Echo TR 2011 pedals- Have a read before you get a pair!

Sponge · 2011-04-17, 09:20 PM

So you're interested in a set of these "A1" pedals? Well, have a read of this mini-review before you wack a set on and prevent potential early failure!

The only truly important part of this thread:
-DON'T just wack on your Echo TR pedals and ride/bash the hell out of them on day one.
-^Because of this: Axles/pedal body interface is not 100% dialled up out of the box: THERE IS a tiny bit of 'wobble' between the body and axle, and is completely DRY inside. You need to 'fix' those 2 problems before you ride these pedals...
-But it can be remedied in 5 minutes...
-Get yourself a 6mm allen key and screw the end caps off the pedals
-Take the internal axle locknuts out with a small socket wrench (9mm)
-IMPORTANT: These pedals don't have the traditional dual "Locknut and its partner Preload nut" that most pedals have. It's just the ONE nut inside the pedal that acts as BOTH the preload nut and locknut.
-Don't mess this part up: The RH pedal's axle at the very end where the preload/lock nut screws onto is Reverse-thread i.e. same as a Left pedal's main axle screwing into a crank. So don't mess it up by thinking: 'damn this nut isn't screwing off!" by turning it anticlockwise as normal... because it's actually tightening it more! I ALMOST learnt the hard way by stripping out... phew lucky I didn't!

-NOW: You'll see the axle is actually pretty skinny. Don't be put off by it. However, it's almost completely DRY inside the pedal and on the axle. Not good
-^This is why there will be a tiny bit of 'play' between the axle and the body brand new out of the box
-^Therefore it can lead to premature damage if left untended
-So, have a good quality grease ready, I recommend: Phil Wood first, and Park Tool polylube second. It should be easy for Americans to get Phil Wood so go for that, it's the best grease for bicycle maintenance. A good grease is going to make things run smoother for longer without gunking up or attracting grit and crap like your average snot-coloured cheapo grease! Worthy investment
-SMOTHER the axle and inside of the pedal body in grease and spread it out with your fingers. Bit messy, but oh well.
-Put it all back together, remembering which way the locknuts screw onto the end of the axle tip. Tighten as hard as you can without stripping it out.

Et voila, you'll notice now that the pedals spin a bit 'thicker' and slower due to the copious amounts of grease inside. This is good. By servicing these pedals out of the box brand new is doing yourself favours. Mainly you'll notice that the ultra-spinny loose rattly pedals are always the ones that slip and shindig you the most. The servicing of the TRs works against that potential hazard.

Also, the pedals feel A LOT more 'secure' on the axle now that we've taken them apart, greased them up good and tightened the inner nut to a good torque. I am a lot more confident about these now then when they came out of the box brand new. Some grease leaks out of the pedal body at the crank end, but this is normal... it's just when the pedals spin they naturally purge out excess until the 'optimum' amount of grease is reached. Though, this is where I would like the TRs to feature the rubber O-ringy seals that MG1s and some other pedals have!

The most convenient feature of the TRs is: the dual-purpose inner nut that serves as both a preloader and a locknut. I always hated working on pedals that featured an inner preload nut a locknut next to it. Made getting the 'preload' on the pedal spinning a bitch to get right and worse yet... synchronise with the other pedal. Not the case on these TRs, you just tighten the one nut up as much as poss without stripping it, and you're good to go. Very simple design that works.
----

These are really good pedals, I have had a brand new pair of Wellgo MG1s and a brand new pair of the 2011 versions in my hands at the same time and could do a fair comparison from just holding them:

-Echo TR is much lighter and slimmer. Slimmer pedals= less chance of the infamous foot slipping off and shin-digging.
-Echo TR has more durable pins but less jagged and sharp, it's up to you what you want!
-Wellgo MG1 has a shorter and slightly thicker axle= theoretically stronger
-Wellgo MG1 features rubber O-ring style plugs to help keep grease trapped in the pedals instead of leaking out. Makes the pedal body seem to have a more 'secure' fit on the axle. **I wish Echo TRs had a rubber o-ring too**
-The area of both pedals is roughly the same.
-Echo TR 2011 is superior to the 2010 version because of supporting struts and updates. I've held both in my hands at the same time

All-in-all, good pedals. Just don't be in a rush to ride the heck out of them. If any of you ride BMX flatland you'll know that a Freecoaster rear hub needs to be personally serviced out of the box to get it running 'optimum'. Same goes for TR pedals and most others. On some parts, naturally the factory service is just about 'adequate'; i.e. you're kind of expected to tinker with it yourself to get it running as smooth as poss.

