If your needs fall between full-on cross-country racing and big-gonads downhilling, then Crank Brothers' Acids might well suit you. While they have the same excellent mud-clearing and easy engagement qualities as Crank Brothers' other pedals, there area couple of niggles to beware of.
The Acid pedals are designed to appeal to riders who want a clipless pedal with a bit more platform than the Candy, but without the size or weight of Crank’s full-on clipless flat pedal, the Mallet.
Dimensionally and physically, the Acid is exactly that.
Engagement is provided by Crank Brothers' spinning four-bar mechanism. Entry is accompanied by a less distinctive 'click' than Shimano pedals provide, but you nevertheless get a clear enough signal that you're in.
Twisting out to release never let us down and you get to choose a 15 or 20-degree release angle depending on how you set up the cleat.
A big hole in the platform and space round the engagement wings provides for mud clearance, and even deliberate wading in sticky mud (okay, I fell off) didn't clog them.
That makes these yet another good option for winter riding, an area where Crank Brothers has always excelled.
However, we’ve had issues with the low-profile pedal body being just too far away from the soles of our shoes, resulting in varying degrees of shoe tilt or rock. Some shoes are better than others, and shoes with deeper tread seem to work better. If you have a favourite shoe you want to use, then check before you buy.
For pure cross-country use, the Acid is a bit too big, yet it’s also just a bit small to realistically aim a trailing foot at in full-on downhilling. The plastic insert can bust out easily, too.