Shimano XTR PD-M9220 Enduro SPD Pedal

Shimano’s XTR PD-M9220 Enduro SPD Pedals (now breathe) bring that renowned Shimano feel to a larger, more aggro-friendly platform design. The result is a mighty positive engagement that certainly doesn’t slack on support. The build quality is typically impressive and durability is impressive, but the new design can struggle to clear mud.

Shimano XTR PD-M9220 Enduro SPD – Technical details

These are aimed at enduro, all-mountain and trail riding, and while the old DX pedals had platforms too, these XTRs are different; there have four pins per side, and raised portions in the platform to widen the contact area with a shoe (similar to the Wolf Tooth Components CTRL pedals I tested a while ago). Shimano says this wider contact patch improves pedalling efficiency.

These pedals also feature a new seal design in a bid to boost durability, though the firm doesn’t go into any detail about what that entails.

These were released alongside Shimano’s revised cleats, a new design that allows for multi-directional entry into the mechanism, and a set is included in the pack.

Shimano XTR PD-M9220 Enduro SPD – Performance

I’ve been a long-time user of platformed clipless pedals, and it’s great to see Shimano really build upon its older designs here. And to be honest, the XTR Enduro pedals have been pretty much flawless during my time with them.

As you might expect, everything’s very ‘Shimano’ with these pedals. Engagement is incredibly positive, even when the binding is set to its loosest tension, and you’ll never be unsure if you’re clipped in or not. Speaking of tension, it’s indexed, which is a great touch.

Thanks to the new cleat design, clipping in is easier than before. You don’t need to ‘toe in and press’ anymore. You just don’t have to think as much about how you’re presenting the cleat to the pedal: just find the mechanism, press, and you’re in.

The XTR platform offers excellent support. While it’s not as large as Renthal’s Revo-DHC platform, it certainly isn’t small, and when combined with reasonably compliant shoes in creates bags of feel and support. That in turn encourages a good deal of confidence when hurtling towards lumpy terrain, and when cornering.

The pins add a comfortable hint of resistance to the mechanism’s free float, so your feet aren’t just rotating freely above the pedal. But when not engaged there’s plenty of platform – and just enough traction – to get trail features over and done with without having to wrestle the cleat back into the binding first.

Durability is pretty impressive. During my few months with these they’ve taken plenty of knocks throughout freezing wet rides and warm, dry ones, and the bearings still spin very smoothly and freely. Performance remained perfectly consistent, and there are no signs of corrosion.

There are a couple of downsides, though. The pedals struggle to clear claggy mud, which makes clipping in really difficult. The spaces around the mechanism aren’t particularly large, so it’s not really surprising that mud clings, but when it happens, the only remedy is giving the mud a good poke with a stick. And then there’s the price.

Shimano XTR PD-M9220 Enduro SPD – Verdict

At £180, these are expensive, and there are many great alternatives available for less money. Just check out the OneUp Components Clip Pedals, for instance. These use an SPD mechanism, but it boasts a tighter cleat fit for a less rattly ride. They come in more colours and are a chunk cheaper at £143.
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Renthal’s Revo-TRC pedals come in at £164.95 and use Renthal’s own take on the SPD system, which makes for much easier and more seamless engagement. The platform is much smaller, though; the XTR Enduro pedals provide a lot more support.

If you’re after stellar build quality from a UK factory, Hope’s Union TC pedals are for you. The downside is that they only mate with Hope’s own cleats, but the performance and support on offer is top-notch. They’re £160.

Packing excellent durability, a positive engagement and a pin-equipped platform that works very well, these are often very impressive pedals – especially if its either dry or streaming wet. They can clog up quite badly in claggy mud, however, and that’s a bit of a downer. Especially as they’re more expensive than some extremely impressive alternatives that cope with every condition really well.