Table Of Contents
Crank Brothers Candy 7 Mountain Bike Pedal Review: Best Clipless Mountain Bike Pedal Review
Best All-Around 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: 320g
Clean Type: Crank Brothers Brass
Use: All-Mountain, Enduro, XC
Price: ~$120
What We Like: Great performance for a reasonable price, excellent mud shedding, best weight to cost ratio available
What We Don’t: Small platform compared to the similarly priced Crank Brothers Mallet E
Crank Brothers pedals tend to have two distinct advantages over their SPD counterparts. They tend to be lighter weight and to shed mud better. Both of these traits help to make the Crank Brothers Candy 7 pedals our top pick as best all-around clipless pedals for weight saving performance in muddy conditions.
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
Similar to Shimano’s mini platform pedals, the Crank Brothers Candy lineup is their middle ground between the full cage enduro/DH offering in the Mallet, and cageless XC oriented Eggbeater line.
This middle ground approach helps to make the Crank Brothers Candy 7 pedal our top all-around pick for riders who would prefer weight savings and performance in muddy conditions to the SPD platform.
The Candy 7 lacks the adjustable pins that can be found in the Mallet E. However, they keep the adjustable traction pads, which allow you to raise or lower the height of the pedal to get a better interface with your shoe.
While it is much smaller, and less likely to actively help in the transfer of power than the larger Mallet E cage, the platform of the Candy 7 is perfect for catching your foot should you come unclipped unexpectedly. It will also keep your foot from rolling off of the pedal and straight into the dirt, which can happen if you fail to clip in while stomping on the Eggbeaters.
Ease of Entry
The Crank Brothers Candy 7 uses the same four-sided entry clipping mechanism as the Eggbeater 3. However, Like the Mallet E, the platform hides two of the clips, making the Candy 7 a two-sided pedal, in practice. This is not a bad thing though. The platform of the Candy 7 keeps the pedal from rolling under foot while trying to clip in and makes clipping in much simpler than it is with the Eggbeater 3.
Ease of Exit
While some might prefer the increased contact area of the larger Mallet E pedals, the smaller cage and pinless nature of the Candy 7 makes them much easier to get out of. There is nothing worse than catching your heel on a pin while trying to unclip, and this is a worry that the smaller platform on the Crank Brothers Candy 7 clipless pedal takes care of.
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. This is one of the areas where the Crank Brothers Candy 7 bests our other top all around pedal, the Shimano XT M8020. While the M8020 performs admirably in the mud, the Candy 7 is bested only by the cageless Crank Brothers Egg Beater 3 when it comes to performance in muddy conditions
The Bottom Line
If you need one set of clipless pedals to ride in wet conditions on varied types of trails, and you don’t want a full cage, then the Crank Brothers Candy 7 is a hard pedal to pass up. It is lightweight, durable, and a top performer in the mud.
While its MSRP of $169 makes it more in line with the premium Shimano XTR M9120, the Crank Brothers Candy 7 can usually be found for around $120, putting it right in line with the Shimano XT M8020. If you prefer the extra floaty feel of Crank Brothers pedals, frequently ride in the mud, or a just want a lightweight pedal at a great price, then the Crank Brothers Candy 7 might be the best clipless mountain bike pedal for you.
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