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Shimano PD-M434

MSRP $ 40.00
# of Reviews 26
Average Rating 4.5/5
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Submitted by Jorj a Weekend Warrior from Windsor, England
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2002
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $40.00
Purchased At:LBS
Strengths:Cheap, reasonable weight for combo pedal
Weaknesses:Cage can break
Similar Products Used:Dura-Ace SPD's on my road bike, PD-A535's on everything else, Look road pedals back in the day!
Bike Setup:Specialized Enduro Pro frame built up to about $2500
Bottom Line:I broke on of the resin cages yesterday on a stump. Didn't hit it that hard (i.e., I carried on riding, didn't even have to clip out). On the other hand, it ain't the first time I've smacked the scenery with these pedals. Had some trouble clipping out when I first got them, then switched to SH55 cleats, which are the dog's. Please Mr Shimano ship all your pedals with the good cleats, they cost the same and we wouldn't have to spend an extra $20 on replacements! Only 3 chilli's for value, because they're really $60 after you've bought the good cleats. A good pedal for off road exploring, not really enough cage grip if you need it for agressive unclipped riding, quite possibly the perfect pedal for a commuter bike so you can just get on and ride in any shoes. If you take the cages off, you have (more or less) a pair of PD-M515's for XC racing, though I wouldn't recommend doing it repeatedly.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Charlie a Weekend Warrior from Sunnyvale, CA
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2002
Favorite Trail:Soquel Demo - Braille
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $48.00
Purchased At:Burro Bikes
Strengths:unbreakable, supports better than non-cage SPDs when you're not clicked in - which is a good thing because you can't click in when it's muddy. Pedals do work quite well when it's dry. They are also lighter than similar pedals and every bit as tough. The resin cages are far tougher than aluminum and tons lighter.
Weaknesses:Pedals and cleats get so clogged with mud and leaves that they are useless in wet weather - at least in the Santa Cruz Mts. There is no way you will be able to engage the cleat and you'd be far better off with platforms because of the better support. If you're using Times now, do not try these pedals.
Similar Products Used:Time Atacs, SunTour XC-1 with toeclips, SunTour XC-2 beartraps, old Shimano XTs with toeclips
Bike Setup:Burro bike "exploration" (freeride?) bike with 19" wheels and 3" wide trials tires. Rigid front and back - as in very rigid. If the terrain is kicking your butt, the Burro will kick it back - hard.
Bottom Line:These pedals were the first I've owned with the SPD click-in system. In my experience, this system simply does not work in muddy environments. After riding/scrambling for just a few minutes in mud (and the mud in Northern California is pathetic in comparison to Texas gumbo - a real man's mud!), I cannot click in to save my life. It takes a screwdriver or Allen wrench to clean out the mud so that you can click in again - which is a pain in the patootie. Times are FAR better, but they don't offer nearly as much grip when you're unclicked. I took my pedals off for wet riding and am now on either my Times or my old beartraps. I'll go back to the Shimanos once things dry up. I would give these things 4 flamers if they had the new 958 design that is supposed to be better in the mud-shedding dept. But I suppose the price would skyrocket.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by DRoNe a from Auburn, Ca
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2001
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:Easy in and out. Nice grip without cleats.
Weaknesses:Cage material wears easily with harsh usage.
Bike Setup:GT XCR
