I’ve got some “normal” XT pedals, but am thinking about some trail pedals. Is the additional platform worth doing it for? It will be used for some long days with some road pedalling thrown in too. Between 50-70km of road and 30km off-road.

No

I use £22 ones and they have been fine for 100 mile road, 3 Peaks Cyclocross etc

I’d say probably not

I just have my touring SPDs on mine – done 100 mile road rides without problem. My commute is about 1/3 on tow path so slightly rough in places – again not a problem.

I have vanilla XT on my crosser and A600 ‘touring’ pedals on my commuter/winter road bike – they appear to be a single sided trail pedal variant

The vast majority of the time Im on the crosser I use an old pair of Spesh XC shoes with a carbon sole and even mashing it out of the pedals I feel completely connected to the bike with no sensation of flex or wastage – if you know what I mean

Commuter is often ridden with winter boots instead of carbon shoes
Even with the bigger platform if/when I attack I can immediately feel give/flex/call it what you want
I dont do much out of the saddle with this bike so it hardly bothers me

My advice would be the shoe is more important than the pedal
Im sure the next poster will disagree 🙂

Cheapest SPD available. Usually cheaper than just cleats.
Stiff shoes.

I’ve been eyeing up the Boardman MTB Pro pedals, to see how they perform for ~£25, as I’m struggling to get my ATAC XS Carbons off my road bike!

Currently, if you spend £30 on bike bits at Halfords, you save a fiver.

Been riding and racing CX for 10+ years – platform-type SPD pedals offer no benefit when used with stiff-soled shoes as the sole doesn’t contact the pedal body. If it’s really muddy, then pedals from Time, Look and Crank Bros offer far better mud clearance – I’ve had SPDs pack solid in the sticky stuff

Cheers! Used to run CBs, but switched to SPDs a few years ago when the XT Trails came out. I do find myself looking at the Mallets and thinking “what if” though. Haven’t had any problems with CB stuff like some people seem to.

Interestingly, I do seem to have managed to break a set of Saint pedals!

I’ve got normal SPD’s on my CX bike my son has the trail version on his, the “extra bit” on his pedals is like new showing no signs of wear at all.
Which makes me think, what a waste of (his) money.

Having had a pair of M424 (resin platform around standard SPD) and a pair of M520s….

The platform makes no odds at all with half decent cycling shoes (barely contacts the sole, except to interfere with lugs on sole).

However, if you ever want to jump on the bike and ride a few miles to the shop etc in normal shoes, it’s way better than riding 520s in trainers.

The M424s were stolen (along with the rest of the bike) and I haven’t been bothered to replace them if that says anything

PS M520s clear mud a while lot better as they are more ‘gappy’ in the axle region