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Never used spds but i have some 661 filter shoes,and although they work great with my v12' pedals, id like to remove the cut out and reveal the cleat. currently looking at shimano m647 dx which are only £38 in crc at present. what makes a good spd? any recommendations welcome.
Even better, and cheaper- get some M530s.
You clip in. It really changes the way you ride.
Some love them. Some hate them. Lots fall off trying to get used to them.
I tried some cheap 2nd hand spds first. Although the shoes were the expensive bit. Decided I liked them so got some nicer 2nd hand Shimano M540s - fantastic value for money. Was getting a few hot spots (probably just bad cleat position) so tried some onf the new trail M530s and love them. Only cost £25.
Make sure you get pedals with cleats as they are expensive for bits of metal. You want the one way release type if going for shimano - you twist to get out. The 2 way also release when you pull up.
You can also get other makes - crank brothers, time etc etc Everyone has their preference. Shimano suit me fine and are popular and I can jump straight onto a friends bike and clip in as he uses them.
what makes a good spd?
erm... One that you can mash?
It does take a while to get used to SPDs, no doubt. But you can loosen off the tension most of the way, and all you really have to learn is to kick your heel out as you pull it up and away from the pedal.
I've always used fairly minimal pedals (M520 most recently), and love them. The mud clearance isn't too bad, and they clip in and out very well. But then I always ride with biking shoes on, even when commuting.
My problem now is that whenever I try and whip I come uncleated.
swinging towards the m530s as they look like they have a larger platform then some and look a lot less bulky then the m647. plus at £25 if i dont get on i can put em in the spares box for a later date.
Worth going the whole hog and going minimal if you ask me, I'm running XT's on my bikes (including the road bike) but the 520's are just as good and a lot cheaper. I struggle to ride without them, people say they encourage bad technique, so what, bouncy forks, disk brakes and dropper seat posts probably all help compensate for a lack of skill, if it helps me nejoy riding more then great.
I can't see the advantage of the 530 over the 520 - I'd get the 520 if I were you. Less bits to break or block up with mud and a tiny bit less weight too.
I never fell over when I started using SPD's - it's logical really. And to be honest for proper jumping flatties are still best, trying to jump with spd's encourages bad technique and potential unclippage!
More tension is the answer. I run tension quite high so I don't un clip in corners, when you twist your body to look at the exit and also in mid air.continuity - Member
My problem now is that whenever I try and whip I come uncleated.
There's a bit of b******s being spouted in this thread so far. The advantage of the platform is to make clipping in easier, give you a larger area to aim for if you unclip for a corner, to offer more stability and to protect the mechanism. They're definitely worth getting if you play around a bit and like the descents.
Oh, and clips make barely any difference when it comes to jumping. If you can't jump with flats, you can't jump with clips.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
this why i like the idea of the bigger platform on the 530,
ive been learning on flats but i fancy trying spds to see if they benefit me, im can corner,jump and bunny hop on flats, but ive heard so many people say how u transfer more power clipped in that i think its gotta be worth a try.
I race Gravity Enduros and ride XC and DH and I'd say they're worth having. There's the advantage you mentioned, then they also stop you needlessly dabbing in corners (you still can if you want, though) so you're faster, let you pedal when you couldn't on flats and also feel better when it gets really rough because you can unweight the bike easier.I'm all for them for everything, other than proper dirt jumping.