tkehler

I have tried various kinds. I always go back to Shimano SPD pedals. Now I have them on all of my bikes, and I have their cleats on all of my cycling shoes (even a pair of cycling sandals from Keens that works great in the heat for short easy rides).

The XTR version is amazing, but pricey.

This (the m647) is my recommendation. It's the best combination of price, value and function:

https://www.mtbr.com/cat/drivetrain/p...78_135crx.aspx

And I have a ten year old precursor to it, which weighs a lot more but still works fine.

praetor

I've been riding the same set of Speedplay Frogs since 1995-96.

It's kind of hard to test different pedals but I got mine from someone who owed me money. Better than cash.

bikemanbob

I use Crank Bros with great success. Easy to engage and release. Relatively lightweight and inexpensive. Candy's are good, but Eggbeaters are better (easier to engage). I would avoid the Smarty's (they often come stock on new bikes).

catonec 

scrublover

SPDs (or their clones) because the kick ass.

ch1llg

Crank brothers Egg beaters.

Peacob

I use the crank bros mallet pedal and i couldnt be happier... Yes they are a little heavier with the cage, but it makes it easy to jump on a quick ride and not have to use clipless shoes.

dmac49

Speedplay FROGs or ATAC both ahead of the rest.

pretzelface

Get some Shimano PD-M520's - it's a basic pedal that works fine. If you've never used clipless pedals on a mountain bike before, you won't know what your preferences really are, so it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money. Plus, using a common system like Shimano (or Crank Brothers) makes it easy to take your friends' bikes for a spin!

Then, when you have a better handle on what you want, you can go from there. If you decide you want good mud-clearing, you can buy Time ATACs. If you decide you want gobs of float, you can buy Speedplays. If you decide you want a pedal that'll snap at the spindle or seize and unscrew, you can buy Crank Bros.

FWIW, I'm very new to mountain biking (just built up my first "real" mountain bike a couple weeks ago), so my experience with MTB pedals comes mostly from commuting and cyclocross. 'Cross is basically a torture test for all your components; if you hang out in that scene, you'll see what each pedal's strengths and weaknesses really are. I've never seen anyone bring Speedplay pedals to a cross race, and the guys running Shimano have troubles with peanut-butter mud that users of superior systems can clip right through.

You also mentioned that your experience with clipless pedals has been with SPD-SL road pedals, so you might not be used to the amount of float on MTB pedals (some brands even float side-to-side!). It's there because they don't have an angle adjustment like your road pedals - suck it up and deal. It doesn't really suck that much power from your stroke.

Incidentally, if anyone came up with an adjustable-angle cleat for MTB use and a no-float option, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I love the red cleats for SPD-SL.