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Average Rating
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3.22/5
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# of Reviews
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206
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MSRP
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$ 50.00
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Weight
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More Products from Shimano
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Description:Dual-sided engagement, dual-sided tension adjustment
Cartridge-style chrome-moly axle
Uses SM-SH51 (stock) or SM-SH55 multi-release cleat
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Submitted by
alex
a
from mooresville, IN, USA
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | price | | Weaknesses: | horrible for riding a fixed gear, come unclipped strait up, a speck of dust and they're impossible | | Bottom Line: | don't ride them if you ride a fixed gear or anywhere with even dust. i've come unclipped pulling strait up resulting in me going OTB into traffic, not fun. they're all right for riding to the end of a paved driveway to get the mail, i'm going back to crank brothers | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pat Lew
a Cross Country Rider
from Alhambra CA
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Santa Monica Mtns, Sycamore Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Well built, hefty body, smooth bearings | | Weaknesses: | Plastic pieces, a bit on the heavy side at 450 grams | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey, Wellgo & Azonics clipless | | Bike Setup: | Parkpre hardtail, XT cranks, etc | | Bottom Line: | I bought these because I wanted a cheap pair of clipless pedals to throw on while I overhauled some Ti spindled pedals. Coming across these reviews for PD-M515 I thought, "Ah man, I've been had...more scrap for the junk parts pile." Anyways, I shook off the dirt, lubed them, screwed them on and set them at the loosest setting then took off for a spin with allen wrench in pocket. I had to keep cranking them up to get the right feel for me. Bottom line, I'm impressed. Clicking in and out is effortless. Some reviews had me scared for a moment (broken legs, sprains, etc). Maybe poor quality control on these pups, but IMHO these things seem pretty darn sweet. I'm going hunting for new pair. If they're cheap, and you're on a budget, definitely nab them as spares. The only thing that makes them entry level is the weight. (So what's a hundred grams on your bike when you're packing no less than 2kgs of Krispy Kremes, Big Macs and fries around the waist?) | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Summerland, BC
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | good low level clipless pedal that came with my bike, decent entry/exit from the pedal, good in dry conditions | | Weaknesses: | incredibly difficult/impossible to clip in if the pedal or cleat gets any mud in/around it. I was unable to clip out when riding in mud but wasn't injured (fortunately). Tough to adjust to a light setting since the adjustment screw comes right out of the pedal if you're not careful. | | Similar Products Used: | shimano m520 | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Elevation | | Bottom Line: | if you ride on the road or in only dry conditions these'll be okay but only if they come with your bike. If you ride anywhere where there is going to be a bit of mud get different pedals. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bepe
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anywhere with trees and mud | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | I never got to find out | | Weaknesses: | Ruthless hold on my shoe | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano PD-M540 | | Bike Setup: | Orange 5 | | Bottom Line: | I had been thinking of going clipless for a while, but was wary of being unable to clip out. I realise now that it was a premonition.
I decided to try these because the shop offered me a big discount. So I decided to stop being a wuss and finally go clipless. Bought pedals & shoes, got home, fitted pedals, fitted the cleats, sat on the bike (supported by a convenient wall), and started practicing unclipping. I'm glad I did. My left foot unclipped ok, less than half of the time. My right foot just refused to release. Had to take my shoe off & twist it off the pedal by hand.
Tweaked everything I could, and tried again. Left foot was a bit better, but the right foot only released twice, and each time took a lot of twisting and grunting. The rest of the time, the pedal was merciless. I tried again the next day. No better, and I actually ended up with a mild sprain of my ankle.
I didn't know if it was just me being a newbie to clipless pedals, but I took them back to the shop. I told the guy the problem and he didn't seem surprised, didn't try to troubleshoot the problem, or even try to haggle by pointing out that the pedals were now marked by the cleats (and the effort of trying to get out of them). He just offered me a full refund straight away, no questions asked. But, as I now had some clipless shoes, I decided to try some 540 pedals and see if the problem had been me or the pedal. See my review of the 540s elsewhere, but those were like night & day. I can definitely say that the problem wasn't me being a newbie.
