Customer Reviews

Shimano PD-M520L MTB Sport Pedals with Cleats

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Shimano M-520 pedals are a great, reliable cheap pedal and a good pedal for a newcomer to clipless. If you can find the plastic insert that fits into them, you can have a platform on one side and clipless on the other which allows a beginner to choose, initially, and grow their confidence in unclipping.

The M-520 is heavier than its others in the SPD lineup, but not so much to worry most cyclists. The higher end models are made with lighter, stronger components and should be more reliable over time and for heavy use. I've found that the M-520 can clog up with mud making it difficult to clip in, but only in very bad conditions.

I've used the M-520 exclusively on my road and mountain bikes but have just upgraded to the XT and XTR versions as I found that the M-520 *does* need maintenance. On several pairs now, they began making a clicking noise which I resolved by overhauling them and tightening up the internal retaining nuts.

Over time, you may find it more difficult to unclip, or there is excessive movement when clipped in. This is usually the cleat in your shoe - expect to replace this fairly regularly, especially if you walk in your cycling shoes.

I'm new to the sport of Mtn Biking and bought these for my Specialized Hard Rock. They are awesome! Easy clip in and you can get out fast (tention is adjustable). They were easy to install and were very compatible with my Specialized shoes. I even bought the plastic clip on pedal covers (to function as normal pedals) so I could do some street riding with my kids.

Have been using this pedal for road bicycling for about a year. Haven't been disappointed. The pedal has been working smoothly for over 1000 miles, requires no maintenance, clips in/out smoothly, and has adjustable tightness (from very easy in/out to very tight). Overall a very solid pedal, smooth clipping in/out, and simply works great! The paint and aluminum has been scratched, but the cro-moly clipping mechanism is in perfect condition.

Overall, very well priced at forty with a set of cleats. Don't really see a reason to upgrade to the PD-540 or PD-770.

Before you expect to hit the road, loosen the pedals about 1 full round (there are two 3mm hex screws per pedal for adjusting tension) so that it is not too tight. And practice getting in and out. I fell twice within the first weeks because I was not accustomed to getting in/out quickly. After you get used to it, adjust it to your preference.

After some investigating on Shimano clipless pedals, I decided this M520 is the best value for a decent reliable set of clipless pedals. The higher end models share the same components, based on the Shimano web site where part numbers and exploded views of the pedals are available. The innards seem to have the same part numbers. I conclude the difference is the higher end models are lighter because some of the outside components are made of lighter more expensive materials, but the functional parts, i.e. bearings, bearing races, etc. are the same. I bought some clipless pedals from Nashbar that appear almost identical to the M520, but after a few thousand miles, the right pedal seized up on me. Prior to that I was very happy with the Nashbar pedals, they were cheaper than Shimano. I now have two sets of Shimano M520 pedals (on two different bikes) and I am happy with them. I have close to ten thousand miles on these pedals without any problems. Well I did recently replace a cleat on my right shoe as I started get an inadvertent release. I engage and dis-engage on the right when I stop for any reason. The new cleat solved that problem. I guess the cleats can wear out. I could have increased the spring tension but I replaced the cleat as I had extras. I have not adjusted the spring tension; I just use them "as is" right out of the box. I also considered the Shimano road versions of the clipless pedals and concluded it is not worth the higher cost. By the way, I ride exclusively on the road. If weight is your key criteria, you might consider the road versions and be prepared to pay the higher prices. I went on e-bay too and concluded Amazon is a more reliable and consistent source for this product.

My old Centurion road bike came with the strap pedals. They bothered me and I decided to buy clipless ones. My price range was $30, and after reading various reviews they seemed to be the best choice. I am happy about the purchase. The cleat is durable, easy to walk in, easy to set up and the pedal mechanism holds your foot in when you want it and releases when needed.
Few years back I had Lemond Zurich with Look pedals, but I like these better, although they are meant for mountain bikes.
If you are a weekend warrior or getting clipless for the first time, I recommend these pedals. They are reliable, safe and the price is good.

In the short amount of time I have had these pedals I have only used them a couple of times (due to inclement weather). The few times that I have used them I have noticed a MASSIVE difference in the amount of effort I have to exert while pedaling. Before I get into the pros and cons, a couple of things to know: 1.) I haven't ridden my bike in 3 months because of winter weather (rain, snow, cold, etc); 2.) I own a TREK 3700, and as such, I purchased these pedals with the intent to use them on the trail; 3.) I use Pearl Izumi X-Alp Enduro shoes; 4.) I bought these pedals now so I could get used to the feel of them before riding the trails in the spring/summer; 5.) I routinely ride with others who use road bikes.

