Eggbeaters?

[nuthatch]

I have just a very early report - I've been using the Eggbeater Candy Cs on my bike up on the trainer for about a month and I really like them. They seem to be easy in/easy out and I've had no trouble with my shoes coming out of them while riding (unlike the spd type pedals I tried). I also have a high instep and wide feet (Cannondale mtb clog-style size 10) and had difficulty with a "hotspot" on my left foot with the SPDs. I had only a brief spell of discomfort at the beginning with the Candys and this was solved by puting an arch-support insole in the shoe. Some of the folks here suggested that there's a foot muscle learning curve when you start out with clipless and I think they are right. I have the cleat all the way up at the ball of my foot (as close to the toe of the shoe as it will go).

We'll see what happens when I take them out on the road in about a month. I commute to work each day and take longer rides on the weekend so I should have plenty of opportunity to fall down!

[CorsairMac]

Don't use Eggbeaters but I do have a wide foot with a very high instep. I wear Specialized MTB shoes and love them. I use the SPDs and haven't have any problems with them other than operator error. I noticed the first week I rode clipless some tenderness on the inside of my feet between the achilles tendon and my ankle and extending halfway up my calf but the tenderness is gone now and I haven't had any problems since. I can't imagine riding a bike any other way!

[Deanna]

Egggbeaters are the first and only type of clipless I've used and I was nervous about the "inevitable" getting stuck and falling over but it has NEVER happened. Even when I've had to come to a sudden stop. I suppose that would make them good for areas where you experience a lot of stop and go. I've only used the original style so I can't speak for the Candys.

[SadieKate]

I use both the original style (on my XC mtb) and Candies (on my kinda-freeride mtb). The only difference is that the Candies have a platform that rotates around the eggbeater part. This means there is a more support and stability if you just need to slam your foot on the pedal and go, not worrying about getting immediately clipped in. I love them. I used Ritcheys before and the Eggbeaters are far superior for ease of clipping in/out, shedding mud, etc. I love the 4-sided entrance, lack of maintenance, blah-blah-blah . . .

I use Looks on my 2 road bikes and the tandem simply because I have for 20(?) years and it would be expensive to swap and I like the wide platform of the Look. Look cleats aren't friendly for stop and go road riding.

Regarding shoes, don't know what price range you're in but Sidi's fit a very high instep (at least the Dominators/Geniuses do) and are available in wide widths. That said, my hubby has wide feet and did not need to buy the wide ones. I have narrow feet and an incredibly high arch and instep and love my Sidis.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I agree on the Sidi Dominators - I have high arches, and these shoes are great. In fact, they were the only shoes of the many that I tried on that worked for me.

[Surlygirl]

I love the candies. I have them on my road bike and never have a problem getting in or out and I like having a little platform. Make sure you look at the cleats when you mount them. One has two dots on the cleat and depending on which shoe you put them on determines the release angle 15 or 20 degrees. I have small, wide feet and the Cannondale MTB shoes work fine. I think they are on sale at Nashbar too. They run pretty true to size. I did have to use the two shims and longer screws that came with the candies to clear the mtb tread on the shoes.

[LBTC]

I've got one set of Candy SLs that swap between my 2 mtn bikes and my road bike. I use just the one pair of specialized shoes just purchased last year. I had shimano SPDs before and LOVE the Candies WAY more!! I also had Shimano shoes before and LOVE the Specialized way more! The Specialized shoe has a very roomy toe box, but a good tight heal box. perfect for me - I'm usually in sandals or barefoot and hate to have my toes all cramped up!

Have fun!
Namaste,
~T~

[emily_in_nc]

I have Candy SLs on my touring bike and Candy C's on my mtb. Love 'em! It took a bit of work to get clipped in at first as the mountain shoes I use with them have very thick, knobby soles that required both shimming and shaving down to work. But once I got everything dialed in, I've never looked back. They are extremely easy to get into and out of, and I have never accidentally clipped out.

Emily