Bottom Line:These have worked and are still working great. I swapped the stock Ritchey's for these when I purchased my bike and they have performed flawlessly for the last 9 months. The only issue I have with them is the cage material is soft and getting destroyed from roots and rocks. So, if you ride over alot of hard material with pedal contact don't get these, get the M-545's instead (the same pedal as this but with a metal cage). As far as riding without cleats they're great too.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Ed a Weekend Warrior from Las Cruces
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2001
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $44.00
Purchased At:Outdoor Adventures
Strengths:Easy to install and adjust. The cage makes riding unclipped very stable.
Weaknesses:None found.
Similar Products Used:Time ATAC and Bontrager RE-1
Bike Setup:Trek VRX 300
Bottom Line:Cheap, easy to get in and out of, the cage gives me stability when unclipped. Tried Time ATAC but in this climate (dry and sandy) they are not really necessary. I found Time to be a little difficult to get out of but easy to get into. The original equipment Bontrager's worked well for a cheap pedal. But I love the cage, my foot doesn't slip around when unclipped. The installation and transition from my other pedal's was very smooth. I would recommend them to anyone who would like a little more stability from their pedals.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by cooter a Cross Country Rider from milroy, indiana
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2001
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $45.00
Purchased At:r i e
Strengths:cheap
easy to use / setup
cage for when you dont ride cliped in
Weaknesses:none so far
Similar Products Used:first set of clipless pedals
Bike Setup:'01 trek 4500 w/judy
Bottom Line:the guys at my lbs told me clipless was the only way to ride, and they were right. i will never go back to regular pedals. these pedals are great because there cheap and easy to learn on. they seem to be holding up well and have made me a better rider
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by John a Weekend Warrior from Homestead, Florida
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2001
Favorite Trail:Everglades
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $28.00
Purchased At:Bike Tek
Strengths:Cheap
Weaknesses:My cleats interfere with the cage a little, but I use the cage so,oh well.
Similar Products Used:None
Bike Setup:2000 Specialized Rockhopper A1 FS
Bottom Line:Holds well, just a pain to clip with my shoes. Price was roght on a 10% over cost sale.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Lisa a Cross Country Rider from Mountain View, CA
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2001
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $55.00
Strengths:relatively light for a pedal that also has a platform, super-reliable clip-ins and outs, tension adjustment, can use bike with sneakers for a quick hop to the store.
Weaknesses:because the pedal has a (small) cage, if your shoe has big deep tread, the tread can interfere with clipping in and out. I had to cut some of the tread off my AXO mountain shoes so that I could clip in and out. Once I did that, the clip in/clip out has been flawless and easy.
Why do we need separate tension adjusters for each side of the pedal? 2x the work, IMHO.
If you try to pedal 10 miles or more in sneakers, you'll feel the hotspot where the popup cleat mechanism sticks up higher than the platform surface.
Similar Products Used:road shoes and campy clipless pedals on a road bike
Bike Setup:Specialized 2000 Rockhopper A1 FS
Bottom Line:Very easy and reliable clip in and out (that's what's important, right?). The pedal positions your foot so that it'll clip in without a thought. However, if you wanted to stay clipped out, it's hard to avoid clipping back in. The small platform is great for added support and giving you time to clip in while pedaling.

