shimano pedals PD-A515 and also Shimano multi-release cleat SM-SH55 - comments, opinions?

Hello all

I am looking to buy my very first set of clip-less pedals for a Trek 1000
road bike (2004 model). One pedal type recommended by the bicycle shop was a
Shimano PD-A515 (weight 338 grams, single-side clip). I read some reviews on
www.roadbikereview.com and it was not conclusive - some folks hated them and
some loved them....

So I am looking for any additional good/bad/ugly opinions on this pedal,
assuming I have zero experience with clip-less pedals and have only used the
ordinary platform pedals so far.

I am not an experienced cyclist and I only ride for fun and fitness, i.e.
weekends, not in commuter traffic and often ride on special bike paths and
bike lanes, shared with other riders, roller skaters and cars.... I have a
pair of Shimano intermediate riding shoes though fit for this pedal....

Also, one recommendation on the web was to upgrade the cleats from a
standard SM-SH51 up to a more expensive multi-release cleat SM-SH55 (also
Shimano). I wonder if anyone can tell me what the benefits and disadvantages
(apart from price) of this type of cleat would be? What does a multi-release
cleat do?

thank you all in advance
a beginner road rider from Melbourne, Australia

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 13:33:24 +1100, "yuri budilov"
wrote:
I am looking to buy my very first set of clip-less pedals for a Trek 1000
road bike (2004 model). One pedal type recommended by the bicycle shop was a
Shimano PD-A515 (weight 338 grams, single-side clip). I read some reviews on

For your first clipless pedals, you do NOT want single-sided. You
may never want it, but your first set will need to be very easy.

I once had some one-sided Wellgo R4 "road" pedals. I hated them.
Tough to get in, couldn't find the right position, lots of pressure
required before they clicked. They were, at least, easy to get out
of. They were never right-side up when I wanted them, though; maybe
single sided pedals with counterweights would be okay, but then
they're heavy -- might as well get the "mountain" pedals.

I am not an experienced cyclist and I only ride for fun and fitness, i.e.
weekends, not in commuter traffic and often ride on special bike paths and
bike lanes, shared with other riders, roller skaters and cars.... I have a

You have the same needs as any other cyclist for pedals: Click in,
stay in, click out. You may also need to walk while off the bike;
consider how your pedal/cleat and shoe choices affect your ability
to walk.

pair of Shimano intermediate riding shoes though fit for this pedal....

Which model? Road or mountain?

Also, one recommendation on the web was to upgrade the cleats from a
standard SM-SH51 up to a more expensive multi-release cleat SM-SH55 (also
Shimano). I wonder if anyone can tell me what the benefits and disadvantages
(apart from price) of this type of cleat would be? What does a multi-release
cleat do?

I think it lets you release by twisting in either direction, rather
than just out.

You really ought to consider a dual-sided SPD pedal, usually sold as
mountain-bike pedals. I'm partial to the $20 Nashbar Special SPDs,
Shimano PD-M545s, and Crank Brothers Egg Beaters. These are all very
easy to enter and exit, and have never released me unexpectedly,
even with the tension set to it's lowest/loosest setting.

I attach the cleats to shoes with tread that results in the cleat
being recessed so that I can walk. Crank Brothers offers an Egg
Beater cleat that has tread 'pontoons' to make it easy to walk if
you've got road shoes, but I haven't tried it.

I have one pair of "road" shoes that are awful if I walk on the
road, into a store, or whatever. They're OK off-road, where the
cleat contacts an already uneven ground or soft grass.

The Egg Beaters are ultra-cool looking and a few grams lighter, but
very expensive. They feel almost exactly the same as my Nashbar and
Shimano pedals.

Links:

Cheap $20 pedals that feel great:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=

Similar pedals that can also be ridden with regular shoes:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=

Almost the same thing, but made by Shimano:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=

Crank Brothers Egg Beaters:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=
--
Rick Onanian

thanks Rick

re your question:

I have Shimano SH-MO38 SPD® Multi-Purpose Sport Shoe

My understanding is that double-sided pedals are much heavier and therefore
affect performance (as well as more expensive). I thought that 338 grams
(0.75 of a pound?) is heavy enough without going over 500 grams (over 1
pound) for a set of double sided MTB-type shoes.... No?

I have a road bike and ride for fitness (not competitive at all) so I need a
set of pedals that will not look out of place on a road bike. My shoes are
basically bike neutral i.e. not specifically designed for MTB or a road
bike. But I do also have a Trek 4400 MTB which is why I bought general
purpose shoes....

