Anyone else have a hard time clipping into Crank Bros Candy pedals?

I purchased the CB Candy SL pedals about 3 months ago intending to put them on my MTB. I decided I wasn't ready for clipless on trails yet and so put them on my road bike and tried them with MTB shoes. I tried them with and without the "shims" and clipping in is really hard for me. It's not easy AT ALL! Also, the springs are really tight and I feel like there's not much float.

Previous to these, I was using cheapy double-sided MTB pedals made by Ascent (uses spd like cleats). These pedals are too cheap for the amount of road riding I am doing now and so now I am searching for a good, affordable road pedal that has a good amount of float (for my knees).

One issue I thought of with the Crank Bros. is maybe I don't have enough "umph!" to clip-in to them as well. I found that I had to stand up a bit and put my weight on each foot to clip-in. NOT SAFE! Either way, I am not impressed with them. Any suggestions? Any good, easy-clipping pedals anyone can recommend for a smaller cyclist? Thanks!

I had the exact same problem with the Crank Bros Mallet pedals, which have an even larger platform than the Candies. I used all of the shims and cut off most of the cleats on the contact area of my shoes, but to no avail. I ended up purchasing the stainless Eggbeaters and now have zero problems clipping in or out.

I had a few problems with the candy's getting them to fit my shoes. I used the shims they provided and also made my own shim using one a couple of spd plates I had knocking around. This has raised the cleat sufficiently and I now have no problems.

The float is about what crank bros claim and when I can be arsed I'll swap the cleats over for the 18deg release angle rather than the 20deg (I think those are the values or thereabouts).

I find them dead easy to get into, much easier than shimanos. can step into the candys spd style, slide your foot forwards or even backwards! Brilliant. I am not going back to spd. ever.

Well, I can clip-in, but it requires much effort for me. Maybe I need to raise the cleats up more?

My first pedals were super easy to clip into without having to mess with them. I think I would like something like that again.

I don't think anyone will be able to talk me into keeping the crank bros at this point unless over the next few days they suddely break in beyond belief.

Any other pedal suggestions? What about the Shimano PD-R540s or the 520s? Any good? I would like to spend $50 or so max, which includes buying $150 pedals for cheap on ebay if I can find them.