umd

I built up a CX bike and am going to try a race in about 2 weeks, but I need some pedals. My team is sponsored by Crank Brothers so I want to limit the choices to them. No suggestions for some other brand please. I am mainly trying to decide between Eggbeaters and Candies. I've heard that the Eggbeaters shed mud better but the Candies have a better platform for mounting/dismounting. What do people use and why?

Edit: Why are the 2ti Eggbeaters so much more expensive than the 2ti Candies?

c_m_shooter

Eggbeater SL. The C's break.

3MTA3

i'm rocking the smarty & so are a number of other people i know. i have eggbeaters & they're cool, i just like the platform on the smarty better.

umd

I'm leaning toward the Egggbeater Ti

umd

This is the bike they will go on btw

carlfreddy

Eggbeater SL.

Good mountain shoes make up for the lack of a platform.

umd

Any reason not to get the ti, 2ti, or 4ti, other than price?

nitropowered

I like the Candies because if you slip a pedal, you can still pedal on for a while until you can reset your shoe and clip in. However if you are racing in mud, the candies will clog up. You have to see if your area has a lot of mud riding.

I ride on Candies (2Ti on main, SL on pit, another set of SL's in parts box) but I'm definitely getting a few pairs of Eggbeaters for next season for those muddy races.

urodacus

Don't be overly swayed by the platform on the candies. I have both candies and egg beaters, and have more often crushed the wedding tackle by missing a clip in on the candies than the eggs. at least on the eggs you know that you're not clipped in, while on the Candies you sometimes think you're clipped when you're just close. and there's a sharp sting in store when you're standing a few inches above the saddle and your foot slips off on the second revolution, at maximum push. Ow.

The foot or sole of the shoe doesn't really spread the load on the candies anyway, as the platform doesn't seem to touch the sole on road shoes: the only wear marks on my soles are from the cage bars, not the platform. So there's no practical benefit to the platform, i think. Eventual replacements will be eggbeaters. the Candies also seem to wear bearings faster. I've run both for about five years, on four different bikes, XC and road (with lots of stop-start city stuff).

run the stainless steel backing plates if you like your shoe soles and want to keep them more than 10,000 km.

Popeyecahn

I say the Eggbeaters, I have a pair of those and a pair of the Quattros and the Eggbeaters are far easier to clip in than the Quattros and work just as well otherwise.

umd

This will be on mountain shoes.

Any reason not to go for the various ti models other than price?

ryand

Ti weighs less. If you want to spend the money for the grams, go for it. Then send me your SLs.

Bike4More

eggbeaters

You can hit them at funny angles and they still engage. And like was said before, you KNOW you are clipped in to them. Besides cross races are so short that the lack of a platform should not be a problem like it would be on a road bike over many miles.

carlfreddy

You're a light enough rider so you could use the ti models, but for me it was a cost issue.

There are other, less expensive ways to lose weight on an aluminum 'cross bike; stem, handlebars, seatpost.

But hey, Todd Wells rocks the eggbeater ti's, so go for it!

umd

Our team gets a discount, there is not a significant difference in price between the SL, ti, and 2ti... the 4ti is still pretty expensive. I am mainly iterested in the ti because the red will match my bike.

carlfreddy

You won't even notice the red. Seriously.

Look at my bike, can you see the blue on my eggbeaters?



EDIT: well, you can kinda see the blue on the end-caps of the spindle, but I'd be you can get different color spindle-caps from Crank Brothers!

Psydotek

I'd say go for the regular Eggbeater SL pedals for the aforementioned reason that they're easier to engage at just about any funky angle in any condition. I have a pair on my commuter bike because of that reason (no time to fumble with clipping in when you're battling with traffic).

There's no reason not to get the Ti models if you can get them at a serious discount and you're well under the 185 lbs rider weight limit.

I do have 3 pairs of candy pedals on my other bikes and they're not that much harder to engage once you're used to them. The only concern is that if your MTB shoes have deep treads the platform might make it more difficult to clip in.

umd

I'm going with the ti beaters, thanks everyone. I'm well under 185, but as far as I could tell it was only the 4ti that had the weigh limit.

jonestr

your riding style will dictate which you go with. If you are the type of person who stays clipped in as you approach a barrier and then gets out at the last second then eggbeaters are fine. If you like to clip out early and then cruise into the barrier then I would go candy.

umd

I guess I will find out I have no experience so nothing to go on, but I would guess based on other riding that I would be a wait until the last second type. Anyway, the ti eggbeaters have already been ordered. Race is on the 20th I think. I'll keep everyone posted.

bugly64

I am glad someone else was mulling this over, too. I am going with the beaters. Now whats the best shoe?

Elmar Schrauth

look quartz ?
much better bearings !

umd

What part of "sponsored by Crank Brothers, please don't suggest other brands" was unclear?

jonestr

You might want to try the early clip out method. If you are running a shoe with some tread in the middle then you can stand on beaters all right. The late clip out is a little more of a daring move and leaves you less time to change your mind about how to approach a carry.

Bike4More

Make sure to set up the cleats to the early release (15 degrees) orientation. I tried one race with them at 20 degrees and I ate grass on a barrier carry.

I unclip my right shoe, swing it over and glide on the left, at the last second I hop off unclipping the left.

My last race of the season was yesterday. Homegrown Cyclocross Series

It was bittersweet. I love cross season.