Crankbrothers Eggbeater 11 Pedals
Minimalistic Beauty
Let’s get this out of the way right now. The $425 price tag for
Crankbrothers’ flagship pedal, the Eggbeater 11, will shock many riders, and
Crankbrothers offers more afford- able models as well. The Eggbeater 11 is for
the cross-country racer (and discriminating trail rider) who has to have the
lightest components with some semblance of durability.
Tech features: Each Eggbeater 11 uses a titanium spindle, pedal body and wings. The
pedals have a maximum rider weight limit of 200 pounds. These Eggbeaters use
dual bearings on the spindle (the old design used a sealed outer bearing and a
bushing on the inside). The Eggbeater 11 has removable rings that allow the
rider to adjust the interface between the shoe and pedal body. Our pair weighed
in at a wispy 6.4 ounces (or about 5 ounces lighter than Shimano XTR pedals).
The pedals are backed by a five-year warranty, and rebuild kits are available
for around $20. You can reach Crankbrothers on the web here.
Field test results: These pedals look like expensive pieces of jewelry.
The cleats install easily and allow for a 15- or 20-degree release angle (we
found the 15-degree to be optimum). It was apparent while rotating the pedals
by hand how much smoother they are than previous generations. Crankbrothers has
always claimed the old binding feel didn’t matter once a rider’s weight engaged
(we found this to be true), but the smooth feel of the new pedal will win over
skeptics. The four-sided entry system makes it easy to engage the shoe’s cleat
into the pedal. The pedal’s retention system provides a small amount of lateral
float. We never unexpectedly unclipped, even during all-out efforts and
sprints. This most current version of the Eggbeater pedal offers the most
consistent release performance of any Eggbeater. Unclipping is easy and
intuitive. We never struggled or felt like we would be stuck in the pedals.
The
Eggbeaters’ open-cage design offers great debris-shedding ability. Regardless
of how packed up our shoes got with mud, snow or clay, they still engaged and disengaged
without any issue.
The minimalist approach of the Eggbeater 11 lends itself to
a stiff-soled shoe. We would recommend sticking with a shoe that has a carbon fiber
(or carbon fiber reinforced) sole.
Could the Eggbeater 11 be used for trail
riding? We abused our pedals for months and they suffered little more than a
few scratches. If you come in below the pedals’ weight limit and don’t mind
riding in stiff, carbon-sole shoes, we don’t see any reason why a trail rider
should not consider this pedal. For racers, it is an easier decision. Reducing
every ounce, regardless of cost, is the mantra, and the Eggbeaters indeed turn
up the volume to 11.
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