Never realised how long a write-up that was! Well, I hope some of you may find it useful. With any luck, you'll be saving yourself from a prematurely eroded axle and shot bearings by carrying out the service above.

Enjoy them!

tinman · 2011-04-18, 12:00 AM

I don't know how much these pedals are but it seems pretty stupid to have to take them apart to lube them up to ride, should be able to just put them on and ride

Sponge · 2011-04-18, 01:15 AM

I think this is the case with almost ALL pedals. Some just need it more than others. That includes MG1s and other popular pedals. One of my 'pet peeves' on a bike/uni is a rattly set of pedals. Just causes stuff to wear out quicker and not feel as great as it could. Though most people don't care. I guess same goes for anything that's rattly/loose on bike and uni.

All pedals will rattle and come loose within the first ride as part of the bedding-in process. But since some people claimed to have problems with axle snappage on these pedals, I think going through this simple procedure could help. Running pedals completely dry and slightly rattly/loose between the axle and body definitely shorten the lifespan of both the bearings and the axle.

I just thought I'd post this up as these are popular pedals and the maintenance procedure is not the same as a lot of other pedals on the market. So just a heads up for an amazing set of pedals.

These definitely do feel nicer on the feet than MG1s and a lot of other 'good' pedals. That's also the general consensus in the trials community, even with some of the ones that ride a lot of BMX too.

tinman · 2011-04-25, 12:56 AM

how much do these pedals go for ?

jaco_flans · 2011-04-25, 02:24 AM

Thanks for that post. My 2010 Echo TR are making super annoying noises because there's no grease in them. I'm not riding them on my Trials uni though, but I'm thinking about putting them on my Muni once I can get a pair of 137mm cranks. I'll make sure to grease them up before riding them again, or selling them again.

I personally dont really want to ride those for big stuff (Trials or Muni). First of all, the body of the pedal I grab with is already bent, I bented it on one of my first rides. Plus, the axle looks soo thin, I'm scared to break it or bend it. I might just put them on the Coker, but why would I ride such cool pedals on a Coker?

AlisterBurt · 2011-09-19, 05:55 PM

hmmm.

Hung Like Saddam · 2011-09-19, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlisterBurt

hmmm.

I think you broke it

JacobSpera · 2011-09-19, 08:20 PM

^^^
Like

And Alister i am sorry for your loss </3

skilewis74 · 2011-09-20, 09:52 PM

They should replace those for free IMO.

E-mail them and see what they say.

Eddbmxdude · 2011-09-21, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skilewis74

They should replace those for free IMO.

E-mail them and see what they say.

Pretty sure they'll laugh you out of the shop. It says on their website that they're not suitable for unicycles.

EDIT: Im assuming you got them from Tarty?

AlisterBurt · 2011-09-21, 02:17 PM

haha yeah I'm not going to even bother trying, I knew when I bought them that it said they weren't suitable, back to the slim jims for a while!

leo · 2011-09-23, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sponge

Echo TR pedals

I think what you displayed is the Urban pedal, not the TR.

rob.northcott · 2011-09-26, 10:47 AM

I'm still using the TRs I got from Sponge on my muni. I'm mostly a roller rather than hopper, but every time I ride off a little drop I'm expecting them to snap. So far though they seem to be OK for my riding (apart from the horrendously poor grip until I threw the original pins away).

I certainly wouldn't buy another pair, but so far I seem to be getting away with it. For the price I paid for them I'm not too bothered.

Are the people who are snapping them mostly riding trials? (or muni with lots of hopping and big drops). Did you get any warning of bending first or did they just snap suddenly? (I don't want to get stranded in the middle of a long ride)

Seriously thinking about going back to the good old V8s. They're quite a bit heavier, but utterly bulletproof in my experience, and have proper adjustable, serviceable bearings rather than silly cheap bushes.

Rob

knoxuni · 2011-09-27, 08:58 PM

that really sucks alister!!!

Harley · 2011-09-27, 10:06 PM

Sponge. Any idea why these pedals come from the factory without lube?

Or are they just underlubed with a non visible product?