So your only concern with single-sided pedal is that it is harder to
clip-in, right? The get-out process is just as easy on single side as on
double sided pedals?

thanks again


"Rick Onanian" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 13:33:24 +1100, "yuri budilov"
wrote:
I am looking to buy my very first set of clip-less pedals for a Trek 1000
road bike (2004 model). One pedal type recommended by the bicycle shop
was a
Shimano PD-A515 (weight 338 grams, single-side clip). I read some reviews
on

For your first clipless pedals, you do NOT want single-sided. You
may never want it, but your first set will need to be very easy.

I once had some one-sided Wellgo R4 "road" pedals. I hated them.
Tough to get in, couldn't find the right position, lots of pressure
required before they clicked. They were, at least, easy to get out
of. They were never right-side up when I wanted them, though; maybe
single sided pedals with counterweights would be okay, but then
they're heavy -- might as well get the "mountain" pedals.

I am not an experienced cyclist and I only ride for fun and fitness, i.e.
weekends, not in commuter traffic and often ride on special bike paths
and
bike lanes, shared with other riders, roller skaters and cars.... I have
a

You have the same needs as any other cyclist for pedals: Click in,
stay in, click out. You may also need to walk while off the bike;
consider how your pedal/cleat and shoe choices affect your ability
to walk.

pair of Shimano intermediate riding shoes though fit for this pedal....

Which model? Road or mountain?

Also, one recommendation on the web was to upgrade the cleats from a
standard SM-SH51 up to a more expensive multi-release cleat SM-SH55 (also
Shimano). I wonder if anyone can tell me what the benefits and
disadvantages
(apart from price) of this type of cleat would be? What does a
multi-release
cleat do?

I think it lets you release by twisting in either direction, rather
than just out.

You really ought to consider a dual-sided SPD pedal, usually sold as
mountain-bike pedals. I'm partial to the $20 Nashbar Special SPDs,
Shimano PD-M545s, and Crank Brothers Egg Beaters. These are all very
easy to enter and exit, and have never released me unexpectedly,
even with the tension set to it's lowest/loosest setting.

I attach the cleats to shoes with tread that results in the cleat
being recessed so that I can walk. Crank Brothers offers an Egg
Beater cleat that has tread 'pontoons' to make it easy to walk if
you've got road shoes, but I haven't tried it.

I have one pair of "road" shoes that are awful if I walk on the
road, into a store, or whatever. They're OK off-road, where the
cleat contacts an already uneven ground or soft grass.

The Egg Beaters are ultra-cool looking and a few grams lighter, but
very expensive. They feel almost exactly the same as my Nashbar and
Shimano pedals.

Links:

Cheap $20 pedals that feel great:


http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=

Similar pedals that can also be ridden with regular shoes:


http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=

Almost the same thing, but made by Shimano:


http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=

Crank Brothers Egg Beaters:


http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=
--
Rick Onanian

Yuri:

#1: Don't get the A515s. They're nowhere near as easy to get into as the
M515 or M520, nor do they interface as well with most shoes. The weight
difference isn't enough to worry about; you're installing them on a 23-pound
bike, and we install them on a zillion 18-pound TREK 5200s.

The M515 & M520 will last forever, don't cost much, take standard cleats,
and have easier entry & release than the earlier (and now discontinued?)
A515. And no, it's not just because the A515 is single-sided that it's more
difficult to get into.

#2: The SH55 cleat is *not* an upgrade. It is a different style of cleat
that allows you to release by angling your foot in the vertical plane, in
addition to horizontal. There are a few customers who swear by this cleat,
but far more have found they can release unexpectedly if one does not have
the smoothest pedal stroke. We avoid selling them whenever possible.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"yuri budilov" wrote in message
...
Hello all

I am looking to buy my very first set of clip-less pedals for a Trek 1000
road bike (2004 model). One pedal type recommended by the bicycle shop was
a
Shimano PD-A515 (weight 338 grams, single-side clip). I read some reviews
on
www.roadbikereview.com and it was not conclusive - some folks hated them
and
some loved them....

So I am looking for any additional good/bad/ugly opinions on this pedal,
assuming I have zero experience with clip-less pedals and have only used
the
ordinary platform pedals so far.

I am not an experienced cyclist and I only ride for fun and fitness, i.e.
weekends, not in commuter traffic and often ride on special bike paths and
bike lanes, shared with other riders, roller skaters and cars.... I have a
pair of Shimano intermediate riding shoes though fit for this pedal....

