Pedal Shenanegans.............................

[Lonerider1968]

In a few short weeks. I'll be totally 2 wheeled as I'm going car free!! Looking (AT) getting some commuting shoes and pedals. Went to a LBS today and actually managed to source some "recessed cleat fitting" shoes for my FOUR E "paddle feet "!! . I'm stoked about that as getting cycling shoes has always been an issue for me. Have had them put aside until payday.....................

Now I'm thinking of going for one of the following sets of pedals

Shimano PD-M520 OR

Shimano PD-M540

The 520's are obviously the cheaper option and after scouring the net for reviews also seem to have some longevity issues. Can get em on good ol' eBay for about $50.00 whilst they are $80.00 in the LBS.

The 540's are $90.00 delivered via eBay and about $150.00 in the LBS.

They are the options I am weighing up as I want to be able to walk in the shoes too.

Are there or has anyone here used / know of any other shoe / cleat combinations out there ?

Has anyone here used either sets of pedals at all ?

Any input welcome.

And ? A belated HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE !!!

[Redbull]

I was having a look around for pedals this morning

Cell Bikes are cheap for M520 Cell Pedals $48

Ribbles have M520 (AT) approx $41 and M540 (AT) approx $66 . For good prices you may need to meet the minimum spend and order a few other bits and pieces to justify the freight etc (thats what I tell the wife anyway ) Ribbles Pedals Oh - the Ribbles prices include the 17% VAT so that needs to be deducted.

[Lonerider1968]

The 540's seem the way to go. On Ebay Australia.,they are about 80-90 odd bucks delivered. Funny thing with the shoes though. I'm a size 11 in jogger but the Specialized shoes , which actually look good unlike the shimano option/s, I had put aside were a THIRTEEN but fitted like and eleven. Bloody comfy off the bat though which is SO rare for me !

[Redbull]

I've got big wide feet and found the Shimano R size 49 to be a really good fit. Others have told me that there can be a difference between models even though they are the same brand.

Shoes are one thing I wouldn't buy online unless I was replacing an existing pair.

[Lonerider1968]

As I did try on a couple of pairs of Shimano Commuter shoes but they we a bit "boxy" looking for want of a better word and also a slightly tighter fit too. Although that was in a size 12.. Been scouring the net for a few hours and think for "bang for the buck" I cannot go wrong with the 540's and the Specialized shoes I'll happily pay the $140.00 for simply because they were 100% comfortable off the bat.................Saying that though. I'll be bargaining em down on the shoes. Probably get em for $120.00. Better the cash in my pocket than theirs hey ??!!

[Nate]

used the 520's for a year without issue, great pedal.

Even with shoes you can "walk" in, the clip was still hitting the ground & grinding & scraping, so dont plan on doing a heap of walking on hard stuff!

[Lonerider1968]

I opted for the Specialized shoes over the Shimano's. The Specialized shoes had a deeper, wider recess in the sole and were actually cheaper too and a nicer looking shoe. See what goes when I try em on with the cleats. As for the 520's. Read on net reviews that some of the innards , AKA load bearing compoonents were plastic. Not the case with the 540's it seems.All depends how cheap I can get the 540's. Almost half the retail price on eBay, $92.00 delivered and can pick up a set of 520's online for $48.00 delivered which is amazing value in my eyes. One thing I have learned is.......................... IT SURE PAYS TO SHOP AROUND !!!

[twizzle]

Had 520's, kept on loosening the bearings and the LBS didn't seem to be interested in getting me the special tooling so I could adjust them myself. The 540 just seems to be a slightly upmarket version, but from looking at reviews it sounds like the XT (M770) version has better bearings.

[Lonerider1968]

found that in that family of pedals. Alot of the parts are interchangeable. My main problem is, once you go over the 540's,the price starts jumping significantly and I'm not made of money.

My goal all along has been to set my bike up as a solid commuter for no more than $2000.00.Obviously the less I spend the better. As it stands with lights,clothing etc etc ,I'm well under that. Basically the shoes and pedals are the last things I need.

As I said earlier in this thread, the 520's seem to have a fair amount of plastic parts and some of those are load bearing too. I mean, let's not forget I weigh in (AT) 125-130 kilos so any shonky parts will be found out pretty quickly { Been there and done that with lower end gear } whereas the 540's don't so maybe therein lyes the difference between the two and as far as value for money is concerned, the 540's will be the pedals I"ll be getting. I'm gonna go and have a look (AT) the 2 sets (AT) the LBS. Just to see what the difference is in build quality. I want the best quality I can afford obvioulsy as I'll be using the bike daily.

[Aushiker]

G'day

Ric at Churchill Cycles made an interesting comment on pedals when I needed his help to remove one. His comment was along the lines of what does the price of a pedal say about the pedal when the price of the cleats are about the same or pretty close ... YPFWYG

I would now not skimp on pedals having now gone to my second set on the CRX 1 after about 9,000 km.

Andrew

[Lonerider1968]

Will go with the 540's. They had both and the 520's have got too much plastic for my liking. Price for the 540's ? $130.00. That was until I said "I can get em off the net for $92.00 delivered". Revised price from LBS ? $90.00 !!! In all of 30 seconds of "negotiating". great stuff !!!!

Once I'm up and running,I'll update this page as far as performance and reliability is concerned too.

[Mulger bill]

Fan of the 520s here, they spin well enough and the bindings work well. Being rather hard on pedals, I refuse to pay big for something I'll usually kill well before natural death occurs.

Shaun

[rednaxela]

i always had 520's on my roadies and never had any problems. i prefer these than the 'normal' road cleats as the matching shoe recessed cleats set-up allows me to walk normally. as for the rider's weight, i would have thought that this is only a minor consideration since you sort of pulled up on the pedals anyway and the bulk of the rider's weight is distributed/concentrated on the seat?
cheers

[twizzle]

found that in that family of pedals. Alot of the parts are interchangeable. My main problem is, once you go over the 540's,the price starts jumping significantly and I'm not made of money.

Bit late, but.... c r c in the U.K. has the M770's for $88.59 at the moment. And the M970 (XTR) for $141.76.

[simonn]

I have 520s. Have commuted well over 5000km, in all weather and with no dramas (and zero maintenance.. no doubt they will break on the way home tonight in the middle of a storm or something...).

[arope99]

Have you consider Crank Brothers pedal at all? I just bought a pair of Specialized MTB shoes with the Crank Brothers Smarty pedals for my first experience with clipless pedal a few weeks ago. Love the shoes and pedal. Very easy to clip in and out.

[Lonerider1968]

A few months in and am racking up some reasonable kilometres. Longest ride ? 6.5 hours. Pedals are super smooth. For the money I paid ? I'm impressed!!