Originally Posted by
badamsjr
The A520 works a lot like an SPD SL--It has kind of a 'pendulum' effect. It hangs with the clip-in side facing the rear, so you just put your shoe on it and clip in. Like ALL clipless pedals, it takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, it is fairly simple.
With a new user, I would advise loosening the clip-in tension to minimum until that person feels comfortable enough to raise it. Personally, I leave mine loose so they are easy to unclip. I have not yet had one come out unexpectedly.
I've owned another similar pair of Shimano, and I would disagree with saying that "Once you get the hang of it it's fairly simple". Many people agree with me - and likewise there are plenty of people who disagree with me and say they like them just fine for commuting, so I don't want to get in an argument about it - some people like them, some people really don't like them.
But that's for road use, where you can coast for a couple seconds to get clipped in, or to let the peddle go back to it's default position. If I had to unclip and put my foot down the middle of a rock garden, it's already not the easiest with a regular double-sided pedal where I don't have to look down to clip in and a clip-in side is always up. I can't imagine it if I had to look down (and when you've bounced your bike over a log or 15 rocks, who knows where the pedal would end up being rotated towards).