Shimano pedal help please

[CNY rider]

I am currently on Crank Bros pedals, with a mix of Eggbeaters and Candies across the different bicycles.
They perform adequately but I am not impressed with durability. I have 2 pair that will need replacing and before I buy more I want to consider a switch to Shimano as I have heard good things about them.
If I make the switch it will ultimately total 5 sets of pedals so before spending that much I want to really think this through.

I ride a mix of road and lots of dirt road style. My primary shoes are Shimano touring shoes because I like to be able to walk. I also have Lake MTB winter boots.

As I understand it the SPD series have the 2 bolt cleat. But I can't figure out a pedal like the A600. Is it Ultegra level, intended for touring? Would it be right for my mixed commuting/recreational riding? Would M780 be better on the dirt road bikes?

Also: Are the Shimano cleats as walkable as the Crank Bros?

Is it worth making the switch, and if it is which Shimano pedal should I look at?
I find the product line confusing.

Thanks.

[Cicli]

I dropped CB for Shimano a few years ago. I will never go back. I have XT's 520's and 540's and they are all great. I find the cleats very durable and very walkable.
The A600's I only use on the road bike for RAGBRAI, they provide a nice platform and let me run a very walkable pair of shoes or sandles. I am glad I made the switch.
I also strayed into Look and Speedplays both road and mountain. Everything is Shimano now. I find the rest inferior.

[Davist]

Huh, hadn't seen the a600 before...

I'd get (and have) the double sided ones, since you're already used to that convenience, I've been using the M540s for years, cheap and bulletproof.

If you like the greater support of a platform, the M785 is a good choice, some of the lower ones seem too plastic-y, my platform versions are the now extinct red DX versions.

[bjf]

I use the A600s almost exclusively. They are Ultegra level, but the gray finish tends to wear off, so they look scruffy pretty quickly. If you don't care about that, though, I think they are a great choice. I find them very durable and the cleats are very walkable. I haven't tried the MTB versions that look pretty much the same. I do have one pair of the A520s, and they definitely are not as smooth, though the finish wears better.

[rwsaunders]

I understand that the "6" indicates Ultegra level, the "5" 105 level etc. I might have to look into those for Winter riding as I've never quite acclimated to the Crank Bros. pedals.

[AngryScientist]

yes, make the leap. i was in that boat before, shimano pedals are superior to CB in every single way, except the small possibility of severe mud shedding.

the cleats are pretty much the same, with regard to walkability and durability.

i like their touring pedals a lot, they keep the weight down to that of about a road pedal, while using the walkable cleat, with a nice wide platform. i have A600's and A520's in service with no issues. they are, however: one-sided. that really is nothing more than a matter of getting used to, but it's a change from a dual-sided pedal. for true dirty, rough conditions, a dial sided pedal might be better, though a bit heavier.

[abalone]

I ride a mix of road and lots of dirt road style. My primary shoes are Shimano touring shoes because I like to be able to walk. I also have Lake MTB winter boots.

Also: Are the Shimano cleats as walkable as the Crank Bros?

Thanks.



I have a touring bike that I use for mostly smoothish dirt and gravel roads. I have the Shimano A520 pedals on that bike, and I was considering the opposite of you. I was thinking about switching from the current SPD pedal to a Crank Bros Egg Beater pedal. I'm not sure which I would go for though.

One thing that I don't like with my current shoe/pedal setup is that the cleats scrape the bottom of the ground when I'm walking. I know, big deal. But, I just hate hearing that scraping when walking on smooth concrete or really any smooth surface. Perhaps, my shoes don't have a deep enough recessed cleat area or something. I don't know. The shoes I am using with my SPD pedals are some urban looking Lake shoes with shoelaces and a smallish recessed area for SPD cleats. It's not a true MTB shoe and, in fact, you can't really tell its a cycling shoe at all.

Anyway,,, clack clack scrape scrape. I don't like scraping my SPD cleats on the ground when I'm walking, and I actually heard that Egg Beater cleats have the slimmest profile and make the least amount of noise when walking. Anyone know?

[Ken Robb]

What parts wear out on your CB pedals? They look to be easy to service.

[jr59]

Ant input about the frog pedals?

[CNY rider]

I have a touring bike that I use for mostly smoothish dirt and gravel roads. I have the Shimano A520 pedals on that bike, and I was considering the opposite of you. I was thinking about switching from the current SPD pedal to a Crank Bros Egg Beater pedal. I'm not sure which I would go for though.

One thing that I don't like with my current shoe/pedal setup is that the cleats scrape the bottom of the ground when I'm walking. I know, big deal. But, I just hate hearing that scraping when walking on smooth concrete or really any smooth surface. Perhaps, my shoes don't have a deep enough recessed cleat area or something. I don't know. The shoes I am using with my SPD pedals are some urban looking Lake shoes with shoelaces and a smallish recessed area for SPD cleats. It's not a true MTB shoe and, in fact, you can't really tell its a cycling shoe at all.

Anyway,,, clack clack scrape scrape. I don't like scraping my SPD cleats on the ground when I'm walking, and I actually heard that Egg Beater cleats have the slimmest profile and make the least amount of noise when walking. Anyone know?

You might be better served by new shoes than investing in new pedals.
I don't think the cleat profile is that different.

[CNY rider]

What parts wear out on your CB pedals? They look to be easy to service.

Sometimes it's a feeling of "slop" like the pedal body is moving round on the spindle.
Other times they just get a lot of bearing friction.

[Cicli]

What parts wear out on your CB pedals? They look to be easy to service.

I have had a bunch with broken springs. Crank bros will send you parts but that's still a pain. Never broken any other pedal.

I tried Speedplays. Easily the worst pedals I have ever used. I could not wait to unload them. That said, lots of people like them and they may work for you.