Which pedals?

[VeloVT]

I have Ultegra (SPD-SL) pedals on my road bike and eggbeaters (just the plain ole' eggbeaters, not one of the platform varieties) on my cx/commuter bike.

I like both. I definitely prefer a road-style (SPD-SL, Look, etc) pedal for road biking -- I feel like I get better power transfer and they're just so solid.

But, the eggbeaters are super easy to clip in/out of, and they shed slop like nobody's business. Only issue I've had is that sometimes I feel like my cleat is loose, but when I go and check it, it's not -- gotta figure out what's going on there because it's distracting.

I'm not sure if eggbeater cleats are compatible with road shoes -- if I had to guess I'd say not with most (more traditional road cleats have three screws spaced in a triangle with a wide base -- the eggbeater cleats are more like spd mountain cleats, two screws set close together). I'm sure someone else will give a definitive answer though. I'd worry about the slipperiness of eggbeater cleats on road shoes if they are compatible. Everyone hates the "duck waddle" you're forced to do with road shoes and cleats, but the big road cleats do give you a little traction when otherwise slick road soles would have none. (I use road shoes for my road pedals and mountain shoes for my eggbeaters).

[VeloVT]

One other thing -- I'm not sure I'd want to characterize clipping out on the same side each time as a "bad habit", ESPECIALLY for people new to clipless. I think when you're first starting to use clipless pedals, unless you're super coordinated (which some people are!), it takes a while to get establish the muscle memory/neural pathway/whatever to automatically clip out when you need to stop, and to lean to the correct side. Having a pattern that your conscious brain can hang on to -- "slow down, clip out left, lean left, stop" -- can really make this process faster and easier.

I've been riding with clipless pedals for about a year and a half, and I don't think about my pedals anymore. I DO clip out on the same side 90% of the time, not because of some rigid adherence to habit, but because I get a faster start with my dominant leg clipped in. However, I've demonstrated to myself a few times recently that when I NEED to clip out on the other side (such as when I'm going 2mph in deep sand and start to lose it), I have no trouble doing it, and I don't have to think about it, and I don't risk leaning to the wrong side --it's just as automatic as my "sweet" side.

[Trekhawk]

I'm not sure if eggbeater cleats are compatible with road shoes -- if I had to guess I'd say not with most (more traditional road cleats have three screws spaced in a triangle with a wide base -- the eggbeater cleats are more like spd mountain cleats, two screws set close together). I'm sure someone else will give a definitive answer though. I'd worry about the slipperiness of eggbeater cleats on road shoes if they are compatible. Everyone hates the "duck waddle" you're forced to do with road shoes and cleats, but the big road cleats do give you a little traction when otherwise slick road soles would have none. (I use road shoes for my road pedals and mountain shoes for my eggbeaters).

Hmm Im thinking they probably are compatible. I have egg beaters on my mountain bike and Quattros on my road bike (both pedals are made by Crank Brothers) and the cleats are pretty much the same. I can clip my mountain bike shoes into my Quattro road pedals but Crank Brothers recommends shaving a little off your mountain bike shoe to make connection between the shoe and pedal a little easier. The Quattros are basically an egg beater with a platform around them. I love my Crank Brothers pedals.

[VeloVT]

Hmm Im thinking they probably are compatible. I have egg beaters on my mountain bike and Quattros on my road bike (both pedals are made by Crank Brothers) and the cleats are pretty much the same. I can clip my mountain bike shoes into my Quattro road pedals but Crank Brothers recommends shaving a little off your mountain bike shoe to make connection between the shoe and pedal a little easier. The Quattros are basically an egg beater with a platform around them. I love my Crank Brothers pedals.

Huh. Interesting. It makes sense that the cleats for all of the Crank Bros pedas would be the same I guess. Do you use road shoes with your quattros... and if so, is the combination really slippery ? I'm curious about this now.

[Trekhawk]

Huh. Interesting. It makes sense that the cleats for all of the Crank Bros pedas would be the same I guess. Do you use road shoes with your quattros... and if so, is the combination really slippery ? I'm curious about this now.

Yep I use road shoes with my Quattros and don't find them slippery. If you check out the link below you will see that they have a platform piece that surrounds the cleats and I think this helps.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=13057

[TsPoet]

Only issue I've had is that sometimes I feel like my cleat is loose, but when I go and check it, it's not -- gotta figure out what's going on there because it's distracting.

Some describe the feeling of riding on eggbeaters as similar to riding on ice. I get that, too. It's the float. You can get used to it, it's a good thing, really it is
Also make sure your cleats are whichever way makes for less float, that might help the feeling of riding on ice.
I notice the feeling when I've been riding my trike a lot. My trike has powergrips which, oddly, have less float. So, when I go back to my road bike with the eggbeaters, that cleat is loose feeling takes awhile to go away.

[KnottedYet]

I clipped out with my right foot first for 25 years with toe-clips.

It seemed perfectly natural to clip out with my right foot with my cleated pedal system. (aka clipless)

I can clip out with my left foot first when the need arises.

When I ride on my platform pedals, the right foot nearly always hits the ground first.

Do whatever works for you.