+1 eggbeaters. don't waste your time with the candys or mallets, nothing surpasses the original concept.

Since I started this thread, I thought I'd give an update. Eggbeaters are on sale at Performance, so I bought a pair (two pairs actually, the second for one of my road bikes) and put them on yesterday. The weather wasn't terribly cooperative here, but I did try them out briefly. The Eggbeaters seem to offer a nice tradeoff in that I can reposition the pedals when stopped easier than with toe clips and yet still get out without difficulty. Thanks for all the responses.

Jim

+4 or 5 for eggbeaters (candy SL for a poor color match)

Time ATAC XS (adjustable tension)

SPD's +3 (MTB, commuter, and fixed racer).

Spd's, Shimano and its knock off cousins

I'll second that

are those the ones with no float? I dunno but it seems like your knees would be ****ed up pretty fast with no float. I have the spd ish things that came on my pista. I like well enough. They are better imo than toe cages but they both have good points. Do you have any friend who would let you try their shoes? if so give it a whirl and see if they look like somthing you wanna do.
h

SPD (although have LOOK too on one of my road bikes). Go for a MTB pedal if you are worried about speed of getting out of them. Although even road ones are easy to get out of MTB pedals tend to be even easier. Heck, 99% of the time I'm getting out of my spd pedals without even thinking about it! (And the other one percent? Sure I thought about getting the shoe out, but even then it is too late and I'm out already. That is how easy it is when you are used to them and have them set up right)

All I have to say is be careful which clipless you choose if you go brakeless. I have popped out of so many SPD pedals during skids and stops. I went back to toe clips for a while before getting a pair of Time ATAC Carbons. I haven't popped out yet, and have the tension setting on "2", the second tightest setting.

I like the Time's because of the tension setting. Regardless of which type you decide on, make sure you regularly check your cleats for wear, and make sure your pedals' tension is tight.

+ eggbeaters. with MTB shoes.. I wont go back.

Float is a feature pedal manufactures tout so people don't blame their product for blown out knees. If you are fit to your bike properly and your cleats are installed to your shoes in a way that makes pedaling natural... float is not needed. Float just makes up for improperly fit bicycles.

i just got eggbeaters and sidi dominators and have been riding them for the last week and i'm in love.

+1. Crank those rascals down if you're going to be brakeless on the streets with SPD's, adn be ready to do the occasional eskimo roll when you can't get out fast enough.

Coming from someone who rides exclusivley SPD on all my bikes, I'd recomend staying the **** away from them for fixed gear use. It's a crapshoot for me riding wondering when (not if) my SPD's are going to unclip at a critical braking moment (brakeless). It certainly makes the ride a bit more interesting/ daring however.

I've been rolling some Crank Bros Mallets with a pair of SixSixOne Expert Mountain shoes for a couple weeks now and I dig the combo heartily.