Which eggbeaters did/do you have? I have the SLs and have put a good amount of miles on them in 6 months, they went through winter here too - no dramas. Maybe you need a better quality one?
The other non-CB pedals I have are the Forte Campus SPD/platform pedals, which are great for a budget flip-flop, but not all too great I guess. Eggbeaters still get my vote sorry.