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Submitted by
Leonardo Horovitz
a Cross Country Rider
from Montevideo, Uruguay
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | Trek Pocitos (Montevideo) | | Strengths: | Works flawlessly. Always. Reliable and comfortable. Didn't have any problem to get used to them. | | Weaknesses: | They don't work as well when they get muddy. | | Similar Products Used: | Regular pedals | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6500 2006 | | Bottom Line: | I'd buy them again if I had to. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
XC Rider
a Cross Country Rider
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Takes a beating, Easy to clip in/out, low profile | | Weaknesses: | Could be lighter | | Similar Products Used: | | | Bike Setup: | K2 hardtail | | Bottom Line: | This is my first clipless pedal and was recommended to me at a LBS. I was initially looking for the EggBeaters, but the guy at the LBS was pretty confident in the SPD system. It was on sale, so I decided 'why not'. Even from the start, the pedals were easy to get into and out of. I do wish the pedals were a little lighter, but for the price, I can't be complaining too much. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JC
a Weekend Warrior
from Salida
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | The one I'm on | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Don't Know How I Got These... | | Strengths: | Feel and perform just like my 959's, 747, etc., | | Weaknesses: | Make me second guess my bike snob ways... you will tire of them before they wear out. | | Similar Products Used: | 959, 747, 647, Time, Crank Bros. | | Bike Setup: | These are currently on my new Gary Fisher 29er HiFi Pro | | Bottom Line: | The new ride didn't come with pedals - I had these, brand new, in the parts bin but thought since they weren't top shelf, I was too cool to ride them.... then I came to my senses. Glad I did. They perform exactly like my 959's with a very slight weight penalty of approx one ounce per pedal.
Shimano engineering, manufacturing and QC is top notch. Their XT and even LX grouppo's are every bit as good as XTR was just a couple of years ago.
Based on price vs performance, I would buy these again - before XTR - in a heartbeat.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shmoo S
a Weekend Warrior
from Virginia
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Don't have one yet | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | closeoutbikestuff.com | | Strengths: | Great for beginners, easy to clip in, easy to clip out. | | Weaknesses: | None yet, I've only done 2 rides. Came unclipped in the middle of a corner, but I believe I just need to adjust them. | | Similar Products Used: | NA | | Bike Setup: | '08 Big Sur | | Bottom Line: | After reading many posts on mtbr, this was hands down the best choice for a beginner to go clipless. Gotta thank this forum for helping me out with the decision. Not nearly as scary to learn as some put it. Although I did fall like a dodo once this past weekend.
My rating will be very unfair as they aren't even broken in yet. I'll come back at the end of the summer with another review, perhaps. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a
from Nahsua, NH, USA
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | | | Strengths: | Cheapness | | Weaknesses: | attorney mandated reflectors | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano 52X (From 1999-2000) | | Bike Setup: | Tomac Snyper | | Bottom Line: | With the exception of my awful Shimano road pedals I have had good luck with Shimano, so I purchased a pair of 520's since they seemed just like my old ones and were rather inexpensive.
Since the bike shop didn't have any in stock they took a pair off of a bike in the store leaving me to remove the Reflector units. I didn't see this as a problem as I have taken these devices off before with no problems.
I must admit that I am not a patient individual, but after looking through the shimano tech documents, using channel locks, a Hammer, and chisel, I decided to donate these pedals with the reflector units attached to my local landfill. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
anthony
a Cross Country Rider
from sioux falls, south dakota
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Purchased At: | two wheeler dealer | | Strengths: | smooth bearing operation, compact body, looks nice | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | crank bros candy c | | Bike Setup: | karate monkey, yada yada yada | | Bottom Line: | these guys blow those sh!tty candy c's out of the lake and are half the price.... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve
a Weekend Warrior
from acworth, ga
Date Reviewed: March 8, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$44.00 | | Purchased At: | performance | | Strengths: | great for the price, easy to get mud out... | | Weaknesses: | took a while to learn how hard to press to get cleats to clip in. probably just rider issue since I was used to LOOK for road. | | Similar Products Used: | SPD | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher X-Caliber 29er | | Bottom Line: | Great SPD for the price, great for first timers going away from the flats. For the price if they bust don't try to fix, just go buy another. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TheConstantMechanic
a Cross Country Rider
from Wroclaw, Poland
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | local shop | | Strengths: | Cheap! And engage well in mud. | | Weaknesses: | Not reliable sealing. Plastic body-to-shaft fastener, need Shimano special tool to overhaul, the fastener can break if serviced with, for instance, pliers. | | Similar Products Used: | Misc SPD pedals. | | Bike Setup: | Does not matter | | Bottom Line: | Decent product for the price, it's better to pay some more for M540, though... Better sealing, a bit less weight and possibility to overhaul with standard wrench instead of a special tool. That's why I gave 3 Flamin' Chilis for Value.
