Can anyone give me recommendations for SPD pedals with float? I know that DMR V-Twin pedals have float. I think they have 5 degrees of float. Ideally I'm looking for a mid-range to slightly better pedal. I don't need a creme-de-la-creme pedal. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. (To note: I am looking for SPD compatible pedals, not the SPD-SL pedals for road bikes.)

Shimano SPD-520, 540 for more dollars. I believe they are 6 degrees of float. The pedals and the cleats last for a long time. They are both dual sided, so, you do not have to flip the pedal to engage the cleats. I also have 2 sets of pedals that are SPD on one side, and the other side is flat. The ones I have are from the old Performance Bike Shop and are not available. Shimano and others make them also. SPD's do take a bit of time and practice to clipped in and, even more so, to unclip. Shimano has Spd cleats that can be disengaged from any angle, I do not remember the model number.

Check the Shimano website and the information about the degrees of float for their pedals is easy to find online.

the shimano SPD SH-71 cleats have a lot of float. 6-7 degrees either way on classic shimano SPD pedals

I think the cleat, rather than the pedal, control the degree of float.

/markp

The cleats determine how much float you get. I use Look SPD cleats with 6 degrees of float.

I thought all SPD-type pedals had float, and/or it's based on the cleat? I have a variety of Shimano, Wellgo and other house brand compatible pedals and they all have float. I use the same Shimano, Wellgo or house brand cleats with all of them (whichever I happen to have on hand when the old ones wear out). But I have never actually researched this to see if my opinion is correct or how much float they have. All I know is that they have float.

I know that other similar "two bolt" pedal/cleat systems have float: I don't think any Crank Bros pedal/cleats are without float.

I've used the Xpedo CXR Clipless SPD pedals and they seem fine. There is float. But as mentioned, I think that comes from the cleat not the pedal. No idea how these fit in the quality/price range. Though at $114 on Amazon, they certainly aren't low-end. I've got probably close to 15,000 road miles on my current set. I know I bought a set of replacement bearings, but I don't think I've felt the need to put them in yet. So, I'm pretty sure they are still using the original bearings.

I'm like Camilo . I thought all SPD pedals had float. I've never seen the angle of float published for a SPD pedal, but I have not looked for it either.

You should be certain that your perceived needs can't be dealt with better by just adjusting the angle of the cleat on your shoe to make your toe point in a direction that is neutral for your knee and doesn't cause it to bind. Too much float is usually considered a bad thing.

Welcome to BF!

Not all have any float. As mentioned, it's determined by the cleat (at least in Shimano's system). Actually, I'm not sure about SPD. But with SPD-SL, there are red cleats with zero degrees, blue with 2 or 3 degrees I think, and yellow with 5 degrees. Are you looking specifically at SPD? If so, please disregard my (irrelevant) info.

If you want a clipless pedal with lots of float--and adjustable float range too--you want Wahoos, the model that used to be called Speedplay Zero.

He's asking about the mountain bike style SPDs. I recommend PD-M520 pedals. Cheap enough and super durable. I have a set on my mountain bike and they have endured repeated bashings on rocks, dunking in water, and riding in mud. I did use them on the road for a couple years as well.

Whatever the listed degree of float is you can add a bit to that because the cleat will travel a bit into the spring before it releases.
Shimano PD-M520 SPD Bike Pedals | Jenson USA

my Funn Mamba "MTB", 1 sided, cleated pedals, have been very good for that & I use them on my road bike

but I guess they were expensive

with these SHIMANO SH56 Multi Directional Release SPD Cleat

I've got LOOK X-Track and X-Track carbon spd pedals on my builds. The pedals have 6º of float and can use either LOOK or Shimano spd cleats.

Thanks for the help. I'm pretty sure that the degree of float for SPD (not SPD-SL) is determined by the pedal not the cleat. I agree that for SPD-SL pedals, or for that matter for Look, road pedals the float is indeed determined by the cleat, not the pedal. I know that Look makes three different cleats with different degrees of float. I'll look into some of suggestions. Thanks. - John

Thanks. I just found both of these pedals available through REI, and they're most like available elsewhere. REI's website says they have 4 degrees of float. The pedals/cleats are actually for my wife as she needs the float so that her knees don't 'act up'. She uses the Look KEO gray cleats on her road bike, and they have 4.5 degrees of float, so your recommendation should work well for her. Also, either the 520 or 540 pedal is in about the price range we were looking at - will probably go with the 540.

Incorrect. On the SPD’s it’s cleat specific, go do a search for SM-SH51, the Shimano website shows these as having 4 deg. of float.

Time ATAC pedals (there are many models with this system) have 13 or 17 degrees of float depending on the cleat configuration.There is an alternate cleat available that gives 10 deg float.

The float might not be the issue with knee pain. It's more likely that your wife's cleats just have her toes and heels at the wrong angle. Or she simply pushes too large a gear ratio and should shift to a lower gear that feels ridiculously easy to pedal.

Some of the very first SPD pedals had zero float when used with SH50 cleats, but everything since then from Shimano has provided float. [MENTION=555372]c2paddler[/MENTION] , you're not likely to buy the zero-float pedals by mistake.

Shimano currently only makes 2 types of cleats for off road SPD. The 51 with 4 degrees of float and the so called multi-release 56, also with 4 degrees of float.

I did find something on the web that said it was pedal specific, but then there is a lot of mis-information on the web. Thanks for the corrections and help.