What's wrong with eggbeaters on a road bike?
Discussion
I've just picked up my CB Eggbeater 2 pedals so of course I had to take them for a trial run.
During a quick break, another roadie questioned me quite negatively on my choice of pedals.....I chose eggbeaters as I have a pair of Mallet 2's on my MTB and didn't want to splash out on another pair of shoes after spending a cool £120 on my current ones. I didn't see an issue!
Seriously though....what's wrong with eggbeaters on a road bike?! They feel great and I love the mechanism. SPD's hurt my knees a little whereas CB's are very comfortable. What benefit do you get from road pedals?
During a quick break, another roadie questioned me quite negatively on my choice of pedals.....I chose eggbeaters as I have a pair of Mallet 2's on my MTB and didn't want to splash out on another pair of shoes after spending a cool £120 on my current ones. I didn't see an issue!
Seriously though....what's wrong with eggbeaters on a road bike?! They feel great and I love the mechanism. SPD's hurt my knees a little whereas CB's are very comfortable. What benefit do you get from road pedals?
beanbag said:
They feel great and I love the mechanism. SPD's hurt my knees..
I'd have thought you have said all there is to be said on the matter. They work for you and you have tried the alternatives. Whatever anyone else says is immaterial, surely, and they can shove their opinion up their... 
They are fine for road bikes, SPD-SL's just have a bigger platform giving your foot a larger/studier platform to push down on.
I prefer eggbeaters & spd's for must road use if you need to clip out often like when I commute etc.
Also eggbeaters offer excellent float for people with dodgy knees
I prefer eggbeaters & spd's for must road use if you need to clip out often like when I commute etc.
Also eggbeaters offer excellent float for people with dodgy knees
http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/
If anyone else questions the choice, mention to them that if they're good enough for a three-time US champion to put on his bike then they'll do for your purposes.
Rule 34 said:
Mountain bike shoes and pedals have their place. On a mountain bike.
But seriously, nothing wrong with them at all. I use Shimano 520s on my road bike, with some stiff-soled XC race shoes and it works fine for me - plus I can actually walk on hard surfaces. "Proper" road pedals use much bigger cleats for better power transfer and potentially more comfort on longer days. Unless you're racing at a level where fractions of a second make all the difference, just use what you like using.If anyone else questions the choice, mention to them that if they're good enough for a three-time US champion to put on his bike then they'll do for your purposes.
Edited by sjg on Saturday 16th October 20:03
I cannot see the logic in the statement that proper road pedals improve power transfer. I'm not knocking the poster that has mentioned this as it's a common statement but if your foot is physically connected to the pedal then the power transfer will be identical for both types.
Just use what you like and are comfortable with and stuff everyone else.
Just use what you like and are comfortable with and stuff everyone else.
Where does all this energy being consumed by the shoe go? Do they begin to grow red hot after several miles? Or emit a roar like that of Concorde taking off?
sjg said:
Small cleat means a good amount of your foot isn't supported by the pedal. Your effort can partly (in quite a small way) be used to deform the shoe rather than be put into the transmission to drive you forward. Bigger cleats / pedals reduce that effect.
sjg said:
Small cleat means a good amount of your foot isn't supported by the pedal. Your effort can partly (in quite a small way) be used to deform the shoe rather than be put into the transmission to drive you forward. Bigger cleats / pedals reduce that effect.
I agree that a regular MTB SPD has a slightly smaller contact area so the pressure is higher but even my bottom of the range Specialized BG Sports are extremely stiff (you cannot physically bend the sole any more than a non carbon soled road shoe). If comparing carbon soled MTB shoes and road shoes the flex would be almost imperceptible on both. The only difference in the cleats would then be float, which is unlikely to improve power transfer in any meaningful way.Get Karter said:
Gompo said:
Slightly off topic, but as somebody who has been away from any sort of bikes for about 10 years, I love the minimalism of todays clipless pedals.
I still use my 1990 Time Equipe Magnesium, and I love 'em!AnotherClarkey said:
Where does all this energy being consumed by the shoe go? Do they begin to grow red hot after several miles? Or emit a roar like that of Concorde taking off?
sjg said:
Small cleat means a good amount of your foot isn't supported by the pedal. Your effort can partly (in quite a small way) be used to deform the shoe rather than be put into the transmission to drive you forward. Bigger cleats / pedals reduce that effect.
I use eggbeaters on my mountain bike and candy SL's on my road bike for the same reason that I don't want to have two pairs of shoes.
I have to admit that I think there is a little truth in the pedaling efficiency thing. I don't know anything about other brands, but with the crank bros pedals, and the egg beaters especially, you are transferring force down onto the springs that are holding the cleat onto the pedal. This is a spring thats designed to open and close to allow you to unclip - there is play. I have the metal shoe protectors between the cleat and my shoes and you can clearly see where this repeated rubbing has worn into them significantly whilst I wouldn't go so far as to say they are wasting alot of energy, there's got to be some loss from this movement surely?
I have to admit that I think there is a little truth in the pedaling efficiency thing. I don't know anything about other brands, but with the crank bros pedals, and the egg beaters especially, you are transferring force down onto the springs that are holding the cleat onto the pedal. This is a spring thats designed to open and close to allow you to unclip - there is play. I have the metal shoe protectors between the cleat and my shoes and you can clearly see where this repeated rubbing has worn into them significantly whilst I wouldn't go so far as to say they are wasting alot of energy, there's got to be some loss from this movement surely?
Fatman2 said:
sjg said:
Small cleat means a good amount of your foot isn't supported by the pedal. Your effort can partly (in quite a small way) be used to deform the shoe rather than be put into the transmission to drive you forward. Bigger cleats / pedals reduce that effect.
I agree that a regular MTB SPD has a slightly smaller contact area so the pressure is higher but even my bottom of the range Specialized BG Sports are extremely stiff (you cannot physically bend the sole any more than a non carbon soled road shoe). If comparing carbon soled MTB shoes and road shoes the flex would be almost imperceptible on both. The only difference in the cleats would then be float, which is unlikely to improve power transfer in any meaningful way.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff