PEdal question -= difference between candies and eggbeaters [Archive]

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farrellcollie

07-14-2006, 01:39 PM

I have a question about the difference between crank bros candy pedals and the eggbeaters. I understand that the candies have a platform and the eggbeaters don't - but what I don't understand is what difference it makes. Can anyone help? Thank you.

SalsaMTB

07-14-2006, 02:23 PM

Candies will give you a slightly larger contact area on your shoe, depending on the shoe you are using.

Here is a picture of the candy w/ road shoe
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/9972/roadshoe5as.jpg

As you can see, there is no contact at all on the platform. They will do nothing for you

Here is an image of the candy with a trail shoe, has some grip, but pretty smooth
http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/3466/trailshoe6wm.jpg

There is still a small gap between the platform and the shoe. So they will do nothing for this type of shoe

Below is a picture of the candy with a meaty mountain shoe (sorry, not the greatest)
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/7425/mountainshoe7nk.jpg

As you can see there is contact points near the bolt and the spindle. It is only slightly more contact near the bolt of a standard C pedal, but on the spindle side you do get a decent amount of more contact. This may help distribute the pressure a little bit

If you are looking for a shoe with a platform, this isn't the way to go, go for the mallets. They give good contact on a mountain shoe and can be used with a normal shoe. Personally, the tiny amout of additional contact the Candy give, I really don't see a need for it. I think people like them because they see the small platform and perceive it as doing more than it really does.

bcipam

07-14-2006, 02:27 PM

Crank Brothers make the Eggbeater Pedals which come in different styles such as Candies, Mallets etc. The original Eggbeater is a small, 4 sided pedal which frankly looks like an eggbeater or whisk (you know like to cramble eggs with), Candies (as shown above) have a small platform which surrounds the eggbeater pedal, Mallets have a very large platform (and are suited for mountain biking).

The amount of surface supposedly distributes force outward. Many people like the smallness and ease of the original Eggbeater, plus it's very light weight. Platforms add weight but you gain some stability.

SadieKate

07-14-2006, 02:32 PM

2 things: the platform on the Candies give you a more stable platform if you need to ride unclipped for a section of trail and it also provides a bigger platform in general for those who prefer more support under their feet (for instance, if you don't use a stiff-soled shoe).

Someone riding XC trails might be fine with Eggbeaters and someone riding mostly downhill might want the Candies, but it really is personal preference.

Nanci

07-14-2006, 02:39 PM

Sierra Trading Post has plain Eggbeaters on sale right now.

Nanci

bcipam

07-14-2006, 03:15 PM

farrellcollie

07-14-2006, 03:36 PM

Sierra tradingpost has the eggbeaters on sale and performance has candies on sale for the same price. I am looking to put clipless on my hybrid(commute) bike. My road bike has spd on it (so I am not cool at all - but I just prefer the mtb shoes).

SadieKate

07-14-2006, 04:03 PM

Do you have 2 pairs of shoes? The Crank Bros cleats and the SPD cleats are different. Maybe you knew that. Just checking . . .

Nanci

07-14-2006, 04:04 PM

Second that- I HATE road shoes. I should sell my perfectly good ones...

farrellcollie

07-14-2006, 04:27 PM

I have heavier soled mtb shoes with the spds. I have some flexier soled lakes that I was going to start using to commute - they were not stiff enough for my longer road biking - feet would go numb. But I figure they would work fine for commuting 8-10 miles round trip. And the sneaker-y look would go better with my regular commute clothes too.

Also - thanks for all the advice and the pictures really helped me. I still haven't decided what to use (maybe spd pedals - the "campus" ones") - but at least now I kind of know what I am thinking about.

emily_in_nc

07-14-2006, 05:38 PM

Okay, I admit it, I prefer the Candies to plain Eggbeaters for the colors! :D

I put blue Candy SL's on my Bike Friday to match (exactly!) the blue handlebar tape (the bike is white and has red accessories/bags), and they just look cute! When I get my new (used) Titus Racer X mtb back from its tuneup at the LBS, I am going to move the blue pedals over since I'm not riding on the road right now, and they exactly match my front fork!

I have gray Candy C's on my current Novara Bonita mtb; they go nicely with the frame as well.

Candies also come in red, yellow, and pink, I think. It's a fun way to accessorize your bike as some of us like to do. :p

Emily

P.S. And the pedals work great too! :D

DirtDiva

07-15-2006, 03:37 AM

TsPoet

07-16-2006, 07:25 PM

How's the mud clearance on the Candies? It looks like it'd be pretty good. My SPDs (a pretty entry-level model thereof, though) aren't the greatest in that respect, so I was thinking about replacing them before next winter...
The mud clearance on eggbeaters, regardless of which variety, is excellent. The eggbeater is a 4-sided spindle, that looks like an eggbeater. As such, mud can be pushed on through.
I have a Candy on one bike and Eggbeaters on another, like them both equally well. The Candies really aren't enough of a platform to make that much difference IMHO - I'd get straight eggbeaters, or maybe go for the Mallets if the platform is that important.
I have a friend with plantar fascia, he can't use Eggbeaters, too small a platform for him. Everyone else I know who uses them loves them.

wavedancer

07-17-2006, 07:02 AM

After hearing all the rave reviews about eggbeaters, I got some on sale at EMS and tried them on my mtb. My BF bike-wrench put them and the cleats on for me, we trimmed the soles a little bit, but for the life of me I could not get them to clip in! I occasionally did, but not consistently enough to warrant changing them. I would have everything apparently lined up correctly, standing on the pedals, and they still would not clip in. No problem clipping out, once I did get clipped in.

