rydabent

Your shoe or your bike doesnt know or care what kind of pedal you are using. With my recumbent bike and trike, I only ride paved trails and roads. I use SPD two sided collegiate pedals on the trike.

Even a fully kitted roadie probably wouldnt point and sneer if you used "mountain bike" SPD pedals.

Dirt Farmer

Time ATAC on all of my bikes, baby!!!!!

badger1

Shimano SPD for me (since 2003). Currently have an old set of 520s on my mtb, XTs on my road bike. Can't imagine using anything else, and can't see any reason to. I use shoes with a cf sole plate (rigid), so "hot spots" are a non-issue for me on long rides and I can at least walk across a coffee shop floor without either doing a slip n' fall or the duck walk.

leicanthrope

Yep. I started out cycling as a commuter, and I began the process of equipping myself around that. It made the routine stops at the grocery store that much easier, and so forth. If I were to start again, I might go for a set of "proper" road pedals. As it stands now, I've got a couple sets of expensive SPD pedals and some really nice shoes, and I see no need to waste any of that just for the heck of it.

intransit1217

More shimano here. I have a pair of 520's on my road bike which are fine and a piar of exustar equivalents on another bike that just don't have the quality feel of the shimano proper.

BUT pdm530s are my go to for most of my bikes. The larger platform makes it a bit easier to locate and snap in quicker on takeoffs.

martslc

I was wondering about "hot spots" as well but looking at my Speedplays there's a small contact area on them so I was hoping it's not a problem for me. I have neuropathy in my feet and they hurt all the time.

martslc

Has anyone tried the Shimano "SPD Clickers"?

Tundra_Man 

I've got SPD-SL on my triathlon bike, and have a specific set of shoes I use for that bike as well.

All my other bikes get plain old SPDs so I can share the same pair of shoes among them. As many others have mentioned, I like the walk-ability of SPD much better, especially since most of my riding is commuting. I find SPD clips in and out much easier as well.

I have a couple bikes set up with the SPD/Platform combo pedals so I have the option of wearing street shoes if I want, but to be honest I probably haven't worn a street shoe on a bike in at least five years. My other bikes have the Shimano M-520s. I do like the fact that I can clip in from either side with the 520s, whereas sometimes with the combo pedals I'm monkeying around trying to get the pedal to flip over.

spdracr39

Same here but when I got my Vector pedals I had to switch to road bike. No difference.

cyccommute 

How are they "superior...in every aspect" considering that they look like clones of Shimano pedals from a few years ago? Also, considering that the cheapest price I can find for them is more than 3 times the cost of a set of M520s, they would have to be far superior to the M520 for me to recommend them or to use them.

I have nothing against going with another brand and have in the past but, in my experience, it's tough to find something as good as the M520 for the price. Even the more expensive Shimano pedals aren't necessarily that much better than the M520. I have had several Wellgo products in the past that just didn't perform that well. I had to search long and hard to find a pair of pedals that weren't Shimano for my non-Shimano bike and I ended up with a set of Xpedo Mountain Force pedals which are good...they are also more expensive...but, honestly, they aren't as good as the cheap Shimanos.

Trevtassie

My partner has, she hates "clicky" pedals, but reckons the Click'rs are much easier to use and get out of.

martslc

Thanks for all the comments!!!

- What models should I look at when buying? I want ones that clip-in on both sides of the pedal and a cage surface/platform or these ones with (dual click-in) of some sort around them.

Thanks

martslc

Did she say what she hates about them??? Feel, lack of stiffness?

Trevtassie

Kept on forgetting to unclip and falling on her arse. Click'rs are much easier to get out of (even compared to a completely loose SPD) because the release angle (the amount you need to twist your foot) is much less. Now she can get her foot out at the last second.

DrIsotope

Three different spindle lengths, better range of tension adjustment (with a visual display, so equal tension can be set easily on all four sides,) cartridge bearings instead of the loose-ball nightmare that exists inside Shimano pedals, ability to use 98A or SH-51 cleats, and if you don't require a longer spindle and like shiny things, they come in 8 colors.

And I repeat-- I'm talking about the Trail pedal, which has the larger "cage" around the clip, much like a Shimano XT/XTR pedal-- and is at a similar price point. I went with the iSSi because Shimano has no options for longer spindles, and I was tired of my heels brushing the chainstays. Well, that and the ease of maintenance.

deapee

I rode with SPD mtb pedals and mtb shoes for about 2 years. I found them fine.

I switched to SPD-SL and road shoes a little while back and don't notice much difference on the bike.

Clipping in is a bit easier in the SL because you're not fumbling...essentially I don't get a mis-clip ever. You're either in or you're not, and it's much easier to just put your foot there and bang it in.

Walking is incredibly different. I don't have a problem with walking in the SPD-SL's, it's just that the cleat is plastic...so if you do a fair amount of walking, you're probably better walking in your socks that the SPD-SL's. I've stepped on a few little pieces of gravel while walking and there's noticeable divots in the plastic now.

The airflow in the Shimano RP3's compared to my old LAKE's is night and day. Of course these Shimano shoes can accept with the 3 bolt or the 2 bolt cleat, so that's not really a benefit for 3 bolt vs 2, more or less the road shoe is offering me more breathability than the mtb shoe.

I will say that after about 2 years on the SPD mtb shoes and cleats, and plenty of walking, I can flip them over and they look relatively new. After just a month on the SPD-SL and dropping my sunglasses and having to walk back about 100 feet just once, they are noticeably banged up. They're still mechanically sound, and the cleats are cheap enough that you could replace them every year anyway (about 18-20 dollars for the pair).

I will also add that I have had issues clipping in with the spd mtb pedals before, and after a while hopped back off and found a rock wedged in the cleat...so that might be a minus for them.

But yeah, that's my thoughts on that.

cyccommute 

You may have a point on the spindle length, although I have never had a problem with the standard length of Shimano pedals. However, you are incorrect on the bearings of the Shimano pedals. Shimano pedals have used cartridge bearings for ages. I've got (nearly) 15 year old M520s and they have cartridge bearings. I've seldom had to do anything to the Shimano pedals.

DrIsotope

Okay then.

Slash5

I'm mostly a MTB rider so everything gets SPD. Wish they would offer the M530 in silver. Going to try some in white, see if they fit in visually on a road bike better.

OshkoshBiker

I use PD-M324's so I can switch between clipless and platform. They have worked well for when I loan my bike to someone without clipless shoes.

TenSpeedV2

I use these on all of my bikes, from fixed gear to road, to SS MTB to CX gravel bike. I have never had an issue with any of them. One pair is absolutely beat to hell and back and work just as well as the day I got them. The price is hard to beat.

Shimano PD-M520 Clipless Pedal > Components > Pedals > Mountain Pedals | Jenson USA

melloveloyellow

If you've ever svc'd m520s or m540s, you'd find loose BBs. They are well sealed, however.

I've always thought it odd that one would want to handicap oneself w/pure biking shoes & cleats that make walking difficult. Do so many folks want so badly to look like a pro cyclist? IMO these products are for pros who have a team car on hand.

ShadowGray

I use eggbeaters. They weigh 252g and cost $30. You can't get any more roadie than that kind of weight-oriented thinking.

kevindsingleton 

That is a H*ll of a deal! I just ordered another set! Thanks!

John_V 

I ride on Shimano M530 pedals and SPD cleats on my Colango. I have been using that system for 6 years and refuse to use road bike pedals because I love the double sided retention system plus the fact that I can walk pretty near normal in MTB shoes vs Road shoes. No one has ever criticized me for using them. Use whatever system you want to. It's your bike.