[dottigirl]

Standard vs Touring vs Trail?

I use Shimano SPDs as it means I can walk normally off the bike. I’m not looking at changing from this system as it would mean changing shoes, pedals etc.

However, I am needing a new pair of pedals, and was wondering if it would make more sense to buy touring or even trail pedals, which both have an additional platform for stability. (I have an tricky ankle which has been playing up.)

I’ve looked at what’s out there and there doesn’t seem to be anything that appeals that’s within my budget (<£50).

Normal (without platform or cage):

M520 – 380g – £20 – basic SPD pedal

M540 – 352g – £32 – not much lighter!

Touring (all one-sided for SPDs):

A520 – 318g – £30 – ‘more support than normal’ SPD pedals.

A530 – 380g – £32 – has platform one side for non-cleats, reviews say it’s slippery though.

A600 – 286g – £45 – lightest but easily marked? slippery on non-cleat side.

Trail:

M530 – 455g – £22 – look a bit clunky for a road bike, friend has also said he doesn’t notice the platform and some reviews say the platform doesn’t meet the shoe, so is useless.

M8020 – 408g – £55+ – I like the look but I can’t justify spending that much on pedals. A couple of comments also say the platform has been cut away on the latest model to also make it ineffective.

M524 – 472g – £26 – don’t think I like the look of the cage, especially for a road bike.

M545 – 567g – £42 – v heavy!

(prices are a general guide.)

 

Can anyone recommend any of the above? Does pedal weight really matter (a google tells me no one can agree)? If I get the touring pedals, would I notice not being able to clip in one side? Does anyone feel more support with the ‘platform’? 

Thoughts appreciated, thanks.

Topic

[Bob Wheeler CX]

Reading this again, just

Reading this again, just remembered the XT pedals have a reflector strip built in, which is a pretty big deal for riding around UK streets in the dark.

[Carton]

Mock me if you must, but I

Mock me if you must, but I have T700s on my road bike and they work just as well as the M530s on my MTB. They also have a little more platform, enough that they’re rideable without cleats if necessary. Also, I’ve never had any slippage issues on my M530s with flat shoes on the road.

[riotgibbon]

I’ve got Crank Brothers

I’ve got Crank Brothers Eggbeaters on my CX/commute bike, after seeing them  on the bike-porn pages of Rouleur. They’re awesome for clipping in, they are 4 sided, and you just roll your foot along them until you clip in

 

there’s none of this 2 sided, choose your shoe business though. Not tried them without cleats, can’t imagine you get the same performance ….

[Dropped]

Get down to Halfords (not

Get down to Halfords (not something I am normaly prone to say) as the Boardman Pro MTB pedal is an absolute steal at £25.  The Boardman MTB pedal is £23 and a little bit heaviers but just as well made. These SPD compatible pedals are fantastic quality and look very slick. I have had the Wiggle branded version (not made anymore) for a couple of years and they are just as smooth and haven’t required any maintenance or adjustment. Engagement with my Shimano cleats is better than with Shimano SPDs!

 

[TypeVertigo]

Bob Wheeler CX wrote:

The XT trekking pedals are pretty sweet for urban riding, as you can clip out, then spin the pedal to flat for getting out of junctions quick. The older Boardman SPD Pros were very solid and light too, try eBay.

£40 and £25 respectively.

Yep, they’re the XT T780 pedals. Shimano quotes a 392 g weight for the pair.

Here’s a review I wrote on ’em

The clipless diaries, part 2: Shimano Deore XT PD-T780 pedals + SM-SH56 multi-release cleats

[Bob Wheeler CX]

The XT trekking pedals are

The XT trekking pedals are pretty sweet for urban riding, as you can clip out, then spin the pedal to flat for getting out of junctions quick. The older Boardman SPD Pros were very solid and light too, try eBay.

£40 and £25 respectively.

[barbarus]

Another vote for the A520s. I
Another vote for the A520s. I’ve got a dodgy knee and they provide more support than the m520s I had before. Over 100 miles and I do get slight hot spots but that could be my shoes.

[therevokid]

m540’s … one set is 5 years

m540’s … one set is 5 years old and had nothing but abuse, mud, grit, crashes

and a squirt of GT85

[LastBoyScout]

dottigirl wrote:

I’ve never even serviced the ones I use – I just clean them every now and again and send a bit of lube their way and they just seem to…work.