As for the 515's, I'm glad I tested them before I actually rode them on a trail. I don't want to think about the pain of bouncing along the ground with the bike still flapping about on the end of one foot.
If I could give these a zero, I would. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
joe shmow
a Cross Country Rider
from australia
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | yarra trails | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | durable, tension adjustmemnt | | Weaknesses: | absolutely hopeless in mud, hard to get in/out of. | | Similar Products Used: | none-this is my first | | Bike Setup: | 07 diamondback racing zetec sport | | Bottom Line: | DO NOT buy these pedals if your going to use them in mud. I put one foot down in loose dirt and then struggled to clip in, one i was in there was no way i was getting out. I was over the handlebars and cartwheeling with my bike still attatched. Hmm a broken ankle...what now? | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeremy
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | wherever | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | They perform a pedal function to some extent
They are strong | | Weaknesses: | They do not release on the lightest setting when you fall. VERY DANGEROUS | | Similar Products Used: | Just bought some Crank Bros. candy C's. Waiting for them to arrive in the post. | | Bike Setup: | Iron horse imbred | | Bottom Line: | These are dangerous. I know someone who broke their femur because of a pair of these, as others have said- they sometimes do not release. I used these for a number of years commuting to work, but I had a couple of serious falls when I started riding trail, the last time I rolled down an embankment, and yes, the bike stayed attached. Come to think of it, I have also fallen on the road and the same thing happened and I ripped a big chunk out of my arm. Don't say I didn't warn you.
JUST PASSABLE for commuting
VERY DANGEROUS for anything else | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeremy
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | wherever | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | They perform a pedal function to some extent
They are strong | | Weaknesses: | They do not release on the lightest setting when you fall. VERY DANGEROUS | | Similar Products Used: | Just bought some Crank Bros. candy C's. Waiting for them to arrive in the post. | | Bike Setup: | Iron horse imbred | | Bottom Line: | These are dangerous. I know someone who broke their femur because of a pair of these, as others have said- they sometimes do not release. I used these for a number of years commuting to work, but I had a couple of serious falls when I started riding trail, the last time I rolled down an embankment, and yes, the bike stayed attached. Come to think of it, I have also fallen on the road and the same thing happened and I ripped a big chunk out of my arm. Don't say I didn't warn you.
JUST PASSABLE for commuting
VERY DANGEROUS for anything else | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Stock on my 2001 Trek Fuel 90 Disk - Earl's Cycle (closed 2003) | | Strengths: | Shimano quality, Dual sided entry, Dual tension adjustable, Small in size when compared to platform/bear claw pedals, Can hadle plenty of abuse. | | Weaknesses: | Cleat tension too stiff (in my opinion) if on any setting other then the loosest, Expensive Shimano replacement cost, A little heavy. | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey Logic Clipless, GT cage + strap, Metal platform with reflectors, Plastic bearclaws with reflectors. | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Trek Fuel 90 Dsik. | | Bottom Line: | These came stock on my 2001 Trek Fuel 90 Dsik that I got brand new on July 02,2001. My first experience with clipless pedals replaced my GT cage + straps with Ritchey Logic's. My second set of clipless pedals (Shimano PD-M515) are small in size, are a little heavy, Shimano quality, spring tension is a little tight and I use them on the loosest setting, handle grinding well (when I made a high speed right hand turn on a city street with the right pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke - oops!).
Bottom Line: Better then my Ritchey Logics that I still use to this day, but will be expensive to replace. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian McInturff
a Cross Country Rider
from Marietta, GA
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Blanket's Creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Came on bike | | Strengths: | Came on bike. | | Weaknesses: | Hard to clip out. | | Similar Products Used: | m520, m540 - both work excellent. | | Bike Setup: | Tass with upgrades, and the first upgrade was getting rid of these pedals. | | Bottom Line: |
This review is for the m505s, the OEM version of the m515.
