My SPD's are knackered so need some new ones.
Was thinking about trying some Egg Beaters.
People who have used both, what differences will I notice?
much more floaty feel with eggbeaters and more maintenance required.
Eggbeaters don't clog with mud as much so should make an ideal winter pedal, except that the bearings last about five minutes in same mud. Also think that Eggbeaters are expensive for what they are. Would suggest Look pedals as a cheaper, more robust alternative with the same weight saving.
lots and lots of egg beater reliability issues, stick with your SPDs
Eggbeaters feel much more floaty (worryingly so at times - I didn't like it, not feeling connected with the bike) and wear out/break in record time ... AVOID.
Get Time ATACs, more float than an SPD but not as much as an eggbeater, more robust than an SPD, hold the cleat well even when using worn cleats (unlike shimano)
Best pedals I've ever used. From what I gather, look use a similar system though I can't vouch for those.
I have a set of candy c's if you want them for £22 - they are new and unused.
I've just gone the other way.
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/i-love-eggbeaters-but-this-is-the-last-straw
Eggbeaters are every bit as good as their supporters claim in that they are easy to engage (regardless of the leevel of mud) and give loads of float. They also have fantastic support in the UK from 2Pure.
[b]BUT[/b]
The reason I switched is because I've broken every pair I've owned, despite maintenance and rebuilds. The wings break worryingly easily from pedal strikes, and sometimes just because they feel like it. The bearings disintegrate; you find out that they've died when you have a pedal attached to your shoe rather than to the axle. Springs lose their tension and need to be replaced. The final straw for me was breaking the axle - literally snapping it in half - when commuting across London.
After years away from SPD I've gone back to them, and although they don't have as much float, now that I've been using them for a month I can honestly say that I'll not be going back to Eggbeaters. Especially when you can get XTR SPDs for less than the best on-line price for the Eggbeater SLs.
Went across a couple of years back - never had a problem yet. Maintain my Crank Bros pedals less than I ever did my SPDs and not had a single issue. Slightly more float on the pedals but not in a bad way. Clear much better than SPD too. Don't know what the fuss re maintaining is all about.
I had one pair that got 'a bit clicky' after 2 years on the daily(ish) commute.
I changed them as I feared (from reading on here) that they were about to fall apart and replacements at the time were on offer.
They served me very well though and I still carry them as spares...just in case!
Click crunch crack
Broken.
(I use Candy's) There's no tensioning involved - they can't be too tight or too loose, so not much fannying about on set up. The shoe cleats swap over (left foot to right foot etc) making clip out easier or harder depending on preference.
They clear mud and scrub up very easily (it just drops out the bottom).
They're low profile.
They have 6 degrees of float, which saves your knees/ankles from strain.
Bearings do need simple maintenance for longer life (it tells you this in the manual). The more expensive ones are supposedly more robust but I can't confirm this. However, all parts are replaceable and interchangeable.
They're light.
Unclipping (when you want to) is easier (subjective opinion) - which can feel a bit unsettling after SPD's, but you realise eventually they stay clipped in solid until you want them out.
Had a pair of eggbeaters on the main bike for about 2 years (about 2.5k miles)no issues but have serviced them three times since new) Got a pair on my commuter (about 1k miles) no problems and yet to be serviced. I think they're hit and miss judging by the love/hate relationship on here...
I've been using Eggbeaters for years and years (~2003). I hate SPD's, horrible feeling when riding and they clog up in the mud and freeze in the ice/snow.
Never had a problem despite big mileage. The newer models with larger bearings have a 5 year warranty.
Excellent bit of kit, I will never change from them.
Never had a problem despite big mileage. The newer models with larger bearings have a 5 year warranty.
Warranty is nice to have, and as I say I was very well looked after by 2Pure, but the very fact they need to offer such a good service, and that I had to call on it, sort of tells its own story. And when you're miles from anywhere with a failed pedal, it's not much fun.
Excellent bit of kit, I will never change from them.
Yep, I said that too. Until I realised I was carrying a spare pair of pedals on longish rides, just in case they failed, at which point I came to my senses.
OP - it's your money and your decision. If you value float and really light weight over everything else, go for the Eggbeaters, but with your eyes (and wallet) wide open.
Many people say that 'beaters break, need too much servicing etc but that really is not my experiance. I swicthed from (XTR 959) SPDs 6+ years ago and never had any problems. Replaced the bearings probably 3 or 4 times and I re-fill them with grease probably 3 times a year. Thats's all and prob 3-4000km per year, all off road and pretty gnarly. Wings are wearing out and need replacing now but that's fair enough.
C