Crankbrothers Eggbeater 2 Review

This minimal, lightweight pedal is Crankbothers original claim to fame. It gets its name from its close resemblance to…an eggbeater.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Entry

This is one of the lowest scoring pedals when it comes to ease of entry, and that has nothing to do with the engagement mechanism. The spring on this Crankbrothers pedal is smooth and easy to use. The lack of any platform, however, requires to user to have very precise aim when clipping in. If you don't get it right the first time, your foot is likely to slide off because there is nowhere for your foot to rest as you wiggle the cleat in place.

Ease of Exit

The upside to the lack of platform is that this pedal is very easy to exit. Once your cleat is out you are essentially off the pedal since there is nothing else to step on or keep your foot in place.

Adjustability

There is no adjustable tension and there are no traction pins to adjust on the Eggbeater. You can slightly adjust the release angle by deciding which pedal to use on which side of the bike. You will notice that one cleat has a small indented dot. If this cleat is on the right side of the bike you'll get a 15 degree release angle. If it's on the left, it gives you a 20 degree release angle.

Weight

This pedal is the lightest pedal we tested, which is why we awarded it a Top Pick Award for gram-counting racers. Remember that pedal weight is weight you have to move with every pedal stroke, so it can add up to more fatigue than weight other places on your bike.

Platform

The Eggbeater earned the worst score in our platform ranking. Not only is there no platform, but the spring/clips are somewhat slippery laterally, which makes it even worse for standing on for the second before your cleats engage. Wait, why do we recommend these for cyclocross racers who purposely take a foot off and then attempt to quickly get back in? Well, they are light and can't be beat for mud shedding, and cross is supposed to be about making you a stronger rider anyway.

If you like the Eggbeater but want a little more surface area for easy clipping in, go with the Crankbrothers Candy 2, which is essentially the same pedal surrounded by a small platform.

Mud Shedding Ability

The Eggbeater is by far the best pedal if mud is your enemy. The open design sheds mud better than any other pedal in our test. This makes this pedal an excellent choice for the muddiest cross races.

Durability

With this minimal pedal, there is nothing to protect the springs whatsoever. This isn't a good choice for rowdy downhill, enduro, or riders who tend to tag rocks with pedals frequently.

Best Applications

This lightweight mud-shedding pedal is ideal for cyclocross and cross-country racing, or for any bike where weight savings matters.

Value

At $90 this pedal is quite a bit more expensive than the other cageless pedal in our review, the Shimano M520. The M520 earned our Best Buy award for being such a durable, versatile pedal for a low price. By contrast, the Eggbeater is slightly more of a specialty item and the higher cost reflects this.

Conclusion

This stylish pedal will be most attractive to those trying to keep their bikes as light as possible, and we give it our Top Pick Award for weight savings. The Eggbeater allows a rider to clip in and go without any extra bulk or weight whatsoever. The downside to this is that it requires precise aim when clipping in, but this is a technique that can easily be learned.

Recommended Pairing

This pedal is best used with a hard-soled cross-country shoes like the Sidi Dominator 5 Fit or Giro Privateer R. It will feel most at home on cyclocross or XC race bikes. Or maybe your hipster fixie.

Other Versions and Accessories

Crankbrothers makes the Eggbeater in several versions:

Eggbeater 1: stamped steel wings and body, bushing bearings, ($60)
Eggbeater 2 (reviewed): cast steel body and outer wings, bushing bearings ($95)
Eggbeater 3: cast steel body and wings and needle bearings ($135)
Eggbeater 11: has titanium components and needle bearings but costs $450! Somehow this version costs even more than the Candy 11, which is also titanium, but only rings in at $375 even though it has more platform. Also note that both of these sets of titanium pedals have a maximum rider weight of 200 lbs. If you weigh 175, we wouldn't recommend hitting any sweet jumps with these puppies.