Good pedals for touring

[alexf]

I am up to the stage of selecting pedals. I am curious what other people use. I was thinking of going one side flat, the other side mtb clipless. I do have a deore xt clipless pedal though, does anyone tour with double sided spd?

On the other hand, my wife doesn't want to do clipless of any sort, so can anyone recommend a good, cheapish, pedal with toe clips? Or are there alternate solutions?

[alexf]

After looking around, I think I am going to get the MKS touring pedals with toe clip, and the shimano PD-A530.

[kukamunga]

Wow! That took you all of 37 minutes to decide. You dont muck around!!!

As an aside, pedals like the Shimano PD-M324 and similar from Wellgo and VP allow you to run toe-clips and straps on one side, with a 'click-in-cleat' on the other

[alexf]

Thanks. Just feeling a bit of a panic about the bike building and needing to make quick decisions :p I will have a look at the M324. We won't need the clipless on one side, clip on the other capability though. Do you have any opinions on why this one is better than the A530? Is one shape better?

[kukamunga]

PD-M324 - 533g, toe strap compatible, traditional size platform/cage
PD-A530 - 383g, some people I've heard don't like the feel/shape/grip of the platform
PD-T780 - 392g, XT quality, look good, better platform/grip? Dunno

Other comments?

I personally have used a set of 'pop-up' PD-M424 on my tourer/commuter/workhorse for nearly ten years with no faults (Loctite the screws, & repack 'em with grease & adjust bearings every year or two), and I've never broken a resin cage. I've been using double sided SPD's for nearly 20 years now, so I am a bit biased - can't ride without them! I've got as many pairs of SPD shoes as I have 'normal' shoes (well.... almost)

IMHO, toe clips and straps are ineffective unless done up firmly, and once firm, make it hard to get foot in and out quickly in 'stop/start' urban/mtb riding situations. They're ok for touring though

Don't panic. The A530's are very popular

[RonK]

I would not cycle without clipless pedals.

I have tried single-sided SPD's

A600

Combo flat and clipless SPD's

A530

Bought a set of these freeride pedals, but they are so big and ugly I couldn't bring myself to use 'em

M545

And have finally settled on double-sided trail SPD's

M785 Trail

Great for hill starts, no hot spots and good to pedal in ordinary shoes for short distances.

[DavidL]

I would not cycle without clipless pedals.


M785 Trail

Also use these as they are very easy to clip into and if one side should fail out on the road there is a second to get you home.

- David.

[kukamunga]

I can only imagine one side failing on a pair of Shimano pedals from a serious case of abuse or sabotage in combination with a serious lack of maintenance! Shimano's Quality Control is pretty good

[WestcoastPete]

I use Shimano M540s. No real reason. Double sided, no platform, tough and easily serviced. Highly regarded by many people. I don't place much value on a platform for pootling short distances; you can still do it easily enough, but I mostly only have my SPDs and a pair of thongs when I'm touring anyway.



NB: the cheaper M520s are almost identical, but require a special tool for servicing.

Also to note, this is just what I use. There is plenty of merit in all of the other options, even platforms. I'd recommend stiff soled shoes though, regardless what you go with.

Here is a bit of a write up on my experience with platforms and Power Grips. Power Grips are awesome, I certainly prefer them to toe clips.

[alexf]

Thanks, those power grips look to be a winner.

[il padrone]

Time ATAC ROC S for me.

More positive engagement than Shimano, great float for foot positioning, operates in almost all conditions, mud, sand - only ever had them not engage when blocked up by the delightful outback combination of mud with stones . Composite body is lighter than the Aliums I had before and doesn't get scratched up. Also their cleat design means that even when the cleat is well worn-out, they still engage and connect without wobbling - unlike the SPDs which get looser and looser as the cleat wears (and potentially a worn cleat could get to the point of not releasing ).They are a little tougher to disengage but you quickly get used to it (not as hard as road SPD-SL).

Time ATAC ROC S



Time ATAC Alium

[bychosis]

I got a pair of the A530's for my commuter. I wanted pedals that would suit the odd stint in joggers. The clips are great, but quite disappointed in the flat side, there is very little grip. I've got MTB shoes to go with and they are fine for walking, although on my current shoes the cleats sit a bit proud so they clip clop when walking and can be slippery on some surfaces.

[kukamunga]

I was thinking of going one side flat, the other side mtb clipless

Time ATAC ROC S for me

Do Time, Look, Crank Bros et al do a flat/clip pedal?

Power Grips are awesome, I certainly prefer them to toe clips.

I've always wanted to do a DIY 'power grip' set-up......

