Originally Posted by
PatrickGSR94
I have the A530 pedals for the very reason of being able to use regular shoes from time to time if desired. The platform isn't that big really (those A600's don't look much different, might even be a narrower platform than the A530's). I do like them very much, though.
The A530 is a different animal, it is designed to be rideable on the non-cleat side in regular shoes. The non-cleat side on the A600 is curved and not meant to be used as a platform. Like I said I unintentionally pedaled off on the non-cleat side a couples times, until I could find the cleat, but it's not meant to be used that way and I'll be avoiding doing that, as the bearings loosen up and it spins more freely and I develop a bit more technique. On the cleat side it does provide more contact with the sole of the shoe than many SPDs which may help you pedal off without being clipped in right away and also provides better contact for power transfer. But I would never set off to ride the bike with these pedals without wearing cycling shoes.
RPK79 if you want to be able to ride sometimes with regular shoes you should definitely look at the A530s. The A600s are more performance oriented, for one thing they are substantially lighter (almost 100 grams). I'm not a weight weenie, but that weight isn't just on the bike, it's rotational mass you have to push around with each stroke. I know that I'll always ride this bike with SPD shoes, so I don't need to have a proper platform on the reverse side. I do like that I can wear shoes with a recessed cleat though, which are heavier than true road shoes, but much friendlier for a lot of the riding I do.