They came on my Fisher Tass. They were easy enough to clip in (except in mud) but this pair (and especially one of them) was very difficult to clip out whether they were muddy or not. Even with plenty of grease and other lubes and the tension set as low as possible. Months later, one of my knees still hurts from having to use so much force to unclip. One problem is the tension screw. Unlike the higher end shimano pedals, which have a stop on the tension screw, these will come right out so there is no real gauge as to where the minimum tension should be set.
I tried them a couple of weeks thinking they might loosen up and always had a hard time clipping out, requiring a lot of force (and time) to do so. Fell a few times on trails due to this but nothing serious. I started riding with my shoes loose so in an emergency I could extract my foot from the shoe instead, then wrench the shoe off the pedal afterwards. I left the plastic platforms on one side so when they got muddy I could just use the platform side.
I got some m540s instead and these were excellent - night and day difference. Even set to medium tension these are very easy to clip out. My kid wanted the 505s to replace the plain platforms on his bike. I warned him not to but he put them on anyway.
The first thing he did was remove the plastic outer platforms from the 505s (since otherwise people could not tell he had clipless, the little poser). I had tried to do that once just to see how hard it would be, but never succeeded, even using a rubber mallet to bang them - I could not hit them with enough force to twist them out and figured maybe there was some trick to do it. My kid did succeed getting the platforms off (he had to use a regular hammer instead of a rubber mallet.) This should have been a warning. Oh well.
He tried them for a couple of weeks and after he was bruised up enough (granted, he was just learning to use clipless and spent a lot of time doing bunny hops on pavement), he got a pair of m520s, which like the m540s, have been excellent.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, SA, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | reliable, have taken an absolute beating and still going strong. predictable and consistant release/entry. | | Weaknesses: | weight, they are heavy. | | Similar Products Used: | m520 and m540 | | Bike Setup: | many - road, singlespeed rigid, all xtr/carbon xc race bike | | Bottom Line: | bottom line - i have owned these for 6+ years and i am happy with them. i would not buy them again simply because the newer 520/540 design is better (and lighter) but for the same price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, SA, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | reliable, have taken an absolute beating and still going strong. predictable and consistant release/entry. | | Weaknesses: | weight, they are heavy. | | Similar Products Used: | m520 and m540 | | Bike Setup: | many - road, singlespeed rigid, all xtr/carbon xc race bike | | Bottom Line: | bottom line - i have owned these for 6+ years and i am happy with them. i would not buy them again simply because the newer 520/540 design is better (and lighter) but for the same price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brent
a Cross Country Rider
from calgary, alberta, canada
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | inexpensive, durability | | Weaknesses: | difficult to get in and out of, tend to clog with mud and trail detritus. | | Similar Products Used: | ritchie mtn v3, wellgo | | Bottom Line: | Had these stock on my trail bike, and quickly switched them out because I found them dangerous. I've been using SPD-style pedals for some years- Shimano and Ritchie, mostly, and the 515s shouldn't have given me any trouble. Nonetheless, even at the lowest spring setting they could really torque your knee on a fast exit. I put them on my touring/city bike, and struggled in and out of them for another two years before buying some cheap wellgos and putting the 515s into a box in a dank corner of the garage- from which they will hopefully never reemerge. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon Vaillancourt
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Kingdom Trails | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Cheap, I would say. | | Weaknesses: | Horrible when it is used in muddy conditions. You have to stop, take a small stick to clean the mud out of the pedals. There is just no room for the mud to go, so it sticks directly in the pedal. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Kona Cinder Cone 2005 | | Bottom Line: | I would upgrade as soon as possible to another set of pedals. It seems the new Shimano PD-M520 is a redesigned version wich is much more open, so the mud issue is now almost completly solved, for about the same price as PD-M515. Do yourself a favor...
