[mtbnewguy]

I just bought a pair of crank bros' eggbeaters and I don't know. I'm not very happy with them. I guess it's the hole system, not these particular pedals. I didn't gave much tought to the idea of going clipless since everybody does it. Even tough it's fairly easy to clip in / out I don't just don't feel confident/ comfortable riding them. plus I didn't saw much improvement on my speed and I'm trying to pedal in a "round" motion but.. well... maybe I'm just venting out the frustration of falling a couple of times.

 

[trickten]

I just bought a pair of crank bros' eggbeaters and I don't know. I'm not very happy with them. I guess it's the hole system, not these particular pedals. I didn't gave much tought to the idea of going clipless since everybody does it. Even tough it's fairly easy to clip in / out I don't just don't feel confident/ comfortable riding them. plus I didn't saw much improvement on my speed and I'm trying to pedal in a "round" motion but.. well... maybe I'm just venting out the frustration of falling a couple of times.

The feeling your suppose to get while pedalling is similar to scraping off the bottom of your shoe. I've definately noticed a huge difference. Once I train my legs to pedal correctly (I'm still working on it) I end up going much faster with less effort. I'd ditch my suspension fork before I'd ditch my pedals. Keep with it and you should see the benifits before you know it.

 

[JimC.]

remember when your

mom said "just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you should'?

Biking is supposed to be fun. Put the flat pedals back on and get used to riding a lot, and get to really enjoy it.

When you find you need extra power for racing , climbing, or keeping up with the Joneses, then put on clipless.

They are designed for racing,, climbing, and keeping your foot on the pedals. When starting out, you don't need them. Well, IMO.

Good luck, have fun, come back if any more Q's arise, Jim

 

[glenk]

You're not the only one

I believe the advantage of clipless for most people will be keeping your shoe secure to the peddles. It takes quite of bit of training to utilize the push-pull advantage of clipless in my opinion.

I had the same falls as you did, got some pretty good bruises and scraps from riding on the road. Dirt would have been more forgiving for sure!

I went back to platform peddles and while riding, made a consious effort to perform the heel rotation motion of "clipping out" each time I stopped. Try it for awhile and it will become second nature and then give the real clipless peddles a try again.

glen

 

[rkj__]

made a consious effort to perform the heel rotation motion of "clipping out" each time I stopped. Try it for awhile and it will become second nature and then give the real clipless peddles a try again.

glen

That sounds to be a really good tip. Something i may want to try. I currently have cheepo flats, but clipless is always in the back of my mind. If i get in this little habit, i am sure switching would be just a little bit easier.

 

[FreeRangeChicken]

That sounds to be a really good tip. Something i may want to try. I currently have cheepo flats, but clipless is always in the back of my mind. If i get in this little habit, i am sure switching would be just a little bit easier.

Another tip for you and mtbnewguy:

It may be helpful to start on a pedal that has adjustable release tenson, which eggbeatersdo not, like some inexpensive shimano or wellgo pedals. You can loosen the tension up while you're learning and tighten it up as you get more comfortable.

Once you've lost confidence in your ability to escape your pedals, it's tough to do anything else.

FRC

 

[ChipAllen]

Since you've already made the investment, stick with it. Eggbeaters are some of the easiest cleats to get in and out of IMO. We all had a learning curve when we started using clipless so you are not alone. I remember, many moons ago, taking my first trail ride with clipless and it felt totally FUNKY. I biffed it several times and ate a lot of mud in the process. The advantages are definitely worth the time it takes to get used to them.

 

[OSU-Truck]

I fell within 3 min of putting my clipless pedals on my bike. then, I got the hang of it but it still felt aquard. When I knew i would have to stop, I would get my feet out a little in advance to avoid falling over. After a little bit of riding, and continually getting a little more daring, I began hopping curbs, etc... Now, the clipless pedals are a lot more natural to ride in than just plain shoes. When I ride a normal pedal, I alway's twist my foot out like I was wearing the clipeless shoes. I have also found, that I am not as good at riding on standard pedals now. With the clipless, I can hop just about anything, and really push it hard when I need to. If I try the same stuff on normal pedals, my feet end up comming off them, and it doesn't feel very safe at all.

Give it some time, you will come to enjoy them. (I even ride them to class if I get the chance)

 

[DaveX]

I like to compare using clipless pedals to driving a stick shift. At first it seems impossible and impractical then all of a sudden something clicks and you get it.

Eventually clicking in and out of your pedals becomes very second nature. Just be sure to practice (then parctice some more) on your front lawn before you head out onto the trails.

And yes, you will fall.

