Scored some A600 pedals, plus OCD overview

[wafter]

Just in case anyone finds themselves in a similar situation to me and would benefit from a bit of additional information..

Introduced in 2010 Shimano PD-A600s are single-sided SPD (two-bolt / mountain bike cleat) light alloy pedals with a decent wide-ish platform, originally (I think) aimed at the touring market and representing the 2nd lightest of the company's SPD offerings at 286g quoted per pair. Upon release they were billed as "Ultegra level" but true to the company's trickle-down approach to tech are currently listed as Tiagra 4700 grade.

I first became acquainted with these as the most road-centric of the SPD offerings for my Boardman, having chosen the 2-bolt SPD format over the 3-bolt road-specific SPD-SLs on account of their greater practicality off-bike.

I ended up buying a used early pair from ebay and they've so far served me well over about about 2700 miles. Other than taking an age to get used to the less forgiving single-sided format I really like these pedals.

Having now bought a 2nd (all-road) bike I swapped the A600s over but needed another set of pedals, and having got more used to the A600s with more off-road clipping in and out decided on a 2nd pair since they're a known quantity and I guess having the same pedals on both bikes should further aid familiarity.

I've been keeping an eye on prices, with new ones running from £55 per pair (pre-lockdown price-gouging) to an eye-watering £145/pr

Recently I've seen used ones typically for for £25-30, but without cleats and usually in pretty tatty nick (not that a few scratches bother me in this case as they're impossible to avoid given the nature of the product).

Today I spotted a listing for a new pair on ebay for £30+ postage so snapped them up

Arguably interestingly they appear to have a different finish to those I've seen previously; on the down-side maybe looks a bit cheaper than the nice blue/black of the previous incarnation, but the more solid black and more simple branding should suit the aesthetic of my bike better.

If anyone's interested it seems that these pedals have been offered in maybe four different finishes over the years:

1. Light Silver / grey: The original offering; quite nice as it shows up the damage less:

2. Dark silver / grey: Apparently the 2nd version:

3. Dark blue: Seemingly the third version:

4. Black: Current incarnation; note the simplified logo at the rear of the pedal:

So there we go.. hopefully the info above should give you an idea of the age of these pedals if you're looking to buy used; although they seem to go on forever so this perhaps isn't hugely relevant.

A nice light, supportive choice of pedal for those riding on-road who don't want to go full-on SPD-SL, or light off-road and intend to keep the weight down compared to double-sided MTB platformed offerings while retaining more support than not-platformed alternatives. These appear universally well regarded, including in reviews by road.cc and cyclingtips.com

 

[vickster]

Awful things, never the right way up and led to me having what could have been a nasty off. Sold them on quickly and went to m520s!

 

[Gunk]

I’ve got a set of the light silver grey ones which I’ve used for years, they do get very battered as the cleats scratch the underside of the pedals.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I use A520s which look very similar. Not sure what the difference is, maybe the A520s are a bit less refined and fancy. Given the extent to which I've worn away the metal of these, I expect I would chew through some of those dainty A600s in no time.

Excuse the mud.

 

[Gunk]

The 600’s are basically Ultegra

 

[wafter]

Awful things, never the right way up and led to me having what could have been a nasty off. Sold them on quickly and went to m520s!

Granted they take a bit (or in my case quite a lot) of getting used to, but with perseverance they get better. Mine hang in the same orientation now so it's just a case of approaching them from the right angle and flipping them over with the toe.

I'm put off the platform-less pedals as I figure my wonky legs and gammy feet need all the stability they can get, while the mass of the double-sided platforms puts me off and used availability is poor.

Ultimately whatever floats your boat is all good

I use A520s which look very similar. Not sure what the difference is, maybe the A520s are a bit less refined and fancy. Given the extent to which I've worn away the metal of these, I expect I would chew through some of those dainty A600s in no time.

View attachment 528929
Excuse the mud.

Indeed.. at regular prices the A520s certainly seem to represent better value although I prefer the styling, lighter weight and 8mm socket fitting of the A600s. Again, all good if you're happy with them

 

[vickster]

I’ve got 4 or 5 spare used pairs of M520s as I can’t clip in at all anymore as I can’t bend my knee enough for the position of foot to not be agony

 

[wafter]

I’ve got 4 or 5 spare used pairs of M520s as I can’t clip in at all anymore as I can’t bend my knee enough for the position of foot to not be agony

Now's probably the time to move them on, given the buoyancy of the market!

 

[vickster]

Now's probably the time to move them on, given the buoyancy of the market!

I will have a different pair to sell next week but I’m not in a rush to make a couple of quid more to be honest. If someone posts wanted, I may consider.
I still hold out some hope that I can get some improvement in the knee...

 

[Gunk]

Another benefit of the A600’s which drew me to them in the first place is the longer shaft which works to prevent your shoes scuffing the crank arms.

 

[wafter]

Another benefit of the A600’s which drew me to them in the first place is the longer shaft which works to prevent your shoes scuffing the crank arms.

Was totally unaware of that and assumed they'd all be made to the same effective length. Good stuff as I sometimes get the feeling that my feet could do with being spaced further apart, so any reduction in the pedal spacing would not have been welcome!

 

[ColinJ]

Awful things, never the right way up and led to me having what could have been a nasty off. Sold them on quickly and went to m520s!

Like @Dogtrousers I have a pair of A520s...

I agree with your mini-review of this type of pedal!

Trying to start off on some of the steep climbs round here was like playing Russian Roulette. After a couple of near-falls I stuck them on the old bike on my turbo trainer and now have double-sided SPDs on my other bikes.

 

[Eziemnaik]

Apparently there is a newer model of a600 which does not return to its "neutral" position (it seems it is a little bit shorter in the back) so keep that in mind.
https://cyclingtips.com/2019/02/shimano-pd-es600-ultegra-spd-pedal-review/
As far as mine are concerned, I bought these when going through my gram counting phase. Most of the time you forget they are there, which is the best compliment you can give to a pedal IMO, but they are really less comfy in flat shoes, at least compared to a530 they replaced. If I could find a pair I would go back to a530, even at a cost of the weight of a good swig of water.

 

[cyberknight]

Love em , i have both a600 a 520s and m520s

 

[wafter]

Apparently there is a newer model of a600 which does not return to its "neutral" position (it seems it is a little bit shorter in the back) so keep that in mind.
https://cyclingtips.com/2019/02/shimano-pd-es600-ultegra-spd-pedal-review/
As far as mine are concerned, I bought these when going through my gram counting phase. Most of the time you forget they are there, which is the best compliment you can give to a pedal IMO, but they are really less comfy in flat shoes, at least compared to a530 they replaced. If I could find a pair I would go back to a530, even at a cost of the weight of a good swig of water.

Indeed; I believe they're a bit lighter but copped a lot of flak for their inconsistant dangle-angle, while I don't like the possible reduced ability to manipulate them thanks to the missing rear section, and don't really like the aesthetic either..

I've really grown to love the A600s but I imagine they suck with non-SPD shoes. I suspect keeping an eye on dirty ebay would see a decent pair of A530s turn up if you're prepared to bide your time


In other news my pedals turned up; look really nice and thankfully yielded no issues. They look a bit less nice now they've done 50-odd miles on the Boardman and as OCD as I am, even I can accept that you'll never keep a pair of pedals mint.

Here they were before being "blooded":