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joey Aldrich
a Weekend Warrior
from haslett, michigan, USA
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Burchfield | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$29.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | I have never had any problems with these pedals after my first week with them. It took me a while to get used to being stuck to my bike but now I love them. | | Weaknesses: | I have trouble with the cleats picking up mud when I walk but usually a knock against my crank gets them clean enough to work. | | Similar Products Used: | The stock pedals on my specialized. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized hardrock with hayes hydraulic discs, shimano spd's. | | Bottom Line: | If I was going to spend a lot of time riding in mud I would probably upgrade, but these pedals are great for what I use them for. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Backbone | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Cheap. | | Weaknesses: | Cheap. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano PD-M520, PD-M540, EggBeaters | | Bike Setup: | SC Blur | | Bottom Line: | These things came with my first FS bike and they suck. You simply can't clip in or out fast enough unless the tension is set very loose. Using these pedals is a good way to hurt yourself. Trade up to the 520's or the 540's - much, much better performance. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Racer
from Meriden
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | Inexpensive. Reasonable operation under mud, ice, and snow clogging conditions. They've withstood much rock bashing and abuse etc. and still function well. | | Weaknesses: | Plastic parts subject to breakage. | | Similar Products Used: | Look road pedals, Shimano SPD road pedals. | | Bike Setup: | Salsa Ala Carte w/Shimano 7 speed triple, cantilever brakes, Grip Shift, and a rigid fork. | | Bottom Line: | I'm amazed how many other reviewers had difficulty clipping in/out with these. Not to be rude but perhaps they didn't use the multi-release cleat (better for beginners) or had little experience with clipless pedals. I had no problems at all clipping in or out, and I use the single direction release cleat.
I'm writing this review because after about three or more years of use one pedal broke, and I feel it was unnecessary.
The cartridge bearing axle is held in by a threaded plastic sleeve, much like a steel rod inside a plastic pipe. My pedal was turning roughly so I thought I'd overhaul the pedal, which I had done before so I was familiar with the process.
Well, apparently the plastic sleeve was broken along its threaded section, which is about 1" long, which caused the rough operation. Due to the broken threaded section remaining in the pedal bore, the axle is now stuck in the pedal body so servicing it is out of the question. I will replace these pedals with a higher level version such as the PD-M540, which has a metal sleeve.
These aren't bad pedals for a beginner or sport rider, and they served me well. I just feel they should not have failed where they did. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Micheal
a Weekend Warrior
from Memphis, TN
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Stanky Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Affordable, thus far durable, you stay clipped in | | Weaknesses: | Difficult to clip out if you are fatigued. | | Bottom Line: | The first week on these bad boys was painful. I wrecked many times because I couldn't get unclipped. Once I got the hang of it I didn't have a problem getting in and out unless I was just completely fatigued.
If these are your first clipless peddles please do your self a favor and practice clipping in and out in a safe enviroment. If you don't you might want to practice falling down instead.
For the price these are a good buy, but I'm sure there are better clipless peddles out there. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
drew martin
a Weekend Warrior
from cape carteret north carolina
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | haven't found it yet! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | They fit the bike? | | Weaknesses: | They are some sort of torture device devised by clever anti-mtb engineers with a simple intent: Cleanse the world of MTB riders. I would go as far as to suggest a grand conspiracy executed by various tree huggers for the expulsion of riders from the great outdoors- in the case that these will work fine for users on hard pack. If you must exit them promptly forget it. | | Similar Products Used: | Not enough apparently | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Exile, Bomber eta 120 pro, s-ram, Avid 5's, Easton Bar stem and seatpost, Kenda rubber | | Bottom Line: | Twas the day of riding, and all was great- the rain had subsided and the morning was late- a little wet sand in the pathway ahead, this pathway is safe it just leads to the trailhead. A little warm-up is what I will do, to make sure my steed will carry me through- tune the avid's and pump up the shock, make sure the clamp on the saddle is locked. All feels well on this great day, so I grab up my camelback and head out on my way- A thing I have done but shouldn't have cared, I dabbed down my foot while I have prepared: Wet sand has entered the mechs of my clips, that forges a bond Hercules could not rip. In the frolic of passion as I approach the path I rise up on a Manuel, lose balance and crash. As the bike slips forward from under my seat I realize to late it will not let me free. I kick and I twist to free my left boot but in the seconds that matter what breaks is my foot. I crash to the ground still attached the steel, there is a bone in the open above my left heel. Now there are questions that enter my brain- how to get home and will it ever be the same? My riding has ended for the season no doubt, and the road to recovery will a tough route. Thank you Shimano for making a clip and selling to folks a big pile of Sh*t.