But if you don't want to spend that extra $15 for M540, go for those! A good start with clipless. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Henderson Nv.
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Bootleg | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$ | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | They are reliable. | | Weaknesses: | For some reason I'm getting fast cleat wear with these pedals. | | Similar Products Used: | Old style SPDs. | | Bike Setup: | | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up review to a previous one.
These pedals are good, but I have discovered since my first review, that the cleats are wearing very fast with the 520s for some reason.
This is why I was complaining about the pedals releasing too easily, in my previous review.
I've always used the same cleats for the life of the pedal with the original SPD design, with no problems. Now I'm getting excessive cleat wear.
I don't know if it's a problem with the cleats, or the pedal design.
Other than that they have been ok.
It is however, annoying and expensive, to have to replace the cleats every 3-4 months.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from MI
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Potowatami | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | I forget where | | Strengths: | Solid and reliable. | | Weaknesses: | Not as light as some out there. Not as much float. | | Similar Products Used: | None. | | Bike Setup: | Kona Kula Deluxe, KHS Pilot 3.0 (roadie) | | Bottom Line: | I first started out with clip-ins when I got my Kula. The pedals that came stock on that bike were the Shimano 505's. They weren't a bad pedal for me. Eventually, being an OEM spec part the bearings failed so I just replaced them with the 520's. The 520's were even better. When I got my roadie I also got another set of these. I'm even on the same cleats I had from '03 and I put in 200 to 250 miles a week. Clearly I don't stress pedals very much but that doesn't take away from the fact that they're still going strong, still spinning smoothly, and still just plain good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Racer
from Fort Collins, CO/Holmdel, NJ
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Beaver Meadows, CO/Hartshorne Woods, NJ | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Purchased At: | Lees Cyclery Old Town | | Strengths: | Strong, Durable, Reliable, Easy to clip in/out,
Can Handle Almost Anything-Even Rocks! | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | 1st Clipless Pedal | | Bike Setup: | Trek Liquid 10 | | Bottom Line: | These pedals I bought about 2 1/2 years ago and I just recently broke the one side of my right pedal! I race for Colorado State University Cycling Team and the Shimanos have held up to everything I’ve thrown at it. Rocks/Boulders, mud, sand, water, grass, and everytime I was able to clip in and out when I need to. My pedals have taken a ridiculous amount of beating and I am quite surprised that they survived as long as they have. I'm still racing with the pedals until I can find the 540 or the new 770's for cheap. Point is, these were my first clipless pedals and they are definitely worth it if your looking for an pedal to begin with, or even as a pedal to race with (unless your weight conscious). I can’t wait to see how long the 540/770's will last! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Fairborn, OH, USA
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar | | Strengths: | Easy to get in and out of, durable | | Weaknesses: | Heavy | | Similar Products Used: | Wellgo RC-713 | | Bike Setup: | Motobecane Vent Noir | | Bottom Line: | These pedals have been great. They are strong and I'm getting to the point where I can just stomp my foot down and clip in without looking (still learning that though). They look good and they are also easy to get out of, I haven't had any problems slipping. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Wilmington VT
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Kingdom Trails | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$ | | Purchased At: | 50.00 | | Strengths: | Price. | | Weaknesses: | Durability, ease of use. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4300, Manitou Trace fork, | | Bottom Line: | I bought these pedals online after two shops didn't have the platforms that I had originally wanted. The first week or so, I loved them... but soon after, I began to have issues unclipping, even with the tension set at the least amount. This has led to two spills, one of which has bruised some ribs.
One pedal has already busted as well; the two tension threads that are held in place by the bolt have broken off. So on that pedal, only one side will let you clip in. Both pedals have begun to show spots of rust, even though they are less than a month old. I'm going to contact Shimano and see if they will send a replacement pair... but judging by how poorly they've done to this point, I'm wondering if I shouldn't just get something else instead.
While I've decided I love riding clipless, I can't give my seal of approval to this pair. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gerald
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Jones Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Durability, reliability, performance, fit, and adjustability. | | Weaknesses: | Could be a little lighter in weight. | | Similar Products Used: | Platform pedals. | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Raleigh Ram 2.0 thats fully modded... | | Bottom Line: | These are my first clipless pedals and they have been great. They are a lot looser now than they were when I first bought them. I have not readjusted them since I like to be able to get out in a hurry. My foot has come loose on a couple of ocassions when I ram into something, but I guess thats a good thing...don't want to break my foot or anything...
