Eggbeaters for My FG
 

I plan on making the switch to clipless pedals soon and I was wondering if Eggbeaters (with their corresponding cleats) can work with the Specialized Sonoma road shoes http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...jsp?spid=40334. The Sonoma's are SPD-compatible which I've read from previous threads does not work on Eggbeaters, however, can the shoes themselves have the Crank Brothers cleats installed in them? I'm new to the clipless scene so the different brands and potential conflict between shoes/cleats/pedals can be a bit confusing, and mostly I like the look and potential walk-ability of the Sonomas. I appreciate everyone's patience with my ignorance.

Eggbeaters use SPD style cleats (2 hold, side by side), so those shoes will work fine.

Thanks for the clarification! Also, does anyone have any specific preferences on which type of eggbeaters to use? The only road specific one seems to be the Quattro, which is difficult to find. The Candy, Smarty, and plain Eggbeaters all look like good possibilities; what do you guys prefer?

Edit: I should add that I weigh 195 so if one type is sturdier than the other I would obviously prefer it.

The Quattros would be great if you can find them (they're on Ebay still usually), but other than that it depends on how much you want to spend, the SLs are all equal, the Tis are all equal etc. The Smarty is just a low-level non-rebuildable version of the Candy, but other than those two it just goes by price. I've noticed most street riders (on Eggbeaters) tend to prefer the Candy pedals, which is what I use as well.

I use Eggbeater C's on my road bikes and SL's on my mountain bikes. I don't like Candies or Mallets, both are harder for me to clip into than standard Eggbeaters. The Mallets are harder to get out of also.

Since I have a stable full of bikes, and I want them all to have a set of pedals, I simply grab the cheapest sets I can find. If you intend to ride at all in street shoes, I highly suggest, at very least, Candies- shoes will slip/roll off of eggbeaters.

If you want a 'road pedal' but also want Quattros, I would suggest against it- go with SPDs instead (people might suggest TIME ATACs, but I don't find the prices to be appealing). SPDs are cheap, plentiful, and mechanically good for the price. That said, I like my Crank Bros for the easy entry and play once clipped in (so smooth that sometimes I forget I'm clipped), but accidental unclippings in hard riding arent uncommon, and I've trashed two cheap sets by whacking rocks and curbs.

^ yes.
just get atacs.

Yeah I'm getting a lot of negative reviews on the Eggbeaters; many people say they crap out on you a lot faster than other pedals. The Time ATACs on the other hand are apparently very durable, so I might end up with them. I mostly wanted a solid road pedal and now that you mention it Raiden, I would like to be able to ride with regular shoes if I'm in a pinch. Thanks for the advice and if any of you have other pedal preferences please let me know.

time atacs for sure

For something like fixed gear riding which critically relies on staying clipped in, I would avoid the Eggies.

I rode a pair of Eggbeaters for at least two years and mostly they were great. Probably the most pleasant-to-use clipless pedals I've ever had. That said, I use Time ATAC Aliums now and wouldn't switch back if one paid me too. Not as brainless to get in/out of as the Eggbeaters, but insanely durable (just don't lose the end cap) and they feel FAR more secure. They can also be had for a song on sale.

>For something like fixed gear riding which critically relies on staying clipped in, I would avoid the Eggies.<

I've never unclipped from my eggbeaters when I didn't want to.

and I didn't die when I rode my FG with flats... Its a benefit but not essential to FG riding.

I use Eggbeaters on all my bikes (except my BMX and beach cruiser) and I find them to be excellent. Especially when you do charity or organized/supported rides like I do... it's nice to be able to walk around normally.

I've climbed, sprinted, cruised and rode some serious single tracks all on eggbeaters without any problems. I use Pearl Izumi Quest MTB shoes.

I used to have Look style cleats and pedals and I hated them. They retained great, but walking/chilling and unclipping kinda sucked. The Eggbeaters 4-way clip in and ease of getting in and out, rules.

I rode eggbeater candies for 3 yrs without ever unclipping accidentally. The mechanism tightens when you pull up, so clipping shouldn't be an issue unless things are worn or damaged, which isn't a particular flaw of eggbeaters. However, the spring broke in one of the pedals at ~2 yrs, and others have experienced spring failure (same spring in all models, regardless of spindle type -- somebody correct me if I'm wrong), so I've decided to try atacs next. I also wouldn't kid yourself into thinking about riding on candies with regular street shoes. The small platform is handy for clipping in and brief periods unclipped in your bike shoes, but they absolutely suck in street shoes.

the problem with eggbeaters is not necessarily their tendency to unclip, but just how fragile they seem to be. in every eggbeater or crank bro thread, someone always mentions having to send them in for warranty or replacement because something broke on them. you rarely, if at all, hear the same for time atac. If you must use crank bros products, spend the hundreds of dollars on the higher end stainless or ti versions as they seem to break less frequently.

or just spend $45 on atac aliums and never worry.

where can you find aliums for $45?

Tree Fort Bikes.

oh, and I meant $54, not $45. Still a deal.

It can happen reliably under certain circumstances. If you smack the bottom into a rock hard enough, while pulling up on the pedal, you can almost always unclip yourself. I know it doesn't seem like it's that much of an issue, but it gets annoying when they're used offroad.

Once I realized how I kept on getting loose, I found I could unclip myself as quickly using a rock as by twisting my ankle (well, maybe not, but close)

Yea that was the cheapest I could find them, was hoping for $45...

get atacs I have had friends break eggbeaters while riding fixed YMMV

I think I'll give the Time ATACs a try. The Tree Fort deal sounds good and I like giving them my business if I can. I plan on riding my first half century next month and I don't really want to do it with toe cages.

i love my Eggbeaters but I don't skid nor am i likely to, I have a front brake and I'm not afraid to use it. I put a pedal down on a curb the other day as I was squeezed off the road by a passing car. the detachment was a but spooky but I was sorta expecting it...I love the float Eggbeaters have not to mention the ease of entry

>If you smack the bottom into a rock hard enough,<

I don't ride my fg off road, so not an issue. On the other hand,

>I put a pedal down on a curb the other day as I was squeezed off the road by a passing car. the detachment was a but spooky<

So I see it's possible - but not likely.

I'm on the fence about the two also, but I feel like the shoes that you can walk in won't be very comfy anyway, so I'd want to bring another pair to walk in.. Might as well get the road pedals. Are Time atacs road pedals?