This is a true story, and if you wonder why I took the time to write such a ridiculous review just imagine what you would do with your time if you were cooped up for several weeks. I have a broken fibula and a compound dislocation. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a compound dislocation! Believe me, I do now. Damn these clips....DO NOT USE THEM. The slightest debris in the mech's will bond you to the bike- period. I could have saved the injury simply by grabbing the rear brake, but in that split second it all happened the locked foot was where my attention was. I wished I would have never put those clips on the bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brian
a Cross Country Rider
from cebu, philippines
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | which one? | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | durable | | Weaknesses: | heavy, hard to clip in and out on bad weather, plastic parts | | Similar Products Used: | this is my first clipless pedal | | Bike Setup: | not relevant | | Bottom Line: | this is a durable pedal and can serve you for many years, but it s heavy and difficult to clip in and out on bad weather. plastic parts are bad i broke the plastic part on the bearing shaft while overhauling right pedal and it s beyond repair. i bought an spd-540...great pedal. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brian
a Cross Country Rider
from cebu, philippines
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | which one? | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | durable | | Weaknesses: | heavy, hard to clip in and out on bad weather, plastic parts | | Similar Products Used: | this is my first clipless pedal | | Bike Setup: | not relevant | | Bottom Line: | this is a durable pedal and can serve you for many years, but it s heavy and difficult to clip in and out on bad weather. plastic parts are bad i broke the plastic part on the bearing shaft while overhauling right pedal and it s beyond repair. i bought an spd-540...great pedal. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pete
a Weekend Warrior
from fargo, ND
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | scheels | | Strengths: | you will stay in these pedals. | | Weaknesses: | you will stay in these pedals no matter what. | | Similar Products Used: | Time Alium | | Bottom Line: | These pedals are a death trap. If you crash (I do often) your bike is gonna be right there with you cause these pedals will not let go of you feet. You can adjust the tension of them, but you only go from insanely tight to really tight. Plus they are heavy. go get time pedals or crank bros. something that will release with enough torq. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Weekend Warrior
from San Ramon, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Purchased At: | Local bike shop | | Strengths: | They allow you to clip in. | | Weaknesses: | They don't allow you to clip out. | | Similar Products Used: | $30 nashbar clipless pedals that work a hell of a lot better. | | Bottom Line: | Got them on my 04 Specialized EPIC Comp. They are crap. They don't allow you to clip out very easily and because of it I have taken a couple of spills. I've taken a medium speed spill where my right foot remained clipped in. Fortunately I didn't get injured but if I was going any faster I could have definately broken my ankle. I have ordered the Crank Bros Candy SL's and I can't wait to put them on. I'll be writing a review on them as soon as I get an ample amount of riding time on them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob Morrill
a Cross Country Rider
from Palo Alto, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | They are crap, but they don't smell bad, so that's a strength. | | Weaknesses: | Crap. Crap. Crap. I rode my brand new Trek for the first time on a wet trail in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and these pieces of crap nearly killed me. | | Similar Products Used: | ATACs, Speedplay Frogs, Eggbeaters | | Bike Setup: | Trek Fuel 90 w/ Hayes El Camino disc brakes, Mavic Crossmax wheels, Monkey Lite bar | | Bottom Line: | Um...? Oh, I remember: these pedals are CRAP. My rating: one flaming piece of crap. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
E
a Cross Country Rider
from Edm, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Easy adjustments.
Cheap.
Pretty good platform. | | Weaknesses: | only 2 sided entry.
Eggbeater candies are better.
