After snapping two egg beater spindles (no, not the usual collapsed bearing problem, I actually snap the spindles) I replaced them with Ward Industries titanium spindles which have a 235lb rider weight limit.
Just Riding Along last night (about 9km/h up a 15% grade on tarmac according to my GPS since you ask) I snapped a WI spindle.

I like the design of Egg beaters, but I can’t go on like this.
Any opinions on Look Quartz ?

Yes – horrible.

I’ll sell you a pair with very little use for £15 if you want to try them out? 😉

They are horrible though. Vague engagement and release and a reall tall profile.

Best I’ve used are the newer Shimano trail style pedals – loads of lateral support, nice low profile, and a reliable mechanism with positive entry/release.

They are horrible though. Vague engagement and release and a reall tall profile.

+1, worst product I’ve tried. Had some cheap ones and some Carbon Ti ones and they were utterly crap!

I bring you Shimano SPD.

Oh, Ok then. How about Time, they look like a similar engagement system.

Just to muck it all up 😀 I’ve had a set of Carbon/Ti Quartz fitted to my bike since 2008 ish – put some proper miles on them and they are still going. Slight bit of play in one bearing but i won’t be doing anything to them anytime soon.

Proper setup is key with them.

They have changed the design with them though – the new ones have a third bar in them to make them engage harder etc.

What’s wrong with 540s?

The rate you destroy stuff Graham any sort of boutique pedal is a bad idea.

GB

time,had a pair since 2000 still going strong 😀

I like the novelty of having a shimano free bike.

Anyway, that’s two votes against Look and one for, plus one vote for Time.
No mention that I can find of replacement bearings anywhere for either of them though.

Haven’t the new egg beaters got a 5 year warranty ?
I wonder if it’s worth trying them.

Time Z Freeride.

You won’t need bearings because you will have worn the cages out first.

Hth
Marko

A few years ago it was genuinely difficult to have a Shimano-free mountain bike (I had a friend who ran a short cage campag mech to complete his Shimano-free bike). But now SRAM is in the game it’s easy as pie and refusing to run superior components for a novelty that isn’t a novelty is… proving a point to no-one.

MidlandTrailquestsGraham – Member
Haven’t the new egg beaters got a 5 year warranty ?
I wonder if it’s worth trying them.

Not the EggBeater 1’s though.

Bang on Superficial!

Some of the Eggies have a 5-year warranty, others much less.

Look at the weights and the different bearing types on CRC.

The better models have needle bearing inners which weigh more than a polymer bush.

I sympathise with your problem and wait for my eggies with ebay Ti axles to fail at a bad moment, but not happened yet.

However, I have Shimano SPD-525s that have done nearly 40,000 miles with only one strip and grease.
They seem truly strong, over-engineered and more prone to clogging.

So, pay your money and enjoy the ride.

PaulD

strange old world isn’t it. I love my look quartz carbon, better than my XTR’s and silly light. They’ve also taken a right old kicking with rock strikes etc in the peak district and they haven’t missed a beat.

My vote goes with the “don’t mess about, just buy Shimano” crowd.

I’ve had Eggbeaters (about 6 months to failure) and Time (about a year to failure) in the past.

I’ve had Shimano M520s for two years now, and they’ve been great. Just about the most no-fuss components on my bike. They’ve done the Divide twice (5,400 miles there), plus all my other riding in that period. And they cost £20.

I thought that lack of float or clogging could be a problem, but I actually prefer the more secure feeling and I haven’t had any clogging.

If you want to spend > £100 and be non-mainstream, I’ll polish the Shimano logo off for £80 🙂

Aidan +1

I use Egg Beaters because they’re light. Change to Shimanos over winter, to stop the CBs falling apart. Shimanos work forever!

Still using Times I bought in 1998. Strip down & replace the bearings every five years or so and say goodbye to pedal angst.

I like Time atacs/rocs. Similar feel to eggbeaters and as good at clearing mud but last much, much, much longer.

I was thinking of running these spindles what do weigh if you don’t mind me asking and where do the break.

I have the old Eggbeater C with ebay Ti axles at 227g (were 293g with standard CroMo).

