SPD Clarification please peeps

[Gandalf]

SO aften years of fantasising and agonising I've finally got a new bike in all in carbon loveliness. 

Only trouble is, geewhiz,  is that at the moment it has emergency plastic pedals.

Given that I'm not a finely honed racing grimpeur I'm going to stick with SPDs. That way I don't have to upgrade my Lidl shoes just yet.  I'm already in a state of cojones compromise with the Mrs as it is.

Which SPDs are the least overtly MTB ones?  In the immortal words of Dell Trotter 'there's millions of the gits'

I have looked at Shimano A520s but they are single sided, which I think might be a pain.  My current Lidl pedals are single sided and I find it annoying having to flip over the unclipped one at the lights.

Any guidance gratefully received.

[Pingu]

Shimano M520

[border-rider]

Crank Bros Eggbeaters look pretty funky.  I use Time ATAC XSs on the audax bikes - or cheapo Shimano something-or-others on the winter bike, but for a carbon machine you'll be wanting something nice.

ATACs are good.

[Chris S]

You can get Shimano M520s for £13.99 Buy It Now price on ebay, from our friends at SJS.

[rogerzilla]

A520s are very good.

[Gandalf]

Crank Bros Eggbeaters look pretty funky.  I use Time ATAC XSs on the audax bikes - or cheapo Shimano something-or-others on the winter bike, but for a carbon machine you'll be wanting something nice.

ATACs are good.

If I get ATACs won't I have to buy new shoes as well though?  I thought they used different cleats from SPDs or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

I will get some proper shoes eventually but I daren't push my luck any more at the mo.

[Mike J]

I have got M520s and they are great, much better than the ones that have one side normal/one side SPD as I always found that the SPD side was underneath.

[bikenerd]

If you can find some new old stock, then Shimano A515s are very good.  I think Chain Reaction Cycles have them.
They're one sided but a very small pedal and look suitably "roady".  Work with standard SPD cleats.
If you want double sided then M520s are the way to go as mentioned up thread.

[border-rider]

Crank Bros Eggbeaters look pretty funky.  I use Time ATAC XSs on the audax bikes - or cheapo Shimano something-or-others on the winter bike, but for a carbon machine you'll be wanting something nice.

ATACs are good.

If I get ATACs won't I have to buy new shoes as well though?  I thought they used different cleats from SPDs or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

I will get some proper shoes eventually but I daren't push my luck any more at the mo.

Are you wanting to keep the same cleats so you can use the shoes on more than one bike ?  If so then the answer to your question is "yes".   But then, beware because not all Shimano SPD cleats are the same.  You need to make sure that whatever you get takes exactly the same cleats as you have now.

[rogerzilla]

SM-SH51 is the standard black* single-release cleat and most of the MTB-type pedals will take it.

*except mine go silver almost immediately due to use

[Greenbank]

I used to like A520s (or the Wellgo equivalents) until Byercycles got the spec mixed up and put M520s on the Audax bike.

You simply couldn't pay me to go back to single sided pedals now.

M520 or M540 (a bit more for not sure exactly what).

[Gandalf]

Crank Bros Eggbeaters look pretty funky.  I use Time ATAC XSs on the audax bikes - or cheapo Shimano something-or-others on the winter bike, but for a carbon machine you'll be wanting something nice.

ATACs are good.

If I get ATACs won't I have to buy new shoes as well though?  I thought they used different cleats from SPDs or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

I will get some proper shoes eventually but I daren't push my luck any more at the mo.

Are you wanting to keep the same cleats so you can use the shoes on more than one bike ?  If so then the answer to your question is "yes".   But then, beware because not all Shimano SPD cleats are the same.  You need to make sure that whatever you get takes exactly the same cleats as you have now.

Yes, I thought it would be easier that way because I will still use my old bike for running errands and things where I have to leave the bike unattended and locked up for a bit etc.

As far as I can tell the cleats on my Lidl shoes are the same as bog standard black SPDs.

[clarion]

M520s are just great - especially for any bike I need to clip in & out of a lot (i.e. the tandem, fixie etc).

But A520s are great pedals - really good for touring. 

