So, I'm about to buy clipless pedals. I'm looking at either SPD m540, or an old used set of ritchey pedals that are much lighter, but single sided. Is it hard enough to clip in on FG to go for the double sided?

Up to you.

I do double sided m520 on the commuter fixed because I'm lazy.

On the track bike I do single sided for a better contact plate.

That being said, most of my friends are about 50/50 on it.

Well, I won't be riding the track anytime soon. Closest one is states away. But I do 40+ mile rides all the time.

I do most of my metrics on my commuer fixed

It's not too hard when it's single sided. Do you have multiple bikes, like a road bike? Do you plan on getting shoes with recessed cleats?

EDIT: Actually, if this is your commuter bike i'd go with M520/540.. You can get recessed cleat shoes that you can use off the bike (DZR, Chrome). Also, 2 bolt style mtb shoes are easier to walk around.

i've only had experience with SPD and no other systems...

i like it best because it seems more universal, meaning: my MTB clipless shoes are SPD, i go to spin classes and the bikes' pedals are SPD, my DZR "casual-look" clipless shoes are SPD, etc.

anywho i have a number of bikes, and most have SPD pedals.

i have a520s and a600s on my longer distance road bikes and track bike....they are the single sided SPD pedals with platforms. i cant tell too much difference between the two, other than aesthetics (the a600s are a darker gray and a little nicer looking). I like the platform on these because it seems to offer more surface contact between the pedal and shoe.

i also have the m520s, the doublesided ones on my more commuter oriented bike.
I really like these honestly...they are the first SPD pedals i've owned, and they were hand me downs that were on some other bike for years.
Really easy to get into, because you dont have to look down to clip in.

with the single sided ones, it can be slightly annoying at many stop lights.


so the singlesided ones are nice for the platform, but if this is a commuter bike id say go for the doublesided....and honestly, they are probably way easier to learn clipping in on. can probably be found super cheap used on ebay.
i would suggest going that route for a first go if you are at all a little nervous about learning how to clip in

I prefer the double sided M540/M520 mostly but neither style are particularly difficult to clip into once you get used to them.

I have flip flops



on my touring/utility bike and I like the versatility.

Commuter with occasional longer rides: SPD

Bike (geared or fixed) that you use only for riding (not walking or riding to a destination where you will be walking around a lot): road cleats. Look, Speedplay, etc.

A lot of the fixie dudes I roll with really like Time Attack style cleats as well. Bonus: they rock for CX, too.

i ride with speedplays. but i always have a pair of shoes with me if im planning on stopping and walking anywhere.

Sounds like SPD is the way to go for me!

Also Shimano M520 are significantly cheaper than the M540's, and the only difference from what I can tell is a few grams of weight savings. I don't think there are better bearings or anything..

Hisir,

Is there any reason they take them over SPD? Better retention?

Slightly larger contact patch and the pedals have less crevices for mud/dirt/sand to get trapped in for CX.

Keep in mind: this is all 2nd hand info

Just rode home with a pair of M520s.

well? are they awesome? did you have any clipout fails yet (you will)?

Haha, not yet. They are totally awesome. Can't imagine going single sided though... especially for commuting.

FWIW, I've been using the Ritchey single-sided SPD pedals for many years. Clipping in is second nature, requiring just a quick glance down to locate the pedal.

Those Ritchey pedals are about as light as pedals get. Yes, I'm a weight weenie.

good call on the SPD for your sw8 fixay Jess. I have SPDs on my road bike for the convenience of not having to look down and also the ability to walk around easier.

in my experience the contact patch seemed no bigger.

the bonus of the time atac style is there is zero play between the cleat and the pedal. with spd's you'll notice a little play start to develop as the pedals/cleats wear down.

the big downside of the atacs IMHO is the soft brass cleats. they work awesome when new but become finicky way too soon for me. by about 6 months in i was pulling my foot out regularly because the cleats were so worn. with spd's i can get years out of a set of cleats but usually just change them when too much play develops. i have never worn a set down enough for them to pull out spontaneously. plus the time cleats cost like 30 bucks and are never on sale.

all this said i ride mtb in the same shoes i commute and ride road in (lots of almost daily action) so maybe all the dirty mtb action kills the soft cleats way faster? dunno but for brain-dead reliability i went back to shimano.

new or very good condition times do feel better than new shimanos there is no doubt.

No

I use the m520's and they are a good set of pedals. Dont worry about a few grams you will not notice. If youre just getting into clipless pedals id recommend double sided as they will be easier for you. i personally wouldnt use single sided as i like the ease of double.

Oh you done DID IT NOW, brah! Ain't no way Jess wants to hear you call his track beast a 'fixay.'

It's just another thing that becomes a non-issue with muscle memory. I would ride my single sided road pedals all the time if walking with those cleats were as easy as with SPD.

Clips and straps only have one side... What's the difference?

clips and straps are annoying.

Umm, no they're not. Stupid shoes to suit clipless pedals are. SPD-L are only good when you're on the bike. SPD are only good until the soles of the shoes wear a little bit. Neither are good if you're spending any length of time off the bike.
In the real world, clips and straps offer a minor loss of efficiency .... though few riders have the skills to exploit the difference. The big issue with straps and clips is the lack of decent shoes ... because the bike industry wants us to believe you need a clipless system which sells pedals as well as shoes and clips while stopping them from having too produce shoes that don't use clips. Those stiff soles on modern shoes are there to support the foot on clips and are not required to support the foot on a decent pedal.