You may have to trim tread off your shoes. If the tread is too deep in the area around the cleat, you'll have trouble clipping in and out.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Ian a Weekend Warrior from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2001
Favorite Trail:anything fast and technical
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $75.00
Purchased At:simons bike shop
Strengths:platform helps when your unclipped, Makes alot less noise than alloy version, also cheaper, lighter, and much cheaper to replace the resin outside
Weaknesses:resin cage, (i broke it) but the mechanic at the bike store said it was the first time he'd ever seen it happen before. springs that make the pedal parralel with the cage both broke.
Similar Products Used:shimano 545, VP-?
Bike Setup:doesnt matter
Bottom Line:i like the pedals, they work good, alot harder to clip in in muddy coditions but thats what its like with any pedal except time and speedplays.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Kevin Setter a Weekend Warrior from Winnipeg, Manitoba
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2001
Favorite Trail:anything that looks like it won't kill me.
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $90.00
Purchased At:Olympia Cycle & Ski, Wpg., Man.
Strengths:Strong.
Relatively light
Inexpensive
Cage for extra foot support
Weaknesses:Cage restricts disengagement of your foot in emergencies.
Not a weakness exactly but the cage is PLASTIC!!! NOT carbon. When I want to unclip to ride through a rough section, the pedal just kinda clips you back in anyway.
Similar Products Used:None. First time clipless pedal user.
Bike Setup:LX drivetrain, other goodies not pertinent to this review.
Bottom Line:I'm torn about whether clipless pedals are for me. When I'm off-roading, I don't feel safe being clipped in, but it doesn't work for me to try to ride unclipped, because my shoes just end up clipping themselves in anyway. And I've fallen a few times because the damn things wouldn't release quick enough. I have them set on the lightest setting possible and they still hold my feet too solid laterally. I thought that all you had to do was kick your heel out (or in) and the pedal would release - ya right...Is it me? Or is it these pedals? And you can't put one of those plastic fake pedal adapters on one side of this pedal because the plastic cage gets in the way and won't allow it to fit.
But......when I'm on solid ground (city streets/fire roads) and want to ride crazy fast, then clipless is out of this world.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Buddy a Weekend Warrior from Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2001
Favorite Trail:Fire Trails
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $69.00
Purchased At:Bicycle Garage of Indy
Strengths:Stability, Don't have to clip in right away if you wanna get goin in a hurry thanks to the cage
Weaknesses:Don't know of any
Similar Products Used:First one
Bike Setup:'97 Schwinn GSX, 2001 Judy XC fork
Bottom Line:A very Nice Pedal even if is my first
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by James a Weekend Warrior from Philadelphia, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2001
Favorite Trail:vertical ones
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $65.00
Purchased At:Bike Line of Wilmington
Strengths:Easy to adjust. Wide platform for sneakers when your doing some unclipped riding. Lightweight and low cost.
Similar Products Used:platforms
Bike Setup:Trek 1999 4500 w/ these pedels
Bottom Line:I just bought a new bike and chose these pedals because they were cheap light and just all afround good. They are eays to use and very durable.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Frank Furter a from San Berdoo
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $50.00
Purchased At:da sto'
Strengths:Lightest platform/clipless pedal around. Super easy "in" for those technical spots.
Similar Products Used:Shimano 636, 646, 747, ritchey ti, frogs
Bike Setup:Santa Cruz Bullit...the 29 lb. freeride, smoke you up any hill version. And then you know what happens on the descent...
Bottom Line:This is the sweetest freeride pedal around. The pop up binding is impossible to miss when trying to re-engage with chunky tech terrain directly in front of you. 6 feet of rolling and you should be in. Forget about the too heavy, too wide, too thick, grind on any turn or bump 636/646 series. The 434 has the same binding and everything else is gravy. The carbon cage is holding up well so far and the after a few rides you will see the shin hungry platform teeth begin to wear away, nice. This pedal allows you to ride down hairy stuff dis-engaged, or when you reach the point where you LIKE to be clipped in for even the weirdest stuff you can find the binding easily. Figure it out.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Richard Warg a Weekend Warrior from Woodland, CA
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2000
Favorite Trail:Pleasnts Valley Road
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $45.00
Purchased At:Wheelworks, Davis CA
Strengths:Easy to adjust. Wide platform for sneakers, unclipped riding. With the Shimano recessed cleat shoe I can easily walk the grades I can't climb yet.
Weaknesses:Were hard to get out of at first (user ignorance- see below)
Similar Products Used:None
Bike Setup:Specialized Allez A1, spdm-434, Serfas Rx
Bottom Line:This is a fantastic pedal for a new ROAD rider. I'm 60 and just starting road riding, so it's really a plus to have a clipless pedal with a walkable shoe. Until I can get up those t4-5 climbs on the bike every time, I like being able to push it the rest of the way to the top and not screw up the shoes and cleats in the process. Being something of a weenie I'll approach an uncertain situation like a stop sign, or gravel, with one foot unclipped, just in case, and still get good force onto the pedal. The big platform makes that a reasonably efficient option.

