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Which SPD pedals?

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  • January 11, 2017 at 1:33 pm #26647
    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.

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  • January 12, 2017 at 2:03 am #884839
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    dottigirl

    Thanks to everyone so far,

    Thanks to everyone so far, have greened (liked) you all. Was thinking this could be a bit of a niche question, so it’s great to see lots of experience/opinions of them.

    I’ve been riding M520s on one bike, M770s on the other. 

    guyrwood wrote:
    M520 or M540 (M540 do look a bit more sophisticated, I admit) are all most normal cyclists would ever need. I run them on all my bikes. As close to to a cheap, fit and forget component as you’re ever going to get.

    This is about it. I’ve never really thought about pedals before – all the pedals I’ve used so far were donated to me by (epic) cycling friends, so I’ve never looked into them. 

    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. 

     

    January 12, 2017 at 1:40 am #884837
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    JonD

    M540s are marginally nicer
    M540s are marginally nicer than M520s, but 520s have the advantage that you can get a pedal spanner on’em if they’re hard to remove., 520s are hex-only.

    January 11, 2017 at 5:35 pm #884835
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    rjfrussell

    I have had (all for road

    I have had (all for road bikes)- 

    A530s (dual purpose-  SPD clip on one side, flat on the other)

    A600 (single sided)

    M520 and M540 (single sided)

    XTR Race M9000 (for the best bike)

     

    Unless you are actually going to be riding in ordinary shoes a fair bit, don’t get the A530s-  big, ugly and a bit of a pain to get the right side up.  They are slippy too, unless you have Shimano shoes-  the tread of a Shimano shoe “mates” with the pedal and gives a much better grip.

    The A600s were nice looking, but I don’t see the point-  the double sided are much easier to use.

    No real difference between the M520/ M540.  Since they are both pretty cheap I’d tend to treat myself to the M540.

    The price jump to the XTR race can’t be justified on any rational basis.  But they are on my best bike and speaking with heart rather than head they are definitely the ones to go for!

    January 11, 2017 at 5:08 pm #884833
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    LastBoyScout

    What pedals do you currently

    What pedals do you currently have?

    The difference between M520 and M540 is the quality of the bearings. I use M540 off road and they’re fantastic – have taken all the abuse of rocks and so on and you can easily re-grease the bearings, so what’s not to like, unless you want more support.

    I have M324 on my hybrid, which is great as it’s also my pub/station bike and has daughter’s bike seat on the back, so I can easily ride it in any shoes. The main thing you do need to watch is if you’re clipped in, it’s easy to catch the cage on the ground if you’re pedaling round corners, which could throw you off. Getting away from a junction is not quite as slick as either the M540 or SPD-SLs I have on other bikes, but it’s easy enough to get going and then sort out which side you should be on. If you are clipped in, there’s no more support for your foot than you’d get with the M540, so won’t help your ankle. And they’d look stoopid on a road bike.

    Have you considered something like the Crank Bros Candy or Mallet?

    January 11, 2017 at 4:44 pm #884831
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    Chris James

    Like SimonE I have used M520

    Like SimonE I have used M520 and A520. I like both of them.

    I use the A520s with some touring shoes (Shimano RT81) which have quite a thin sole, and the support does help a little. They are also a little lighter than the M520 with only one binding mechanism. I suppose a one sided pedal is slightly more faff, but if you are used to it the then flicking the pedal happens without thinking.

    The M520s are good pedals andI use them for commuting and cyclocross racing, where fast starts are an advantage. Using them with proper MTB shoes they are very comfortable and not lacking in support at all.

    January 11, 2017 at 4:35 pm #884829
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    ClubSmed

    I have the M530 (in white) on

    I have the M530 (in white) on my main bike and the A530 (in black) on my partners bike.
    I really like the M530 usual quality shimano build (as all shimano pedals I’ve tried) and if I have to pedal without spd shoes for any reason they are comfortable enough for at least 5 miles (that’s as far as I have needed cycled in converse so far).
    My Partner really likes the A530 as she wants to be able to jump on the bike with any shoes for a short ride but be able to use cleats on longer rides. Having the cleats on only one side of the pedal is not really an issue as the other side is heavier so the cleat side is pretty much always on top. I don’t think that the non spd side is slippy, but I suppose it depends what you are comparing it with.
    In addition I also have the M520 paired with the SM-PD22 Pedal Adapter on my spare bike and while the combo does not look that great they are just as good as either of the above and have the advantages of being road legal and a removable cage.

    Hope that helps

    January 11, 2017 at 4:22 pm #884827
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    Simon E

    I have been riding M520 and

    I have been riding M520 and A520 for a number of year. The A520’s platform feels a little better underfoot but it’s no a deal-breaker for me. However, if you’re unclipping regularly there’s more faff flipping the pedal to get clipped in again. The M520s are better for stamp-and-go, which is ideal if you’re in stop-go traffic or starting on a slope.

    Have seen mention of the single-sided M530 recently, the platform looks a bit like my A520, but you probably need to check whether it actually contacts your own shoes (or buy online, providing the seller has free returns).

    A600 is a slightly lighter A520, IMHO not worth the extra (and the weight difference is insignificant). Similarly, M540 are not great value IMHO, too similar to their cheaper sibling.

    Unless you actively prefer a single-sided pedal I’d suggest either M520 or M530. Both are £20 at Halfords at the moment, BC members can get 10% off that price.

    January 11, 2017 at 4:03 pm #884825
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    StraelGuy

    M520 or M540 (M540 do look a

    M520 or M540 (M540 do look a bit more sophisticated, I admit) are all most normal cyclists would ever need. I run them on all my bikes. As close to to a cheap, fit and forget component as you’re ever going to get.

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