2011-04-17, 09:20 PM	#1
Sponge ゴールデン! Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 940	Echo TR 2011 pedals- Have a read before you get a pair! So you're interested in a set of these "A1" pedals? Well, have a read of this mini-review before you wack a set on and prevent potential early failure! The only truly important part of this thread: -DON'T just wack on your Echo TR pedals and ride/bash the hell out of them on day one. -^Because of this: Axles/pedal body interface is not 100% dialled up out of the box: THERE IS a tiny bit of 'wobble' between the body and axle, and is completely DRY inside. You need to 'fix' those 2 problems before you ride these pedals... -But it can be remedied in 5 minutes... -Get yourself a 6mm allen key and screw the end caps off the pedals -Take the internal axle locknuts out with a small socket wrench (9mm) -IMPORTANT: These pedals don't have the traditional dual "Locknut and its partner Preload nut" that most pedals have. It's just the ONE nut inside the pedal that acts as BOTH the preload nut and locknut. -Don't mess this part up: The RH pedal's axle at the very end where the preload/lock nut screws onto is Reverse-thread i.e. same as a Left pedal's main axle screwing into a crank. So don't mess it up by thinking: 'damn this nut isn't screwing off!" by turning it anticlockwise as normal... because it's actually tightening it more! I ALMOST learnt the hard way by stripping out... phew lucky I didn't! -NOW: You'll see the axle is actually pretty skinny. Don't be put off by it. However, it's almost completely DRY inside the pedal and on the axle. Not good -^This is why there will be a tiny bit of 'play' between the axle and the body brand new out of the box -^Therefore it can lead to premature damage if left untended -So, have a good quality grease ready, I recommend: Phil Wood first, and Park Tool polylube second. It should be easy for Americans to get Phil Wood so go for that, it's the best grease for bicycle maintenance. A good grease is going to make things run smoother for longer without gunking up or attracting grit and crap like your average snot-coloured cheapo grease! Worthy investment -SMOTHER the axle and inside of the pedal body in grease and spread it out with your fingers. Bit messy, but oh well. -Put it all back together, remembering which way the locknuts screw onto the end of the axle tip. Tighten as hard as you can without stripping it out. Et voila, you'll notice now that the pedals spin a bit 'thicker' and slower due to the copious amounts of grease inside. This is good. By servicing these pedals out of the box brand new is doing yourself favours. Mainly you'll notice that the ultra-spinny loose rattly pedals are always the ones that slip and shindig you the most. The servicing of the TRs works against that potential hazard. Also, the pedals feel A LOT more 'secure' on the axle now that we've taken them apart, greased them up good and tightened the inner nut to a good torque. I am a lot more confident about these now then when they came out of the box brand new. Some grease leaks out of the pedal body at the crank end, but this is normal... it's just when the pedals spin they naturally purge out excess until the 'optimum' amount of grease is reached. Though, this is where I would like the TRs to feature the rubber O-ringy seals that MG1s and some other pedals have! The most convenient feature of the TRs is: the dual-purpose inner nut that serves as both a preloader and a locknut. I always hated working on pedals that featured an inner preload nut a locknut next to it. Made getting the 'preload' on the pedal spinning a bitch to get right and worse yet... synchronise with the other pedal. Not the case on these TRs, you just tighten the one nut up as much as poss without stripping it, and you're good to go. Very simple design that works. ---- These are really good pedals, I have had a brand new pair of Wellgo MG1s and a brand new pair of the 2011 versions in my hands at the same time and could do a fair comparison from just holding them: -Echo TR is much lighter and slimmer. Slimmer pedals= less chance of the infamous foot slipping off and shin-digging. -Echo TR has more durable pins but less jagged and sharp, it's up to you what you want! -Wellgo MG1 has a shorter and slightly thicker axle= theoretically stronger -Wellgo MG1 features rubber O-ring style plugs to help keep grease trapped in the pedals instead of leaking out. Makes the pedal body seem to have a more 'secure' fit on the axle. I wish Echo TRs had a rubber o-ring too -The area of both pedals is roughly the same. -Echo TR 2011 is superior to the 2010 version because of supporting struts and updates. I've held both in my hands at the same time All-in-all, good pedals. Just don't be in a rush to ride the heck out of them. If any of you ride BMX flatland you'll know that a Freecoaster rear hub needs to be personally serviced out of the box to get it running 'optimum'. Same goes for TR pedals and most others. On some parts, naturally the factory service is just about 'adequate'; i.e. you're kind of expected to tinker with it yourself to get it running as smooth as poss. Never realised how long a write-up that was! Well, I hope some of you may find it useful. With any luck, you'll be saving yourself from a prematurely eroded axle and shot bearings by carrying out the service above. Enjoy them!

2011-04-18, 01:15 AM	#3
Sponge ゴールデン! Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 940	I think this is the case with almost ALL pedals. Some just need it more than others. That includes MG1s and other popular pedals. One of my 'pet peeves' on a bike/uni is a rattly set of pedals. Just causes stuff to wear out quicker and not feel as great as it could. Though most people don't care. I guess same goes for anything that's rattly/loose on bike and uni. All pedals will rattle and come loose within the first ride as part of the bedding-in process. But since some people claimed to have problems with axle snappage on these pedals, I think going through this simple procedure could help. Running pedals completely dry and slightly rattly/loose between the axle and body definitely shorten the lifespan of both the bearings and the axle. I just thought I'd post this up as these are popular pedals and the maintenance procedure is not the same as a lot of other pedals on the market. So just a heads up for an amazing set of pedals. These definitely do feel nicer on the feet than MG1s and a lot of other 'good' pedals. That's also the general consensus in the trials community, even with some of the ones that ride a lot of BMX too. Last edited by Sponge; 2011-04-18 at 01:17 AM.

