Best of both Worlds ?? - which pedal

I'd get a double-sided set rather than one with a platform on one side, and I'd keep the flats as spares rather than trading them.

My reasoning is this: single-sided pedals invariably flip the wrong side up half or more of the time, providing an unnecessary and sometimes dangerous distraction while you look down to see whether you've gotta flip it or not. So I prefer to have clip-ins on both sides, or none at all.

I like the SPD M520 style of pedal as you can adjust the tension. I have mine only about 1/4 turn off full loose. It has never come undone unintentionally, is unaffected by mud, and on the stutter bumps my feet don't rattle off the pedal. They make a nice smooth pedal stroke on technical climbs a lot easier, and they are real easy to get out of when you need to bail instantly.

The downside is that you have to be really focussed and have your anticipation circuit turned up full in unfamiliar territory. I'd practice emergency unclipping on grassed soft ground until it becomes second nature.

You will take a tumble at some stage through forgetting to unclip. Everyone does. The trick is not to put your arm straight out and take the landing on the heel of your hand. This puts you at risk of a busted collarbone or scaphoid bone (in the hand). Better to take it on the side of the hand with your arm flexed and let yourself roll. Do it this way and the worst you'll get is a bruised hip ... and ego.

For riding new unfamiliar technical trails and practicing new skills I prefer flats and will be buying a set shortly.

is my main concern.

Both Shimano and Crank models are double sided entry. Given my low level of confidence and experience with off road and with cleats I am rather uncomfortable doing some of the technical stuff while clipped in..even with a loose setting for release.

I thought I could be clipped in on the easier sections of a trail but use the platforms only when doing the more challenging stuff. On other occassions when a trail is pretty mixed I would like the option to ride with flat soles just using the pedals as platforms. Therefore the size of platform is important when not using cleats and also making sure the bindings are not going to interfere with flat soles.

I've ridden with flats, egg-beaters and mallets for ages now (multiple bikes) and I would caution against relying on unclipped mallets as a substitute for a flat pedal.

Don't get me wrong, they're a great pedal and I'd highly recommend them over most others, except maybe the ATACs, but the point of the cage on a mallet for me isn't the unclipped riding.

A Mallet unclipped when its dry is almost OK, you won't slip off too much, when it's wet don't even think about it. There's no comparison between the grip on an unclipped mallet and a proper flat, unclipping should be for emergencies only or sketchy corners.

The point of the cage on the mallet for me is that for aggressive technical stuff you can bash the pedal hard off rocks and use your pedal to climb up rocks and over logs etc if you get the stroke right and plant the pedal. Also it means you can use a soft shoe and get a bit more pedal "feel" while retaining clip security.

IMHO it's better to ride everything clipped in anyway, even the most techy stuff, you get used to the emergency unclip, especially on Mallets which are pretty foolproof, and it helps a lot with bike control and ability to put power through both pedals when needed. I've read top DH'ers say the same. But horses for courses and if you want the freedom of a flat I'd just stick to a flat or carry a spare set of flatties in the toolbox for when you want to go dirt jumping ;-}.

The only thing I don't like about Crank Bros pedals is that the innards can wear pretty quickly and I'm not sure you can get a service kit for them in Oz.

I agree with hawkeye. I bought a pair of half spd and half platform pedals thinking they would be good when things got technical, but what happens is you are never sure which way is up when you are not clipped in and spend time looking at your feet when you should be picking your line. I'll be taking mine off and putting my double sided spd's back on. You get used to uclipping and even the loosest setting holds your feet in when pedaling hard.

sorry, I know nothing about riding without cleats.

The Candys are fine for riding with normal shoes from the Hydraulics Lab car park at Manly Dam to the picnic area, but that's all I have done in normal shoes.

I was using SPDs as soon as I bought my bike. Dove straight into the whole clipless pedal process. Never looked back.

I was in exactly the same situation a few months ago when deciding to finally go for some clipless pedals. I ended up buying the M545s thinking that the cage would allow me to unclip and continue pedalling over the tricky stuff.

The reality though was quite different. Whilst getting used to them I did attempt to unclip a few times but it generally resulted in me no longer being in full control of the bike. The problem is that you end up thinking far too much about your feet and not enough about riding where you actually want to go. It didn't take long before I got over my nervousness of using clipless pedals and realised that it's not that difficult to unclip should you start to lose control.

Yesterday, my front wheel hit a groove and I thought I was in for a nasty fall. However, without even thinking I found I had both feet free to steady myself with. This was very reassuring.

So knowing what I now know, I would not bother with the cage. I would just buy a lighter pair of clipless pedals and spend some time practicing in them until you feel confident hitting the trails.

Hey Doug

Go the clips (even for DH) you'll never regret it if you give it a chance.

Of all the Shimano SPDs I have used (which is 3 diff models) go the DX. They are a bit more expensive but well worth it. They have a much better mechanism and are easy to clip in and out of even if you take your foot out for a corner. I use the DX shoes as well and they are great!!

I currently have similar pedals to the Shimano M545's. I find riding with the M545 with normal shoes, the clips get in the way even though they do push down. You also don't get near enough grip as platforms while wearing normal shoes. I just now ride clipped in all the time. The only exception is when I am practicing wheelies (which I am still hopeless) and other tricks I change the pedals back to the platforms as practicing wheelies while clipped in is suicidal.

I should clarify my earlier post wher I mentioned the Shimano DX. This is also referred to as the 647 and as I mentioned has a far superior mechanism (and cage) to the 424s and 545s.

I have all three and personally wouldn't recommend the 545s at all. I'd even go the 424s over the 545 as they are lighter (and cheaper).

Here's a link with a review of both the 647 (DX) and the mathching shoe.

http://www.asilvertouch.com/features.php?feature...

I've been watching this thread closely, waiting, waiting, waiting, and then finally!

Goatman I knew you couldn't resist!

Is that with the newer mech?

The older SPDs did indeed suck the big one when it came to mud or sand which is why people fled to anything on offer like TIME or Crank Bro. But I understand the newer system is much better in clearing mud?

Yeah I'm a fan of crank Bro... If only the cleats weren't made of soft cheese and lasted a bit longer