I fell several times when I first got these clipless pedals because I couldn't get out in time(I understand it's a common problem for new riders, but I was hiding the knee scrapes from my wife so I wouldn't get grounded.) I was beginning to think that the dealer had given me a bum steer because I had asked about Speedplays and he thought I'd have better results with the 434s. A mechanic I asked said they were as loose as they could get and for a month and a half I felt uncomfortable (read scared) until I finally realized that the mech was 180 degrees wrong, they were as TIGHT as they could get. I can EASILY adjust them to the point that it takes NO EFFORT at all to unclip. I'd gotten some wrong advice.

I've experimented with having a loose side and a tight side so I can stay lightly clipped in city traffic and still slip out instantly, or flip the pedal over and have a firmer grip for powering ( a relative term )down the open road. Right now I have both sides set about medium.

I just did a 100 mile ride in awful wind and I was able to finish ahead of some riders because I could walk quickly up and over a crest into a 40 mph wind and they couldn't because they had huge, protruding cleats. A few of them eventually passed me - in the SAG wagon. More than once I had to bail out of the clips when I got a huge gust in the face near the top of a hard climb and stopped dead in my tracks. No problem. The pedal and shoe combination worked great for me all day.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by bob smith a Racer from NC
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2000
Favorite Trail:moab
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $40.00
Purchased At:came standard on my bike
Strengths:easy to adjust
easy in not so easy out
Weaknesses:none
Similar Products Used:bunches
Bike Setup:99 GT XCR 3000
Bottom Line:they work really good no matter if there's mud or anything in them
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Tiny a from Centreville, Va
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2000
Favorite Trail:Fountainhead
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:Easy clip in and out. Also good for urban asaltults with regular shoes
Weaknesses:Depends on how long the plastic cage lasts
Similar Products Used:Big old platform pedals
Bike Setup:'99 GT Backwoods
Bottom Line:Good pedal for the money. Wouldn't go to any cheaper pedals. They take a good beating and keep on going!!!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by AV98 a Cross Country Rider from SF Bay Area
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2000
Favorite Trail:High speed fire trails and single tracks
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:Lightweight
Low cost
Durable
Ease of use
Weaknesses:None so far
Similar Products Used:K2 clipless
Shimano M747
Shimano M545
Shimano M535
Shimano M636
Bike Setup:Proflex 857
NR2 Front
NR4 Rear
Full XT Component Groupo
Bottom Line:The best SPD/Pedal combo out available. Perfect cost/weight/performance ratio.

I've endo'd, slammed, and crashed these things into rocks and trees but the resin cage holds up. Good thing otherwise the metal SPDs would take the beating. For $50, they're really economical plus light enough that you won't notice pedals are included. I've used them in mud, sand, and the usual dirt without any problems. Just make sure you maintain them with regular cleaning and a little bit of oil to the springs. This results in gravy smooth funtionality.

Another good advantage includes the ability to ride your bike w/o cleats. If your on a casual non-trail ride, you can just hop on your bike and go.