Hard to find proper place to clip in.
| | Similar Products Used: | eggbeaters | | Bike Setup: | NRS 3 | | Bottom Line: | These are great pedals. YOu can adjust them to be very loose or very tight, which is nice when you are new to clipless pedals. I have them as loose as they can be. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tony mairs
a Racer
from belfast
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | MCCONVEY CYCLES | | Strengths: | look good, feel strong, work great when brand new, etc. | | Weaknesses: | rust, able to pull out of, they "burnt out" | | Similar Products Used: | Time Atac, a much better pedal. Check out my review. | | Bike Setup: | cannondale road bike, ksyrium ssc wheels etc. | | Bottom Line: | AVOID. I bought these pedals 1 year ago but was forced to stop using them 6 months ago because basically they fell apart. In June 04 I had a nasty fall with the usual broken bones usually associated with this pedal, which you can read all about at my INFAMOUS REVIEW OF TIME ATACS.
They are s**t and should not ever have been made, unless you ride like a granny.
It baffles me how the people in the bike shop can't understand why the pedal is wrecked. I had the guy try it out with his SPD shoes and he agreed that they were no good but said that this is unusual. A glance at the other reviews shows that many have also has serious faults (and broken bones). Don't buy this pedal! PLEASE
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Weekend Warrior
from Minneapolis, MN. USA
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Biker Bob | | Strengths: | Affordable | | Weaknesses: | Safety. Unscientific poll of reviews at mtbr show most serious injuries and complaints of hard-release occurred with PD-M515's and 535's.
Release: Only when set for minimum release tension did the 515's release with a torque similar to other pedals. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano PD-M636, Time road pedals, Speedplay X, Look PP396 | | Bike Setup: | N/A | | Bottom Line: |
There are many opinions of these pedals, some claiming very good experience and others very bad. List of some negative reviews:
11-15-03, 9-20-03, 8-29-03, 7-13-03, 6-16-03, 6-14-03, 5-10-03,5-7-03, 4-23-03, 7-3-02, 6-1-02, 5-30-02, 5-30-02, 5-18-02,5-13-02, 9-20-01, 10-20-00, and 9-21-00.
Pay close attention to those who had negative reviews,
because some were reporting serious injuries. Then take a look at reviews of other Shimano pedals and other companies pedals and you will be hard pressed to find reviews where serious injuries were reported. With 515's, you may be risking more than you would like to believe.
If your impression is that all clipless pedals were designed so that they automatically release given enough abnormal force, forget it.
You can search the web and read books that state that clipless pedals were designed to be like ski bindings, (which are designed to release automatically) but this is basically FALSE. Below, see the warning straight from Shimano's spec. sheet. Note that this warning does NOT appear in the 515's or 535's spec. sheet.
Go ahead and criticize this review if you will, but if you like your body in it's present state and don't want to take months to recover from an injury, ditch the 515's, do your own research, and then make as informed a decision as you can. I did not read the reviews here until too late (my injury was a tibial plateau fracture). Shimano did not add their warning until newer pedal designs came out. To Shimano's credit, they are now at least being more forthright about the pedal design characteristics. However, this also serves the purpose of letting themselves off the hook even if the design or quality may be defective. Of course you don't want your pedal to unexpectedly unclip and thus become the cause of the crash, but it's also very risky to have your feet locked in when you are already going down and then the pedals don't release even under bone-breaking forces.
You should also know that there is no government testing or standards for clipless pedals. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) is well aware that injuries are occurring, but so far no warnings or action has come from them. Good luck!
BUYER BEWARE!
By the way, I'm a roadie who just happened to enjoy walking normally every once in awhile and so used SPD only for that reason.
Shimano's Warning...
– To avoid serious injuries:
WARNING
SPD pedals are designed so that you release them only when
you intend to release. They are not designed to release
automatically at times such as when falling off the bicycle.
