kerrkid

My touring bike is a 2014 Trek 520 and I love this bike I ride with my rear panniers fully loaded each and every time I ride mainly to get use to riding with the extra weight for when I take my first tour. Last week I did a 75 mile ride and the bike handled well but the one thing I did notice was at times I caught my self moving my feet back into position on the pedal even though I have toe clips on the pedals, this was vary irritating for me because it would break my rhythm. ( Am I the only one this happens to? )

You maybe thinking to your self or not if he has toe clips on the pedals then Y is he having to reposition his feet on the pedals. Well at times my feet will slide forward and since I wear running shoes when I ride (at the moment) mainly for the breathability of the shoe my toe's gets squashed in the toe clips..

So I am in the market for a new pedal looking to get into a clip less or a SPD pedal having never used either I am thinking of the SPD style just so I can walk with out hearing the clicking sound of the cleat hitting the ground. I am looking for a inexpensive pedal any recommendations for an SPD pedal? Plus it would be nice to have that extra power on the up stroke when I pedal....

Thanks to whom ever responds.....

marimorimo

I recommend the mountain bike SPD cleats and pedals. I have the even easier to clip in and out of version (Shimano Clickr's). You can walk normally on them and the pedals are double-sided so no need to fumble around looking for the right side to clip into. I'm clumsy as hell n00b rider and even I can use SPDs so you will likely not have any trouble with them.

Doug64

Look at Shimano's 520 mtn pedal. I have them on my touring bikes. They are about $24 (Bike Nashbar, MSRP $45). I started buying them because replacement SPD cleats were $21, and for $3 more dollars I got the pedals. I really bought them for the cleats, and figured on using the pedals as backups. I started using them on my around town bike, and found them to be as good as my 540's, costing ($80). I've probably got 5,000 miles on my oldest pair with no problems. I believe they are a good value.

Shimano M520L Mountain Pedals

djb

I second the m520 pedals. I bought a pair five years ago to supplement my really old pair of shimano spd's, and with the new ones, I've put on about 12,000km on them and they seem to be as in good shape now as when new for bearing feel and click in stuff. They did feel a little tight at first, hard to get out of, even with the tension set to easiest. Over time they have loosened up a bit, but do seem well made all in all.

timdow

Third on the PD-M520's. I have them on the touring bike and my MTB. Another option is the PD-M324 which has one side SPD and the other standard pedal. Now are you going with SPD shoes or SPD sandals?....

MAK

I have Shimano 520s and 540s on my road and SS/Fixie bikes, but my Trek 520 has Shimano M424s. They are essentially Shimano 520s with a cage around them. I clip in and out easily but can also ride comfortably with sneakers if I choose to. I have over 1000 miles on them and they're still in great shape. Good price too. ($28.99 at Nashbar right now)

kerrkid

I will be going with a shoe for sure...

kerrkid

Thank you all for your suggestions...

paulkal

I also use the M520 pedals, I like that it is still possible to use a 15 mm spanner to install them.
More expensive pedals only have the allen key at the back.

Tourist in MSN

You might still hear the cleats on the pavement with SPD.

I use double sided pedals for around town use, but for touring I prefer a pedal that is SPD on one side, platform on the other. That way I can wear my cycling shoes during the day but for evening I can wear my trail running shoes if I go to the grocery store or out for dinner. I have also worn trail runners during the day if my cycle shoes were soaked from rain on previous days.

I used to recommend the M324 pedal, but I recently bought some A530 pedals. The A530 are lighter and I think they spread the shoe sole pressure out better if your soles are not very stiff. But the M324 seem to grip my shoe soles better. I like them both, but each are quite different. In the future I will have to decide which pedals to bring on each tour. Photo is of my M324.



I got the A530 at Evans. Not sure why they list two prices, I bought the cheaper ones. My order was big enough that I qualified for free shipping. They also sell the M324. Evans is in the UK.
Evans Cycles | Mountain Bike | Specialized Bikes | UK Online Bike Shop
Evans Cycles | Mountain Bike | Specialized Bikes | UK Online Bike Shop

kingston 

I use Shimano PD-A600's on my touring bike. They are by far the best looking SPD pedal for a road bike if that matters at all to you.

robert schlatte

Another thing you can do if you don't want to invest in new pedals and shoes is reach down a grab the strap on your toe clips and pull it tight around your feet. This will secure your feet in your pedal preventing movement and also allow you to pull up on the clips. When you come to a stop you have to reach down and release the strap to remove your foot but over time it will become second nature. I usually ride with clipless pedals but recently I bought a pair of Sylvan touring pedals with clips and straps and I find that it is a very comfortable and secure system. I wear stiff bike shoes but I reinserted the little removable sole piece. I like the system so much I am considering using the toe clip pedals on my next tour.

