I'm planning to get a new set of mountain SPDs for my road bike. My current ones are M747s (circa 1994) and they've been a great pedal, but now I have to douse them in White Lightning every other ride to keep them quiet.

I've heard that the SPD-compatible third party brands are to be avoided (is that good advice?), so here's what I'm considering:

Shimano M520, ~ $50
Shimano M540, ~ $90
Shimano M770 (XT), ~ $110

Can anyone tell me about the relative quality between these models? If the main differences are off-road durability and mud shedding capability, obviously I could care less about that and will go for the cheaper goods. The weight differences are so small as to be negligible IMO. What I care about the most is long-term reliability and consistent cleat retention/release.

Scott

As I remember, the difference between the m520 and the m540 is just a cromo spindle. I use m520's on my MTB and steelie. They are definitely my pick out of the three. They can be had for like $35-40 if you look around a bit. They are bombproof. I've used them on both bikes for a whole season with no noise and no retention problems. I haven't pulled out with the stock tension. If they DO crap out, 35 isn't too much...

Thanks for the reply. I ended up picking up a pair of m520's at the LBS today. As a member of a local bike advocacy org, I get 10% off accessories at the shop and paid the same as I would have from Performance ($45). I easily adjusted the tension to match my old m747's and look forward to taking them for a spin soon.