Shimano SPDs is the XT £60 better than the M520

As title really. All I can see is a 20g difference. Cheers in Advance

My previous experience suggests not. I couldn’t tell the difference between the bike with XT and 520.

The XT also loses the spanner flat so more likely to run into issues with rounded hex socket.

I tried xt- it’s the only pair of pedals where I’ve worn out the bit that grips the back of the cleat. I’m not convinced they’re any harder wearing and I can’t feel any difference so it’s been 520 since.

Is this dilemma what M540’s are for?

There were a couple of pairs for sale on the classifieds. XT and M540 I think.

Nope.
I had an XT pedal axle shear at the nut.
The 2 pairs of M520’s have been out lasted the XT’s by a long way.

The xt looks nicer, and, if you were to weigh them for some reason, I’m sure they’ll be a bawhair* lighter.
But to actually use, 520 take a lot of beating.

*in scotland this is a recognised unit of measurement*

Probably the best example of “no need to pay more”

s this dilemma what M540’s are for?

my thoughts exactly.

Is this dilemma what M540’s are for?

Not just me then.

FWIW, xtr are bloody lovely. Get them on a sale though!

‘Tis true of a lot of the things we choose to but tho int it? XT are nicerer ergo they’re worth the extra…🙃

I have some 10 year old 540s that are still as good as the day I bought them. But I also have some early m950s that are still soldiering on as well

+1 540’s

I have both.  function is identical.  the posher one is lighter

I find the bearings on M520s are cheese.

I think M540 is the sweet spot in shimano mtb pedals

If XT are only 20g lighter, what’s the difference between M520 and M540?

+ another vote for M540’s.

(in my experience M520 have a plastic body around the axle that wears out and results in loads of play)

Function: XT have more of a flat surface for the shoe sole to rest on which I find makes me feel more connected to the pedal; I like that.
As for durability, there is, in my experience, a fair difference. You will kill off 520 pedals faster than any of the more expensive ones but having said that, they will last a long time if regularly stripped and greased. That’s an easy job if you have a bench vice too, so it really is a matter of taste as much as anything else.
I have managed to kill a couple of pairs of 520s, despite regular servicing but none of the more expensive ones have died in the same way, with some now over 20 years old.
A buddy & I are both trying Boardman pedals on a bike each; so far, so good after a year of use. As cheap as 520 but ‘tighter’ somehow..

what’s the difference between M520 and M540?

I think you get the nicer axle?

I’ve had the XTRs and XT and I’m getting increasingly fed up with axle play – the cup and cones need maintenance (of course) and the axles appear to be made of cheese and snap easily when you’re adjusting the cup and cone.

As such I’ve thrown away two pairs of XTRs because you can’t get spare axles, same with XTs – I’ve no doubt if I try to sort my current XTs they’ll snap too.

I’m now waiting for a set of 520’s as I’m fed up with pedals essentially being disposable.

Shimano pedals are not what they once were, that’s for sure.

Jeepers – has the quality gone down?

I have both and they are more than a decade old with many thousands of miles on them.  One of the most reliable bits of kit I have.  No play and spin smoothly

Jeepers – has the quality gone down?

Not had any issues with mine, but then again, I’ve never touched a set of pedals and I’ve got ancient 520 that must be 20 years old plus, a set of XTR that are at least 10 yers old and a couple of newish sets of platform (XT and something else) Never serviced any of them, they’re all fine

I’ve got XT’s on all my bikes and one of the eldest’s bikes, he has 520’s on the other as he needed cleats and I got them back when you could get them for just over £20 a pair inc. the cleats.

I’ve done literally 1000’s of KM’s on the pedals so I can’t complain, would I replace them with new XT’s should I have to? Yes in a heartbeat. Have I ever broken a set, nope.

I personally wouldn’t want to put M520’s on my XC bike as it’s full XTR M9100 and it’d cheapen it in my mind, which is why I have the XT’s. I didn’t go XTR as they are known for snapping.

Hmmm,

According to weight Weenies, circa 30g saved by having M540 over M520 (depending on which listing you believe).
PD-M520 – 380 g
PD-M540 – 352 g

No listing for PD-M8100 currently, but a quick googling yields a listed weight of 342g.

