Touring - Pedals for Touring

I have been using a dual purpose pedal on my current bike (SPD on one side and regular pedal on the other - Welgo WPD-95B) for touring, but I noticed that most new touring bikes have regular SPB pedals such as the Shimano 520. I do not know if I should consider switching for my next bike. What style of pedal do you prefer for touring and why?

I like my pedals dual purpose, because on a hot day I can wear my ridiculous flimsy sandals. But then I generally don't like shoes:)

I like my pedals dual purpose, because on a hot day I can wear my ridiculous flimsy sandals. But then I generally don't like shoes:)

Why not Shimano sandals with cleats?

I'd take an M520 over the A520 any day. Dual sided pedals are much easier to get into than single sided. If your foot hits the pedal, you are going to be clipped in eventually. And the M324 just seem - to me anyway- to be a case of not being able to make up your mind.

For touring I'd get the PD-M324, or a double-sided SPD pedal, like the PD-M540.

I have the PD-A520, but I use it for a commuting / road cycling.
It's non-SPD side isn't comfortably rideable, and on a tour I'd like to have an option to ride comfortably if something goes wrong with the pedal or shoe.

Tal.

Clip and strap, all the way!

Clip and strap, all the way!

That is, like, so last millennium ;)

I use both. The 2-sided for more "serious" riding and the 324's for more liesurely riding. On tour it's nice to have the option of riding not clipped in whatever shoes. Sometimes I wear no cycling specific apparel at all, sort of as a protest to their tyranny.

That is, like, so last millennium ;)
Yep, but considering I tour on a retro ride with friction DT shifters and Sachs/Huret RD and Suntour FD on a Suntour freewheel with 27" wheels, why not! I'm a self admitted retrogrouch after all!:D

Sorry to say, the PD-M324 kinda sucks. It's for people who just can't commit. :D

The clippie side works fine, and usually it will face up when I'm riding. But that makes the platform side to be harder to use, as I constantly have to half-spin it. Black bike shoes with recessed cleats work fine for basic walking.

I'm also not sure why you'd need the platform side when you're on tour. When you're on the bike you will want to wear your bike shoes. Regular sandals would be sort of horrible for biking, too flimsy.

Forget the road pedals, what I really like for touring is a pair of SPD compatible mountain bike shoes with recessed cleats. Much more pleasant to walk in than shoes with road cleats, and much more pleasant to ride in than non-cycling shoes.

On my last tour, I used Crank Brothers Eggbeaters. Lightweight, easy to get in and out, and reliable.

I do have a pair of PD-M 324s, I use them on my winter commute bike. It's nice to go grocery shopping, etc. in regular shoes, but it's also nice to have the option of wearing cleated shoes sometimes.

I did use cleated shoes with toe clips for a long, long time (until 1999 or so), but once I tried clipless I lost interest in toe clips very quickly.

Because I hit trails with my LHT every chance I get on tour, I would go with a platform-clip pedal myself. I don't know about the M324 specifically but when things get a bit dodgy (e.g. trail disappears and you can't see what you're riding on), it's nice to know you don't have to be locked to your bike. My recessed-cleat MTB shoes work just fine on platforms... and clipped-in too, obviously. I just don't have the guts to ride down a grassy trail without knowing if there's a half-foot rock or trench in front of my wheel.

I like eggbeaters, for all my bikes, and have different shoes, sandals depending on the ride. I got pretty mashed with the dual purpose. I would never go back. Give them a look....

Clip and strap, all the way!
+1
I like to get off and walk and use walking muscles as well. This flushes them out so I don’t get pains or need a recuperation day. This would require hauling around hiking boots in addition to a bike shoe. No thanks! I haul too much stuff already.

I like the crank bros. eggbeaters with a mountain shoe. The cleats are much easier to walk with if you are hopping on and off the bike quickly. My speedplay pedals are nice for riding, but more than one step on those cleats is annoying as hell. For touring all day, I don't go out without my camelback and flip flops.

MKS Touring pedals with powergrips and Adidas skateboarder shoes. I've found skateboader shoes to be very stiff in the soles with a narrow non-flaired heel and with a traditional wide cage pedal you don't feel the pedal under foot because the load is spread out over a larger surface area. Your shoe still has grip and for me, the Adidas shoe is wide enough in the toe box to avoid numb feet, simular to riding in sandals. I can walk all day in my shoes and I recently rode with them 55 miles without discomfort. Low enough gearing is paramount to avoid mashing. I have tried clip ins and ride another bike with clips and straps instead of the powergrips and prefer them over any clip in pedal/shoe combo. I don't like carrying extra walking shoes and wear sandals in the summer along with wool socks when it gets cool in the evenings and to avoid bug bites on my toes. Clip ins are overrated, expensive and despite every attempt to make them pleasant to walk in most "cycling" shoes are not that comfortable to walk in due to the overly stiff sole under the ball of the foot. A super stiff sole is not needed if you use a pedal that is wide enough or a with a large enough surface area to spread the load and reduce psi on your tender feet. If you ever have to ride those tiny pedals meant for stiff clip in shoes without the shoes it's murder on the feet and the effect is noticed immediately. This same problem often crops up on log rides to a lesser degree, with some clip in shoe/pedal combos resulting in "hot spots" and numb feet. For these reasons, I ride with my wide cage pedal, skater shoe combo that I can also walk or run in and I don't have to clunk around in overly stiff, heavy and funny looking (to me) cycling shoes at the local eatery!:eek:

Double sided pedals are for the 'tards who can't flip a pedal over :D

I use the single sided 324's. sometimes while in stop and go heavy traffic I like my feet free from the pedals for quick dabs. At the end of the day if I want to go into town or ride around the campground I often like to wear sandals or crocs

Shimano 520 for me.

I much prefer the 324 type, simply because of the choice. There are so many varying situations when travelling, that I wouldn't be comfortable with single purpose pedals.

I use PD-M434 pedals on my recumbent. They're double sided SPD pedals with a plastic cage, and so are lighter than the M324s. I can clip in on either side, but I can also hammer without clipping in if I'm starting out on a hill.

On my DF, I used M535s. They're lighter than the 434s (or the 525s that came with the bike) and they are just way easier to get in/out of.