Quarryman32

Not many miles yet, but so far loving my Shimano PD-T780. Double sided (SPD/flat) with a good-sized platform on the flat side and reflectors on the forward and rear edges.

fietsbob

Back in the day the other part of the scheme is a Slot texture in the sole of the shoes ... touring shoes, it has been molded into the sole rubber ..

leather sole shoes the slot cleat was nailed on.. that engaged the back of the pedal cage... This has allowed me to wear a looser fitting shoe, so the
circulation to my feet is better .. Slot does not have to fit tight I liked an hourglass like shape so angle is not locked in either .


Agree , the above product Ideas are OK... Welgo rebrands their pedals for big importer - sellers like Performance/Nashbar.

similar to Shimano's, but costs less, cleat slightly different .

Crank Bros & Time are also good MTB pedal systems for SPD type shoes .. Speedplay "frog" offers angular float..

MMACH 5

I use Shimano PD-A530 pedals. They are SPD on one side and flat on the other.

When I get to my campsite, I shower, get out of my cycling gear and pitch the tent. If I need to go to the restroom or run to the store, I don't want to have to change back into my SPD shoes. With these pedals, I can hop on and go for short trips.

mstateglfr 

M324
A530

I have both. Both are excellent. The A is much lighter than the M.

Clip on one side and flat on the other. It's the best of both worlds and I have yet to find a downside.

You can just ride the bike to the store a mile away in running shoes when you want, and also be locked in for hours on end when you want.

I bought both on eBay for about $32 total/pair.

kerrkid

Would like to thank you all again for your suggestions and feed back on this issue of mine, not that it was I big issue but one that I needed to be fixed and up until this pointe I had no clue you could have a pedal that would work with a cycling and camp shoe. So thanks again for pointing me in a direction and I am really looking at the Shimano A530 pedal....

LuckySailor

I have the 530's as well. But I have a gripe. They are worthless, and downright dangerous as far as I am concerned when you are wearing regular shoes (sneakers, hiking boots, whatever) and using the platform side. There is a platform pedal with little 1/4" stainless steel nubs sticking up. Seems that would be a whole lot better but I've not tried them. Will be taking the 520's off my touring bike and using just a cleat on both sides. Wish I would have figured this out before I bought installed and used 3 pair on 3 bikes! Oh well, stuff happens.

RussB

+1 on the shimano 520's. I got mine in 2006. I just got a new bike and moved the 520's to the new bike. I suppose I'll upgrade them if they ever wear out. Might be awhile. LOL

Also I use the multi-directional release cleats.

FYI: I thing the previous poster is referring to M324's. Those are clipless on one side, platform of the other. 520's are clipless on both side.

Doug64

I had a different issue with the 324's. When I used 324's my shins were always beat up. The pedals just has a lot of sharp edges, that seemed to target my shins. Even though I am using 520's now, I still have my 324's "just in case". They do have some advantages. My wife swears by them, but they don't seem to eat up her shins.

My shins usually looked like this for the 2-3 years I used the 324's


Shimano 324

ct-vt-trekker

Interesting that most here are recommending the M520 when on most other forums the consensus is the M540 is well worth the little increase in cost. Maybe tourist don't stress the gear as much or are just too cheap .
The M540 upgrades to better bearings , better seals for the bearings and the spindle is chromoly instead of plain steel so they last much longer than the M520s.
You can find the M540 on sale for less than $50. They are $41.99 at Nashbar right now.

djb

interesting, when I got 520s five years ago, I didnt realize there was a hierarchy of bearings etc , and didnt really look around at other models. I see now that the 520s weigh 425g and the 540s are 352g. Had I known the better seals, bearings etc, and a bit lighter, I would have gone for the 540. I suspect my 23 year old shimanos must have had good material, I rode on them today and while easy to get out of (a plus actually for stop and go traffic, lights) they really do turn well still.

Like I have said before, will be intersting to see how long the 520s last.

mobilemail

I have double sided SPDs on all my bikes...except for my Voyageur, which still has toe clips and straps. Depending on the bike, they are either 520s or 424s. 424s might be nice on your touring bike for the times when you just want to jump on the bike a ride a mile or two, the extra frame gives a little more flat shoe support. I wouldn't want to ride them that way very far, the SPD mechanism will press into the bottom of your foot eventually.

tourbiker

I have the Shimano M540 on my touring bike, road and mountain bikes. I researched the options before choosing this model and recommend them. I prefer my mountain bike shoes which are relatively lightweight, have decent tread for walking, and minimal clicking. I also have touring shoes which look more like regular shoes than bike shoes so more suitable for touring rather than carrying extra shoes, and they offer minimal clicking. From what I've found, all SPD shoes will click a bit on hard surfaces so don't wear them on floor surfaces that may get damaged.

robow

I have the M540's on the two bikes I ride the most and they seem to have held up well. The 520's on my one of my wife's bikes did seem to wear a little more quickly.