Going to sit down tomorrow and figure out which ones to get. 

If you have the plastic thing to unscrew them (and, ideally, a vice to hold it in), they are a doddle for a basic service.

Remove the axle (remember – one side is a left handed thread, so unscrews the other way), fill about 1/4 of the way with grease (grease gun handy to get it to the bottom) and screw axle back in – wipe away the mucky grease that gets squeezed out. Just watch for the sealing washer getting pushed out.

[Stef Marazzi]

I’ve got the M324 on my

I’ve got the M324 on my Gravel Bike and they are brilliant. I have Shimano M520s on two other bikes so I think I can compare them. Its a more stable footing using Shimano Shoes. Obviously you can quickly pedal away from any junction, no matter what way up they are, and they will dangle down so you can clip in within a second. I find them idea for commuting all year. If the surface is looking dodgy, (for example, slippy mud, gravel or ice), you can unclip, flip em over to the flat side, and carry on. If you happen to skid out, you wont be clipped in, and should be able to get a foot down.

[gonedownhill]

Another A530 user here.

Another A530 user here.

I’ve had two sets of these pedals (first set were on my bike when it got nicked ) – no problems with either and I never serviced them.

They definitely work better when wearing SPDs than normal shoes. With both pairs of mine I’ve found that they don’t really rotate much when your foot is off them, so you quickly learn a technique to get them to be the correct way up when you come to re-clip – ie I clip out with my foot at the top of the pedal stroke, then bring the other foot up to the top when I’m waiting at the lights and once I’ve pulled off by the time my free leg engages with the pedal again the SPD bit of the pedal is more or less where I want it. Even if the pedal is the wrong way around  you can just do a pedal stroke on the flat side and take your foot off part way through the cycle so that it comes back around in the correct orientation.

The same is true when you’re wearing flats, you can still push on the cleat side, although not as efficiently. The flat side is definitely a bit slippy and as such I end up with the pedal in my arches when in flats, especially in the rain.

[akmbikes]

I use, and like, the A530s. I

I use, and like, the A530s. I don’t find it difficult to get the clip side up (if anything it’s the reverse) and I do like the ability to have one free foot when I’m riding in a busy built up area (especially on the tandem).

I would agree that the non-spd side is not as grippy as you might like but I’ve never slipped completely off it either. And that’s without wearing Shimano shoes.

[Chris James]

dottigirl wrote:

I’ve never even serviced the ones I use – I just clean them every now and again and send a bit of lube their way and they just seem to…work.

 

Me neither, despite me having the plastic tool to regrease the bearings. M520s are bombproof. Anything that can withstand 3 years of cyclocross racing without needing servicing is pretty much indestructible.

[TypeVertigo]

May I recommend the Deore XT

May I recommend the Deore XT T780 pedals instead? They’re another trekking design with an SPD side and a platform side. I’ve used mine for a year or so and I’ve gotten along well with them.

They have a newer brother, the T8000. Not sure if they’ve been released yet, but the T8000s remedy the only real complaint I have with the T780s: the platform side is rather slippery by itself. The newer pedals can accept four traction pins at each corner of the platform side. Otherwise the T8000 pedals are basically a slightly more angular looking version of the T780s.

[davel]

I second your quote there,
I second your quote there, dottigirl. Having faffed around with all sorts of road pedal types over the years and settled on speedplays, the pedals for my ‘other’ bikes have been really straightforward: M540s and haven’t looked back.

I had flats on my MTB at the time I changed jobs and my commute went a bit off road – couldn’t use my road commuter. My MTB was just my ‘other’ bike at that point so hadn’t used it for any serious off-roading or MTB stuff. M540s were on sale at wiggle, £20ish. After a while on the new commute I decided to get another ‘other/commuter’ bike to mix the commute up and bought a CXer. M540s on sale again at Wiggle.

I’ve been through a couple of sets of cleats, but the pedals are still going strong and adjustable few thousand miles of abuse later, including a commute that is part mud-fest, occasionally flooded and part normal road commuting, a few winter road rides, and a couple of local CX races. I find them flat enough to use as ‘flats’ with a pair of trainers too if I’m just nipping to the park with the kids. And having the multi-release (I use these for stop-start commuting) and more pronounced heel-out (CXing) cleat options for a few quid is great too.

Cracking (and cheap) pedals and system.

[Author]

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