Since that is out of the way, here is my opinion:

1.) Compared to what I have seen with road bike pedals, the learning curve for entry/exit on these pedals is much lower; I learned the clip-in/clip-out method very quickly
2.)The adjustable tension is a great feature. I have my pedals on the lowest setting until I get used to using them. Haven't decided if I will increase it or not
3.)Even with the tension at the lowest setting, my feet feel as though they are securely in place while pedaling (up and down strokes);
4.)The pedals are wide enough that if I am not clipped in for whatever reason, I can still pedal; albeit without much power, but it will get you out of the way if you are crossing the street after being stopped (red light, stop sign, traffic, etc).
5.)The pedals are dual sided entry which is very convenient
6.)It was extremely easy to install these pedals
7.)The pedals really have made a big difference in how long I can ride before exhaustion begins to set in.
8.)Price is hard to beat, especially with a set of cleats included.
9.)I have read where people say these pedals are heavier than the M540s, etc...Well, they are heavier than the stock pedals that came with the bike, but I don't think the weight is so much that it will make a difference for the average rider

All in all I have been happy with my purchase. On the road, the pedals have been helpful in keeping up with the people I ride with using road bikes. I did research for about a month before I purchased these pedals. And lots of people really like them, as do I. I will try to update this review when I start trail riding again, but that is months away...so until then, I will keep using them on the road.

This is a great pedal for the price. If you are new to clips on outdoor bikes like me the this is good for you as you can adjust the tension according to your preference and/or skill level. For the price and my needs I ended up buying a second set for my road bike.

These are fairly light and require as little attention as can be imagined. The retention mechanism is easily adjustable. SPD simplicity!

I got these pedals as my first set of SPD pedals to put on my new Diamondback Response mountain bike. I really like the bike, but the pedals on it seemed to be a bit of a low point.

I ended up going with these pedals based on the reviews here on Amazon. They arrived quickly as everything from Amazon does, and I got them put on the bike right away.

A quick note about installation. If you've never done it before, make sure you get a proper wrench to put the pedals on. I thought I could make due with an adjustable wrench, and I put a couple of pretty good scratches into my cranks. Not a big deal, but on a brand new bike that has never even seen a trail, it's a bit of a bummer to know that there are some pretty big scratches down there. Some touch up paint made them look okay, but it's still a bit of a downer. Especially considering all I had to do was wait a day to get the correct wrench...but anyways, moving on.

They installed easily and so did the cleats into my shoes. I have read a few reviews that say that the pedals don't come with the cleat bolts (the part that goes inside the shoes) but my new shoes came with those, and the guy at the bike shop told me that generally shoes come with that piece themselves, not the pedals. So just keep that in mind, when you buy your shoes make sure you locate your cleat bolts.

Once on the bike I needed to adjust the tension a little bit. They have an easy to adjust tension on them. Just put in the correct sized allen wrench and turn one way or the other. I have read, and been told, that for starting out you generally want them pretty loose so that you can get out of them easily. I loosened them a tad bit and decided to give clipping in and out a try with the bike stationary in my basement.

I found that clipping in took a little bit of time, but at the advice of the guy at the bike shop I ended up not having too much of a problem. What was suggested was that I try clipping in my dominant foot, then once that was clipped in then move on to my non-dominant foot. In a few minutes I was clipped in and having no issues un-clipping. The tension seemed about perfect for me. It took a bit of effort to get unclipped, but not anything that would cause me to not be able to in a panic situation. So I give lots of credit for the adjustable tension.

I took the bike for a quick spin and was really impressed at the difference that clipless pedals provide. I felt more in control of the bike and it really makes it seem like you and the bike are "one" piece working in tandem, instead of you working and the bike moving. Once out and riding I found that I got used to clipping and unclipping pretty quickly. I'm going to guess that I will eventually fall, but for the most part they were easy to use. Getting in and out of these pedals is a snap, and I can't really imagine many people that can ride bikes having issues with them unless you have some knee or ankle problems.

Overall I think they are a great upgrade to the pedals that were on the bike, and I will be getting another set to put on my road bike within the next few weeks.

Highly recommended.

I have installed on both my road and mountain bikes. Have been very happy with them. A couple of hints if new to them, when getting used to them always have a foot out to catch you when approaching an intersection or stop condition (I found out the hard way). Also, use on loose setting (they're adjustable) when learning to figure them out and not get caught, then tighten as you become more proficient.