Went for the T8000s over the EH500 as they seemed slightly nicer and with a bigger platform to stand on. Each ES600 has one set of cleat jaws sitting proud of what looks like a small version of a 'normal' road pedal. The flat platforms either side of the pedal are there to offer a level of support to the tread on the bottom of your recessed cleat shoes, and it's something they do pretty well. These pedals come with Shimano's beginner-friendly SM56 Multi-release cleats. These are great for anyone nervous about clipless pedals because they allow you to pull up to release.

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work. If you find an item at a lower price with another commercial internet retailer, you will receive it from us at the same price, provided the conditions listed in the link are met. Tester Big Dave writes: "Whenever the issue of SPDs versus 'road' pedals comes up, there's normally plenty of discussion as to whether you need that bigger platform. It's fair to say that at the level I ride the small SPD cleat has never been an issue for me in terms of function or comfort - all my longest rides have been on SPDs - and the convenience of having the same system on every bike outweighs any tiny incremental gains in efficiency. Plus, MTB race shoes look fine with a road bike and you can walk in them at the caf. Everyone's a winner."Shimano clipless pedals are justifiably popular. It's impossible to get detailed figures but the sheer number of them out there suggests Shimano's SPD is the dominant clipless pedal system for recreational riders, commuters and of course the off-road riders it was originally created for. I've actually got SH-52 cleats on one pair of my shoes, which are only supposed to be used on M858 pedals. Seem to work ok with M540s, but hard to get out of the M324s. He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

The granting of a best price is not combinable with other promotions (e.g. "free articles) from Bike-Discount. The debate over clipless versus flat pedals is alive and well in the mountain biking community. Clipless pedals, also called clip pedals, allow you to attach your foot directly to the pedal, while with flat pedals your foot simply rests on the top of the pedal. Both styles have their advantages and disadvantages for mountain biking: Pros and Cons of Clipless Pedals Worth noting that when you're riding clipped into the M324 pedals, the cage hangs down quite a lot - I've caught the edge on the road a couple of times pedaling round corners. Hoping not to do that on the T8000s...

The narrowing side profile increases ground clearance too, so you’re much less likely to hang up on an obstacle using these pedals than others with more squared-off corners. If you do opt for clipless pedals, be sure that the set of pedals you get are compatible with your shoes. SPD attachments are extremely common among mountain bike pedals and shoes, but other styles such as Crankbrothers and Time pedal attachments are growing in popularity. Mountain Bike Pedals at bikester.co.uk The SPD-SL system had to muscle its way into a crowded market when it was launched in 2002 but won fans for its stability, ease of entry and the pedal's wide base of support for its cleats. It didn't hurt that Lance Armstrong's name was attached to the project either. For years Armstrong used Dura-Ace PD-7401 pedals from the 1990s. Look made the pedal bodies and Shimano supplied the bearings. The first SPD-SL pedals, PD-7750 looked and worked enough like those pedals to get Armstrong to switch over and the rest is history.