According to Shimano these new pedals are good for "any onroad purpose from Granfondo to racing". if your shoes take two bolt cleats then these are light and smooth enough for pretty much anything. In fact, at barely 290g a pair according to the road.cc scales they're a scant 10g heavier than the claimed weight for Shimano's top end Dura-Ace race pedals (on Shimano's claimed weight, 286g, the PDA-600s are only 5g heavier. So yes, you can do a lot with these babies, one look though and it's obvious that their true purpose is as a high end touring and commuting pedal - and that's how UK distributor bill them.
As these are an Ultegra level pedal you'd expect them to be well made and smooth and you wouldn't be wrong. They're smoother than a politician licking a floating voter's baby and they made the Crank Bros Candys that I usually ride feel like they'd been greased with cat litter and tar. They should be well sealed too.
Lower grade pedals, like the PD-A530, offer a true flat side, but these higher grade PD-A600s don't. Being single-sided, clipping in can occasionally be a little sketchy as you flip the pedal over and they do take quite a hammering from the cleats, which rather spoils their good looks – I've docked them a mark on the durability score as result, although I'm sure they will prove extremely durable and of course all pedals are going to get scuffed. Once you're in, the wide platform does offer a fair degree of security, especially with a shoe like the RT-81s I tested recently and they ride beautifully.
Unlike my Candys these don't offer much by way of float, but the release angle can be changed by adjusting the allen bolt at the back.
Verdict
Beautifully smooth, top quality and astonishingly light but the single sided entry might limit their appeal.
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Shimano PDA600 SPD pedal
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
9/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
7/10
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes - once I'd got used to the single sided entry
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Age: 40 Height: 5\' 8 Weight: er....86kg
I usually ride: GT Rave - singlespeed conversion My best bike is: Guess SC1 scandium
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,
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6 comments
Should be interesting - I'd heard Casio were wired
You need to be quite precise when you clip in but that comes with practice. The wide surround on the pedal helps, as does having shoes with plenty of rubber around the cleat (ie the RT81s or a generic leisure/mtb shoe).
I have used single sided SPDs with 'proper' slidy soled road shoes and every junction and traffic light was a terrrifying adventure.
are they more difficult to clip into than any other single sided road pedal? I ask because i've got a pair of genetic road spds and they definitely are harder to get into than spd-sls or keos
To be fair that's what they said…
http://bike.shimano.com.br/publish/content/global_cycle/en/nl/index/news...
till racing does sound fun though (like belt sander racing without the risk of serious abrasion). Not sure how a till Gran Fondo would pan out - I suspect the lighter Casio might perform well up the hills
Rumours are Avery has been charging up ...
"till racing" ????
My money is on the Avery to win by half-a-wheel over the Casio . . .