Pedal type preferences
 

I've been using standard MTB SPDs for about 10 years now and I'm considering - just for the hell of it really - trying a different pedal type. I mainly do back country road and trail riding as well as commuting, pretty much year round. A friend recently swapped out his SPDs for a set of Crank Brothers Egg Beater Candies and now swears by them because they have a small platform around the clip that allows you to stay unclipped w/out slipping off the pedal, and also serve as a guide for clipping back in. So I'm curious about what others here prefer because the variety of pedals out there is getting confusing...SPDs, Road, Look, platforms, free-float recessed etc. Also, is there really any significant difference in mud shedding capabilities between pedals?

Thanx a lot!
Scotch

Might want to look at TIME....I've tried the candies a few years back, neve liked them. Rather netural on SPD' s.....still ride a pair on my MTB.......just have not gotten around to changing them over yet

I put a set of Crank Bros. Candy's on my Stelle. After a few rides now I'm sure I have a set of Shimano SPD's for sale.
The Candy's are easy to get in and out of. No need to adjust tension like SPD's. Mud goes right through the pedal without affecting the mechanism. Less moving parts to fail. The platforms are great for riding unclipped. The extra "float" does take a little to get used to though

Cheers, Trev

+1 egg beaters

I switched from Shimano M520 (mtb SPD) to Time ATAC XS (mtb) for road and some trail use. The only reason I did it was for better retention, which turned out to be a positive.

What surprised me is how very similar the usage feel of each pedal is (after all they are double sided and use a similar spring loaded clamping system.) I also tried eggbeaters and found them equally similar. It seems to be the difference in feel between these pedals is no greater than the difference in feel between a new vs. a worn cleat or changes in release tension if available.

Al

speedplay frogs! The only pedals which shed mud better are eggbeaters. I use eggbeaters for cyclocross and speedplay frogs for everything else. The frogs are easier to get in and out of, more durable, and easier on the knees than anything else I've tried.

I choose Crank Brothers EggBeaters these days. Been riding on SPDs for 10 years prior to that, and they're fine too, just heavier and worse in mud. Time ATACs fall halfway between SPD and CrankBros, being medium weight and good in the mud.

Re: Speedplay -- One time I swapped shoes and bikes with a friend who used Speedplay frogs, and I liked them a lot. Engagement is easy. The float massive and COMPLETELY free, to the point that it feels like you're standing on ice cubes. Disengagement is a little vague if you're used to a solid click, but it's not a bad thing. The only drawback to Speedplays is that the cleats are a bit complex and vulnerable to getting smashed if you dismount and run on rocks.

Caveat: I have never felt the need for a big platform. If you like to ride unclipped with your shoe just resting on top of the pedal, don't take my advice.

I am changing out to eggbeaters on all my bikes after speaking to folks who use them.......

I've been riding Time ATACs for while now, but decided to try Eggbeaters this spring to see if I liked them or not. After picking up a set of 2Ti Eggbeaters I was less than impressed. Yeah, they were pretty light, but the engagement felt vague and I seemed to have more problems unclipping in panic situations than I ever did with my Time pedals. I'm now riding ATACs again.

This is really my only concern. Being a rather large, lumox-type guy I like know when I've clipped in and out. Still, I think I'll give them a shot for the hell of it. They're fairly inexpensive.

I'm stuck on Crankbrothers right now mostly because their cleats/pedals are interchangable across their entire product line. I have Quattros on my road bike and Eggbeaters on my CX/commuter bike but i can use either my road or MTB shoes on both bikes. :)

Egg beaters or Egg beaters or Egg beaters.

BTW did I mention Egg Beaters.

Eggbeaters on all my bikes, but I'm considering trying Frogs.

platform pedals and soccer shoes = simplicity for the noob

Have to disagree based on my experience with Frogs. WORST off road pedal ever. Small amounts of mud or sand quickly made engagement difficult/impossible, and disrupted the float. Tons of free-float is inherent in the design, but because it uses a tensionsless cam type retention, rather than a spring-tensioned retention like most others, the cleat wheres out VERY quickly and there is nothing to take up that play. So, while still while useable, the interface becomes loose and clackety within a few hundred miles. The cleat is also somewhat delicate.

I've also tried SPDs and ATAC. Both are pretty good, but I overwhelmingly prefer standard Egg Beaters (well, haven't tried other EB styles). Easy in/out. Mud/sand is not a problem - even after slogging through shin deep mud, I could engage the pedal, with a little effort. Cleat is robust, although the metal is a bit on the soft side to prevent wearing the pedal. Enough float. The one problem I've had is that the "wings" as CB calls them are exposed, and are more susceptible to damage if you clip a rock, etc. I've done it twice on my MTB... but it shouldn't be a big issue with cross. Fortunately, with 4-sided entry, the pedal was still useable, and both times CB repaired them at no charge.

I have two sets of egg beaters (candy) and love them! One set of SL's and the other are the C's. I have never had a problem with either of them. I have seen several reviews for the Cranks Brothers line. You can't go wrong with any of them.