2011-04-25, 02:24 AM	#5
jaco_flans Trials & Muni! Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gatineau,Québec,Canada Age: 19 Posts: 3,021	Thanks for that post. My 2010 Echo TR are making super annoying noises because there's no grease in them. I'm not riding them on my Trials uni though, but I'm thinking about putting them on my Muni once I can get a pair of 137mm cranks. I'll make sure to grease them up before riding them again, or selling them again. I personally dont really want to ride those for big stuff (Trials or Muni). First of all, the body of the pedal I grab with is already bent, I bented it on one of my first rides. Plus, the axle looks soo thin, I'm scared to break it or bend it. I might just put them on the Coker, but why would I ride such cool pedals on a Coker? __________________ Jakob F. Team Goudurix Trials 'n Muni 'n Trials 'n Muni

2011-09-19, 05:55 PM	#6
AlisterBurt Push button, recieve bacon. Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Newcastle, England Age: 18 Posts: 1,822	hmmm. Attached Images __________________ Trip down south 2011 - Alister Burt & Simon Berry 107cm sidehop

2011-09-19, 08:20 PM	#8
JacobSpera Street Join Date: May 2010 Location: pueblo west colorado Age: 20 Posts: 916	^^^ Like And Alister i am sorry for your loss </3 __________________ Team MAD4ONE

2011-04-18, 12:00 AM	#2
tinman Registered User Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: London Ontario Posts: 29	I don't know how much these pedals are but it seems pretty stupid to have to take them apart to lube them up to ride, should be able to just put them on and ride

2011-04-25, 12:56 AM	#4
tinman Registered User Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: London Ontario Posts: 29	how much do these pedals go for ?

2011-09-20, 09:52 PM	#9
skilewis74 Stupidity gets you 2 of these: Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Santa Rosa, Ca. Age: 38 Posts: 3,827	They should replace those for free IMO. E-mail them and see what they say. __________________ Ride everywhere and never just ride anywhere. If you can ride where you are going within a hour, do it, and if you can do a trick 50-75% of the time do it along the way.- Bob Burnquist What's next? Learn2Ride&doTricks TrialsClasses&Building

2011-09-21, 02:17 PM	#11
AlisterBurt Push button, recieve bacon. Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Newcastle, England Age: 18 Posts: 1,822	haha yeah I'm not going to even bother trying, I knew when I bought them that it said they weren't suitable, back to the slim jims for a while! __________________ Trip down south 2011 - Alister Burt & Simon Berry 107cm sidehop

2011-09-26, 10:47 AM	#13
rob.northcott Mainly XC Muni Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Dartmoor, England Age: 44 Posts: 2,876	I'm still using the TRs I got from Sponge on my muni. I'm mostly a roller rather than hopper, but every time I ride off a little drop I'm expecting them to snap. So far though they seem to be OK for my riding (apart from the horrendously poor grip until I threw the original pins away). I certainly wouldn't buy another pair, but so far I seem to be getting away with it. For the price I paid for them I'm not too bothered. Are the people who are snapping them mostly riding trials? (or muni with lots of hopping and big drops). Did you get any warning of bending first or did they just snap suddenly? (I don't want to get stranded in the middle of a long ride) Seriously thinking about going back to the good old V8s. They're quite a bit heavier, but utterly bulletproof in my experience, and have proper adjustable, serviceable bearings rather than silly cheap bushes. Rob __________________ "Hedgehogs - why can't they just share the hedge?" (Dan Antopolski) "I would absolutely recommend a 29er to anyone who didn't prefer a larger or small wheel." (Mikefule) Last edited by rob.northcott; 2011-09-26 at 10:52 AM.

2011-09-27, 08:58 PM	#14
knoxuni wes style!! Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: central ohio Age: 18 Posts: 4,695	that really sucks alister!!! __________________ Be a dumbass experience dumbass consequences its full circle of dumbass And then, do it again. That makes it an infinite loop!

2011-09-27, 10:06 PM	#15
Harley Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 887	Sponge. Any idea why these pedals come from the factory without lube? Or are they just underlubed with a non visible product? __________________ Always remember: With patience and perseverance you can piss a hole through a rock.

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