Blue Collar Summary:
The Crank Brothers Eggbeaters are a great buy for a moderate to expert rider. They have the easiest, most reliable engagement of any pedal I have used, especially in the sloppy conditions of the southeast. Crank Brothers also built them to take the abuse that comes with mountain biking. I’ve done a good amount of bashing them on trees and rocks without hurting them at all. At $89.99 they are a great buy for someone looking for a serious set of pedals that will last.

Disclaimer:
There is no money involved, so this is a completely unbiased review. The review was conducted over a period of six months.

My background:
I am 5?11?, 190 lbs. My riding has been almost exclusively cross country and consistently ranges from moderate to very challenging and technical rides.

Testing Grounds:
I tested these pedals on a wide variety of trails and conditions. Most of the testing was done at a local trail system called Peaks View Park in Lynchburg, VA. However I took them on a variety of trail systems ranging from beginner to expert. They were ridden on these trails in a variety of riding conditions including wet, dry and snow.

Some of the specs:

• weight - 294g per pair
• body - s45c carbon steel
• wings - formed s45c carbon steel
• spring - 300 series stainless steel
• release angle - 15? or 20?
• max rider weight - no restriction
• warranty - 2 years

Performance and Observations:

Hands down, my favorite thing about these pedals is the fact that they don’t get clogged. While my buddies are kicking their pedals and cursing in sloppy conditions, I still have the same consistent clipping in. Crank Brother’s design looks a lot like an, umm, egg beater. This means there is a lot of open space for any gunk to fall out and keep it clear for your cleat to get into.

Clipping in and out of the Eggbeater is also a pleasant experience. Where other pedals only have one or two sides of entry, the Beaters have a four-sided entry, which means no kicking the pedal around trying to find the place to clip in. They also seem to disengage at just the right time. You do have a choice of between the 15 and 20 degree angle of release, and I usually hang at the 15 degree mark. I’d rather have my foot pop out to early then tweak my ankle.

Durability is also a plus for these pedals. I have been riding them for about six months which means lots of crashing and bashing into rocks, trees and roots and I still have no problems with them. I am also constantly wrenching them off and on between bikes I am reviewing and they take it all.

The only downside that I would give on these pedals is the fact that you basically have to be clipped in to ride them. They are very narrow and have no platform around them so there’s no pedaling around town in your flip-flops on them. Also, since there is no platform, I don’t suggest these pedals for the beginner riders that are still getting comfortable on a bike and with clipless pedals. It could get very frustrating on sections of track where you don’t want to clip in.

Other then that, these are probably the best set of pedals I have ever ridden. Besides me, there are plenty of my riding buddies that are also riding the Eggbeaters and other Crank Brothers pedals. There’s a reason for that.

Strengths:

• Extremely easy engagement
• No clogging in muddy conditions
• Good range of float

Weaknesses:

• No platform makes it hard to ride without being clipped in