I also have Candy X with CB Ti axles at 241g

I also have Candy X with standard CroMo axles at 300g

Ti axles are approx £25 from Taiwan on ebay.

PaulD

Just to bring it back to the real world:

The difference in weight between the CroMo and Ti is pretty close to 30 Maltesers !

SPD – shimano pedaling dynamics

enough said.

No shimano lover here but I have spds on all my bikes and they just work.

Been using Speedplay Frogs for 12+ years. I’m sorted.

This is the broken Ward Industries spindle.

I’ve got 3 pairs of egg beaters with WI spindles and I have lost track of which ones are which as I have swapped them between bikes.
I bought my first pair in August 2010, so assuming a worst case scenario that I have done all my mileage on one set, they have lasted no more than 15000km.
They are rated for a maximum rider weight of 235lbs (106kg). I weigh about 95kg.

Dave, the Speedplay Frogs say they are compatible with SPD road shoes. I take it that means they have got a three bolt fixing for the cleats ?

are yours the old eggbeater design – don’t the new ones have thicker axles?

I use Look 4x4s but they are susceptible to axles breaking I believe as well, but the mud clearance is a good feature of the eggbeater design.

If you really don’t want Shimano, I think both Ritchie and Wellgo make Shimano-style pedals that do the same job the same way, and only slightly worse…

Time for me, bearings are penny’s and even a numpty like me can change them easily. The only way I’ve worn out one of a set, was to wear through the cage, took quite a few years though.

are yours the old eggbeater design – don’t the new ones have thicker axles?

Those are the older ones, dunno about thicker, but they don’t have the ‘steps’ in the axle, which are obvious stress raisers.

You have to get the 3 or the 11 IIRC though, the 1 certainly doesn’t, and I don’t think the 2 has the new design.

Time Atacs got good reviews here and here, which means they appear to meet my criteria of being both niche and reliable, so that’s what I’ve gone for.
I’ll let you know when I break them.

i switched to times from beaters. i also snapped a candy axle in half ( stainless one ), which prompted my move. had to re-equip 5 bikes so it wasn’t a choice made lightly.
been running them for a year or two now. difficult to remember as i just don’t think about them, they just work. more positive click in and out than EBs, with the same advantages EBs provide. because the clips on times are isolated from the internals they don’t let crap in after a period of service.
i’d recommend aliums over atacs as they provide a little more support and their action is a bit more positive. i also use z-freeride and like them too.

Time pedals are the way ahead.

I’ve been running Tme ATACs for 15 years or so, no real problems.

First lasted 4 or 5 years with no maintenance at all, bearings seized one day just bought a new set.

Has anyone mentioned time yet?..best ones by a mile IMO 😀 the brass cleats wear quicker than shimanu ones tho,..

I’ll let you know when I break them.

Three days later and here’s the RH pedal spindle, complete with inner bearing race.

And here’s the pedal body with outer race and balls.

WOW I have never seen or heard of a broken Time Atac pedal of any sort since I came off the road bike and started mtbing in 98!

What are you doing to them? With this and your broken frames you must really be tough on kit

I really don’t know how I did it.
Probably about 100km use, both wheels on the ground at all times.
I noticed a click from the pedal while riding up a slight hill on tarmac again. I stopped to check and could see that the pedal body was moving on the spindle, although it wouldn’t slide right off.

I’m about 95kg and when I had a go on a Powertap once I managed a 3 second maximum of about 700w.
I see videos of downhillers jumping 30′ drops and hear about road racers putting out 1500w and they don’t break pedals.
How do I do it plodding along slowly on a mountain bike ?

Just buy some XTRs and be done with it…

Or even some 540s which is what I use on all my MTBs, even racey ones. Pedals take such a hammering even XTR only lasted a couple of seasons so now I just get a set of £25 540s every now and again.

There are some parts that I insist on using no matter what else is available – Shimano pedals top of the list.

GB

There are some parts that I insist on using no matter what else is available – Shimano pedals top of the list.

I would agree with this although the drive-side of my 3 ride old XT Trail SPD pedal has already developed play. Despite this, I’d still recommend Shimano as I guess I’ve just got unlucky as my previous Shimano pedals have all proved very reliable.