I have an old road bike that has pedals with toe clips.
I want to go clipless, but have never done so before.
From what I have read on the forums, I am thinking about
getting eggbeaters and using MTB shoes, simply because
I've only heard good things about those pedals, and I
prefer the styling and 'walkability' of most MTB shoes.

Has anybody tried this combination on your commuter set-ups?
Which particular eggbeater/ MTB shoe combo would you recommend?
My main concerns are comfort and ease. I couldn't give a d@mn about 'performance'.

If you don't give a damn about performance don't get eggbeaters. Just get some spd type pedals from nashbar or some ritchey's for less than half the cost of eggbeaters. IMO, they work just as well if not better than eggbeaters. I tried my brother's beaters, and wasn't impressed. SPD's work just fine if you ask me.

I have the Candy version of eggbeaters. Like them a lot. I found them easier to get in and out of than a Ritchey SPD pedals I used to have. They have a bit of a platform to push on if you need to move from a stop quickly. I use an older Cannondale touring shoe with no problems. The eggbeater cleats are fairly low profile so there's no contact while walking. I'd just find a mtn bike/ touring shoe that feels good.

My Fixed gear has eggbeaters and I ride with stiff mtb shoes. When learning to clip in and clip out practice in a soft grassy area.

By 'performance' I assume you just mean weight?

There is no argument that can persuade me ANY SPD is even somewhat comparable to an Eggbeater... the design is completely inferior in every way possible. The Eggbeater has 4 sided entry vs. the SPD's 2 sided (at best), the Eggbeater sheds mud, snow, etc like no other pedal, and they last forever with little maintenance because of their simple and easily serviced design. Want to adjust float? Swap the cleats, no tension screws to fall out or provide inconsistent releases. I tried SPD's for awhile after I got my Eggs, and promptly threw them in the garbage and bought a pair of Mallet C's to compliment my 1st generation Eggbeater SS pedals.

I've gone back to flats & sneakers for the urban assault so I can bail out in emergencies. Makes life easier styling to & from the bike too.

I use Sidi Dominators and Eggbeater S's for my commute. Works well for me. Never tried SPD, and I never really intend to... EB's work fine for me. I walk just fine with my cleats, they don't hit the ground for me. I might actually suggest MTB shoes instead of ROAD for commuting because you'll spend a bit more time with your feet on the ground and the extra grip and walkability may come in handy.

The Eggbeater / MTB shoe combo is excellent for commuting.

Personally I prefer Time ATAC pedals, but that's my choice

surely if he doens't give a damn about performance, he should stick with the pedals already on the bike? doesn't seem worth the effort to get new pedals and shoes which might not be very walkable and some potential compatibility problems for something which will only provide a small performance gain.

That having been said, I don't use clipless pedals, so I assume the performance gain is only small.

I use eggbeaters on all my bikes now. I haven't tried any of the semi-platform styles (mallet/candy), but might get a set for my fixed gear. For shoes I alternate between Shimano sandals, and an older Cannondale "clog" style MTB shoe.

My bike came with Egg Beaters. It was my first crack at them and I love them.
I have two pairs of mtn bike shoes for commuting - Exustar SM600 and Cannondale Roam.

IMHO Egg Beaters are easier to clip into and out of than SPDs and are 4 sided. If you don't clip in when you put your foot down on the pedal just slide your foot forward or backward slightly and "click" you're in.

I've been using the Candy style pedal with stiff Specialized MTB shoe. I've never worn a touring or road shoe, but cannot imagine why anyone would not want a walking surface on their shoe.

I'm in the market for some clipless pedals myself. I was leaning towards the Performance Campus SPD's but I must admit that I just don't know a lot about Clipless pedals in general, having NEVER used them. I was leaning towards the performance pedals because I envision times when I will be riding my bike without cleats - for instance, riding the mile to the subway to go a friends house or a game @ Fenway. Do eggbeaters allow me to ride with regualr shoes?

Also, what does 4 sided entry mean?

Not really. You can do it in a pinch or if you are taking the bike a hundred feet or so, but plain old eggbeaters (poeb?) don't have any platform, nor do many clipless pedals, so you can slip off them easily and they are uncomfortable to pedal.


