Thanks for the recommendation. I will take a close look at Xpedo.
One of my biggest problem is I need to be able to unlock on the right side by twisting my ankle in toward the bike (due to the lingering after-effects of braking that ankle.)
I've probably gone through close to $1K of pedals in the 2.5 years since breaking my ankle. I used 2-bolt SPDs before then. (I started on 3-bolt road Look pedals when they were first introduced in the 1980s, but found the 2-bolt variety much better. Until I broke my ankle, I was happy with any old Nashbar special).
My current favorite (apart from the bearing failure) are the
Shimano XTR PD-M985 Trail Pedal. Best price I found was on Nashbar.
These things are silky smooth and everything about them is perfect. So far.
Prior to that, I used
Shimano's A600 for a few months. These are road-ish one-sided 2-bolt SPDs. They are very light and have a minimal profile but good platform. However, getting in and out was a chore, even at the loosest setting, they scratch easily, and the float seems quite restrictive somehow, and I got knee pain for the first time in my life. I used these for about 4 months I think.
Prior to that, I had no platform XT SPDs, which were my second-favorite SPD pedal (which I am now riding on again while the XTRs are back at Shimano for repair), but I really miss the platform. I'm getting some hot spots on longer rides.
Shimano PD-M780 XT Race Pedal
These have better float than the A600 and are two-sided and also much easier to get in and out of. They are almost as good as the XTRs.
Seduced by the bling factor, I purchased some
Ritchey Pro Paradigm mountain bike pedals. The red trim matches my hubs and headset and on a black bike looks nice. These pedals suck. You basically have to do two separate motions to unclip. I immediately had a small accident and took them off. These pedals have about 4 miles on them (I tried again to like them and failed) and the red finish is already coming off.
Prior to SPDs, I had these on my mountain bike and transferred them to my new road bike when I bought them. Platform spikey pedals and 5/10 sticky rubber-bottomed bike shoes are almost as good as SPDs. These pedals are excellent and made riding after my ankle break possible (I couldn't twist out of anything for quite awhile). My wife uses these on her road bike now. If you want to avoid clipping in/out, take a very close look at this option and 5/10 bike shoes:
O Neal Azonic 420 Flat Bicycle Pedals
Amazon has them for $90, which is less than what I paid two years ago. Several color options. (I have a second set in black).