Overall, its been a great product for me. Highly recommend it. And way better than platform pedals and turn your shins into burger meat.
After two years of use they are still going strong!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a Racer
from Niagara Falls
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hardwood | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$ | | Purchased At: | | | Strengths: | Adjustable tension - great for learning and tuning
Cheap
Fine in mud
pretty durable
cleats last a long time
i whacked them off rocks with no functional damage | | Weaknesses: | heavy | | Similar Products Used: | Xpedo Mountain Force
Wellgo double sided pedals | | Bike Setup: | Giant NRS, Deore Cranks | | Bottom Line: | This was my first set of clipless pedals an i am happy with my purchase. easy to get in and out of. I replaced them after around 2 years. The bearings developed quite a bit of play, and hence started making noise.
i replaced them with Xpedo Mountain Force pedals. They are considerably lighter, and every bit as smooth. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric W.
a Weekend Warrior
from Henderson Nv.
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Bootleg Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Take a pretty good beating on rocks.
Good for XC. | | Weaknesses: | The pedals started releasing the cleats to easily a few weeks ago, so I started tightening the adjusment screws.
This helped at first, but now they are as tight as they can go and I'm still popping out on jumps, rock gardens ect. They are now hard to pop into because the tension is so high, but they still release at the most in opertune times way to easily. I have cleaned and lube them, which ironicaly made the release problem worse.
Desert rocks get stuck in the mechanism, this never happened at all with the old SPDs.
They made them better in the mud, but worse in the dry, it's almost funny. | | Similar Products Used: | Old style SPDs. ( never had a problem with any of the old style ones ). | | Bike Setup: | | | Bottom Line: | I don't think these are for anyone that rides All Mountain bikes. They work fine for XC spinning, but not getting aggressive. I've never had a problem using Shimano's old style SPDs in the same enviroment and riding style.
This pedal in based on the troublesome 858s from a few years ago, but it releases unexpectedly instead of locking you in unexpectedly like the 858s.
The redesign has the opposite problem ironically.
Use only for true XC riding!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Eriks | | Strengths: | Price, durability, ease of use. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, bad in mud. | | Similar Products Used: | | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Stumpjumper Disc | | Bottom Line: | These were my first clipless pedals and I loved them. They survived my many crashes and have a lot of different settings for looseness/tightness. They are kind of heavy, but these are beginner pedals. If you are just getting into mountain biking and want to ride clipless I highly recommend these. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
iusufachi
a Cross Country Rider
from Romania Cluj
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | | | Strengths: | Handles mud preety well. | | Weaknesses: | Fragile cleats as well as body and paint | | Similar Products Used: | | | Bike Setup: | Merida Matts Pro, RockShox Reba, etc. | | Bottom Line: | I believe that these pedals are great for XC riding. They are not very expensive and are worth the money. On the other hand, avoid drops or other activities that are more agressive than XC because you will damage the pedals. After 6 months play has appeared and griding sound. Today I have decided to thake apart all the components and review the situation. I was surprised to find out that the inside is in preety good condition. I cleaned all the parts, relubed them an put all together again. Amazingly it was even better than the day I bought them. In conclusion, they are good reliable pedals, but keep them only for XC rinding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert
a Weekend Warrior
from Simi Valley, Ca USA
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Budget Bike Eagel Rock | | Strengths: | Good feel, consistant engaement. | | Weaknesses: | Clogs with mud. Set screw popped out once. | | Similar Products Used: | Forte Campus (SPD / Platform from Performance) | | Bike Setup: | Giant Anthem 2 | | Bottom Line: | I have about 2500 miles on these pedels %60 road / %40 trail, and am very happy with them. They were the first clip in pedeles I tried and were very easy to get used to. The action is very good and with the tension set to the minimum it is easy to get out and I have not had them "pop" out. The tension screw came out of its recess and the spring slipped passed it, in a race. I filpped the pedel and finished the race. Afterwards I pulled the pin and reassembeled it. No problems since. I also have a pair of Forte'Campus from Performance Bike,they are cheaper but the clip in/out action is no where near as smooth as the M520. Worth the extra price for the M520s. Not sure what you get going to the more expensive Shinmanos. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bucky
a Weekend Warrior
from Ringgold, GA USA
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$79.00 | | Purchased At: | Eastridge Bicycle | | Strengths: | Real nice fit. Easy to clip and un clip with. Easy to walk in. | | Weaknesses: | Flugly color, but no really weakness. | | Similar Products Used: | | | Bike Setup: | 06 Rockhopper, shimano m520 clipless pedals | | Bottom Line: | Great Price, Fits like a glove. After riding for 4 hrs my feet feel normal they did not hurt my feet at all. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Lackore
a Weekend Warrior
from Des Moines, IA. USA
Date Reviewed: February 10, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Sugar Bottom (near Iowa city) | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | On line - Ebay | | Strengths: | very Durable. These pedals have takne a beating! Tough hits on rocks and trail Dabris. | | Weaknesses: | Found it hard to clip in with extreme mud in pedal ONCE. But I had no business being on that trail being that wet. So not really a weakness. | | Similar Products Used: | 540 (on my road bike, less weight) | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Specialized Epic Marathon. Front FOX forx F100. Rear fox R Float. XT and XTR derailers. Thompson post. | | Bottom Line: | Never had a problem with the Pedal. Very Durable. I am not a weight freak so I am not to worried about how many grams these are. If you are a weakend warrier, do a few races now and again, or getting clipless for the first time, I highly suggest these pedals | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Weekend Warrior
from Melb, Aus
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | easy clip in and out, adjustable tension, durable, good mud shedding. | | Weaknesses: | really can't think of one | | Similar Products Used: | i'm a roadie so i've campag centaur road pedals as well. | | Bike Setup: | stock trek 6700 07 | | Bottom Line: | these are very easy to use... i have the silver ones which is good b/c when u bash them into rocks the damage isn't obvious.
