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