Recommendations for first SPD Pedals for beginners

[Distorted Vision]

I am looking for SPD pedals for my first road bike. I actually fitted Shimano M324 on my Giant Roam 0 hybrid which are dual sided: flat and SPD but I've yet to try it with cleats.

I was wondering what SPD pedals would you recommend for my new road bike? I do not want to get M324 and was wondering if R540 were suitable for beginners?

Many thanks!

 

[Boon 51]

I would try cleats with the pedals you have first but as a beginner either road or mtb clips could be ok, its what ever you like really, many people run mtb clipless pedals on a road bike.

 

[vickster]

I am looking for SPD pedals for my first road bike. I actually fitted Shimano M324 on my Giant Roam 0 hybrid which are dual sided: flat and SPD but I've yet to try it with cleats.

I was wondering what SPD pedals would you recommend for my new road bike? I do not want to get M324 and was wondering if R540 were suitable for beginners?

Many thanks!

M520, just slacken off the tension (almost) all the way. I have on 4/5 road bikes. Excellent pedals for about £20. Once you're used to SPDs, you'll rarely if ever ride in flats. Just get shoes that are easy to walk in, i.e. Comfortable with a well recessed cleats. Single sided are the worst of both worlds imo, pain to clip in as the clip always hangs down so have to faff flipping the pedal, and many are unsatisfactory with trainers as the cage is too smallL I like to be able to walk so no 'road' pedals for me and again you can only clip in on one side which judging by most roadies, they are incompetent at moving away from lights quickly

 

[ColinJ]

I have M520s on several of my bikes. Simple, but effective double-sided pedals.

I have one pair of A520s and I agree with @Dogtrousers that they are more of a faff to clip into. I was going to sell them but nobody was interested so instead I fitted them to the cheapo singlespeed bike that I built a couple of years ago. I've got used to them now but I still have to be careful when clipping in at junctions in traffic - it is easy to try with a pedal upside down and have the foot slide off.

 

[slowmotion]

M520, just slacken off the tension (almost) all the way. I have on 4/5 road bikes. Excellent pedals for about £20. Once you're used to SPDs, you'll rarely if ever ride in flats. Just get shoes that are easy to walk in, i.e. Comfortable with a well recessed cleats. Single sided are the worst of both worlds imo, pain to clip in as the clip always hangs down so have to faff flipping the pedal, and many are unsatisfactory with trainers as the cage is too smallL I like to be able to walk so no 'road' pedals for me and again you can only clip in on one side which judging by most roadies, they are incompetent at moving away from lights quickly

^^^^^^^^^^@vickster tells the truth. Excellent advice.
Just make sure that the cleats are included in the price of the pedals.

 

[vickster]

I have M520s on several of my bikes. Simple, but effective double-sided pedals.

I have one pair of A520s and I agree with @Dogtrousers that they are more of a faff to clip into. I was going to sell them but nobody was interested so instead I fitted them to the cheapo singlespeed bike that I built a couple of years ago. I've got used to them now but I still have to be careful when clipping in at junctions in traffic - it is easy to try with a pedal upside down and have the foot slide off.

Or look down at your foot and ride into a sticky out bit of pavement and go into and over a bollard luckily onto grass...DAMHIKT

 

[ColinJ]

Or look down at your foot and ride into a sticky out bit of pavement and go into and over a bollard luckily onto grass...DAMHIKT

I used to use Look pedals/cleats years ago. On my first ride with them I was pulling up at a red light, on the left of a stationary car. Rather than unclip and have to clip back in again, I decided to put my hand out and hold onto the traffic light post. Unfortunately, my hand missed it by a couple of inches so I toppled sideways onto the verge, still clipped in, bike tangled round the post! Much mirth among the occupants of the car ...

 

[vickster]

I got a bit of whiplash but could've been worse...the bollard was fortunately plastic not concrete and bent as I went into and over it! The pedals were removed and sold quickly thereafter. Not bought anything other than M520s since

 

[ColinJ]

I got a bit of whiplash but could've been worse...the bollard was fortunately plastic not concrete and bent as I went into and over it! The pedals were removed and sold quickly thereafter. Not bought anything other than M520s since

I had a very near miss on a climb near here which includes a horrid 25% ramp. I ran out of steam half way up the ramp and did a hasty dismount, forgetting that I had slippery plastic cleats attached to the soles of my shoes. I nearly face-planted on the road!

Not a good place to dismount when using Look cleats...

M520s for me too now (apart from those pesky A520s).

 

[vickster]

I think we might be putting the OP off clipless

 

[ColinJ]

I actually like my single sided a520s, but there is a bit of a knack to clipping in I wouldn't recommend them for learning

They are slightly more comfortable than the M520s once clipped in, but I agree - not ideal for beginners!

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

M520 pedals are great. They come with SH51 cleats which unclip by twisting your heel outwards (like nearly all cleats) - you can buy a set of SH56 cleats which will pull out in any direction if that’s easier for you. I got M520s and SH56s for my son and he finds them great to use. I’m using M520s and SH51s and I love them.

 

[Reynard]

Single-sided MTB pedals for me - I have the Decathlon ones.

Since I currently only have one rideable bike, they give me the best of both worlds. I can ride either with ordinary shoes or with SPDs. I don't find them a faff - maybe because I've gotten used to them and it's second nature to flip the pedal round to whatever side that's wanted.

 

[ColinJ]

I have never had any problem unclipping with the ordinary cleats, as long as I do what @vickster suggests above, which is to use low release tension.

NB When reducing the release tension on double-sided pedals, don't forget to do it on both sides of both pedals! I got distracted when doing that job on a new pair of M520s just before a CC forum ride. I only discovered my mistake when trying to dismount on a steep climb and discovering that my right foot was stuck! I had to half-walk, half-scoot up the rest of the hill. When I caught up with the other riders and explained the problem, one of them asked why I hadn't just taken my foot out of the shoe...? Answer: I hadn't thought of it!

The problem turned out to be that I had missed loosening one side of the RH pedal ...

 

[Distorted Vision]

I haven't plucked up the courage to try the M324 with cleats on my hybrid yet. I'm going to try practising mounting and dismounting on the road about my house then going for a short test ride around my estate.