Shimano A520 vs A530 vs A600

[Biker Joe]

If you get Shimano m520s/m530s you won't be disappointed.
General reviews are positive.
They are not expensive and if by chance you don't get on with them you haven't lost a lot.
Think about it a bit and don't rush. Check the reviews yourself. Then make up your mind.
I hope this helps.

 

[PpPete]

I did have M520s on all my bikes.
I succumbed to the bling appeal of A600s for the best (audax) bike, partly because they were lighter and I was going through a weight-weenie phase.
They tend to settle spud side down, but I've never found that an issue as I used old school toe clips and straps for years before going clipless.
Are they nice? Yes. Do I notice more comfort, better power transfer than M520? No. Are they worth the extra £ over M520s? No. Would I change from M520s on any other bike? No.

 

[Portableaj]

I did have M520s on all my bikes.
I succumbed to the bling appeal of A600s for the best (audax) bike, partly because they were lighter and I was going through a weight-weenie phase.
They tend to settle spud side down, but I've never found that an issue as I used old school toe clips and straps for years before going clipless.
Are they nice? Yes. Do I notice more comfort, better power transfer than M520? No. Are they worth the extra £ over M520s? No. Would I change from M520s on any other bike? No.

do u mean m520 or a520

 

[HLaB]

I used the much acclaimed M520's didn't like them I prefer something with a cage. On my commuter I use M424, they only have a cheap plastic cage but they are ideal for what I use them for. On my kinesis and its predecessor I've got the A520's if I was buying again I'd probably go for a third set; the A530's are too bulky IMO, the A600's look good but I couldn't justify the minimal weight saving for the extra cost. As to single sided at a guess I've done 25,000miles with them and don't find it an issue to flip the pedal as you quickly realise they fall heal down so with the scraping of the foot gently as you push off you clip in; if you miss its no biggie the cage is there and you can clip in later.

 

[PpPete]

I did have M520s on all my bikes.
I succumbed to the bling appeal of A600s for the best (audax) bike, partly because they were lighter and I was going through a weight-weenie phase.
They tend to settle spud side down, but I've never found that an issue as I used old school toe clips and straps for years before going clipless.
Are they nice? Yes. Do I notice more comfort, better power transfer than M520? No. Are they worth the extra £ over M520s? No. Would I change from M520s on any other bike? No.

do u mean m520 or a520

I wrote M520 four times, I wrote A520 zero times, coincidentally this approximates to the number of sets of each of those pedals that I own, please feel free to draw your own conclusions.

 

[GentlyBenevolent]

Now im still not sure wat to get now

I've ridden a bike with M520, and I have M530 on my bike. I haven't ridden with any of the A series pedals, so can't compare to them.

I've done 450+ miles in total on the M530s, with a longest ride of 68 miles. I'm happy with the pedals, and haven't considered they wouldn't be up to any distance. I use Specialised Tahoe shoes with them. I loosened mine off to the lightest tension and haven't had any problems, so I've never tightened them back up.

If/When I get a mountain bike, it'll get M530 pedals put on it.

If you've any specific questions about them, fire away.

 

[HovR]

I loosened mine off to the lightest tension and haven't had any problems, so I've never tightened them back up.

If/When I get a mountain bike, it'll get M530 pedals put on it.

I was exactly the same. Set the pedals to the lowest tension to start with, and never found any reason to increase it. The pedals still hold my feet firmly, and they've never slipped out, although it's still nice and easy to get out when you actually want to!

The cage on the M530's is also great on the trails to prevent the pedals from damage due to pedal strike.

 

[nickg]

So are the m series pedals more designed for mtb and a series for road bike?

 

[Portableaj]

So are the m series pedals more designed for mtb and a series for road bike?

thr a series are designed for touring

 

[vickster]

It can be done as the clip mechanism is only on one side. Whether it's comfortable or ideal will depend on you, your feet, your shoes. I don't find the A600 comfortable in flats at all. But good when clipped in

 

[Colin S]

It can be done as the clip mechanism is only on one side. Whether it's comfortable or ideal will depend on you, your feet, your shoes. I don't find the A600 comfortable in flats at all. But good when clipped in

I have used A520 since getting a road bike.
I had previously used double sided MTB SPDs on my mountain bikes.
The move to single sided is easy as the pedals are easy flip round and clip into. I did 3000 miles on these before switching to SPD SLs and they were great pedals that never needed any maintenance other than a clean and a drop of oil. I don't think I would recommend riding on the other side though as its far from flat and wouldn't be comfortable for any distance

C

 

[Colin S]

I don't think that would be any better. TBH I've never tried with ordinary shoes but don't see it working.

C

 

[vickster]

But can you ride with regular shoes on the side with spd hook? Or would the hook be bulging out into the flat sole of the regular shoes and make it unbalanced and uncomfortable?

Yes, uncomfortable unless a chunky sole and you can't feel it

 

[Browser]

A530s are the only SPD pedals I've ever had and I used to commute regularly. They've been on two bikes and are about 4-5 years old and apart from the plated steel parts starting to rust they're still bang-on. I even went to the trouble of buying the optional reflectors for them from a website in Germany, as I firmly believe that passice safety features like this should not be overlooked for the sake of fashion-following
I'm looking at buying a new set as (a) they make the bike look scruffy and (b) it's cheaper to get a new set than replace the bearing assemblies.