After 25+ years on Time pedals (for MTB) I think it might be time to jump ship. What are the M520 and M540 pedals like for durability and, if necessary, serviceability (assuming the parts are available)?

I’m attracted by the total serviceability of the Hope pedals but regretfully not sure I can justify the price difference (short term thinking, I know, hence the post).

All my SPDs (not sure which models as they all look the same) have had minimal (none?) service and still work fine. No idea on actually servicing them.

I think I regreased my DXs once.

What are the M520 and M540 pedals like for durability

They’ll outlive you.

M540’s just work. My oldest set is at least 15 years old and other than looking battered works just as well as my most recent set. The only issue I’ve ever had is them getting stuck in crankarms.

The M520 / M540’s just go and go and go and go and, well, I’ve never needed to touch a pair.

I’ve also got a pair of XT M8100’s (XC) and a pair of XT M8120’s (trail). Both needed bearing adjustment for play after only a couple of hundred miles. You need a vise and a set of tiny cup and cone spanners and it can be a fiddly job but not too hard for a competent home mechanic. Just annoying that they needed doing so soon. The seals also have a habit of popping out and sliding down the axle (although luckily hasn’t happened to mine yet).

Yeah.
A couple of battered pairs of M520s. 15 years old.
Commute duties all year round. Probably 30,000+ miles each set. Still OK.
A couple of pairs of M540s. Probably 10-12 years old. Slightly fewer miles, but still run fine.
M980 a couple of pairs. Many years old. Run fine.
Road bikes all run on PD7410 Dura Ace 2 bolt from 1993-94. They have done over 20,000 miles per set at least. Scratched but otherwise spin fine.
They are all looking rather scratched and worn, but spin free.

Yeah. Run forever. Silver shows the wear / scratches a little less than black (or white).
I never bother greasing / servicing. I occasionally grease the pedal spindle to stop them seizing on to the crank arms.

I have serviced the first gen Deore SPD pedals, from about 1991/2 or so. Eventually I didn’t bother. Sold them – I think I swapped out for XT version which also ran fine forever.

I am looking at the super weight weenie xpedo ti pedals but am put off by the reports of spindle wear.

I did once have ti spd (non Shimano) pedals with elastomer springs in about 1995 or so – they wore quickly.

Odd disassembly for a regrease and to remove play. Not often though and it’s not difficult. The 520 needs a cheap shimano or similar splined tool to open it up. The 540 needs a 17mm spanner.

I did once have ti spd (non Shimano) pedals with elastomer springs in about 1995 or so – they wore quickly.

Yeah, Onza HO – me too, why I moved to Times. Got a 17mm spanner, 540s it is. Thanks.

I’ve only ever done the open up and regrease thing a couple of times and it was both easy and unnecessary. I think M540s might still be around at the heat death of the universe.

Got the PDM520’S AND PDM540’S. They’re easy to service but rarely need to. I serviced the axle on the 540’s once because I was bored. They’re pretty much fit and forget pedals.
Probably the best value for money bike part I’ve ever bought.

I’ve always found the base spec ones (M535 and M505 from memory) I’ve bought have lasted an age of neglect. I’ve pulled them apart without the special tool but it’d be easier with.

Not sure I’ve had the mileage out of mine that some people seem to have had but I’ve no complaints on longevity.

Similar story from me.  I’ve some 520s that must be 20 years old still going and have been cascaded down 2 or 3 bikes. I put them on the road bike in winter so I can used my mountain bike winter boots rather than the road spds

Only problems with Shimano pedals in 20-odd years have been

– the plastic collar on one end of an old M424 cracked , and so the platform was a bit more wobbly.

– the spindle broke off at the hreaded end end on a pair of m545s. Bought another spindle assembly and refitted. That pair  Still in use now on the 6 year old Orange Five.

They’re like cockroaches.
They might look knarly and beaten, but they’re very hard to kill.

I have 3 pairs of DX style SPD’s from 25 years ago. Still working perfectly (maybe a shade grumbly).

They’re pretty good. At really high mileages in Peak District grit, the plates that locate the cleat gradually wear to the point where the cleat pops out because the metal that should retain the nose of the cleat has basically worn away, at which point you can either bin the pedal or hunt around for a cheapo pedal to cannibalise for spares, unscrew the worn bits and bolt on replacements.

Shimano makes a special tool to make bearing preload easier, but it’s crazily expensive and not actually something you’d use often unless you’re doing mega-miles. It’s fiddly but straightforward without the tool, the only thing you need to remember is that one side is reverse threaded. Can’t remember which 🙂

the only thing you need to remember is that one side is reverse threaded. Can’t remember which

It’s the other pedal.

I’ve got a couple of pairs of Saint m920’s and for some reason they’re very hard to get/keep running well. Keep getting movement in the drive side pedal and now axle nut (that you do up with a plastic tool) has a habit of coming undone.

Last purchase was a pair of Spd compatible Look En-rage – they’ve done 2000km in the last year without fuss and run on cartridge bearings so should be less annoying if/when they do need servicing. they’re a reasonable price as well.

BTW, Park Tool have an insanely useful video to help you if / when you need to service them;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmSrsnVUGI

Still using a set of Shimano m525s that were bought in the early 90’s.

every 2-3000 miles I put new grease in my road pedals, not cause they need it, but its just so satisfying to see the old stuff splurge out. my m520s have made it through about 5 bikes, 10 winters and not been touched, might re-grease them this year.

I’ve transplanted a spring from an old donor pedal that seems to have sorted the problem for now (the original wasn’t broken, but had got very loose and rattly, making release a bit of a lottery). M540s further down the road, though.

I’ve been using Shimano SPDs since 1998 and I’ve never worn the bearings out on them. Occasional squirt of grease maybe on bikes I care about.

Properly high mileage ones – the body can wear enough to feel a bit unstable and as per BWD, you can wear the cleat retention plates enough that release becomes a bit unpredictable – you end up unclipping from the front of the cleat rather than the back which can sometimes then jam. I’ve also had occasional issues with them having enough combined slop between old cleats and old pedals to drop out of them when hopping the bike. But we’re talking a decade or so of all year, all weather abuse, and even then they get retired to commuter use.

There was time it was almost cheaper to buy new M520 pedals than it was to buy just the cleats. M540s are a bit nicer though and don’t have a stupid plastic collar to break when trying to get the axle out the wrong way.