I tried them because I was having some trouble clipping in on my Frogs, but after replacing the cleats and putting a little white lightening on the pedals, the Frogs are working fine. So it's Frogs for me!

I have kept the SPDs on my road bike and feel very comfortable with them. Chose the Frogs for the mtb for the ease of getting out of them quickly...still not quick enough at times!

Linda

bcipam

07-17-2006, 11:26 AM

It's interesting you like Frogs but have trouble with Eggbeaters. The engage system is similar. With some pedals (like my Time Z Control) you "click" and slid. With Frogs and Beaters you just slid so what you do is just start pedaling and the cleat engages. If you try stomping on them hoping the cleat will "click" it won't work. Beaters are really easy to get into. Maybe your cleat was not properly adjusted (is it facing the right way?).

farrellcollie

07-17-2006, 12:52 PM

I oredered a pair of both the candies and the campus pedals - if I like the candies-I will put them on road bike- if not I will send them back. the campus pedals are for one of the two commuting bikes I have - to see how the clip on one side/nonclip on the other works. I will report back

emily_in_nc

07-17-2006, 04:19 PM

As much as I like my Eggbeaters Candies, I have to admit that I am having clipping in problems as well. I never had this problem on the road that I recall (same shoes), but now that I am mountain biking, I have problems gettng that second foot in about 50% of the time. I've shaved down the sole of my shoe, so it's not that; I think it's the rough and tumble terrain I am riding on making it very hard to clip in while coasting since I'm bumping all over and my foot is jumping around on the pedal until I get clipped in. It's hard to get my foot stable enough to line it up in exactly the right place on the pedal to clip in. It's not the amount of force required but just getting my cleat directly over the pedal that seems to be a problem.

Any tips from other women riding trails with Eggbeater pedals? I'm very new to mtb and mostly used Speedplay X series pedals on the road (put Eggbeater Candies on my road touring bike, though).

Thanks,
Emily

cherinyc

07-19-2006, 07:46 AM

TsPoet

07-19-2006, 07:59 AM

Any tips from other women riding trails with Eggbeater pedals? I'm very new to mtb and mostly used Speedplay X series pedals on the road (put Eggbeater Candies on my road touring bike, though).

Thanks,
Emily

Don't know if this will help, but I find that I can clip in really easy if I put the cleat just behind the pedal and push up. I'm on a recumbent, so I'd think the oposite on a DF would be to push forward. I've never been able to swipe down, like on an SPD.

SalsaMTB

07-19-2006, 09:31 AM

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the Crank Brothers Smarty's. My LBS guy put them on my new (my first) road bike - as an introduction to clipless pedals. Once I got the feeling down they're pretty easy to get in and out of. I fell over once last week, but on the way down, while panicking, my foot came unclipped without me breaking an ankle or anything.
They look just like the Candies but are about $40-$50 cheaper.

The Smarties and the MXRs are good pedals for beginners. They're lightweight, less expensive, and I believe have the same clipping mechanism. The difference comes with the bearings and serviceability. I could definitely feel a difference in smoothness when I rotated the pedal with my hand (didn't try but probably couldn't tell with my foot). Also, the higher end pedals can be overhauled, the Smarties and MXRs can not, once they're operating poorly, it's time to throw them away. They are definitely great pedals though to try going clipless with, you don't need to invest $100 for a reliable pedal. Once you fall in love, then you can upgrade!

postiechic

07-30-2006, 02:35 AM

ok..so if i were to get some crank bros pedals that i can use with shoes other than cycling shoes.....which pedals would be suitable....mallet? 50/50?

RedRansV2

07-30-2006, 08:05 PM

Okay, I admit it, I prefer the Candies to plain Eggbeaters for the colors! :D

Emily

P.S. And the pedals work great too! :D
Eggsactly! (That was so bad. I'm ashamed of myself.)

SalsaMTB

07-31-2006, 02:21 PM

ok..so if i were to get some crank bros pedals that i can use with shoes other than cycling shoes.....which pedals would be suitable....mallet? 50/50?

Are you planning on using cleats at all? The Mallets will give you the option to clip in, but have a great base for riding with normal shoes. The 50/50 are just a platform pedal, you can not clip in to them!

I know someone who has the mallets because she would like to one day try clipless, but currently rides with regular running shoes. They work OK for her. I personally have not tried them though.

postiechic

07-31-2006, 10:54 PM

i've been wanting to get some shoes for ages....just gotta get round to it. I have a set of wellgo clipless pedals on my bike at the moment and i could just use them; but I've been reading so much good stuff on the crank bros pedals that I thought i'd like them too! Buttttt....sometimes, I reckon i might just wanna hop on the bike with running shoes and i know it aint all that comfy when my feet end up on the 'clip side' of my current pedals.

SalsaMTB

08-01-2006, 05:40 AM

I would definitely look into the mallets then. If your lbs has them in stock, maybe you could ask them to put them on a bike so you can see how it feels with a running shoe. Take it out for a test ride, see how it feels. It's pretty easy to put pedals on and off a bike, I can't imagine a shop not doing this for you!

Good luck!