Also, one recommendation on the web was to upgrade the cleats from a
standard SM-SH51 up to a more expensive multi-release cleat SM-SH55 (also
Shimano). I wonder if anyone can tell me what the benefits and
disadvantages
(apart from price) of this type of cleat would be? What does a
multi-release
cleat do?

thank you all in advance
a beginner road rider from Melbourne, Australia

For your first clipless pedals, you do NOT want single-sided. You
may never want it, but your first set will need to be very easy.

I once had some one-sided Wellgo R4 "road" pedals. I hated them.
Tough to get in, couldn't find the right position, lots of pressure
required before they clicked. They were, at least, easy to get out
of. They were never right-side up when I wanted them, though; maybe
single sided pedals with counterweights would be okay, but then
they're heavy -- might as well get the "mountain" pedals.


I started with single-sided pedals and found them to be no problem. Perhaps
it was the Wellgos which were the problem. The Shimano 324s on my
commuter/everyday bike have worked well for a couple of years now. Some
people don't like having to flip the pedal over to clip in but I do it
automatically now without thinking and I like have the ablity to ride
comfortably in street shoes as well. Weight would be the last thing I'd
worry about when choosing pedals.

Robert Strickland

In article ,
Rick Onanian wrote:
For your first clipless pedals, you do NOT want single-sided. You
may never want it, but your first set will need to be very easy.

My first, and so far only, clipless pedals were the (single-sided)
Shimano M324. I had only been riding a bike for a few weeks following a
twenty-five year hiatus, and I had no problem adapting. I rarely have
to flip them over, and because they have a full-size platform the
consequences of not clipping in are relatively benign. The new bike
when I collect it this week has double sided SPD (WTB 250) so I'll be
able to compare and contrast.

ian

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message .com...
Yuri:

#1: Don't get the A515s. They're nowhere near as easy to get into as the
M515 or M520, nor do they interface as well with most shoes. The weight
difference isn't enough to worry about; you're installing them on a 23-pound
bike, and we install them on a zillion 18-pound TREK 5200s.

The M515 & M520 will last forever, don't cost much, take standard cleats,
and have easier entry & release than the earlier (and now discontinued?)
A515. And no, it's not just because the A515 is single-sided that it's more
difficult to get into.

#2: The SH55 cleat is *not* an upgrade. It is a different style of cleat
that allows you to release by angling your foot in the vertical plane, in
addition to horizontal. There are a few customers who swear by this cleat,
but far more have found they can release unexpectedly if one does not have
the smoothest pedal stroke. We avoid selling them whenever possible.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Mike has a lot of experience with many customers in this area. I have
some experience with me. So I'm hardly going to disagree. But hey,
you asked for data points.

I bought my A515s as my first clipless pedals about 10 months ago, and
I am very happy with them. I have no complaints about the clip-in, or
the single-sided aspect, but that may have something to do with years
of practice with toeclips. I have never released unexpectedly, and I
still have them on the lightest-but-one release setting. I expected
I'd want to switch to the multi-release cleats, but the stock ones
have worked out just fine for me.

Lesser considerations: they're lighter than most, but I agree that
weight is not the be-all-and-end-all. They're prettier than
double-sideds, but not as pretty as some other pedals. The anodized
finish does take a beating.

Peter Storey

"yuri budilov" wrote

Also, one recommendation on the web was to upgrade the cleats from a
standard SM-SH51 up to a more expensive multi-release cleat SM-SH55 (also
Shimano). I wonder if anyone can tell me what the benefits and disadvantages
(apart from price) of this type of cleat would be? What does a multi-release
cleat do?

To talk about cleat release "modes", I think it's useful to refer to the
coordinate system that airplane pilots use, that of "pitch", "roll" and "yaw".
No cleat releases in "pitch", since that corresponds to the axis of the pedal
spindle. All (that I know of) cleats release in "yaw", rotating the heel
in/out. SPD "multi-release" cleats, besides releasing in yaw, release in
"roll", a rotation of the foot along an axis drawn from heel to toe.

If you are concerned about accidental releases (you like to sprint, pull up
hard, etc.) single-release cleats are probably best. On the other hand, if you
worry more about getting out of your cleats in a fall, multi-release cleats
are a better match. I'd say the former are best for intense road cycling,
while the latter are best for casual road or off-road riding.

Once your reflexes are trained, either cleat works well, although switching
will be a problem, so pick one or the other and stay with it. (I'm a m-r man,
myself).

As for the MTB vs. road shoe/pedal thing, opinions vary, but I think a
reasonable position is that "road" shoes/pedals are best for competitive road
riding, while MTB (2-sided) pedals and light MTB or "general purpose" shoes
are best for non-competitive road riding.

