Reliable, Smooth, well designed, Well made and well finished. Long lasting. Maintenance free. Bearings are excellent. Bearings can be fully serviced at home.

None

This is an outstanding pedal. It does everything that the higher end pedals do but at a fraction of the cost. The weight difference between these and my XTR Trail pedals is 55 grams. My only complaint is that I bought XTR and XT Trail pedals first thinking that they would be clearly better than these and they are not. There is ever reason to buy these rather than spend more. Bearings are well sealed and serviceable by the home mechanic.

Can't tell the difference between this and the XTR version.
Well made and reliable pedal with enough support to make a difference

Nothing at this price

This is just a total bargain of a pedal. It preforms just as well as the higher end versions and the weight difference is just grams. Mine have been hammered and ridden in all weathers and they still work perfectly. I just cannot see any point to paying out more just for a tiny weight difference which frankly cannot be noticed. The bearings are sealed and can be serviced by the home mechanic.

Similar Products Used:

Shimano XT M785 Trail, XTR M9020 Trail, M424, M545, M520, M540.

Solid and well made. Good axle and totally serviceable at home. Excellent clip in and out. Consistent and reliable. Nice extra support from the cage. Very good value for money.

None

Excellent value for money fully functioning pedal. I have the XTR, the XT and this version of Shimano's "Trail" pedals on three different bikes. In reality.....and regardless of the sales hype...once bedded in there is no discernible difference between the models except a few grams in weight. This M530 will last as long as the higher end ones. In fact it will last longer because no weight has been removed from the springs or spindle therefore rendering it more reliable. I can highly recommend!!!!

Similar Products Used:

XTR XT M424, M547

Indestructable, stability from platform contact area, smooth bearings, mud clearance, adjustability, great-performing SPD clip-in system

weight

These pedals share all of the positive qualities of the M-540's I've ridden for years, but with noticeably more stability provided by the increased platform area of the cage. They are immensely strong and durable, with very smooth, well-sealed bearings never contaminated by dirt and with perfectly damped spin, highly secure and adjustable SPD clip system, and very tolerant of mud, dirt, wet, rock hits, etc. I definitely enjoy riding these a lot more with the stability and support they provide. Only drawback is weight: significantly heavier than the M-540's - noticeably so. However, unless you're into shedding grams at great expense, they are probably a much better value than the XTR versions of these pedals. With SM-56 multi-release clips (very critical to use these instead of the single-release!!!) and proper tension adjustment, you simply put your feet on the pedals and you're clipped in - you lift your feet out without even thinking about it and you're unclipped. Whenever your feet are on the pedals, you're locked in securely. Can't ask for anything more from a set of pedals.

Similar Products Used:

Shimano M-540

Strong pedal, easy to clip in and out, price

weight for those who care, havnt had them long enough to comment on durability

I just got these pedals last week and love them. Adjusting them to the right tension for your weight/preference is very easy. I switched out some bmx pedals for these so I really like the "cage" that surrounds the clip mechanism. It gives you a little more surface area to stand on if you ever fall out while trail riding. Picked them up from jenson usa for only $43. Cant go wrong for that price.

If you're looking for a good lightweight clipless pedal look elsewhere. These definitely are not for the weight weenies out there. Beyond that, these pedals are very strong. The cage as it may be called is simply incredible. It allows me to get even more power to the pedals in the down stroke than a similar Shimano PD-M520 pedal would or a Time Alium/Attack pedal. Being as I'm coming from a set of Time Alium's, I've found the cleat so far much more durable than the Time's all brass cleat. Big plus there.

I've found only a few minor weaknesses. The main complaint would be weight ( I don't worry about that since I use these on a touring bicycle vice a road/mountain bicycle). I've not noticed the grease leak (blow back) through the seals that another complained of as of yet (not had the pedals past a month). Lastly they are not self adjusting as the Time's are. Frankly, I think this is a plus as I've found the Time's rather tight and stiff in the Aliums.

All in all, I've found even after only a few days riding these pedals that they are far better than the Time Alium or the Crank Brothers Eggbeaters I've used in the past. Being able to adjust the cleat retention system manually has allowed me to lighten the tension enough that my knees no longer hurt from riding in a city where I have almost constantly clip in and out of the pedals. I'd have given these a 5, but the weaknesses took that out. I must admit one thing though. Aesthetically, these have a beautiful appearance for something meant to be pounded on day in day out while riding. They look better than the Aliums for certain.

Strong cage, good starter clipless pedal.

Spindle leaks grease.

Solid pedal takes shapr rock strikes well and tension is easily adjustable. Sturdy all mountain pedal.

Open design, caged, easy to adjust tension

Axle design

This set of pedals is a great value. They have an open design at a low price point, and a sturdy cage. The platform less stable clipped out than the freeride style cage, but just as sturdy; it has survived a number of rock strikes and slides on pavement/rock. I find the tension easier to adjust than the old style SPD platforms, where the cage often got in the way. The float on these pedals is also a little free-er than I would like, compared to older SPD interface. Supposedly the higher level trail pedals have a tighter clipped-in feeling.

I am not a big fan of the axle design on the lower-end Shimano, as the seals weep grease and pick up the gritty/sandy top soil prevalent in the area. The only remedy that has worked for me is to clean the seal regularly, which often forces grit past and into the axle assembly. Owning the dollar-and-change service tool is a must for these pedals.

Overall, these pedals, with regular service, show no reason that they will not last for as long as you need them to.