These really are ideal, durable metal cleats, durable pedals, CHEAP, and easy to clip in and out of (never had a problem in many panic dismounts)... coming from firmer sprung single sided road pedals, these are a dream ! (altho i've never had a problem with clipless period) will update if bearing life is short or other problems, but at this price point they are very good, and something i could deal with. (about 1/4 of the price of campg centaurs at the LBS and they have exposed plastic cleats !!) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark B.
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Wayne, IN
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | 2nd-hand from bud | | Strengths: | dependable, easy in/out | | Weaknesses: | none that i can tell | | Similar Products Used: | wellgo sh** | | Bike Setup: | | | Bottom Line: | my bud went with ATAC (bling for him) and gave me a deal on these when my garbage wellgo's dumped on me. i've had them two years now, no issues at all -- they even work w/ the wellgo cleats. kept the stock cleats back, and i've decided that my daughter will roll these a soon as she grows into the shoes i have for her. they're a quick/easy transition for her. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ USA
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Desert Classic | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$ | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Value. In/out pretty easy if cleaned/lubed. Light enough. Tightness adjustablility without the potential of it becoming so loose that the pedal falls apart (happened twice!). | | Weaknesses: | They may have problems with mud, but I wouldn't know b/c I have never encountered mud in my uber-dry climes. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano 4, 5, and 6 hundred series, Performance, Wells. | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Tassajara and a Titus Racer-X 29er, wearing either Nike or Performance SPD shoes. | | Bottom Line: | These are the cheapest pedals which I haven't had a problem with. The others were either harder to get in/out of, or fell apart. I tried the Shimano 647 which comes with a sturdy plastic platform around it, but found it harder to clip in/out for some reason (maybe the platform limits the angles you can enter/exit from?). Plus the platform wasn't much of an advantage over the platform-less in terms of pedaling w/out being clipped in, as I was hoping (for starting up hills). And the 647s are a good deal heavier and more expensive. The 647s might be good if your pedals are hitting alot, but if they are, you need to get a bike with more BB clearance or learn how to pedal and/or handle your bike!
Keep 'em clean and lubed and they work very well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brad Meek
a Weekend Warrior
from Glendale, AZ
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$47.00 | | Purchased At: | EBay | | Strengths: | Light weight, easy to get into and very easy to get out of. | | Weaknesses: | Slightly harder to get into than Shimano look style pedals. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano road pedals(look cleats)
| | Bike Setup: | rans rex recumbent road use only | | Bottom Line: | With over 5,000 miles of use these pedals are flawless. After falling multiple times being unable to uncleat from the Shimano road pedals it is a sheer joy to never have this problem with the 520's even in sudden emergencies. If you have any problem uncleating with your current pedals I can't recommend these enough. Reliable and safe!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nicholas G
a
from Williamsburg va usa
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$ | | Purchased At: | Came on bike | | Strengths: | There a descent road pedal, nice double sided entry and you can walk in the shoes too. | | Weaknesses: | They are horrible for mountainbiking!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Time | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Jekyll | | Bottom Line: | If you want some ok pedals for a road bike go for these. But if you plan on leaving the pavement don't buy these. They unclipped every time I try to go over something like a stack of logs. They at best offer a marginal attachment to your bike, and at worst are going to leave you flapping in the wind when you unclip for no reason. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Collin
a Cross Country Rider
from SC
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$ | | Purchased At: | came on bike | |
|
$ 50.00
