anyone use Crank Bros. pedals?

[jobob]

Hi -

I'm thinking of going clipless finally, and I was wondering if anyone here has anything to say, pro or con, about the Crank Bros. Eggbeater or Candy pedals?

I've been reading the reviews, all favorable so far as I can find, but I'd love to know if anyone has any first-hand experience with them.

I'm leaning towards the Candys because they have a platform, so in theory one can pedal some without being clipped in - that's important to me on those occasions when I need to scoot across an intersection the moment the light turns green, some of our intersections have very short-duration stoplights.

I also like the fact that they have a reasonable amount of float (6 degrees), and the cleats appear to be compatible with my Shimano SPD-style mountain bike shoes. Oh, and they look cool. :cool:

Comments appreciated.
- Jo.

[Veronica]

I have Shimano's double sided pedals on Fluffy and they have been fine for me. They're platform on one side and SPD on the other.

V.

[aka_kim]

I use the EggBeaters and love them. Entry/exit is very easy (easier than SPDs even), but your foot is very secure, and it actually feels like you have a good platform under your foot. At a green light you should be able to immediately clip in, and if not you can still pedal without difficulty.

I haven't tried the Candys, and don't know how they'd work without being clipped in. The SPDs Veronica mentioned would probably work best for that type of thing; that's what I used when I first went clipless.

But the EggBeaters/Candys do look cool (at least to some of us). And they're lightweight!

[jobob]

But the EggBeaters/Candys do look cool (at least to some of us). And they're lightweight! Heh, in my case the weight isn't such a deciding factor, considering all the stuff I schlep around along with 2 bottles of water on a lugged steel frame ... there is absolutely nothing aerodynamic about my Pokey :D

Thanks for your input, Kim - your comments are similar to what I've read on the net. Nice to hear them from someone I know (in a virtual sense).

And Veronica, thanks, I've been looking into the Shimano double-sided pedals too, they're high on my list. I'm just weighing the various options before I take the plunge.

- Jo.

[Surlygirl]

Hi Jobob,
I had the Shimano two sided to start with and my LBS said get rid of them. No float, bad for your knees and I found them hard to get out of clipped in. I changed to the Candies because they do have a small platform and they are so easy to get in and out of. I love them.

[Veronica]

That's interesting that your LBS said they have no float - they have 8 degrees according to the Performance catalog. I've been using mine for about a year now and have had no problems with knees, or clipping out.

Veronica

[Veronica]

Jo, did you want to use SPD cleats or Eggbeater cleats? You can put either into your shoes.

SPD cleats have more float - 8 degrees. Eggbeaters have 6.


Veronica

[Surlygirl]

Hi Again,
Ooops they are the Terry Clipless pedals. I still have them if anyone wants them. You can see them at the Terry site. I only used them half a season so they are in good shape.

[jobob]

Well, I'm trying out the Candys (eggbeater clips) this afternoon & tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes. My husband put Candys on his bike a couple of days ago and he really likes them. I've been test-riding my pedals on my hybrid hooked up to the trainer, using my husband's shoes (yes I hate to admit my feet are practically as large as his :p ) because I wasn't ready to use the pedals on my road bike on the training ride this morning. And yes, they are very easy to clip in and out of out of, altho I was having a bit of difficulty clipping in to one of the pedals - oddly enough only on one side of the pedal (my husband wouldn't believe me until I demonstrated about 10 times on each side of the pedal) but we'll see if that changes when I'm actually using my own shoes - I might need to tweak the mounting. I just put the cleats on my shoes and my personal mechanic is putting the pedals on Pokey even as I type this. Onward through the fog...

- Jo

[jobob]

I'm not 100% sold on the Candy pedals, yet. I'm having a bit of trouble with the clip mounting on one of my shoes. When I was practicing with my husband's shoes on the trainer I was having a bit of trouble clipping into left pedal, but with my shoes on my bike on the open road it's the right pedal I'm having a hard time clipping into. So I've been experimenting with moving the cleat back a bit on my foot on the right shoe, changing the angle a little bit, adding a shim, that kind of thing, and it seems to be helping. I have no problems whatsoever clipping into the left pedal, so I know there's hope!

I think part of the problem for me is that while sometimes the pedal makes a reasuring little click to let me know the cleat is engaged, often times it makes little or no sound so I have no audible cue that I'm in. I'm learning that if I put my weight more into the pedal to get it engaged, more like a stomping motion, then I get that click.

The good news is that while I'm having a bit of problem with clipping in, unclipping is no problem. This is good.

I think if/when I get the cleat adjusted on my right shoe so it works as well as my left, and get that stomping motion down, then I'll be pretty happy with these pedals. Maybe :rolleyes:

- Jo.