"yuri budilov" wrote in message ...
Hello all

I am looking to buy my very first set of clip-less pedals for a Trek 1000
road bike (2004 model).

Also, one recommendation on the web was to upgrade the cleats from a
standard SM-SH51 up to a more expensive multi-release cleat SM-SH55 (also
Shimano). I wonder if anyone can tell me what the benefits and disadvantages
(apart from price) of this type of cleat would be? What does a multi-release
cleat do?

thank you all in advance
a beginner road rider from Melbourne, Australia


Hi, as Mike mentioned, don't worry about weight. At least not at this
point in your riding. Later when you become more experienced and know
what you really want and need, then it might be time to lighten the
bike up. Also appearance should be secondary to function, although the
pedals that I am going to suggest, look very good on a road bike. I
went with the Shimano SH-PDM324 which has the SPD clip on one side and
a regular platform on the other. See link:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ype=&estoreid=

These are excellent for learning, because in stressful and/or
dangerous situations, you can just pedal, without needing to clip in.
They come with the SM-SH55 cleat which allows multi-release
capibility. This means that you can release by turning your heel out,
away from the bike, or in towards the frame. My understanding is the
the SH51 only allows release by turning your heel out. They are
adjustable, so you can start with a very light clip in and release,
tighten them up later.

I bought a second bike and went with the Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL road
pedal. I would not have wanted to learn clipless on that pedal. As
pointed out, the shoes you have and SPD style cleats/pedals, will
allow you to walk around normally. With my SPD-SL cleats and road
shoes, I waddle like a duck. I love them for riding, but they have
limitations, that the SPDs don't. And with the PDM324 pedal, you can
ride with any shoe, which gives you some real flexibility.

Hopefully you are comfortable enough on your new bike, that you can
put your attention towards the pedals. I don't mean all your
attention, you still have to be aware of your surroundings, including
traffic and people. Safety first! But you don't want to be trying to
get used to your shifters, etc and your clipless pedals.

And finally, once you get used to clipless, you,ll never want to ride
without them. That's when you put the 324s on the MTB and go for a
more streamlined lightweight pedal, for the road bike.

The above information is based on my limited personal experiences and
I am not, nor do I claim to be an expert. I'm just an enthusiastic
recreational rider.
Life is Good!
Jeff

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 14:38:05 +1100, "yuri budilov"
wrote:
I have Shimano SH-MO38 SPD® Multi-Purpose Sport Shoe

I looked on the Shimano site. It has tread and appears to recess the
cleat sufficiently to be able to walk while off the bike.

My understanding is that double-sided pedals are much heavier and therefore
affect performance (as well as more expensive). I thought that 338 grams
(0.75 of a pound?) is heavy enough without going over 500 grams (over 1
pound) for a set of double sided MTB-type shoes.... No?

Compare the weight of the actual pedals. I've found MTB pedals are
rarely any heavier than road pedals.

The road pedals are supposed to be more aero, and offer bigger
cleats for more foot support -- which doesn't matter much with
bicycling shoes which already have stiff soles.

The $20 Nashbar Special SPD 2-sided mtb pedals weigh 345 grams. If
you want to spend more than $20, you can get even lighter pedals.

My Crank Brothers Egg Beater S pedals are 268 grams.

"Road" pedals tend to have huge cleats which may weigh a lot, and I
don't know if weight specifications include cleats or not. They're
mostly supposed to be aero and snobby.

I have a road bike and ride for fitness (not competitive at all) so I need a

Riding a road bike for fitness generally means you're riding on
roads with cars. You don't need to be looking down at the pedals,
fooling around with that, ignoring the road for 20 seconds while you
get in the pedals; this will be especially prevalent while you're
new to clipless.

set of pedals that will not look out of place on a road bike. My shoes are

That's a silly concern. However, if you're concerned about how they
look, the Egg Beaters are marketed as both road and mountain pedals,
and do look really cool on road bikes.

Personally, I don't think that even your average MTB pedals look out
of place on a road bike, but I've never heard of anybody thinking
that egg beaters look wrong on a road bike.

I've never tried them, but M2 Racer Orb pedals look really cool --
just a spindle sticking out of the crank, with who knows what kind
of weird cleat.

So your only concern with single-sided pedal is that it is harder to
clip-in, right? The get-out process is just as easy on single side as on
double sided pedals?

The single-side pedals I had were just as easy to release as any
other pedal I've tried. I hated wobbling down the street into
traffic trying to get in them, or just as bad, thinking I'm in and
slipping off them violently -- which would have resulted in major
gonad-top tube contact if I didn't have a compact frame.
--
Rick Onanian