[cc93]

You can get Shimano M520s for £13.99 Buy It Now price on ebay, from our friends at SJS.

I got mine from there - great pedal & amazing price.

A515's also good, sportier but take more practise flicking them round - only £14.99 from CRC at mo.

[Biggsy]

I get the impression that M520s are aimed at mountain bike owners, but there's no reason why you can't use them with a road bike.  I use them with my old tourer hack.

I wouldn't bother with A520s instead.  When I want to be more in roadie mode I use Look Keo.

[aglet]

[...]  one side normal/one side SPD as I always found that the SPD side was underneath.

I bolted a plastic reflector on to the back of each pedal, the weight is enough to swing the pedal so that the SPD side rests uppermost.

My new bike has dual-sided SPD pedals, I found I was using "normal" shoes pretty rarely, and the new bike definitely isn't going to get left outside Stratford Morrison's so the "pop to the shops" mode of usage isn't really a factor.

[Lonewolff]

I have A520 pedals on all my bikes and would highly recommend them.

[resus1uk]

I'm changing from clip/strap pedals on the upright trike to clipless.

I've got FPD single sided pedals, shoes but not the cleats yet.

I'm told that standard SPD cleats fit but what are the multiple release cleats & are they any advantage?

[tiermat]

+1 for M520s, have them on all three of my bikes, much much better than earlier SPD pedals.

Resus the cleats should come with the pedals (if bought new), if not you can buy them for ~£8 from several places online (and probably your LBS)

There are basically two types of SPD cleat, one which is for when you have a bit of experience riding clipless, and one for beginners.  IIRC the ones mentioned by RZ (SM-SH51) are the ones you want...

[Polar Bear]

I've been running a pair of 858's on the audax bike.   I'm thinking of beating eggs this year though. I already have Candy Ti's on the mtb which also get used on the bent.

The 858's and the Candy Ti's are nice but expensive pedals   However, I dont mind swapping them over when necessary.   Only takes a couple of minutes.

[Biggsy]

I'm changing from clip/strap pedals on the upright trike to clipless.

I've got FPD single sided pedals, shoes but not the cleats yet.

I'm told that standard SPD cleats fit but what are the multiple release cleats & are they any advantage?

As well as releasing in the normal way by rotating sideways (both ways), multi-release cleats are designed to release when you sharply pull your foot upwards.  I would regard this as much a disadvantage as an advantage.

All the SPD cleats, including the so-called single-release cleats, release when you turn your heels inwards as well as outwards.  Outwards is the norm, but working both ways can help release your feet in a crash as you or the cycle twist.

[rogerzilla]

I've found single-release cleats *nearly* always let go in a crash.

MTBers used to call the multi-release cleat the "sissy cleat".  If you pull hard when climbing at low revs, you probably want the single-release type.

[tiermat]

I've found single-release cleats *nearly* always let go in a crash.

Try telling that to the single release cleats I had on when I crashed on a XC race and nearly* broke my leg.  I found out that day how NOT to make friends with Elite MTB XC racers...

*Felt like I had, turned out the top tube on my Marin had just given me the dead leg from hell.

[Biggsy]

re FPD single-sided pedals:  These came with a Dawes bike I had.  I found them quite nasty.  My shoe slipped on the underside when I failed to flip the pedal round - which was an all-too common experience.  I don't mind single-side pedals so much when they're larger, but these FPD things are tiny.

Shimano M520 are cheap and easier and safer.

[Biggsy]

Clipless pedals (SPD and Look) have automatically released in all of my crashes - but not as quickly as I would have liked.  I'm sure this made my injuries worse than they would have been if I had been using toe clips with loose straps (like I used to previously) - because I fell more awkwardly.  This may have made the difference between me breaking my hip and not in my last crash.  (I did).

Shows how much I like clipless pedals to tolerate this extremely serious disadvantage.

Hope that doesn't put off anyone making the move to clipless.  They do improve your cycling enjoyment a lot.  Just take extra care not to crash in the first place!  I've been completely crash-free for quite a while now.  I'm now the most boringly slow corner-taker in the history of cyclists.