[aka_kim]

The Egg Beater cleats have different release angles to make one side easier to clip out than the other, I wonder if that also makes for more difficult entry?? You shouldn't have to stomp to get into a pedal -- that's why I hated Time ATACs when I used them, if I stomped wrong, my foot flew off the pedal. Ouch.

I wonder if there's a difference between the Candys and Egg Beaters? I have an extra pair of Egg Beaters that I plan to put on my mtn bike this spring, but I could loan them to you if you want to see if they're any easier than the Candys.

[grannydea]

I have to agree with Veronica, I have shimano pedals on the road bike and I have never in 3000+ miles had any trouble with cliping in or out.
Dea

[jobob]

Originally posted by aka_kim
The Egg Beater cleats have different release angles to make one side easier to clip out than the other, I wonder if that also makes for more difficult entry?? You shouldn't have to stomp to get into a pedal . It's not really a stomp, I just need to put a bit more pressure on the pedal than I had been.

I moved the cleat back a little bit more and I think that did the trick! What that did was slightly increase the angle between the front hook of the cleat and the sole of the shoe. Now when I put my foot on the pedal and push down and forward, 9 times out of 10 I immediately get that nice reasuring little click from the back hook of the cleat telling me all is right with the world. It think the one time in ten when it doesn't immediately engage, the egg beater part of the pedal might not be in a good spot relative to the platform to immediately engage - I either try again or flip the pedal over. This all sounds more complicated than it is but I've been thinking a lot about it :p


I wonder if there's a difference between the Candys and Egg Beaters? The Candys have the platform. I thought the platform would be a good thing to have, to pedal on when I'm not clipped in. The egg beater part rotates independently of the platform. Now I'm wondering if that 1 time out of 10, when I don't immediately clip in, the position of the eggbeater part relative to the platform might be a little off - the loop of the eggbeater might not be in the right place for it to be immediately engaged. Perhaps if there's no platform to get in the way that might not be an issue....


I have an extra pair of Egg Beaters that I plan to put on my mtn bike this spring, but I could loan them to you if you want to see if they're any easier than the Candys. That would be super, thank you !!! I'll contact you via PM.

- Jo.

[newfsmith]

I used eggbeaters for a while on my road bike. I found that I needed to angle my foot a little to click in, sort of the reverse of disengaging. I ultimately gave them up because I didn't like having to decide which pair of shoes to put on and then having to go change if I changed my mind about which steed. I decided I wanted all of my bikes to have the same pedals.

[jobob]

I've gotten the hang of the Candys and wow, you folks are right, clipless is the way to go [chorus of "Duh's" in the background]. Yeah I can be slow on the uptake sometimes ...

What I really notice is the added ease of going up hills - for long inclines I find I scooch back in the saddle a bit and pull up and over on the pedals as well as push downward, makes quite a difference. I was motoring up some hills today, and even the Dumbarton bridge took noticeably less effort. Now all I need is helium in my tires and I'll be all set ;)

Come to find out there are some muscles in my legs and butt that previously just gone along for the ride, they're putting up a bit of protest now that they've been put into service, but not as badly as I had initially feared !

Time to dig up that pedaling technique article I had bookmarked and actually put it to use... here it is if anyone else wants to see it ...
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10418&sidebar=21&category=cycling

Thanks to everyone for their advice!

- Jo

[SheSpeeds]

I am in love with Frogs. (interpret that as you may)

[jobob]

So, after all that messing around with the Candys, I passed by the bike store one day - I wasn't even planning on going in, really! - and there, on the whiteboard outside the door where they list the unadvertised sales, were Eggbeater C pedals for 1/3 off.

I figured it must be fate - I had told myself that I would try the eggbeaters if I ever found them on sale, and there they were the next day (I never did take Kim up on her kind offer for the loaner set, btw - but thanks again, Kim, for the offer!).

I wish I tried the eggbeaters from the very beginning - they worked perfectly from the get-go. I think the problem I had with one shoe with the Candys was interference of the sole of my shoe with the platform on the Candy pedal. This was remedied for the most part by messing with the position of the cleat on the sole of that shoe. But I had no such problem with the the Eggbeaters, presumably since they have no platform. Clipping in and out with either shoe is a breeze, no need for me to "fine tune" the cleat position.

Two thumbs up.

(My husband, who still likes the Candys, now has my old pair on his Bridgestone.)

[Crash]

I just ordered a new bike after almost 20 years with my wonderful custom Basso road bike. Wow, talk about culture shock, although I am fairly current with the MTB, I was sorely lacking in current knowledge on road bikes.
I am trying to decide on clipless pedals. I have been using Shimano SPD's on Specialized off road shoes. So do you notice the Crank Bros. more so than you may on platform type clip ons, hot spots, etc.
My bike should be ready in about a month and in June it is on to Bike Virginia...I am sooooooo excited. However the bike shops I talked to before commiting to my "choice bike" let me know I will have a serious learning curve.
I know this is rambling....
So how comfortable are Crank Bros. pedals on long rides?

