MTB clipless for commuting?
 

Any thoughts? Is it easy to get used to? I'm thinking of getting the PD-M520.

It's a good choice if that's what you want to do. (Some people don't like clipless, and that's OK too.)

My commute bikes have MTB clipless pedals. There are endless arguments about whether clipless is more efficient than platform pedals. I think I'm more efficient knowing my feet are unlikely to come off the pedals sprinting through a yellow light. And the MTB shoes work well for me when I get to work and have to walk a ways, and potentially climb a few flights of stairs -- no duck walk required!

^ All of this. My commuting is on SPDs and either PD-A600 or PD-M520 pedals. The latter is nicer for commuting because you can just put your foot down and it will clip in -- no need to make sure the right side of the pedal is up.

Shimano has pedals that are "trekking" that are different than their mountain pedals, although they are both SPD. They tend to have plastic cages around the body and might have a platform side. I have a pair of T400 pedals that are great, when I'm in the mood for clipless (I'm not right now). They have a medium plastic cage and clip on either, T421 are the platform-side version.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/compo...ory/pedal.html

I commute on SPD's in the winter and flats in the summer six of one half a dozen of the other.

I have Shimano EH-500 pedals -- SPD from one side, platform from the other. They're heavier than the 520's, but give you the flexibility to not have to wear clipless shoes if for whatever reason you choose not to on a particular day. In my case, my commuter is also my kid hauler, so I don't always want to have cycling shoes on when going to the beach, etc.

Thanks all for the tips, just tried the clipless pedals with my new shoes from Decathlon, wow, a world of difference. Seems like I was one with the bike while pedaling

Just a question, do I need a 15mm wrench to properly torque the pedals or is a 6mm Allen key fine?

If your pedals have the 6 mm socket inside the shaft, you can torque the pedals with that. Make sure you grease the threads (as with any pedals!). And double-check which way you're turning the Allen wrench, and then check it again, because you're driving from the back side.

I use M520s on my main commuter. Although my road and TT bikes have a set of power meter pedals and I do commute on either of those bikes in the summer (TT bike is only if I am going straight from work to a TT). But the summer road bike is a lot of fun to ride when the weather is nice. But for ease of walking around , mountain bike shoes win.

I used MTB clipless for the 23 years I commuted. I kept a couple of pairs of regular shoes at work, so I didn't have to schlep them. On Fridays, I'd take a 30-mile "detour" on the way home, and it was nice to have the stiff soles and secure attachment of cycling shoes.

yes, especially if you're a manual shift car driver. meaning, if you are used to planing ahead. meaning, you see a stop approaching, so you are used to hitting the clutch. I use this kind on my road bike
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...51b9d31f98.jpg

To modify what I wrote earlier. Some of the Shimano trekking pedals (including my much-liked T400's) use the "Click'r" clip that is SPD cleat compatible but relaxed a bit, with a softer spring and smaller release angle. Much easier to use but definitely not as secure!

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/techn...no-clickr.html

There are plenty of spd-compatible imitators like from Wellgo, MKS, and Xpedo, not to mention I see there are now some Amazon chinese alphabet soup brands. I bought some Forte / Performance ones a long time back that were no good, but very cheap. I harvested the cleats. There are a few other styles of 2-bolt pedals we aren't bothering about here, namely Time ATAC (lately bought out by SRAM), and Crank Bros Eggbeater that have four clip in angles and are very light.

Aside - this is pretty clever though not clipless

https://xpedo.com/product/pedals/city/trvs-lockster/

M520 pedals are great bang for the buck. I also have ISSI Flip pedals, which are platform on one side and spd on the other.

I use Shimano RT-80 shoes (RT=Road Touring) with Time ATAC pedals for commuting and fast paced club rides.

PD-A600 are the best walkable SPD pedals I've ever used as a roadie.
Hard to find now after Shimano in their infinite wisdom decided to scrap them for the new model PD-ES600 which are worse not better.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...22fde83f3.jpeg

Here’s what I use for clipless on the commuter cheap and on Amazon

I use Crank Bros Candy pedals and Mountain bike shoes. I find that to be a good combo. So much so that I after a year of commuting I started using the same pedals on my weekend go fast road bike with mountain bike shoes.