Eggbeaters as first set of clipless pedals?
 

I have ridden with toe-clips for many years, but my desire to race cyclocross has prompted me to seek out my first set of clipless pedals. I hope that your wisdom and experiences will help me to select a good set of pedals for cyclocross use. I will be using the same pedals for recreational riding and commuting, but my primary reason for purchasing the pedals is cyclocross.

At this point I am leaning towards a set of crank brothers eggbeaters, but I am open to any suggestions.

Are the eggbeaters too minimalist for a first set of clipless pedals? Should I consider the candy or mallet models from crank brothers? Do the platforms of the candies or mallets offer any advantages/disadvantages under race conditions?

Do the chomemoly versions of these pedals suffer from rusting problems? I would consider the stainless steel versions, but the titanium ones are simply too expensive.

Many of the eggbeaters that I have seen for sale noted the model year that they came from. I understand that the grease injection fitting didn't come with the earliest models of the eggbeater C pedals, but I can't any other meaningful differences (they just seem to look a bit sexier every year). Should I look for any specific model years; have significant changes been made?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Russ

- here's one review:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/article.php?sid=435

- i use eggbeaters but i don't race (yet?)

:-)

I just bought a cheapo set of MTB pedals from Nashbar after my eggbeaters gave up the ghost. Altogether hey lasted about 3 years. I sent away for the rebuild kit at about the two year point - new outboard bearings, inboard plastic bushings and seals. The pedals didn't seem to last as long after the rebuild inspite of being greased very often - I just hate things that squeak.

If I were to decide to get another set of high dollar pedals, I would try the Speedplay Frog MTB pedals next time around. they feature needle bearings inboard (instead of a plastic bushing) in addition to the sealed bearings outboard.

DanO

I just switched to eggbeaters from SPDs (the came with the new bike) I find them far easier to get into. They look very minimalist, but I can still stomp on them and pedal a few times if I miss the first try at clipping in. Haven't had them that long so I don't know how they will hold up. So far very happy.

I had some for a few months. Here's what I think:

The good:
-Light
-cool looking
-better in mud than most clipless
-secure once you are in
-lots of float

The Bad
-more fragile than most pedals-a good smack on a rock can bend them easily
-harder to get into than SPD style-no positive click to let you know, and harder to locate the "sweet spot" on the pedal
-bushings are a poor replacement for what should be a roller bearing (many pedals have this shortcoming)
-cleats are brass and wear out quickly compared to SPD style.

The Ugly
-only lasted me a few months before I smacked em on a rock and broke em.

The bottom line-I think egg beaters are OK, but there are better choices for me.

My experience is totally different. I have one of the original pairs of eggbeaters on my mountain bike and they are still going strong and I have never done ANY maintenance on them. I run Candy SL Eggbeaters on my cyclocross and fixed gear bikes - no problems there either. They are really easy to get into, never let loose when you want to stay in, but are easy to get out of in an emergency (unless you are completely stopped when you fall over). For cyclocross racing I would definitely use eggbeaters (I use the Candy on my cyclocross bike because it does triple duty as a touring bike and road bike so I wanted the extra support for long rides).

I race with candy's on both my bikes, and I think they are great, but I want to switch to eggs, and here's why...the platform on the candy's allows you to actually "slack off" a bit with your dis/remount technique because, to some degree, you can still pedal while unclipped. Pedaling while unclipped, even for a few strokes after you remount, is not good, and wastes precious energy and time. if you watch the pros, they are clipped in almost immediately upon remounting. Using eggs, which have no platform to speak of, *forces* you to clip in and go. Therefore it forces you to refine your skills so that once you are over the barriers, you can just snap-snap and go. no fumbling around. of course, i would recommend this practice with any pedals, but with eggs its more or less a necessity.

also, i have to disagree with "the bad" from above. i think eggs/candy's are very easy to get into, especially since they allow you to clip in in a number of different ways. also, i always get the "snap," indicating that i am clipped in and ready to go. in my experience, the sweet spot is very easy to find/engage. and the fact that the cleats are brass is a GOOD thing -- especially in cross. true, brass is softer, giving the cleats a potentially shorter lifespan, but always having your cleats/pedals in good shape is absolutely IMPERATIVE for cross.

i switch a pair of candy sl's and eggbeater sl's between my cross rig, road bike, and fixed gear. both work great, you can clip in from any position. i actually find the platform on the candy sometimes makes it harder to engage, you can hit the platform a little off and not find the springs. i fing with the eggbeaters what you feel under your foot is what you want the cleat to go in .(if that makes any sense.)
i think they;re a great system.

You might want to ask yourself why Look is selling Eggbeaters under their own label.

I've used the original Look pedals for a dozen years and like them. I've used Eggbeaters for a couple of years and the only thing I don't like about them is trying to use them with soft soled street shoes.

I race on EggBeaters and considering my race last Sunday they worked great. I couldn't even see the pedal due to mud encasing it and yes I did have a hard time clipping in but the main thing is I clipped in. I know alot of other people who were running spd style never could clip in. The pedals work perfect and I have a set on my back up race bike as well.

You mentioned one of my concerns about getting the candies ....... I'm afraid that I will use the platforms as a crutch.

I recall hearing that other users experienced similar problems with the candies. The eggbeaters are sounding better all the time.

I was totally unaware of the Look 4X4 pedals. They aren't even listed on the Look website, but I found them for sale at a few online retailers. They look like the best of both worlds. They have the eggbeater mechanism combined with needle and ball bearings, instead of ball bearings and bushings. I think that improved bearings on the Look would eliminate some of the durability issues mentioned by Bottomfeeder and darkmother.

The listings that I found for the Look pedals also mentioned that they have a lifetime warranty, instead of the 2-year Crank Brothers warranty. The Looks would be my first choice if they weren't around $150. Performance has the basic eggbeaters on sale for $50.

I am running Egg Beaters on cyclocross/commuter. They are very easy to clip into, and even easier to clip out of.

I've raced on eggbeaters for a couple of seasons. They work for me - I can always get clipped in even when it's really muddy. I've found them to pretty durable - I haven't done any maintenance on them (caveat - my 'cross bike doesn't get ridden outside of 'cross season) The first couple of races I did with SPD style pedals (Ritcheys) and I like the eggs a lot better. I think there is a reason that you see so many people racing on them.