Crank Bros eggbeater pedals - any good?

02gf74
02gf74 Posts: 1,170
edited June 2011 in MTB general
... bought a bike with these fitted and am quite impressed by the simplicity and ofcourse the weight so am thinking about changing over.

What are peoples experences of these type of pedal?

Are the cleats compatible across the range of eggbeaters? (I would need quite a few pairs :shock: )

Comments

  • Tank-slapper
    Tank-slapper Posts: 968
    Wouldn't use any other type of pedal and, yes, the cleats are the same.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I like them. The old ones need a bit of TLC to make them last - the outer bearing has a tendency to collapse at which point the body can slide off the axle, which isn't pleasant. I've been using a pair for 2 years though and have filled them with grease about 3 times in that period and they're still fine.

    New ones are far more durable.

    Check out Ward Industries ti spindles to make them significantly lighter for little money.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I've had a pair for 18 months and to be honest ?I haven't serviced them at all. Still seem to be going strong.

    Only thing I've found is the cleats seem to wear out quicker than other makes.

    Cheapest place seems to be here. Create a account and you can get them for £29.
  • andrewyzfr6
    andrewyzfr6 Posts: 194
    I got a set free with a bike a few years back, and found them an accident waiting to happen. I HATED them. But I have been using SPD's for nearly 20years, so I am biased. I can get out of spd's in my sleep without thinking, but i found the egg beaters difficult to say the least. Like a lot of other things, if your used to it, its fine. Im the same with Sram shifters, as Ive been using Shimano ones ever since I had mountain bikes .
    2011 Orange 224 evo race
    2009 Orange 5 pro
    2008 Scott Scale 30
    2002 S-works m5 fsr
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I disagree (having also used SPDs extensively). They're a marginally less positive action than SPDs, but I find them very easy to use. I did find once the cleats wore I got a lot of accidental releases, but that's par for the course really.
  • Pirahna
    Pirahna Posts: 1,315
    Eggbeaters have a small (ever so tiny) reputation for wearing grooves in the soles of shoes. Crank Bros sell a metal shield to sit between the cleat and the shoe to stop this. Using the shield can make clipping in very difficult if you tend to slide your forward into the pedal as the sheild catches the pedal.

    As mentioned, the older type need a bit of tlc with grease, bearing replacement etc. Also, the retention spring can lose a bit of tension, this coupled with wear to the under side of the retaining bars makes the pedal extremely sloppy. The sloppy feeling is even worse if you've grooves worn into the soles of your shoes.

    On the plus side, they're fairly light and shed mud very well.

    My wife uses them both on and off road and likes them. Her current collection includes 3Ti's, 4Ti's, stainless ones and a couple of pairs of Quattros. I'm not so keen and have just bought a pair of the new shape XTR's which I prefer. I'll buy a pair of the new XT's when they're available for the crosser. I use Looks on the road.

    The best model Eggbeater I've used is the Quattro, now sadly out of production. Tricky to get MTB shoes to engage nicely, but then it is a road model.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    For the other side - My friend and I have had a few sets of the old versions and they ve all fallen to bits within too shorter time. I now use Time Pedals which have an almost identical feel but last longer

    Not tried the new ones though....
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • anton1r
    anton1r Posts: 272
    What ever you buy don't buy the CB Smarty's mine have fallen to bits after 6 months (yes i know they are bottom of the range but 6 months use is taking the pee pee).

    No complaints comfort or fit wise from the pedals though.
    "I have a plan, a plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a fox." (from the Blackadder TV series)
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Yes Smarty's are utter rubbish, avoid!
    Using the shield can make clipping in very difficult if you tend to slide your forward into the pedal as the sheild catches the pedal.

    I disagree. There are black plastic shims, which are about 2mm thick, to space the cleat from the shoe if the tread fouls. These do nothing to stop the bars wearing into the sole, and IME also don't hinder clipping in.

    The Shoe Shields are tiny (probably 0.5mm) thick metal plates, which make no functional difference whatsoever. The plastic shims are often marketed as the shoe shields, but they're sommat totally different.

Categories