 

[brschmid]

compared to my toe clips i had on my bike because i was not ready for clipless at the time (last year, early summer) my Mallet C's and shoes are much faster, because i can pedal so much more efficiently. you create power on down and up strokes. when you try to ride normal flats (i use my Mallets as normal flats when i ride to class) and i hate it, i am so inefficient i can't stand it.

this is all coming from a guy that got in MTB last year this time, and had rode 20"ers for 8 years.

 

[Rufudufus]

Practice getting in and out of em. Ride around a grassy field just clipping in and out. In about 20 minutes you'll probably be very bored but be much more adept at it. You will still forget to clip out once or twice, about everybody does. But after falling a couple times you'll remember, especially if you're with a group. Very entertaining.

 

[atvsmurf]

I just put on my first set and took a ride. it will take some getting used to. I went with the wellgo clipless....they are a platform on one side, and clip in the other. this way I can ride either way. You may want to try a set before you give up.
but remember like JimC said, you should have fun...and if locked in is no fun don't do it.

 

[Jeff in CO]

I'd have to agree with trying the Shimano's. I've had the Shimano's for several years and decided to try the Eggbeater's out due to it's great mud shedding ability. They are light, but I did notice I no longer had a "pad" to step on to. I also noticed that it took a little more effort to get into the Eggbeaters than the Shimanos....probably because I have the tension turned way down on the Shimanos. I did have a little harder time finding the right "click in spot" on the Eggbeaters and I sometimes had the pedals just roll to the next side. With the Shimanos there are two definite sides and having a little surface area besides the spring helps (not to mention the short rides without your biking shoes -- very had to pedal the eggbeaters here).

My new bike came with improved Shimanos that clear the mud better and I have stuck with them for the meantime. I still have the Eggbeaters but not using them right now.

Basically, I am trying to say I think the Shimanos may be easier than the eggbeaters.

Good luck but if you just can't get the hang of it....switch back to platforms and enjoy riding (main reason!!!)

 

[willtsmith_nwi]

Adjusting the Egg-Beater ...

Another tip for you and mtbnewguy:

It may be helpful to start on a pedal that has adjustable release tenson, which eggbeatersdo not, like some inexpensive shimano or wellgo pedals. You can loosen the tension up while you're learning and tighten it up as you get more comfortable.

Once you've lost confidence in your ability to escape your pedals, it's tough to do anything else.

FRC

You can adjust the release point of the egg-beater by mounting the cleat as if it points to your big toe. Once you get used to the motion, you can let up on the angle.

BTW, the platform combo Mallet-C may be a better choice for newbies than the naked egg-beater.

 

[Alcheringa]

Get some decent flats.

 

[eatdrinkride]

i started with eggbeaters and became dismayed with clippless. No fault of the product they are great. I later went to Shimano 520's. 30 bucks new on ebay. I have been riding them for a year now and i love them. U can adjust the tension a lot more than the EBr's.(reversing the cleats). I think EBr's are tough for a newbie clippless choice, just my opinion.

 

[zenmonkey]

Another tip for you and mtbnewguy:

It may be helpful to start on a pedal that has adjustable release tenson, which eggbeatersdo not, like some inexpensive shimano or wellgo pedals. You can loosen the tension up while you're learning and tighten it up as you get more comfortable.

Once you've lost confidence in your ability to escape your pedals, it's tough to do anything else.

FRC

Actually you can set-up the release angle but not the tension by switching the shoe cleat from one foot to the other

"For a 15 degree release angle (earlier release) on both feet, place the cleat with the two dots on the right shoe. For a 20 degree release angle (later release) on both feet, place the cleat with the two circles on the left shoe."

 

[Tarekith]

The best advice I can give is to stop thinking about them so much, and just trust that yo WILL get out of them in time if you need to. When I first switched, I was constantly trying to remember to clip out, to the point that it became a distraction. After a couple close calls I realized that the manufacturer's know what they are designing, and your feet will unclip easily in 99% of all panic situations with no thought on the user's part. The remaining 1% are the bike gods getting revenge, as they only seem to happen at a dead stop in front of lots of people or hot girls

Stop thinking about the pedals, they;ll do their job and let you go should you need it. Just have fun riding.

 

[mtbnewguy]

thanks for all your input.

I'm very comfortable now in my pedals. It took a while though. After riding some flat trails with them I was ready for some technical stuff which went ok, but I still had to release from the pedals before going downhill, you can imagine the kind of torture my legs took. A little bit more practice and confidence build-up and I don't go downhill without beign unclipped anymore. You just have much better control of the bicycle that way...

I'm happy now.

Thanks for your input.