Pedals recommendation for 'crosser please

[Oldbloke]

Not for racing, only leisure/fitness rides ie forests, towpaths, etc. & must be easy to unclip...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

what shoes are you using and do you have a preference over which style of cleats?

for me it would be shimano M520's and a pair of spesh bg sport mtb shoes every time.

 

[Norm]

My Tricross has Shimano A520s rather than the M520s which Greg recommends and which I have on my road bike, as they have flats on one side and clips on the other. I find them useful as I can still apply good power when not clipped in whilst I can retain the flexibility of not being fixed to the bike when I want. I'll be putting a pair on my MTB shortly.

 

[Oldbloke]

what shoes are you using and do you have a preference over which style of cleats?

for me it would be shimano M520's and a pair of spesh bg sport mtb shoes every time.

OK thanks

Got to get shoes too, I use Spesh BG Road Sport for my road bike as they were the only shoes with a good fit for me, so I'll probably go for BG Sport mtb as you.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

My Tricross has Shimano A520s rather than the M520s which Greg recommends and which I have on my road bike, as they have flats on one side and clips on the other. I find them useful as I can still apply good power when not clipped in whilst I can retain the flexibility of not being fixed to the bike when I want. I'll be putting a pair on my MTB shortly.

I'll happily recommend the A520's. Great pedal. They are on my audax bike. Hard to find in black, which as we know is the fastest colour for a pedal. I do find them a bit slippery on the platform side with my mtb shoes though.

But Norm, they look godawful on an mtb. I tried and wanted to poke my own eyes out with a broken spoke. Way too roadie looking. If you want platforms off road then surely M424's or M545's or M647's are the way to go? I've got 647's on the Boardman Pro.

EDIT: M324's on the tourer and I lust after T780's as a replacement for those, so the 324's can go on the pub bike

 

[Norm]

Hmm... I hadn't considered the "look" of the things, Greg, but you are right.

Those pedals which you mention have the clips and flats on both sides, don't they? How do they feel in action? Can you still use them with normal shoes? How secure are normal shoes on the cages? How easy are they to clip into?

 

[HLaB]

My Tricross has Shimano A520s rather than the M520s which Greg recommends and which I have on my road bike, as they have flats on one side and clips on the other. I find them useful as I can still apply good power when not clipped in whilst I can retain the flexibility of not being fixed to the bike when I want. I'll be putting a pair on my MTB shortly.

I use my A520's the same way you do but its not a specific flat for pedalling on the other side, I think the A530's are like that :-)

 

[Norm]

I use my A520's the same way you do but its not a specific flat for pedalling on the other side, I think the A530's are like that :-)

Bugger, yes, you are right. Apologies to all, I've got the A530s on my Tricross.

 

[PpPete]

I find it's no bother to put a pair of (Lidl) MTB shoes on - even for short errands, and use M520s on all my bikes.

 

[palinurus]

Double-sided spuds, can't remember which ones- slightly more expensive, lighter ones. Used for racing and general rough stuff. And snowy commutes.

 

[Turtle Dude]

Speedplay Zeros if, like me, you need some float for dodgy knees.

 

[Tyke]

(Lidl) MTB shoes and Shimano 424s on all my bikes done about 600 miles since going clipless but ride to work 2 miles each way in safety boots no problem.

 

[Cubist]

M545s are a great pedal but a bit big and expensive for the use described, they're actually billed as a freeride pedal! .
The A530s are OK with a cage side but they're huge and ugly on an MTB, may look OK on a crosser.

Eggbeaters? Minimalist, smart, light, 4-sided clipping? I still love mine for non-technical XC thrashing and leisure rides.