This is a safety measure to prevent you from losing balance and falling off the bicycle as a result of your feet becoming accidentally released from the pedals.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marcio
a Cross Country Rider
from São Paulo - SP - Brasil
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Strengths: | Easy to clip-in and clip-out (with proper adjustments and training), feels strong and solid, Good bang for the buck | | Weaknesses: | None so far. For this price I cannot find anything better. | | Similar Products Used: | None, my first clipless. | | Bike Setup: | Caloi 100. It's a standard 21 speed comfort bike. Shimano M020D shoes. | | Bottom Line: | I use my bike to ride on the streets every day. In the city I live the pavement isn't very flat and smooth, there's lots of holes and bumps. I needeed an extra grip, so I decided to go clipless. Never used clipless pedals before.
This pedals were the cheapest Shimanos for sale at the local bike-shop, and the salesmand recommended it. I got it along with a pair of Shimano M020D shoes.
At the very first day trying it, I couldn't clip-in. When I finally got to clip-in, I had a hard time to clip-out. I was almost decided to return it to the store (I thought it was deffective), then I gave it a second chance on day 2. I've adjusted the spring tension to a minimum, grease it up a little bit (the cleats too) and start training to clip-in and out, spend at least one hour just doing that. Much better.
On day 3 it became very natural and easy to clip-in & out. I was confident to go ride on streets. It's been a week since I bought the pedals, riding every day, and I feel like "how could I ride before not using clipless?" It's like night & day. Extra push on hills, great grip, improved speed, easy jumping.
I recommend this pedals to anyone who rides a bike, great for beginners, cause it is cheap and of great quality.
If you are a clipless newbie like me, don't give up. Spend some time learning the technique, adjust the tension very low at first. Don't try it right on the street/trail, you will fall (I did, but I was in my garage). Try it at home and/or at flat pavement (grass is perfect). You will not regret. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jean-Sylvain
a Cross Country Rider
from Quebec, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | cheap, strong, good in dry conditions | | Weaknesses: | An horror in muddy trails, accidentally clip out | | Similar Products Used: | Look, Time ATAC alum | | Bottom Line: | I bought these when I bought my first mountain bike that I wanted to actually use offroad. These were my first clipless pedals. Of course, you have to get use to clipless pedals, that mean you have to clip in an out in a parking lot or some secure place to get use to them. That mean falling off in a trail at 1km/h will surely happen when you'll be unable to clip out before putting your foot on the ground. But hey, this apply to any clipless pedals.
I used the shim 515 pedals for 3 years and was'nt to happy with them. The first reason is that I ride in wet conditions, so mud clearance is a matter for me. When you fall doing technical climbing and you have to start in the middle of the climb but can't because the pedal won't clip in because it's full of mud, I think it is normal to become mad at the pedals. Well that's what used to happen to me frequently.
Otherwise in dry conditions, they work fine. If you adjust the tension properly, they should be easy to clip in and out. The pedals are also strong. I bashed them once in a while on rocks and they took it without any problem.
Finally, the last negative thing about these pedals is accidental clipping out. This used to happen to me when I was doing technical downhill (this is the last situation when you want your foot going off the pedal). FOr this, these pedals are dangerous. Of course I could have adjusted them tighter, but then I would have had difficulty clipping in and out.
I would recommend these pedals to peopple who ride in dry conditions and that don't do much technical trails. Otherwise, go with something else. Now I ride Time Atac alum and I'am happy with them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Middleton, WI
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Well, theyre cheap considering I got them for free from the owner of Trek. Clip in and out pretty easily, although the left pedal seem to be slightly more difficult to clip out of than the right. Most of the time there is a nice "click" after you are clipped in. | | Weaknesses: | Under muddy conditions that "click" sound isnt always there; you do clip in but may not always know it. | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Sugar, LX hollow tech crank, manitou black, XT rear, etc. | | Bottom Line: | Good pedals! Good bang for the buck even if you have to pay retail. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Good price, reliable | | Weaknesses: | It becomes hard to clip in and out as soon as they get muddy | | Similar Products Used: | block pedals w/toe clips | | Bike Setup: | '99 Specialized Rockhopper A1 FS | | Bottom Line: | Not bad for a cheap pedal. Perform fine when it's d |
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