Crankbrothers Eggbeater 3 pedal review £130.00
Very light and very effective, especially in mud, but stiff shoes are a must
Matthew Page
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May 12 2021 |
Pedals
Overall
Quality
Performance
Value
What's good?
- Excellent mud shedding
- Very light
- Easy entry and release
What's not?
- Unique feel won't please everyone
- No tension adjustment
Buy if...
You want a lightweight pedal with maximum mud shedding ability
The Crankbrothers Eggbeater 3 pedals are light, extremely easy to use and have the best mud-shedding performance of any clipless pedal available. The lack of a platform does make shoe choice more important than usual, though.
The Eggbeater pedal has been part of the Crankbrothers range since they started making pedals, and offers zero platform and a clever four-sided design.
The pedals have no form of tension adjustment, which to some may be offputting, but in several thousand kilometres of testing I didn’t have a single problem either clipping in or out. The stock cleats (included) give a 15-degree release angle and six degrees of float.
Crankbrothers also does these cleats with zero degrees of float, alongside an easy-release (10-degree) cleat with the same six or zero-degree float options. I found the zero-degree cleats just as easy to clip in and out as the stock versions. Unclipping is very fluid, with no sense of the mechanism starting to disengage.
The extremely open design means that, even in the stickiest mud with my shoes caked I’ve been able to clip in with relative ease.
The lack of platform also means you can move your feet around very easily, even when clipped in, which is a feeling not all riders will like. Traction Pads are available for a more stable feel.
With racy carbon-soled shoes the lack of platform is no problem, but if you use a trail shoes with some flex you could have issues.
Updated design
Riders who remember the very first Eggbeaters from the early 2000s may recall worn pedals coming off the axles, but this is no longer possible – design changes have locked the pedals in place.
After more than 2,000 kilometres the bearings and bushes in these remain very smooth, with no play at all. Crankbrothers produces a £22 Pedal Refresh Kit with new bushes, bearings, seals and end caps for when the time comes.
Value
At £130 these pedals are towards the upper end of things, though hardly alone – Ritchey’s WCS and WCS Trail pedals are both £125, while Shimano’s XTR are £130. All of these, however, are regular two-sided pedals.
If the lack of a platform really is a problem, Crankbrothers’ own Candy pedals offer much the same performance and benefit with just a little weight increase, and the Candy 3 is also £130.
Overall
The Eggbeater 3 pedals offer extremely easy use no matter how muddy it gets – in fact for this they remain unsurpassed – and they’re very light. The lack of a platform may be an issue for some, but if they suit you they’re excellent. There’s a reason these have been around almost unchanged for so long.
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Test report Crankbrothers Eggbeater 3 pedal review £130.00
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1 comments
Good review. Thank you. I know it was written ages back, but still. Cheers.