Eggbeaters?

[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

[aka_kim]

I've used the original Eggbeaters on both my road and mountain bikes for several years. They're easy to clip in and out, require no maintenance (at least I've never done any and they still work great), and are very comfortable - I don't notice that there's no platform. I prefer them over various SPD-style and ATAC pedals I'd used before.

[Crankin]

I've never used the egg beaters, but I switched to Speedplays on my road bike last yr, and i really love them. Very easy to get in and out of, and a slight increase in speed when i switched. I have spd's on my mtb, the kind with clips on one side and reg. pedal on the other. I am new to mtb. and i still need the security of not being clipped in if i have to. I also use the mtb shoes for spin classes. Both my road and mtb shoes are Sidis. I have a bunion on my left foot, so I got the mega size (wide) for my road shoes, in a larger size than usual. This eliminated any issues.