SPD's for CX

I used to use crank bros candy 2s and they were certainly very good but inevitably they fell apart whilst cycling and were irrepairable.

I am now using Time ATACs and I find them also excellent. I don't suffer from the accelerated cleat wearing that spoxehub has seen - and I go touring with only one pair of shoes so I do a lot of walking in them - but I vaguely recall that they changed the alloy used to make the cleats a while back for that very reason. I _think_ when I first got them there was a choice of cleats available but now there just seems to be one. I've had the same cleats for at least 2 years now though replacement may be due soon.

Neither had any trouble with mud.

Been a while since I last used eggbeaters but I can vaguely recall that feeling. After a while, you get used to it.

One thing I found to make a huge difference with eggbeaters was carbon soled shoes. I did not like eggbeaters combined with carbon soles.

Everyone's opinion varies on clipless for CX. 

But what does seem to be universally agreed on is that Shimano, whilst cheap and reliable, clog up extremely well. I've found that the cleats don't clear well after running sections, generally speaking, and the pedal design allows mud to be compacted into the mechanism.

I run Crank Bros Candy's too. They're pretty good and as described above the platform works wonders when you need it over the Eggbeaters. I have found in maximud that they can also clog nicely too, but a good whack of your shoe on the pedal and it's usually game on again.

The best pedals I ever ran were Time ATAC's. Never clogged up once in five years of racing on them. But the cleats used to last a couple of races max. Ridiculously soft material.

I trim my shoes too. Pretty sure most people do it.

Trimming the lugs of the shoe around the cleat is common practice.

You can also buy little shims to make the cleat sit proud (or close to proud ) of the lugs, although this may accelerate wear from walking.

If you're considering pedals, look at the Crank Bros eggbeater family.

The eggbeaters themselves are the best mud-shedders out there with the Candy a close second so any clods shouldn't cause an issue.

The eggbeaters also don't have a platform to cause interference with the tread of a shoe.

I use Candy pedals for everything. I use the thin plastic shims supplied with the cleats when used in newish shoes. Once the tread has worn down the shims are unnecessary.