So you save ~40g with XT over M520 or 10g over M540. not that weight is everything, but we’re hardly dealing with huge savings for XT are we?

(Anecdotally) M520 have been pretty awesome for me, minimal maintenance, functionally consistent competitively priced and good durability (IME).

I’d maybe dabble with M540 if I could get a pair cheap (and actually needed new pedals) but it’s still pretty hard to see past M520 for me.

As such I’ve thrown away two pairs of XTRs because you can’t get spare axles,

Odd…I had a spare XTR axle (but NEVER owned an XTR pedal…) in my toolbox..
Think it was sent to me in error by wooly hat shop or some ancient shope about 15 years ago….

DrP

I had an XT pedal axle shear at the nut.

Broken two XTR pedals with the same fault, although IIRC they might have Ti axles…

Broke the body of an XTR the other day catching it on a kerb, my winter bike has a very low BB…..

Has anyone tried the Bontrager Comp SPDs?

Axles break on XTs

520s are indestructable

Has anyone tried the Bontrager Comp SPDs?

They’re just rebadged Xpedo ones from what I can figure out, so should be good.

+1 for a pair of M959s which I got as my first upgrade for my M2 – after reading about them either here in ST or even on GoFar (review any Shaun, anyway). They’re still around, running fine, on my hardtail. Spin smoothly. Can’t complain. Also have 520s as hack pedals and XTs somewhere too.

Never gone higher than 520 for my SPDs, although the days of picking them up for £15 (inc cleats) in the basket at the original Hub shop at Glentress are long gone.

I’m currently using 530s on one bike – seem to be 520 quality but with a cage around them. Work for me. Not light.

M540’s for me. 520’s have been fine, but the bearings got rougher, sooner. 540;s are a little easier to pull apart, having spanner flats rather than the plastic collar and special tool.

servicing is still the same though. flush with GT85/degreaser, rinse, dry fill the pedal body with grease, screw the axle back in and watch your pedal turn into a greasy playdoh hair salon.

had 959’s too, but they were pretty much the same as 540’s but with a silver axle and teflony stuff on the retention mechanism

Thanks all, I didn’t mention 540 as there not in stock at CRC and I have a voucher to use. I didn’t realise shimano axels snapping was common. It happened to some XT M8000 flats I had so with that in mode think it’ll be the 520s

I had 530s on my old bike for 5 years and no trouble before it was stolen. I like a cage round them on my trail bike, but the 530s have been replaced by me700, so trying them. Seem good so far but not even done 100 miles on them yet. The 520s on my hybrid have lasted nearly 10 years without any servicing!

The 520’s are brilliant and last a long time. They seemed to be £20 for years but not anymore.
Shimano pedals definitely not as good as they used to be. The best ones though were the XTR M970’s which were superbly made.

CRC do have 540 in but there still over twice the price of the 520
M520 £32.99 480g
M540 £69.99 352g
M8100 £99.99 342g (out of stock)

I’ve managed to kill 1 of the 6 M520’s that I own.

It took 7500 miles and absolutely no servicing to do that.

520s are great, I have a couple of pairs which are 10+ years old and require very little maintenance. Have a fair bit of surface rust now.

540s are (surprisingly) a bit nicer. Nicer machining and spanner flats for servicing. No rust. There is a different engagement vs 520, slightly more ‘clunk’ than ‘click’ but they’re not better – just different. Plus, this might just be my pair.

XTs (785 era IIRC) feel the same IMO as 540s. They are machined to look fancier but I’ve never noticed any other difference.

XTRs make me feel warm and like I’ve won at life. Could I actually feel the difference over 540s? I wouldn’t like to do a blind test! They’re also the only ones I’ve had to service more than once a decade, and the only ones that I’ve ever managed to break (Hit them hard on a rock, repeatedly).

Shimano SPD pedals are flipping brilliant, really.

I’ve just bought some XTR M9000’s in the Evans Cycles sale for around £70.

Also bought some Ti Axles from Ali Express that save another 40g.

They will be about 70g lighter than the XT’s that come off.

Not ridden them yet, hopefully they dont snap.