Eggbeater: four sides to clip into


SPD: Two sides to clip into

I'll toss in my .02. MTB shoes are the way to go on a commuter. You can walk in them without too much trouble. As for the egg beaters, many people like them. I've not used them, but I don't think the long term reliablility can touch a pair of shimano SPD's. The advantage of the shimano design is that it has 2 sets of ball bearings, instead of one bearing and one bushing. They are also very well sealed I have a 3 year old set with many miles on them, and I've only had to adjust the bearings once, and repack them. They function as new.

did you REALLY throw your old pedals in the garbage??? if so, it was kind of dumb cause i'd have given you a few bucks for em.

i am sure eggbeaters might be better but i got six bikes with SPD's upgrading the fleet might take a second mortage on the house...

I haven't tried the Eggbeaters but I commute daily on SPD pedals with Performance MTB shoes. I would never go back to toeclips which I have also put many thousands of miles with. No trouble getting in or out and you quickly master the slight twist to disengage the pedal.

I am thinking of trying the Crank Brothers Candy C pedals that are on sale through Performance to replace a loose set on my touring bike. I like the idea of less complicated area to collect crud when winter or wet weather commuting.

Whatever you do get the most comfortable shoes you can afford. For me the Performance shoes though cheap fit my wide feet better than any others. They are the most comfortable shoes I own.
Phil

I'll put in another two cents.... Eggbeaters and specialized MTB shoes... great combo.
D

I tried the eggbeaters last summer but did not like the 14 degrees of float. For commuting I like an SPD with about 4-6 degrees of float. For me it was just a waste of money.

That's exactly the combo I use. I have the SS Eggbeaters. They cost a pretty penny, but they look like they will last for years.

I've tried no-name spd's from wellgo. They really suck. They have bad bearings (actually, they simply use a sleave type bushing instead of a bearing) and wear out quickly, and they tend to not want to release if you don't keep the clip well oiled or greased.

Only problem is that you cannot use them without cycling shoes at all. But then, that's why you get mountain bike shoes, isn't it?

BR

Hmm.....Most inexpensive way to go is SPD. I used SPD for awhile and they were fine. I used LooK before that. I commute, MTB, Road bike, SS/Fixie and have two recumbents. One is a commuter tourer and the other is an all out performance bike. I commute on the recumbents, the fixie/ss and the roadie. I have EggBeaters on all of them. They are easy to maintain and virtually bulletproof.

I ride eggbeaters and like 'em... alot. However, I think given practice, SPD's are not appreciably harder to get into, so the four-sided entry is over hyped. What I have come to understand during my time on the eggbeaters is that you need to be diligent about greasing the internals or risk failure - of either the spindle (mine was covered under warranty) or the single, small outboard sealed bearing. Next time I get ready to spend that kind of money on pedals I'd be more inclined to try a set of Speedplay's off road Frog pedals. If you shop .com's for a while you can get them for about the same money. But the speedplay's have more bearings (needle bearing inboard, sealed cartridge outboard) and look like they'd be more reliable. Otherwise you can get SPD copies for a song and consider them disposable.

DanO

how about spd shoes with wellgo pedals? I love mine. one side is flat so you can ride without clipping in, when you're on a short errand with your regular street shoes. the other side is a spd clip, which is very intuitive, extremely easy to get in and out of.

Another vote for eggbeaters here.

When I first built my current commuter fixie, I used some old SPDs I had laying around. After they fell apart on me, I replaced 'em with a $65 set of eggbeater chrome (the entry level eggbeaters) pedals. 3000 miles later and I'm still happy as can be with the eggbeaters.

Someone mentioned float, I personally *like* float (Which is why I long ago switched to speedplay frogs on my mtn. bike, and why the SPDs were "spares".), but didn't wanna spend the money on a pair of speedplays for a commute-bike. The eggbeaters were cheap. Gave 'em a try and have not been disappointed.

I suppose I coulda got a generic pair of SPDs for about $10 cheaper, but I think the eggbeaters were well worth the extra $10 or $15.
-Trevor