Thinking of getting some single sided “gravel” spd pedals for the new stead as they are pretty light for the money. However, although bike will be used for longer road/gravel rides it will also be used for easier bike-O orienteering events where I may have to dismount at check points every 10 minutes or so, or put a foot down on some of the rougher stuff. Will the single sided pedals prove frustrating and time consuming with constantly having to reclip or is it not really an issue?

Never tried them before so sorry if it is a stupid question.

I think probably. How about some clipless pedals that have a bit of a platform? Or just clip in and out.

I have some… in a draw.

had them on the gravel/commute bike but got fed up with them being annoying to get in after traffic lights etc

I currently use both XT clipless with a platform, (Trail/enduro bike) and plain ordinary double side XTR clipless ones on the race hardtail. Just wondered how much of a PITA single sided might be given they are cheaper and lighter than double sided.

I got the singlesided trekking pedals for my road bike. Much lighter, and not too much faff on the road, but think I’ll stick to double sided off road

Like mine on winter road bike, as only clipping in and out occasionally. A bit more of a faff to get back into when on road, but would be considerably worse on bumpy terrain.

I tried this, ended up getting some XTR pedals as theyre only a few g heavier. One problem with the single sided ones is that they are such a nice looking bit of kit, but really scratch up easily, especially when used with spd cleats. Quickly look really tatty and xtrs stay looking great.

Consensus is forming to back up what I kind of suspected. But having never used them I just wanted to hear some first hand experiences. Cheers for feedback so far chaps. Looks like I won’t bother with them.

I got the posh ones as wanted light pedals, they look horrific now as the non-clip side gets scratched to bits from the cleat so they are sat in a draw for spares as nobody would want to buy them for more than a fiver the way they look

I’ve got those trekking Shimano XT pedals I put on a rigid mtb I use around the campus I live on and for winter mtbing in the mistaken belief they would be better than switching pedals. Dear god they are dangerous – just so slippy on the non spd side in most shoes when wet. Utter gash.

I started with some but got fed up of always finding the “wrong” side and just got some normal, double-sided, SPDs.

It takes seconds to change a pair of Pedals. Just buy a pair of each.

got some single sided spd on the road bike no problems with them, no different to any other shimano road pedal really and they certainly helped with “hot foot”.

Exactly what dezb said. One pedal gets tatty looking very quickly from clipping in or tapping your foot on the pedal to spin it the right way. Just get some xt SPD or xtr depending on budget..

Yes. You will. Get both platforms and proper SPD and swap them as you wish.

Have ordered some XTs. They can go on the hardtail and I will pinch the XTRs off it to go on the lighter “gravel” bike.

I learned to ride clipless off road with 324’s. They are great and very robust. When my confidence increased I upgraded to double sided XT. That’s more because in a pedal tart, rather than for an increase in performance. The 324’s bearings have lasted well.

Get some XT T780 pedals, you won’t regret it.

As they’re not symmetrical, they rest in the same position when your foot isn’t on the pedal. This means you make the same ‘flip/click’ movement every time to engage, so it becomes second nature.

I use them for commuting and they’re brilliant when going really slow around stationary traffic. They’re also great off-road for hike-a-bike or deep snow as I can wear walking boots for a change.

I have a pair. Used once. They are a horrible compromise.

I quite fancy them on my commuter/pub bike. If any of you folk that have got an unused pair gathering dust in a drawer, give me a shout and I’ll take them off you in trade for bits or readies .

If they’re going to be used offroad at all, I would say use double sided pedals for the simple convenience of always getting a binding when you step in on a muddy trail, rather than needing to faff and flip… if they’re only going to be used on the road than maybe A520’s make better sense….

the comparison is really M520 Vs A520 isn’t it, price wise there’s nothing much in it (you can probably get the M520 for marginally less, being so ubiquitous).
Weight wise there’s a bit under 100g in the A520’s favour, not enough to really sway the argument IMO… M540s are only ~20g heavier…

I found single sided pedals to be a nuisance when commuting in traffic as you’re frequently having to flip to clip. On an open/quiet road it’s a lot less of an issue.

My single sided pedals were long since relegated to the bottom of the spares bin. Really wanted to like them.

if you want to dig deep into your spares boxes and want rid of them, send me a mail at g36the(at)gmail(dot)com

I ride A530’s and think they are reasonable apart from the platform is slippy when wet and one is currently stuck on a crank and was a right bastard to try and remove earlier but guess that’s my fault not the pedals

Ooh, old thread resurrected. I use them on my road bike, love them, you get very used to the clipping in after lights, as they always rest in the same position.

Can’t say I’d want to use them offroad, but I guess they probably offer better ground clearance than standard pedals once you’re clipped in.

I ended up with Wellgo r120’s over the Shimanos after asking the same thing.

Very happy.
Quality feel, grease port, rebuildable.

SPD side fine.
The platform side has pins.
Platform is grippy but a narrower contact patch than a regular flat.

If I’m going for a lap of the local trails and bridalways, I’ll wear flat shoes.
Using the platform with cleats isn’t ideal over any length of time.

The pedal stays where you left it, so far.
They’d be in the bin if I had to flip them all the time.

About 1000 miles and they feel good as new, but will look scruffy pretty quickly if you regularly use cleats on the flat side.

Well impressed.