[aka_kim]

My left foot has never complained about my Egg Beaters, my right foot, well, it hasn't liked any pedal system I've tried, although the problem with my right foot really isn't a hot spot.

LBS guys always insist you need a large platform road pedal to avoid hot spot problems, who knows, maybe they're right. I always had the sensation that I could feel the pedal axle with SPDs though, and never have that feeling with Egg Beaters. Back to my left foot :), I've never had problems at any distance, with my longest ride 109 miles.

[jobob]

While doing some Google research on eggbeaters I came across some discussion on hotspots; I think the general consensus was that people who are generally prone to foot discomfort would want to consider moving the cleat a tiny ways back on the sole of the shoe, i.e. not have it right over the ball of the foot. If I can come across that info again I'll post some links.

It's very easy to adjust the cleat position on SPD-compatible shoes, all you need is an allen (hex) wrench.

I use Shimano M037-W (W for women's sizing) - technically they are mountain bike shoes but I likes them. They do have rather thick soles which was probably the cause of my problem with one shoe not clipping in easily into the Candy pedals (which are eggbeaters with a platform), as I had detailed above. When I switched to the plain Eggbeaters (sans platform) that problem magically disappeared, plus I notice more float with the Eggbeaters than I did with the Candys (probably on account of the soles of my shoes making contact with the platforms on the Candys, restricting movement somewhat) - and I like to wiggle my feet around a little bit, so the float is nice, and it might even prevent hotspots for all I know.

I've been using the Eggbeaters for a couple of weeks now and I've experienced no foot discomfort whatsoever, and that's after about 200 miles, including a 58 mile ride a couple of weekends ago and a 68 mile ride this past Saturday. I really really like these pedals!

HTH,
- Jo.

[Crash]

Thanks for the replies about Crank Bros. It brought up some issues I wouldn't have thought about...thickness of the soles etc.
Thanks,
crash

[ChainsOflove]

I like the combo flat/SPD pedals for riding in Boston. Its so dangerous sometimes, you really have to be clipped out.

Want to try the candies for other riding. But I just can't stand the confusion about different cleat/clips/shoes/bikes. Its taken me six months to get used to what I have now!

[SadieKate]

Having been the route of all kinds of clipless pedals with recessed cleats, I can attest to Crank Bros being the best. I use mine for mtb and just love them. Haven't tried the Candy but I think for using about town or on a road ride they would be good -- or any type of riding where you think having a platform would be nice.

Regarding some of the difficulty getting into the pedal -- have you attached your shoe to the pedal and turned it over to see if the sole and the pedal are touching? This is not uncommon with small shoes, but even my size 11 hubby sometimes must trim his soles.

Get out the old Dremel tool, do some careful carving and presto!

[jobob]

Originally posted by SadieKate Regarding some of the difficulty getting into the pedal -- have you attached your shoe to the pedal and turned it over to see if the sole and the pedal are touching? This is not uncommon with small shoes, but even my size 11 hubby sometimes must trim his soles.
Get out the old Dremel tool, do some careful carving and presto! Hi SadieKate -
I actually tried trimming a little bit off the sole of the one shoe that was giving me trouble while I was still using the Candy pedals (the ones with the platform), which helped a little, but then when I found the EggBeaters on sale and gave them a try, the problem magically disappeared.
OTOH, my husband has not had any problems at all with Candy pedals. I must have a mutant shoe or something.

I really likes my Eggbeaters!

- Jo.

[bikerINco]

i ride Eggbeaters and now love them...i wasn't totally sold from the beginning. i was having trouble clipping in, but since have adjusted my cleats and it's perfect now.

the Candies on the other hand....my friend had them & hated them. Mainly because she didn't test them with her shoes. She had to shave the bottom treads of her shoes down in order for them to engage correctly.

I believe it was Mountain biking Mag where i read that tons of pro riders are switching to the eggbeaters. it says a bunch about their performance and the weight of the eggbeaters makes them attractive as well.

[emily_in_nc]

I have Candys Eggbeaters on my touring bike and mtb and love them. I had to shave down the sole of my shoes first, like several people have said, since I have clunky (like hiking shoes) mtb shoes. Once I did that, no more clipping in problems, and I really like everything about these pedals - very easy to use, and the colors are nice too! :)

Emily

[Surlygirl]

Check out the new Crank Brothers Quattro pedals too, they even come in candy colors, even pink.