All in all, it's a great pedal that deserves 5 cheesy poofs!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Bogus Blake a Downhiller from Flagstaff, AZ
Date Reviewed: November 14, 1999
Favorite Trail:
anything that makes me fix the bike afterward
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
really stable, double sided, works great with urban shoes
Weaknesses:
that dang cage, and the tention tends to work lose when you pound it
Similar Products Used:
nashbar cheapie clipless
Bike Setup:
frankenstein bike (parts from all my other bikes)and airwalk urban shoe
Bottom Line:these are awesome because they only cost 40 bucks and work great. the clips pop up so getting in is a cinch and i can ride with other shoes if i want to. its really hard to miss the clip because the cage puts your foot right where it needs to be. bailing out is easy, too. the cage only lets your foot turn sideways. the cage is plastic, though and it does flex. i endoed and popped the outside off the hub and that let all the spring tention that rotates the clip go. it still works great. im not at all worried about scraping up the cage- its plastic and i paid 40 bucks for it.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Jerry Ludgate a Weekend Warrior from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: September 15, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Barton Creek Greenbelt, Austin
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Clips in easily with an audible click
Weaknesses:
Clips in too easily when not intending to for riding the rough stuff.
Similar Products Used:
First clipless
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher HooKooEKoo, Judy C
Bottom Line:I just recently bought a new bike and chose these pedals for the extra support provided by the cage. They have definitely made a beginner out of me again. This is my first experience with clipless pedals, and I have to admit to having occaisional difficulty with releasing from them when needed. But that's all user error stuff, the pedals work great, power transfer to the rear wheel is probably double that without, and the control it gives over the back of the bike is awesome! I think that I have gotten them dialed in now, so we'll see if my skills can improve to match the equipment! No faults found with these bad boys, so here's the full five.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Rich Pomata a Weekend Warrior from Leesburg
Date Reviewed: August 12, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Elizabeth Furnace
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
easy in and out when you get them dialed in
Weaknesses:
Resin cage
Bike Setup:
Titan Prime
RST 381r firm springs
Bottom Line:No problem with this other than the resin cage. I've cracked three so far and have two buds that have done the same. We all have been able to fix it with wire, glue or re-weld it. You can't replace the cage from what we can tell. I like the support the cage gives. I've gone without and the ball of my foot gets sore. Next time I go Alum.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Chris a Weekend Warrior from Calgary, Alberta
Date Reviewed: July 31, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Severed Dick
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Fairly Cheap Price
Fairly lightweight for a platform/clipless pedal.
Weaknesses:
Durability of Resin Cage.
Similar Products Used:
CODA 500
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F700, Nike Nguba Crapo shoes.
Bottom Line:A good pedal for the money. I was looking for a platform/clipless pedal for those times you just can't click in fast enough. 636 were nice but a bit heavy and shin hungry. We'll see how long the resin cage lasts, and if the easily replaced cage can be found for less than half the cost of new pedals. The 434's are much better than the CODA's I had (more positive click) and a better pedal overall.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by David a Weekend Warrior from Sydney
Date Reviewed: July 28, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Oxford Falls
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Good Sturdy Platform
Light
Weaknesses:
has less float than a 535
can be difficult to engage
Similar Products Used:
Shimano spd 535
Bike Setup:
Giant ATX 870
Bottom Line:A typical good quality shimano product. Seems to have troubles engaging a more racing style shoe. Overall a good compromise pedal, supportive when clipped in and when unclipped in the rough stuff
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Lee a Cross-Country Rider from Mass
Date Reviewed: July 19, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Trial of Tears
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Big platform, easy entry
Weaknesses:
weight, but not really as they're lighter than most other pedals of this style
Similar Products Used:
Frogs, other SPD knock-offs
Bike Setup:
Aluminum HT, Marz z-2 bam
Bottom Line:I really like these pedals. They are extrememly easy to get into, they have a very supportive platform, and for their size, they're pretty light. I decided to try these after using the Frogs for about 2 months. They were great pedals, but they didn't offer the correct support for my knees. Sure- I probably didn't have the cleats positioned properly, but after 3 or 4 adjustments on each shoe, I still couldn't find the right position, and the bolts started to strip, so I said screw 'em. I'd rather have a little extra weight and pedals that will save my knees rather then kill my knees and not be able to ride.
The 434's aren't very pretty, and they can SOMETIMES be a pain to get out of. Also, we'll have to wait and see how long the plastic cage lasts, and how easy it will be to replace. Overall these are good pedals, and anyone who wants some extra support and a very easily engageable shoe should try these out.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Mark a Cross-Country Rider from Woodland Hills
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1999
Favorite Trail:
not in So. Cal
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
light, convenient for friends without cleats
Weaknesses:
shoes hang up occassionally
Similar Products Used:
ritchey, 747's, 636
Bike Setup:
custom hardtail-Curtlo, z-1's
Bottom Line:great deal for the money. Confidence inspiring for those new to clip ins. Work almost as well as 747's.
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Art a Downhiller from Adirondack Mtns., N.Y.
Date Reviewed: July 4, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Twister,Gore Mt.,N.Y.
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Bottom Line:Good FR/DH pedal. Seems to be built tough and is easy to adjust. Lighter than others of this type. Cage teeth could be more aggressive for a better grip on your soles.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by M.A.B.M.Z a Weekend Warrior from Georgetown,Penang,Malaysia
Date Reviewed: June 2, 1999
Favorite Trail:
BZee Body at Sg. Long/Pg Hill
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Lighter than the 545,not by that much though.Easy clip-in every time,easy to release in emergencies.Nice wide platform,does not throw footing off.XC/DH dual use.
Weaknesses:
Perhaps to nit-pick,would be the resin cage body.Not as strong as the 545's.But then again you would have to trade off 4 the light weight.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano 545,636 & 747.Time ATAC.Girvin Mag.
Bike Setup:
Specialized S-Works FSR XC.XTR Gruppo.Mavic Cross Maxs.
Bottom Line:Another bomb-proof product from the big S Co.Advisable to lubricate the springs b-4 each ride,easy click-in & out every time.Could be lighter?
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Greg a Cross-Country Rider from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Anything in Sedona
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
lighter than the metal bodied ones, good solid mechanism, replaceable plastic body, good value, way adjustable
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
none before these
Bike Setup:
Gary Fischer Big Sur, Indy fork, and axo shoes.
Bottom Line:Great pedal for your money
Overall Rating:5






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