I am looking to buy a set of pedals with toe clips that clip into spd's.
I've seen really cheap plastic ones that I think come with the purchase of some brands of SPD's but I'm looking for good quality metal ones. I'm trying to get down to owning just one bike and think that my cyclocross (Tricross) bike would fit the bill but would like the flexibility of being able to change from SPD's to platforms quickly. I know that there are double sided spd/platform pedals out there now but I'm skeptical about the potential annoyance of having to flip pedals on the fly to find the right fitting.

The "test ride" platforms are worthless for real use. Try something like these:
https://www.spadout.com/p/dimension-insteps/

I have never seen or heard of metal conversion assemblies. The plastic ones are offered at the below link.

https://www.amazon.com/Dimension-Inst...556438&sr=1-31

I have used both the PD-A530 and PD-M324 combined SPD and platform pedals and personally prefer them to the Dimension pedal inserts which raise the feet enough so ideally the seat height should be readjusted. Also the Dimension pedals so far as I know are only available in one size so that your feet, depending on foot size, may not be properly positioned. When installed the pedals also hang pretty much upside down, IMO worse than having to flip the SPD/Platform pedals to choose sides.

Due to the nature of any insert pedal converter I would expect it to also have the disadvantage of raising the shoes enough to cause a need to readjust saddle height.

There are pedals from Shimano and Crank Brother available that have both platform and clipless 'clips' on both sides of the pedal. So you don't have to flip the pedal over to get the right attachment for your shoes.

Look at the shimano M647s for an idea.

I'm not sure how well a clip-in set of platforms would work. Unless there's some sort of retention system beyond the cleat, they'd unclip and fall off if you twisted your foot, which sounds pretty annoying. The cheap plastic ones manage by having an oversized cleat that jams more tightly into the pedal than a real cleat, but it has to be able to deform to do this.

What about having two sets of pedals and a pedal wrench? I can change pedals in a couple of minutes.

I've ridden my friend's bike with those pedals, they work just fine. I guess it sucks for you if you ride the platform side and you want toe clips

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions...I've now got several leads of pedals to look into for possible buys. Damnable, I was not aware of pedals that have both platform and clipless 'clips' on both sides and so I will definitely look into those well.

Leo

I use Shimano 545, which are similar to the 647. The "platform" isn't really one. It's a cage around the SPD and I believe it's there so MTBers can still apply pressure when unclipped. They work as platform for short errands or emergency but the SPD mecanism sticks out so it's a little uncomfortable and slippery for long rides. Another benefit of the cage is the pressure is spread over a large area and prevents hotspots many people complain about SPD. I like them and unless I go platform-only, my next pedals will be of the same design.

I've now had a chance to search out the models that my local bike shops carry and there are two models that I will likely choose from. One is the Shimano PD-M324 and the other also by Shimano is PD-A530. The PD-M324 is 520g and has a rougher (more tooth) edge on the platform, so guessing that ones foot will stay more secure when using regular shoes than with the PD-A530. I will probably be using my casual shoes on rides more that 50% of the time. The PD-A530s looks a little nicer but is also more costly...about $110 vs. $79 for the PD-324.
I mostly do city riding/commuting on my cyclecross bike, as well as occasional casual rides on some rougher terrain. Which model is better for clipping-in on the fly and which would be the better pick for my type of riding in general?

Much appreciated.

Leo

Nashbar has a couple of different sets for around $30 if I remember correctly...

I run a set of PD-M324s, it is a very rare occasion that I end up flipping them. More often than not when I unclip, the pedal remains in the correct orientation so I can just step right back in.

I am very happy with these pedals, although they are my first pair of clipless pedals so I may not be the best reviewer. I am a commuter and I ride with either mountain bike shoes or keen commuters so I can do some walking after I am off the bike, but if I am going to a friends house or out to the bar or some other more casual type gathering I have had a pretty easy time of riding in my flip flops. I ride a cross-check by the way.

[QUOTE=tatfiend;9138572]I have never seen or heard of metal conversion assemblies. The plastic ones are offered at the below link.

https://www.amazon.com/Dimension-Inst...556438&sr=1-31

those are interesting, but they seem to be more of a "spd cleat adapter for your shoe" thing. also, with toe clips do they feel like a regular clipless shoe when you use them, i.e can you unclip and clip at will. also, they don't look like they would be fun to walk in.

I had some of the cheap Nashbar plastic ones and they flat out didn't work. I have some cheap platform pedals that I swap. I pedal wrench (or 15mm) and about 1 min and now there's platforms. The dual pedals looks cool.

I've only used the A530s so I can't comment on the 324s other than I know I guy that has them and is happy with them.

I was able to get the A530s new on Ebay for about $79 about a month ago. The package with a little roughed up but who cares. As far as how they work I have no real complaints. I was used to riding on more toothy cages so the smoother platform of the A530 was a concern for me. I've ridden on them in the rain several times now with both casual and bike shoes. While I've had so problems with slipping at all, I'm still not as confident that they grip my shoes as well as a toothier pedal would. My confidence may grow in time.

Sometimes you end up on the wrong side of the pedal. If you do it's not hard to flip or to just pedal on the wrong side for awhile. I wouldn't want to pedal for miles and miles that way but for a few blocks it's not a big deal. So far I've used bike shoes about 85% of the time. Having the platform available has come in handy occasionally but I have to tell you it feels weird using the platform after riding most of the time clipped in.

Having the platform/clipless combo means you give up the convenience of dual sided pedals. There are at least couple of times daily that the I end on the platform side of the pedal when I wanted the other side. It is a minor inconvenience but it's relatively frequent. The plus side side of this type of pedal, of course, is that you can use a regular shoe. In your case that sounds like that will be a common need so I think it makes sense.

For me, I'm on the fence as to whether or not it was the right choice. It's rare that I'd need to bike somewhere that my mountain shoes would be inappropriate. I keep a set of nicer shoes at work so that's not a problem. Even with bike shoes though, it's nice to have the platform side once in awhile. Last week I turned my ankle on Wednesday and had a long group ride on Thursday. On my way home my legs were tired and with a weakened ankle I found it hard to clip in and out while riding through town, so I just rode on the platform.

These look pretty sturdy. You will need an extra pair of cleats to screw into the bottom of the platform.

Decksters

I have the decksters and they are a very good platform. They will never come loose because they are held in with screws in addition to the clipless assembly. They are faily heavy and therefore, they always hang on the bottom side of the assembly with the clipless side up. That works for me since I rarely ride on the platforms and I know that I'll be able to clip in real quickly because I know that the pedal will be in the same position every time. If you want to ride the platform side you'll have to flip it over with your toe. The platform still has a bit of "play" in it but it's still very comfortable to ride in regular shoes or sandles.

Thanks all. Given that I plan to do a fair bit of riding on the platform side, think I'll go with the PD-M324. This model seems to be best suited for more than just occasional use of the platform. I always appreciate getting your comments, as it often saves me a making more than a few bad purchases, wasted time and headaches.
Leo

[QUOTE=jeph;9200176]Per my recollection they were intended to be uses just as toe clips are used on normal pedals, ie: pull shoes from adapters while leaving the platform adapters attached to the pedals. I gave my pair away some time ago as I found them to be unsatisfactory due to hanging fully upside down and being inconvenient to flip for shoe insertion compared to normal toe clip equipped pedals or clipless pedals. I may not have been patient enough to learn the proper technique.