Eggbeaters are about as simple as a pedal gets — just a spindle with a spring retention mechanism. No platform, no plates, just four sprung bars, effectively making it into a four-sided pedal.

In theory, this should make engagement easier, but our testers found this set-up equated to a small target, obliging them to stamp on and roll the pedals until the faint engagement click was heard or felt.

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Release tension is not adjustable, and some found it unsettlingly light, but at least it was always consistent.

Depending on what way round the cleats are fitted to your shoes, you can choose between 15° and 20° release angles.

Though 15° would definitely suit a beginner, we found — combined with that light action — it resulted in unplanned releases especially when riding technical terrain, so we always stuck to the 20° option.

As with the Crank Brothers Candy, by the end of the test, the bearings had begun to show a tiny amount of play in our sample pedal. It hasn’t got any worse, but it set off alarm bells as some of the Eggbeaters we’ve tested in the past also had issues with the bearings.

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It could be the inherently light design and the fact that the lightweight axle flexes more, which puts more stress on the bearings. The stamped steel body was also showing signs of rust too — another indication that the Crank Brothers Eggbeater isn’t too happy in our damp climate.

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