# SPD -> Egg-beater pedal transition for commuting



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

I commuted last year with SPD pedals (30K one way) and had a few awkward clip-in/out moments, especially around traffic lights and emergency stop situations.

I read some good things about egg-beater pedals for commuting, so I went ahead and installed some entry-level Crank Brothers egg-beaters.

Right off the bat, they feel looser and not as locked in as the SPDs. Is this normal, or do I have some adjusting to do? I'm not complaining -- just wondering if this is normal? The egg-beaters don't have any tension screws to deal with, but the instructions say to un-screw the cleats and move them around, to manipulate the tension. Has anyone done this with any noticeable results? 

If you ride egg-beaters for longer-range commuting, how do you like 'em?


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

With my commuter bike, I could never get my eggbeaters to feel as positive and locked-in as my SPD's. As for the SPD's clip-in/clip-out issues, I never have trouble....as long as I don't get dirt or mud in the system. The moment they get dirty, however, it's "Woah Nellie!" "Anybody got the Jaws of Life?"


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I use Candy pedals on my commuter. I never cared for the loose feel of eggbeaters on the road.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

FWIW, I have candys on my CX bike/commuter, and I'm sold on them after riding in the mud at CX natz a couple of weeks ago. Everything was packed full of the stickiest mud I've ever set foot on- cleat and pedal, and I didn't have a single clipping in/out issue.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

I have Candys on all my bikes, including my commuter. Never ridden plain ol' Beaters, but the Candys have a pretty good positive click in and out. Love 'em.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*Candy*



JohnnyTooBad said:


> I have Candys on all my bikes, including my commuter. Never ridden plain ol' Beaters, but the Candys have a pretty good positive click in and out. Love 'em.


Love the Candys. Have them on about 5 bikes, including two commuters. Work fantastic. They are solid enough to handle 35 mph sprints on hard intervals days on the commute.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Eggbeaters really don't "click" when you engage them. I really like them--- have Candys on a commuter and regular eggbeaters on a mtn bike. They shed snow like nothing else.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

after several "Oh shiiiiiittttt.....!" tip-over moments getting locked into wet/gritty SPuDs, I went to full-time Crank Bros. Dirt, commuting, fixie, etc. No more unclip issues. 

You might want to try some Candy pedals that the sole of your shoe can contact for a little more stable feel.


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## ChuckUni (Jan 2, 2003)

Wow, I can't seem to get my SPDs tight enough. The 520s seem to hold a bit tighter than the 540s, for some reason...makes little sense. The newer spds are also much smother than the less open design of several years ago.

I probably would get injured if I used eggbeaters because of the easy clip out, especially as the cleat wears (yikes on the fixed gear or mtb).


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

*Eggs -- no problems*

I use Eggs on my road bike (which is also my commuter) and on my MTB.

I've never had any problems. I'm locked in.

I had SPDs years ago -- I was too locked in. The Eggs, by comparison, have a little bit of float built in. My knees like that.

If I had a dedicated commuter, I wouldn't use clip-in pedals at all. I'm beginning to suspect that I don't get a major power boost from the clips-ins anyway and don't need them on the commute -- I'm riding to work, not racing.


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## woodway (Nov 28, 2008)

Another vote for Candy's. Also, your issue with looseness might be related to the sturdiness of the pedals you bought - you might step up a level or two.

I ride Candys on my mountain bikes as well as my commuter. I love the fact that even when I am riding in the mud, and my shoes are caked, I can still clip in.


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## tyro (May 15, 2005)

I got a set of the yellow Candies on closeout last year. Love them and have a set of the 2Ti and Eggbeater 4Ti as well. Ease of entry and exit are two of the things that attracted me to them. The cleats are really easy to walk in too, especially if I use my Lake mtb shoes with rubber soles.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I am on my third and fourth set of candy pedals. The first and second sets died noble deaths. The first ones were damaged in a commuting crash that scraped the end off the right pedal taking the cap with it. After that I couldn't keep grease in it. The second set lasted two years before a "wing" snapped off. I rode the three wing pedal for two weeks while I waited for my two new sets to arrive. I currently have them on my commuter and my road bike. The road bike normally has Quattros but it gets Candys in the winter so I can use my winter MTB shoes.


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## gutfiddle (Apr 27, 2006)

i <3 Time Atac pedals in all situations.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*not racing?*



Slim Again said:


> If I had a dedicated commuter, I wouldn't use clip-in pedals at all. I'm beginning to suspect that I don't get a major power boost from the clips-ins anyway and don't need them on the commute -- I'm riding to work, not racing.


Not racing? Not racing? Isn't every single ride a race? Don't you race to make a green light? Don't you race away from stops? Race city busses? Chase down every other commuter in sight? ;-)


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## comuter (Apr 6, 2007)

+1 for candy SL's on my mountain bike and on my road / commuter.

I origionally rode with egg beaters on both but I didn't like to lack of protection on the moutain bike (hit rocks resulting in unclipping a few times) and I didn't like the lack of a stable platform in either situation.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

ChuckUni said:


> I probably would get injured if I used eggbeaters because of the easy clip out, especially as the cleat wears (yikes on the fixed gear or mtb).


I have the Candy's on 3 bikes, and started using them in 2003. I still have my original cleats on my shoes, and have never had a problem getting clipped in, out or staying clipped in. That may be due to the fact that I only ride with one pair of shoes, which are MTB shoes, so I don't walk on the soft brass cleats.

As for fixies, I would think it would be impossible to ride without being clipped in. The last thing you'd want is a foot slipping off while spinning on a fixie at 20mph. And for a MTB, there is no way I could ride without being clipped in any more. To get up a good hill, you have to be able to spin, not just push down. I ride a SS commuter, and I'm always pulling up on the pedals when I'm starting up from a stop light or going up a good hill.


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## PaulRivers (Sep 11, 2006)

Slim Again said:


> ...If I had a dedicated commuter, I wouldn't use clip-in pedals at all. I'm beginning to suspect that I don't get a major power boost from the clips-ins anyway and don't need them on the commute -- I'm riding to work, not racing.


lol, obviously you have more discipline than I do! I feel less hurried racing than I do riding to work in the morning. I'm not good enough to be first in races, so I just go as fast as I can. It seems like I'm always racing against the clock to get to work in the morning...

I'm definitely, unquestionably faster with bike shoes than without. No question. However, whether that's because clip-ins are inherently faster, or simply that they use slightly different muscles (so since I always ride with bike shoes, I haven't developed the non-bike shoes muscles as much) is a valid question...


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