Crank Brothers Mallet Es.
Mud Shedding Ability
One look at the clipping mechanism of Crank Brothers pedals reveals why they are the gold standard for clipless pedals when it comes to mud shedding. Just as the Candy 7 bettered the higher end Shimano offerings when it came to dealing with the mud, so too does the Candy 1 better the budget Shimano M530.
The Bottom Line
The Crank Brothers Candy 1 clipless mountain bike pedal offers most of what makes the Candy 7 one of our top picks. It sheds mud better than its Shimano counterpart, the M530, and is considerably lighter.
Meanwhile, the feel of clipping in and out, and the increased float of the Crank Brothers platform is subjective, rather than a true pro or con. If you want a budget pedal that bests pedals at three times its price point in the weight category or a budget pedal for wet and wintry riding conditions, then, at ~$50, the Crank Brothers Candy 1 might be the budget pedal for you.
Compare Prices From Retailers Below
You help support Gear Hacker by purchasing from our retail partners.
