SPD Pedals – Buyers’ Guide for 2017

If you are an avid bicyclist, you know full well how important each piece of your bike’s hardware is to its riding efficiency and ease. Unfortunately, all too often, would-be bikers are put off because of rectifiable problems with specific pieces of gear on their bike. Experience riding with several types of bike pedals or cleats quickly demonstrate the difference that your bike’s pedals add to the speed, effort, fun, and safety of bicycling.

Bike Pedal Types

One of the first and biggest factors in determining which pedal type is correct for you is to specify your usage. The type of pedal you will use on a mountain bike for trail riding is different than the type you would want for BMX mountain biking. Likewise, urban bike commuters will likely choose a different style of pedal than a weekend joy ride cruiser.

Flat Pedals

Also called “Platform Pedals,” these are the most common type of bike pedal seen. You probably remember this from your childhood bike or maybe you have a cruiser out in the garage. Flat pedals are an easy, reliable, zero-learning-curve pedal. Just step on the wide surface and ride.

These pedals are low maintenance and inexpensive; however, you will not find flat pedals on many quality bikes. Though they are basic and cheap, flat pedals do not support any type of clip or clipless cycling shoe. Flat pedals support just about any shoe and are the easiest to dismount from in the event of an accident, but they have significant drawbacks for regular riders.

Flat pedals are meant for beginner and recreational users. If your usage lends towards commuting, offroading, travel, or speed, you will benefit from a more advanced pedaling system. Often, rider’s feet will have a tendency to slip off of the pedals when riding at higher speeds and they promote fatigue in the rider’s legs due to the mono-directional force that they enable.

Clip-On and Strap-On Bike Pedals

This type of bike pedal is often called a “toe cage.” Either using a strap or a toe clip, a rider slips their toe into a holster that is attached to the pedal. The frame for the rider’s toe can vary in size, from minimally small to precariously large. These are common pedal types and they offer an affordable, easy way to determine if an attached pedal system is right for you.

Clip-on pedals benefit a rider’s effort expenditure, by providing two directions of force to the pedals. With a flat pedal system, riders can only exert force in one direction, which is when they push the pedals downward. With clip-on pedals, as well as clipless pedals, riders push down on one pedal while the pedal attachment allows their other foot to pull up on the opposite pedal. This greatly reduces a rider’s effort in propelling the bike.

The significant downside of clip-on and strap-on pedals is that the extra hardware tends to get caught up on sticks, strings, and other random debris. Also, any system that attaches the foot to the pedal of the bike creates an inherently dangerous situation in the case of an accident. This is where clipless pedals come in.

Clipless Bike Pedals

Contrary to what the name suggests, a clipless bike pedal does, indeed, clip onto the pedal. The name comes from an improvement made to the original clip-in pedal systems, which were released by hand using a lever or toe strap. These original models caused several deaths and many injuries since riders had to reach down to unhook themselves in the event of a crash. Clipless pedals are a significant improvement to the attached pedal design and offer the best of both worlds.

Clipless pedals are designed to be compatible with special symbiotic shoes, which have a special cleat on the soul. When a rider steps onto the pedal, the cleat snaps into a spring-loaded bracket that’s attached to the face of the pedal. Once locked in, the shoe and the pedal work in tandem as one. To release one’s foot from the pedal, the rider has but to swing their away from the frame and the spring loaded pedal clip releases the cleat on the bottom of a rider’s shoe.

2017 SPD Pedals Review

Shimano introduced the Shimano Pedaling Dynamics (SPD) System in 1990, which revolutionized the clipless pedal design. SPD pedals feature a specially designed show, which has a recessed cleat, making it easier to walk. This also allows SPD pedals to be smaller and lighter than other lines of clipless pedals. Below are the top 5 SPD pedals available in 2017 for those looking to up their cycling game.

1. Shimano PD-M530 MTB SPD Pedals

The Shimano PD-M530 MTB SPD Pedal is designed for cyclists, winter time commuters and off roading. The platform is a bit larger than Shimano’s standard SPD pedal platform, adding a higher level of support when mountain biking. The pedal is dual sided for clipping in easy and quickly.

It also features a tension adjuster, for fine tuning the pedals to be firm enough to exert force onto, yet loose enough to be able to release the clip quickly and efficiently.

Weighing less than 1 pound each, these SPD pedals are made of aluminum and steel and come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. The Shimano MTB SPD Pedals are great for beginner and intermediate mountain bikers and off trail riders. Coming in between $30 used and $150 new, the Shimano MTB SPD offers a wide range of savings options.

2. Shimano A530 SPD Pedals

The A530 SPD Pedal is Shimano’s best all-in-one SPD system for beginners. Coming in around $40, these pedals are affordable and built to last.

The A530 features a cleat clip on one side and an oversized platform on the other, giving the rider a choice of using the clipless SPD system or using any other cleatless shoe.

For those looking to get into a clipless bike pedal system, the A530 is a great choice to ease your way in. The pedals feature steel spindles and sealed cartridge bearings—perfect for urban commuters and road cyclists.

3. Shimano XTR PD-M9000 Race Pedal

If you are a racing cyclist or any kind of road biking expert, the XTR PD-M9000 Race Pedal will give you the quality you need. Shimano brings the serious biker a quality pedal, made with aluminum and chrome steel, which significantly reduce the weight on your frame by up to 100 grams. These pedals are made to be used on the mountain trails, desert sands, and rocky roads.

Of course, they will work admirably on sidewalks as well, but their single release system is practical for those who see a lot of action on their rides.

The XTR PD-M9000 will run you around $100 for a set and that is money well spent, as these pedals are made for the roughest and most rugged use in cross country riding.