So, I’d been riding my bike for a good while, just regular flat pedals, you know? The kind your sneakers stick to, mostly. But man, every time it got a bit wet, or I was really trying to hammer it up a hill, my feet would slip. More than once, I got a nasty whack on the shin from a pedal spinning around. Annoying, and kinda painful, to be honest. I kept hearing folks talk about “clipless” pedals, and I was like, “clipless? But you clip in?” Sounded confusing and, frankly, a bit scary. Like, what if I couldn’t get my feet out? Visions of toppling over at traffic lights danced in my head.
My Jump into Egg Beaters
Anyway, I did a bit of poking around, asking buddies, reading stuff online – well, skimming mostly. These “Egg Beater” pedals kept popping up. People said they were good for mud, which we get a lot of around here, and supposedly easier to get in and out of than some of the other types. Sounded alright, less intimidating maybe. So, I bit the bullet. Ordered a pair. They weren’t even that expensive, which was a plus because if I hated them, I wouldn’t be out a fortune.
The box showed up a few days later. Pretty simple packaging. Pulled ’em out. They looked… minimal. Just these four-sided cage-like things. Not much platform to speak of. Came with these little metal bits too – the cleats, the things you bolt to your shoes. Right, shoes. Forgot about that. Had to get some cycling shoes that could take cleats. Found a pair on sale, nothing fancy, just needed to do the job.
Getting Down to Business: The Install
First things first, I had to get my old, trusty, shin-destroying flat pedals off. One came off easy enough with my pedal wrench. The other one? Man, it was like it was welded on there. I grunted, I swore, I put a bit more oomph into it, even whacked the wrench with a mallet a couple of times (gently!). Finally, with a sickening creak, it gave. Victory!
Putting the Egg Beaters on was the easy part. Just made sure to put a dab of grease on the threads – always grease your threads, folks, saves a headache later. Screwed them in, right pedal clockwise, left pedal counter-clockwise. Gave ’em a good tighten with the wrench. Done. That part was surprisingly quick.
Then came the cleats on the new shoes. This looked more fiddly. Two little screws for each cleat. The instructions, bless ’em, were tiny. I figured out you could mount them one way for a 15-degree release angle, or flip ’em for a 20-degree release. I went for the 15-degree, figured that meant easier out. Lined them up under the ball of my foot, or where I thought the ball of my foot should be. Tightened them down. It was a bit of guesswork, to be honest.
The First Awkward Dates
Alright, moment of truth. I took the bike out to the yard, leaned against the fence. Tried to clip in. Stomped around a bit. Missed. Stomped again. Click. Hey, I was in! Felt weird, man. My foot was stuck to the pedal. Twisted my heel outwards like they said. Clack. I was out. Okay, not so bad. Did that about twenty more times. In, out, in, out. Still felt unnatural.
First proper ride, I was a nervous wreck. Every time I thought about stopping, I’d start practicing unclipping way in advance. And yeah, it happened. The dreaded clipless fall. Came up to a junction, slowed down, went to put my foot down and… nope. Still attached. Went over in slow motion. Luckily, it was onto some grass, and the only thing bruised was my ego. A dog walker gave me a funny look. I just waved like it was all part of the plan.
- Practiced in a safe, soft area first (after the initial fall, ha!).
- Made a conscious effort to unclip early when approaching stops.
- Just kept riding. Repetition was key.
Getting the Hang of It
But you know what? I stuck with it. After a week or so of daily short rides, it started to become second nature. That little twist of the heel. The satisfying click when engaging. I noticed my pedaling felt smoother, more efficient. No more slipping feet when I stood up to climb. It actually felt… good. Like I was more connected to the bike. The four-sided entry on the Egg Beaters really did make it easy to clip in; didn’t really have to look down or fumble much, just find the pedal and push.
The float, that little bit of side-to-side movement they allow for your foot, was pretty comfortable too. My knees didn’t complain, which was a worry I had. And they do shed mud pretty well, just like people said. After a mucky ride, they weren’t all clogged up.
So, Was It Worth It?
Yeah, definitely. That initial learning curve was a bit of a pain, and that one fall was embarrassing. But the benefits, for me at least, outweighed the early struggles. Pedaling feels more powerful, my feet stay put, and I feel more in control, especially on rougher stuff or when I’m tired.
If you’re thinking about trying clipless, and maybe looking at Egg Beaters, my advice is to just go for it. Be patient with yourself. Expect to feel awkward. Expect maybe a silly tip-over. But stick with it for a couple of weeks. For me, it was a good move. I’m not going back to flats for my serious riding anytime soon. It just works.
