bradtx

Hi All, I just bought some of these pedals for a roadie project and it struck me that they maybe well suited to touring duties. What are your thoughts if you've used them.

TIA,
Brad

MMACH 5

I used those for years. The only real drawback was when I was camping a long way off from the restrooms. I'd roll out of my tent and either put my SPD shoes back on or ride awkwardly in my camp shoes up to the restroom.
I now have the Forte Boulevard pedal which is PerformanceBike's store-brand knock off of the Shimano PD-A530.

bradtx

Thanks MMACH5. I forgot about this thread as two of my children and one grandson have birthdays this month. I'll take a look at the A530s.

Brad

Rowan

I agree about the A530. I have a pair of those on my touring bike, and like them for the fact I can wear even Croc knockoffs to ride around town (mind you, I wouldn't do it all day, because the soles of the CNOs are very soft, but you get my drift). If and when I get back into commuting, they will be handy, then, too.

The major trouble I have now is that my primary pedals have all been Time Atacs, and I have all my other shoes with Time cleats in them.Time doesn't make a true "flip-flop" pedal like the A530, so I am somewhat stuck at the moment with one pair of shoes with SPD cleats, and all the others with Time cleats.

lucille

I have the PD-A520 both on my commuter and tourer and love them. Never had any problems.

Bezalel

Are you talking about the A520 or the A530? I had a set of A520s on my road bike back when I only had 1 pair of cycling shoes but wouldn't recommend it for a touring bike. I have A530s on my touring bike but I feel that hitting the platform side with my cleats can't be good for it, if I replace them it will be with M324s.

fietsbob

Quote:

I just bought some of these pedals for a roadie project and it struck me that they maybe well suited to touring duties.
What are your thoughts

Firm grasp of the Obvious.. .. if you like Shimano Spuds..

Welgo has a version , too, relabeled for like Performance-Nashbar .

digibud

The 324's can also be used with leather straps in winter. I can't recall the brand name but both my wife and I use them with our winter boots.

Ronno6

I have 520's on 2 tourers. They work fine, but the 530's are better suited to casual shoes for the short hauls.

bradtx

The feature I looked at for these pedals was a little extra support for my mountain bike shoes and that point is covered, but clipping in is more difficult than with the mountain bike pedals as the body interferes just slightly with the soles. Both the M324 and the A530 look to be more versatile options for the touring bike.

Thanks for all of the info and insight.

Brad

base

I've used them for touring. I find that I get fewer foot problems. The only downside is that the bearings are crap. My right one started clicking after about 5000km.

The pd-a600 is basically the same pedal but with better bearings and grey anodising that gets scratched by your cleats. Only downside to this is that the hex hole is 8mm...

bradtx

Thanks for the warning, Base. I have the little special wrench so I might just have a look at the lube.

Brad

Chris_W

I've had many pairs of A520s on many bikes, my wife's and mine. I love them, and very rarely ride the bike without SPD shoes, so have no need for the platform (and extra bulk and weight) of the A530 or M324s.

I've never had any problems with the bearings in the A520s (or any other Shimano pedals), with some pairs probably having 20,000+ kms on them. I have one pair of A600 pedals that are normally on my lightweight race bike. Twice in about 10,000km of use, they have started to develop some play that required them to be tightened - it was an easy job each time with a large wrench, but for this reason I would not use them on my touring bike, only the A520s that IME have been trouble-free.

bradtx

Chris_W, I also use SPD on all of my bikes. I plan to move the A520s to the touring bike for a couple of test rides, including wearing flip flops (no cleats) for a toodle around the neighborhood with my grandson. If they work well enough with the worst possible shoe I can think of, they'll be fine for any short distance without the need to buy a SPD/platform pedal.

Brad

vins0010

I have the Shimano m324, Shimano a530, and the Forte knock-off of the m324 (regular pedal with the spd on the side). The a530 is my favorite of the bunch - the platform is a little bigger with regular shoes (but, it is less grippy and I've had my foot slip in the rain). I really like the m324 on my commuter. I liked the Forte/Wellgo knock-off on the M324 but it did loosen up on the axle (I think these have sleeve bushing/bearings) and has some side-to-side play. This may or may not be related to annoying squeak these pedals also generate. I might be able to fix it but I haven't taken the time. I like both of the shimanos and have used them both for touring. It is nice to have the platform option for quick rides without cycling shoes. All this said, I think the a520's, which are otherwise similar to the a530s, would work well for touring but would work a little worse with regular shoes. If I already had a pair, I doubt I'd replace them just for this purpose.