Clipless/Platform Pedals - Choices?
 

I recently realized the joys of riding clipless, and I want to get a set of clipless/platform pedals for my commuter bike. I was wondering if anyone had opinions on either of these style pedals:

Shimano PD-A530
http://www.shimano.com/publish/conte...bm.512.384.gif
I like the way these look, but the platforms look like they might be slippery in wet conditions.

or

Shimano PD-M324
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41r8jufD98L.jpg
Not as neat looking IMHO, but I'm leaning towards these, as they're a few dollars cheaper and the platform looks like it'd be a bit more grippy in wet weather.

Thanks!

Not looking to start an argument------but those are single sided, this is dual sided.
BTW, I think having dual sided pedals is a great idea, after the dust settles from my recent bike purchase, I'm going to get a set for the new bike.

I have and love the Shimano pedals pictured above.

they are wonderful especially in traffic because you can pop out of the clips. and when starting up at an intersection, you can ride the flat side until you get across and then clip in.

and of course, if you are not wearing bike shoes you can ride the flat side. the teeth on the shimano give it good rain traction

I use the A530's. They work great.

I have the Shimano A530s. Your criticism is valid, though I have not felt it to be a big issue. If you're worried about the rain, get the m324. I don't commute on my A530s, I've got them on my training/fitness/fun roadie. Wanted something I could use without bike shoes if I wanted to take a quick spin on the bike and I don't really ride that one in the rain.

Dumb question, i have to ask: Is the reason they dont include pins on any of these pedals because your foot needs to float/move? Pins would keep your foot from twisting out/in right?

M324 here and I like them for the commute. Yes they suffer from the usual problems all single sided pedals have, sometimes the side you want won't be the side facing up. At lights I kind of position the pedal so that when I start pedaling with the clipped in leg the correct side is there for me to clip into.

I have the A530, they're decent. I've been thinking about finding a skater store and grabbing some skateboard grip tape, cutting it as appropriate, and binding it to the platform side.

I use the 530's on my fixed gear. I use the platform side playing around in the driveway, and the clipless side on road rides with my wife. The platform side has worn enough that they are a bit slippery. I have tried filing them to sharpen up the edges, but it hasn't helped.

530s are preferred over the 324s, due to the 324s catching on your shoes while trying to un-clip with ankle twisting, I use MTB shoes.

324s here. They work great for me.

I have an older set of Forte Campus pedals. So far they seem good, can't complain too much about the price, though.

I have had M324's on my commuter for 3 years now and all is well. I have also never had an issue with getting clipped in or out. I ride the platforms in everything from flip flops to heavy winter boots with no issues

Tried the platform/clipless mix and found them slightly annoying. Kind of like toeclips. Whenever taking off from a light or stop sign I was always 'searching' for the correct side. Once I went over to dual-sided clipless I spend 1/10th the time fooling w/trying to find the pedal. Just my opinion. Dual-sided spds w/touring shoes is the best combo I've found for being able to get on and off the bike w/o 'clicking' on pavement, etc. while running errands. Mtb shoes aren't designed for the urban environment, so they don't give one the cleat clearance needed. All my bikes are equipped the same way, so I don't wear regular shoes while cycling.

Btw, whatever pedals you decide on don't cheap out. Cheap clipless are much more difficult from which to unclip. Except Wellgo, they're pretty good. And available @ http://www.bikeisland.com 20-40.00 w/no shipping. :thumb:

I have not tried the M- pedals, but the A530's are ideal. They seem weighted so that the clips are right there coming off every stoplight. They perform, too. On my best-i'll-ever-do 4h10m century, I used those pedals!

The wellgos I have are definitely much harder to clip in and out of than my A530s. I just about ran into the back of a bus with them this winter.

If you want to consider non-Shimano pedals, these would fit the bill:

http://www.crankbrothers.com/pedals_mallet.php

There's plates that you bolt a spare cleat to to turn any dual sided pedals into
mixed platform, clipless pedals.

I have 10,000+ miles on my M324s. They work great rain or shine! I've been looking at the 530s for another bike but haven't pulled the trigger.

Thanks for reinforcing my point. A530s aren't cheap. I've got 3 pair of Wellgos one of which is 12 years old. Never a problem. I commuted urban for 15 years in heavy traffic. There's a set on Bike Island for 30.00 that are the smoothest clipless pedals I've ever owned. Pedal adjustment, traffic conditions, reflex action...any of number of things could've contributed to you almost running into a bus. To solely blame the pedals is a little misleading.

Great discussion. Has me interested in the 530's. You can add that to the list of things to get! I think this would be a great way to introduce me to
clipless pedals. Once I lose a little more weight and get in better shape I plan on purchasing a road bike and would want clipless.

I'm a firm believer in the A530's. I've ridden in rain, snow, hail, through some mud (not much), and never had a problem with them.

I had some M324s for a while.. i hated them. They worked fine but they were never in the right position when the light turns green. I also realized I never used the platform side at all. I returned them and got some double sided spds and was a million times happier.

I use the M324s for winter riding only. With MTB shoes, there are times I don't want to be clipped in on really bad areas of ice or snow, but want the grip provided on the platform side that the A530s don't have. Also, I occasionally ride with regular winter boots, and the platform works great. You'll get used to flipping the pedal over after a couple rides and it becomes second nature.

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC_0139.jpg

Buffalo, I bought the PD-A530 and it was a mistake for this simple reason: If it get's wet and you aren't clamped in --- it's slippery as hell. I so wish I had bought the PD-M324 instead. It turns out they're $10 cheaper anyway.

On my IGH commuter I have platform/SPD Wellgo's from Performance, they have worked well for 3 years and survived several cage-bending pedal strikes, some report they don't last but that has not been my experience:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...1586500_400916

I have the Shimano M324, similar to the Wellgos only much better quality, I would buy them instead of the Wellgos today (and I did when I needed a set for my Pugsley).

Advantage of the platform/SPD pedals is there's always a surface to put one's foot on, not the case with toe-clips or single sided road pedals. I also like them for when I don't have my SPD shoes/sandals on and want to take a quick ride to lunch or run an errand.

I also have a set of A520's on my road bike, they are like having old fashion toe-clips, one has to be good a flipping the pedal to the correct side, it can be distracting on the street.

What frame is this? Got a full size pic? Cant tell if this is the case, but it looks like you're running a normal rack, disk brakes and FFF says some flavor of Surly so its steel. Doesnt look like a 29er though, if it was, it'd be my ideal setup.

It's the Surly Troll set up as a 29er (I have the 700c Mavic Speedcitys with road tires, so technically it's a 29er). The frame is actually designed for 26" wheels, so sorry to get your hopes up. It is documented here with lots of pics: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ht=surly+troll

I'll take a look, thanks.

I'm new to a lot of this and still trying to figure stuff out so I have a noob question. Can you tell me more about touring shoes? I hear a lot about MB or road shoes, but this is the first reference to touring shoes I've seen. I'd like to know more.