spunkyruss

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