[Baalzamon]

I've made the switch to speedplay and yep great pedals then the thought struck me... Touring UGH maintenance every 2000km on the pedal, lubing the cleats every 2 days. Means carrying more gear as well so I'm sticking to SPD for touring

[WestcoastPete]

Just to add to that:

I toured the USA/Japan using Crank Brothers Candy pedals - middle of the range ones - and I found one of the weather seals to be broken when I was assembling the bike. This was on pedals that I'd hardly used before. They were a bit grindy too, so I rebuilt them. This was quite difficult due to the tiny size and large number of bearings. The MacGuyvered seal that I made never worked, and the pedals just became worse. They lasted the trip, but I wouldn't use them again. I got the Shimano M540s because off their excellent reputation, simplicity and servicability.

[il padrone]

Do Time, Look, Crank Bros et al do a flat/clip pedal?

The closest thing to a flat pedal that Time do is probably the Z. But not really so great for flat shoe use as it is double-sided and the engagement bars still protrude above the pedal tread (they really have to to engage).





Ahah! You could get the Deckster to convert any two-bolt pedal to single-sided with a platform

SJS Cycles have them as well.

[il padrone]

I've made the switch to speedplay and yep great pedals then the thought struck me... Touring UGH maintenance every 2000km on the pedal, lubing the cleats every 2 days. Means carrying more gear as well so I'm sticking to SPD for touring

Maintenance........... pedals.............



I think in almost every case the humble pedal is the least maintained item on a bicycle, and they just keep on running, and running

[redned]

I am fan of Shimano PD M424 becasue the surround gives me the option of unclipping and treating it like a flat pedal if the ground is loose and I might need to dab a bit.
My wife prefers PD M324 because she likes to be able to roll over onto the unclipped side.

[cyclotaur]

I would not cycle without clipless pedals.


M785 Trail

Also use these as they are very easy to clip into and if one side should fail out on the road there is a second to get you home.

- David.

Same, never failed ... always beat the roadies away from the lights on Beach Rd.

[il padrone]

Also use these as they are very easy to clip into and if one side should fail out on the road there is a second to get you home.

I think you could probably say the same for any double-sided SPD, Time, Wellgo or Crank Brothers 'two-bolt cleat' pedals. I certainly clip into the Times much quicker than roadies with Look or SPD-SL

[DavidL]

Also use these as they are very easy to clip into and if one side should fail out on the road there is a second to get you home.

I think you could probably say the same for any double-sided SPD, Time, Wellgo or Crank Brothers 'two-bolt cleat' pedals. I certainly clip into the Times much quicker than roadies with Look or SPD-SL

The flats/trail bit do make a big difference when starting compared to the M520 style of pedal. When on the trail and needing to start on a climb, and/or with cleats filled with mud you can still transfer a significant amount of power with this design even when not clipped in. Also you just stomp on them and the cleat engages. Not suggesting the M520 is hard to get into, but these are much more failsafe in times of panic or pressure.

Though these are not the only pedals that would do this, as I would imagine the Candy pedals would be just the same as would others form the other makes. I just use the SPD because that was the system my wife bought me for Christmas a couple of years back and have had no need to change. I also think I will go back to flats for MTB, so these will just stay a touring/commuting setup.

- David.

[singlespeedscott]

I would not cycle without clipless pedals


A600


M785 Trail

I use both of these. Great, indestructible pedals. Bearings are much better quality than the lower spec, similar shaped ones.

No hot spots for me. Mind you I think that hot spots are more related to shoe fit and cleat placement.

I find platforms are irrelevant because both of these are easy to pootle around with whilst wearing sneakers or thongs.

Having used both Times and Crank Bros. I would advice giving them a miss. I found both had garbage bearings. Particularly the Crank Bros.

[RonK]

Also use these as they are very easy to clip into and if one side should fail out on the road there is a second to get you home.

I think you could probably say the same for any double-sided SPD, Time, Wellgo or Crank Brothers 'two-bolt cleat' pedals. I certainly clip into the Times much quicker than roadies with Look or SPD-SL

Nope - they definitely locate and engage much more easily than any other double-sided SPD I've used. Probably because of the longer platform.

And if you do happen to miss cleat, you can continue to pedal safely on the platform until in position for another try.

This makes them very good for hill starts on my loaded tourer, and that why they have become my pedal of choice for touring.

[il padrone]

You're telling me I don't clip into my Times quicker than other road riders?? How do you know this

[Uncle Just]

Same, never failed ... always beat the roadies away from the lights on Beach Rd.

But why unclip?

Back to the OP, I've seen all types of tourists with all types of pedals ranging from flats to clips and DS spds. Most of the ultra long distance types I've seen preferred flat pedals allowing for any type of footwear depending on the weather. Some sense in that I suppose as it negates the need for another pair of shoes and flats are a simple design. I however prefer XT trail type pedals for touring. I've used Onzas (remember them?), Time and Crank Bros before settling on Shimano spds. Certainly off road spds are strong and reliable with sufficient float and for touring I find them comfortable and need very little maintenance.